Hacking Voicemail is Scary Easy

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Imagine someone jeopardizing your home security system by hacking your phone’s voicemail. There’s been a widely reported story of a British tabloid newspaper accused of accessing voicemail  messages of murder victims, government officials, celebrities and possibly victims of the 9/11 terrorist attack.

The story broke in response to the tabloids manipulating voicemail of a 13 year old girl who was a murder victim and soldiers who fought in Iraq and died. The FBI is apparently investigating.

It seems there is a flaw in many telecom systems that allow the snooper to check a targets voicemail as long as the voicemail believes the call is coming from that persons caller ID.

Snoopers can access readymade hacking scripts online to perform these tasks or simply enlist one of many “caller ID spoofing” services. These services allow for anyone to make a call to any number and trick the voicemail into believing it’s coming from the voicemails intended account holder.

Once the voicemail is accessed the caller may not need a PIN or access may be granted via default passwords like 1111 or 0000. When the voicemail receives a call they think is coming from the correct phone number spoofed by caller ID it automatically trusts it.

The quickest fix to protect voicemail is to make sure your voicemail requires a PIN especially when you call it from your phone. And make sure that PIN isn’t a default PIN or one that is easily guessed.

Robert Siciliano personal and home security specialist to Home Security Source discussing mobile phone spyware on Good Morning America. Disclosures.

Home Invasion Murder Happens Close to Home

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All this scribbling I do about home security cameras and home alarm systems is actually part of a business I run so it requires me to have an administrator to perform certain duties that she’s better at than I am. Earlier this week I reached out to her via text and briefly she wasn’t responding.

Then I get this text: “I’m in New Hampshire at a friend’s. My girlfriend was murdered Saturday night by her fiancés son. Then he shot himself. The kid that killed her broke into the neighbor’s house and tried to shoot him”

Eeesh. When people hear these stories happening in their backyard they say “I just didn’t think it would happen here”, whereas I expect it, and so does my admin.

Reports say police responded to a call about a home invasion at 5 am on a Sunday. The neighbor whose home was invaded got a knock on the door and opens it to an 18 year old sticking a shot gun in his face. He pulled the trigger and the gun misfired. The father ran off to get something to defend himself with and the intruder fled.

This was after he killed his father’s fiancé. Man O’ man. Just like that a 41 year old mother of 3 is dead because of a young man’s actions. Nobody will ever know why he did it. But there were probably signals leading up to it.

On the CDC’s website they state Violence is a serious public health problem in the United States. From infants to the elderly, it affects people in all stages of life. In 2007, more than 18,000 people were victims of homicide and more than 34,000 took their own life.

People who act out in extreme violence like this often say and do things prior to the event over the course of days/weeks/months/years that indicate they will eventually unravel and hurt someone. Some reports say the teen was quick to anger, that he wasn’t someone you messed with. While that’s not enough to go on, it can be considered a red flag.

Visit the CDC for more information.

Robert Siciliano personal and home security specialist to Home Security Source discussing ADT Pulse™ on Fox News Live. Disclosures

Make Criminals Cry UNCLE

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A Neighborhood crime watch, also called a crime watch or neighborhood watch, is an organized group of citizens devoted to crime and vandalism prevention within a neighborhood. A neighborhood watch may be organized as its own group or may simply be a function of a neighborhood association or other community association.

In South Carolina a group of concerned citizens created a crime watch organization called UNCLE. That stands for United Network of Communities on Law and Enforcement.

The members of UNCLE drive around reporting suspicious behavior. If something looks out of place, they write it down and call the police. If there are suspicious vacant houses or too many cars in a yard or trash piles, they write it down and report it. If they see a suspected drug house they find the owners name and report it. If they see cars parked out front they get the license plates and report them.

UNCLE has the feel of the “Broken Windows Theory” that was deployed in New York City and is often credited with its safe city status today.

The broken windows theory is a criminological theory of the norm setting and signaling effects of urban disorder and vandalism on additional crime and anti-social behavior. The theory states that monitoring and maintaining urban environments in a well-ordered condition may prevent further vandalism as well as an escalation into more serious crime.

None of this is “vigilantism” but more like the Department of Homeland Security’s slogan “If you see something say something” Remember, we are all in this together. Your participation in your communities’ safety and security is essential to the security of us all.

Robert Siciliano personal and home security specialist to Home Security Source discussing Home Security on NBC Boston. Disclosures.

Bump Keys Are Today’s Skeleton Keys

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Locking your doors is a first step to securing your home.

However after conducting thousands of seminars on personal security I’m amazed at how many people do not lock their doors. That one simple act can prevent a door jiggling burglar from choosing your home. However if you do lock your doors, the quality of your locks can impact your security.

