Keeping Kids Safe Online

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It is no surprise that cybercriminals are taking advantage of the Internet and the people who use it. The Internet is like a bad neighborhood with bad guys around every corner. Any parent with an ounce of sensibility should recognize that when your child is on the wild wild web, they are at the same risk as they would be walking through the red light district in any big city.

I’m not saying this because I want to instill fear and panic, I’m bringing this up because sex offenders, pedophiles, criminal hackers and identity thieves treat the online world as if it was the physical world and use the anonymity of the web and the easiness of approach to seduce your children into doing things they wouldn’t normally do.

The Secret Online Lives of Teens, a survey conducted by McAfee, reveals that tweens and teens are relatively clueless about online privacy. The study sheds light on this generation’s tendency to use the Internet in ways that translate to danger in the real world.

There always has, is, and will be a predatory element out there. Generally, most people don’t want to think about that or even admit that it’s true. Instead of acknowledging the risks, most people completely discount this reality, telling themselves, “It can’t happen to me or my kids.”

The good news is you can do something about it. As soon as a family member becomes active online, it’s time to educate them—no matter what age they are—about cyber safety.

  • Set up the computer in a high-traffic family area and limit the number of hours your children spend on it.
  • Be sure you have computer security software with parental controls.
  • Decide exactly what is okay and what is not okay with regard to the kinds of web sites that are appropriate to visit
  • Use only appropriate monitored chat rooms
  • Never log in with user names that reveal true identity or that are provocative
  • Never reveal your passwords
  • Never reveal phone numbers or addresses
  • Never post information that reveals your identity
  • Never post inappropriate photos or ones that may reveal your identity (for example: city or school names on shirts)
  • Never share any information with strangers met online
  • Never meet face-to-face with strangers met online
  • Never open attachments from strangers

Once you have established the rules, make a poster listing them, and put it next to the computer.

Robert Siciliano personal security expert to ADT Home Security Source discussing Home Security and Identity Theft on TBS Movie and a Makeover. Disclosures.

Safety Tips: Home Burglary Prevention

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My AC is on, that means it’s summer time. It also means that occasionally the windows may be open, and because we are in the yard the doors sometimes are unlocked. As a result we are slightly more vulnerable to the bad guy. But this doesn’t mean that your guard should be down.

The FBI reports that more burglaries occur during the summer months than any other time of year and that every home is a potential target. According to U.S. Department of Justice statistics, an American home is broken into about every 15 seconds. The best defense against burglary is prevention. With planning you can help make your home unappealing to burglars.

Patrick Fiel, public safety advisor of ADT Security Services said, “There are a few simple, yet important, steps homeowners can take to make their homes less of a target.” To help homeowners secure their homes this summer, Fiel and ADT recommend the following home burglary prevention tips:

· Secure your garage. Garages can provide intruders with easy access to your home. If you have an automatic garage door opener, make sure you protect the remote control and never leave it visible in your car. Also, be sure to lock the door that leads from your garage to your home. Many people do not lock this door, creating a weak point in their home security.

· Equip your home with strong doors and locks. Exterior doors should be made of steel, other metals or solid wood, which are able to withstand more of an impact than hollow-core doors. Deadbolt locks offer the best protection from picking and prying. Always make sure to lock your doors and windows when you leave home.

· Never hide keys around the exterior of your home. Thieves look in mailboxes, under doormats and above doorways for keys. Do not make it easy for them to get into your home. If you will be out of town on vacation, leave emergency house keys with a trusted friend or neighbor.

· Consider a monitored burglar alarm system. A recent Rutgers University study found that alarm systems are an effective deterrent, making a home less attractive to intruders. Make sure your burglar alarm system includes a loud inside alarm, detectors at all exterior doors and motion sensors. It’s also important to have monitored protection which links your home to a monitoring center where trained professionals can quickly notify first responders. Most insurance companies also offer a discount of up to 20 percent off homeowner’s policies for monitored alarm systems.

· Never let burglars know you are away from home. As you plan for vacation, you may be tempted to post updates on social networking sites, including specific dates and times of your vacation. But criminals have been known to troll these sites for vacant homes and unsuspecting victims. Always keep your vacation plans as private as possible and have a trusted friend or family member collect your mail and check in on your home while you and your family are away.

Fiel said, “As summer starts to heat up, we hope these tips will help you prevent home burglary and protect your possessions before, during and after your vacation.”

Mr Fiel certainly knows his business. It’s your businesses to take responsibility for yourself and your family and make sure your home is safe and secure. It’s not enough to use the old adage “why do I care if my stuff is stolen, insurance will pay for it” because insurance doesn’t reimburse you for the hollow empty feeling of being violated. For many people who are burglarized, they often never want to step foot into their homes again.

Furthermore, in the heat of the summer many burglaries can turn into home invasions if the burglar didn’t know you were home. That’s when things can get violent.

Know your options. Don’t sit back and say “Its cant happen to me”. Sit back and say “American home is broken into about every 15 seconds, mine won’t be one of them.” Enjoy the summer months, relax, have fun and be safe.