Lock bumping as its known is a lock picking method that involves inserting a modified key similar to the original and lightly bumping or hitting the key with a hammer or other blunt instrument. As the key is bumped the knob is gently twisted back and forth allowing the locks tumblers to fall in place. Carefully crafting a bump key and manipulating the knob allows the modified key to unlock the door.

Locks are made up of a series of pins and springs that when properly lined up allow the fitted key to turn, thus opening the lock. Bump keys are designed to trick the pins and springs by designing the bump key to accommodate the pins and keys in a variety of ways that ultimately come together by force or through bumping and turning.

Locks manufactured utilizing “programmable side bars” and do not utilize “top pins” are considered bump proof.  Other locks that are electronic, magnetic, disc tumbler or use rotating disks are generally considered bump proof.  This is general advice that should be followed up by enlisting a certified locksmith to guide you in a safe and secure direction.

Robert Siciliano personal and home security specialist to Home Security Source discussing home security and identity theft on TBS Movie and a Makeover. Disclosures.

Security Cameras Catch Intruder

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Video is a great thief repellant. It is one layer of security that must be incorporated into every home security system. However there is no such thing as 100% security. And while video often catches a thief in the act, it can’t actually catch a thief. That’s what police are for.

In Des Moines Iowa, which I’ve been to a few times and is a very cool place, lots of Bald Eagles, a bar owner was awoken to a phone call from ADT Security calling to tell him the alarm in his bar was going off. At the same time the police were summoned.

Meanwhile the bar owner logged into his security systems internet enabled cameras and saw the legs of a man dangling from the ceiling through ceiling tiles! The criminal apparently cut a hole in the roof! Then he saw the man jump to the floor with a crowbar and immediately head towards his target: a ticket machine full of cash.

Obviously the thief knew what he was after. After about 3 minutes he ran out when the police arrived and narrowly escaped.

Now the police have video footage of the thief to use to hopefully catch him.

Security is about layers of protection. The protection in this case at least minimized the damage by sending off a piercing alarm reducing the damage the criminal would do if he stayed longer and then the cameras will help identify the thief. Fortunately the bar owner has insurance (which is another layer of protection) that will ultimately pay for the loss and damage.

Robert Siciliano personal and home security specialist to Home Security Source discussing ADT Pulse on Fox News. Disclosures

Talk To Your Kids about Teen Dating Violence

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Teen dating violence is a difficult and touchy subject. But approaching the issue, or not, can mean the difference between life and death. Some studies show as many as 1 in 3 teens are affected.

Both young men and women are capable of acting out in abusive ways, and parents need to be aware of any signs of trouble.

Teen angst can be a low level annoyance or escalate to dangerous uncontrollable anger. I was a teen once and can attest to both ends of the spectrum. Ultimately teen domestic violence is about one person controlling another person when the controller has no control over themselves.

Abusers speak out of both sides are their mouths. They brilliantly abuse their partner while demonstrating an outwardly clean cut genial appearance.

Parents must observe their child as either a potential abuser or the abused. They must realize their kid is capable of being a perp or a victim. To ignore the signs of abuse is to enable it.

Look for red flags. Parents know if their teens have dominant or submissive personalities. Any exaggeration of the latter or obvious shift in demeanor is a red flag.

Signals of a controlling relationship range from the obvious signals exhibited by a person’s overbearing body language to the not so obvious manipulative text messages. Look for signs of fear in your child such as behaving oddly (which can mean a thousand things) or verbal or physical abuse. If your child begins to change their daily routine to accommodate their partner that may mean they are being manipulated. If they exhibit signs or speak of being responsible for the feelings of their partner that’s a big red flag.

Nobody is ultimately responsible for another’s feelings, but parents are ultimately responsible for observing their teens and educating them on what’s appropriate and inappropriate then intervening when behaviors tip in a destructive direction.

For more information go to CDC.gov.

Robert Siciliano personal and home security specialist to Home Security Source discussing ADT Pulse™ on Fox News Live. Disclosures

Your “Status” is Important to Others

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People have always paid attention to your status. Now they do it on social media. Status is your “standing” in society. It could mean whether you are married, employed, rich, poor, saving the world, up to no good, home or not.

Status in terms of home security begins with your whereabouts.

By now we should all know posting your whereabouts (or where you aren’t) can be an invitation for criminals to break into your home while you are gone. It’s simply not a good idea to post you are not home and your house is vacant. On the other hand it is a great idea to have home security cameras and an alarm system.

Furthermore, if you travel, contrary to what some might suggest, I’ve never thought it was a good idea to place your status on a “stop mail” list at the post office.  It’s the same thing with stopping delivery of your newspaper. Once you are on that list, it is known you are away. The best case scenario for both issues is to have a trusted friend, family member or neighbor grab your mail and newspaper for you. Never list your vacation plans on social media. The last thing you need to be doing on Facebook is telling the world you are 2000 miles away.

In Houston, two dumb criminals, one a teller at a bank that was just robbed and her boyfriend posted their status as “IM RICH” and “WIPE MY TEETH WITH HUNDREDS”  were arrested shortly after someone notified police on their status.

People are definitely paying attention to your status, so secure your social media.

Robert Siciliano personal and home security specialist to Home Security Source discussing ADT Pulse on Fox News Live. Disclosures

This Doesn’t Happen In Small Towns

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If you have children you know what worry is. If you have a daughter you worry times ten. I have 2 daughters and I worry times 10,000. Worrying is unproductive however, but taking action can and putting your worry to work can create positive results.

In a small Massachusetts town a recently graduated and talented 18 year old woman got off work and went to the beach to meet an 18 year old man she was in some type of relationship with.

She was supposed to check in with her dad early evening and never did. Her father got worried and called all her fiends then the police. The next day a bicyclist found her body in a wooded area in the small town.

The 18 year old man was arrested in the same day as the suspect in her murder. Her dad was quoted saying “When we fall in love, we allow ourselves to become vulnerable and we lose perspective.” That’s an amazingly poignant and correct observation coming from a man who just lost his daughter and only child

The Boston Globe reported one of the residents stated “People who are not from a small town don’t understand. We are all so tight here. . . . Stuff like this doesn’t happen here.’’

Stuff like this happens in small towns. It happens everywhere. Predators are people not “right in the head” and they are part of every town.

Reporting this isn’t fun.  Reading is less so. Worrying is futile. But taking action and learning self defense, teaching your kids at an early age how to protect themselves is fundamental to living.

Robert Siciliano personal and home security specialist to Home Security Source discussing self defense on Fox Boston. Disclosures.

Home Invader Says God Told Him to Do it

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Of all the things God would tell you to do, would it be break into someone’s house? Probably not. He might tell you to go invest in a home security system to prevent a home invasion but otherwise….no, I don’t think so.

Gawker reports “The Connecticut native was arrested for breaking into a stranger’s home, telling the owner that God made him do it, and then proceeding to smash statues of Roman soldiers and a marble table with a fireplace poker. Then he took a shower and dressed himself in the clothing of a deceased man who used to live there. When police took him into custody, he informed them that he’d smoked “a strange strand of herb.”

Smoking “a strange strand of herb” is probably what he thinks is God talking to him.

Meanwhile when in the home the invader told the homeowner he’d broken into the house because “God wants me to help the world,” and then told the homeowner, “I mean you no harm.”

The homeowner then called the police and as they waited for police, the homeowner asked him how he broke into the home, which he stood up then flexed and replied ‘You see, super-human strength.”

He definitely smoked something strange.

Rule #1: Never smoke anything strange because God may talk to you in way you wouldn’t expect.

Rule #2: Install a home alarm system to prevent someone who smokes strange herbs from invading your home and breaking all your little statues with a fireplace poker.

Rule #3: If ever invaded don’t hang out in the house with the invader asking them questions. Leave. Go to a safe place, then call the police.

Robert Siciliano personal and home security specialist to Home Security Source discussing ADT Pulse™ on Fox News. Disclosures

Woman Bites Off Attackers Tongue

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Years ago my childhood hero was this Chicago cop named JJ Bittenbinder. He would say “If all else fails, let them kiss you, then bite down on their lips until your teeth meet.”

The Boston Globe reports a woman was attacked in an alley and her attacker lost a big chunk of his tongue. The cops found it on the ground in an alley near a church after she defended herself. Maybe she read my book.

The guy fled and ended up in a clinic where police had already sent a bulletin.

It is important to understand that in any attack situation the victim actually has a lot of control over the outcome if they react within the first 30-60 seconds. What the victim does in that initial time frame can allow them to gain control over the direction of the attack. The attacker generally goes into the attack thinking the victim will be submissive but when the victim is confrontational the attacker is usually not prepared for that.

Offering resistance has been proven to stop an attack situation more than 80% of the time.

In addition to installing a home security system, it is essential that kids, women and men take hardcore self defense classes. The best program is known as Impact Model Mugging which utilizes a technique called “adrenal stress training”. Look them up and take any class within driving distance.

Robert Siciliano personal and home security specialist to Home Security Source discussing ADT Pulse™ on Fox News Live. Disclosures