Robert Siciliano personal security expert to ADT Home Security Source discussing Home Invasions on Montel. Disclosures.

Burglary Raises Fears; Is It Safe to Leave Home?

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This is so awfully crazy that I just have a hard time believing someone can be so deceitful and so stupid at the same time.

“A one-time Royal Caribbean sales staffer, who used information about clients’ trips to burglarize their homes while they were cruising, is definitely fodder for chatter. And nothing’s more on topic today than this debate: Should we worry that information about our own travels away from home could fall into the wrong hands? While today’s consumers are well versed in the dangers of “virtual” robberies — identity, credit card numbers — this situation reveals the possibility of more physical theft, in which individuals with access to cruise lines’ reservations systems can match trip dates to home addresses and identify houses to burglarize.”

“A Royal Caribbean employee abused her position with the cruise line to identify customers away on cruises and then conspired with her husband to rob their homes during the first nights of their vacations. She was caught, arrested and charged with multiple counts of burglary, and the cruise line has since fired her.”

The bad guy is always looking for a way to steal from you. They will stop at nothing to take what’s your and make it theirs.

Contrary to what some might suggest, I’ve never thought it was a good idea to place your name on a “stop mail” list at the post office. Because some crack head postal employee now has a list of opportunities.

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.

Do all the fundamentals like invest in a home alarm system that sends an alert to local law enforcement that your house has been broken into. Monitoring is generally a buck a day. I spend more than that on cookies.

Set yourself up with home security cameras. Mine can be accessed from my iPhone and online. It’s kind of addicting, and I’m always checking out the scene at the homestead when I travel.

Put lights on timers to give your home the “lived in look”.

Robert Siciliano personal security expert to ADT Home Security Source discussing Home Security on NBC Boston. Disclosures.

Woman Suspect in Pot Stealing Home Invasion

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It’s not often that I see “woman suspect” and “home invasion” in the same sentence. Home invasions are mostly done by Cro-Magnon men who are one step out of a cave and temporarily in society until they go back to jail. Police released a sketch of an armed woman accused of stealing two medicinal marijuana plants while a 19-year-old woman was home.

The report goes on to say it was two woman and two men, which makes a little more sense. All is right with the world again. The Mercury News reports the teen was in the bathroom at the time and was ordered to the ground and briefly held captive while the house was pillaged. They stole the pot plants as well as electronics.

The teen was not harmed. Luckily. The pot plants belonged to the teen’s mother, who is a medicinal marijuana card-holder.

California has led the charge to legalize weed for medical purposes. And many a quack provides medicinal marijuana cards to anyone who has even the slightest ailment.

A side effect of having the law past has led to many such crimes. Even though it’s semi legal, it’s still worth something substantial on the street. So if you tug on the whacky tabacky to sooth your aching whatever, it would probably be a good idea not to broadcast your prescribed pot.

Home invasions are best prevented by locking your doors all day and night and having a home security system installed and armed. Oh and on another note, if you have pot plants it’s probably not a good idea to have them in the window getting sun.

Robert Siciliano personal security expert to ADT Home Security Source discussing Home Invasions on Montel. Disclosures.

Chicago: Homicides up, Citywide Crime Down 5.8 Percent

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Thanks to Al Capone the infamous gangster, The Windy City has long been known for organized crime dating back to the 30’s. In concentrated areas like big cities, crime is often a factor. But as proven in New York City, effective policing can reduce crime. Chicago seems to be making positive strides in managing its crime climate as well.

Law enforcement in Chicago just announced there was an 11.2 percent drop in violent offenses and 4.2 percent decrease in property crimes. However the 164 recorded homicides in 2010 are six more than last year at this time, an increase of 3.8 percent.

The Chicago Suntimes reported “Homicides have continued to challenge us,” their Chief said, adding that the department will continue to deploy officers to areas where there is a probability of violent crime. “The safest place for your children is in your home under your supervision,” he said.” Chicago police also seized 3,513 weapons, which were 189 more than last year. It breaks down to an average of nearly one weapon recovered an hour for the entire year so far.”

Imagine if they didn’t get those weapons off the streets.

They further reported there were nearly 2,000 fewer property crimes, a drop of more than 4 percent including a drop in theft at 9.8 percent and burglary at just under 1 percent.

Taking into account the small rise in murders, the overall drop in crime is impressive. Whether you are from a little town or a big city the most effective way to reduce crime is to take an individual responsibility in your own personal security by reaching out to local law enforcement and finding out what systems they may have in place and what kind of information you can bring back to your neighborhoods.

Attend neighborhood watch meetings that may be sponsored by the local police. Work to get everyone on the same page in regards to monitoring your neighborhood to seek out suspicious behavior and report incidents that may lead to crime. Take direct responsibility for yourself and your family by installing heavy duty locks, locking your doors, and install a home alarm system.

Robert Siciliano personal security expert to ADT Home Security Source discussing Home Security and Identity Theft on TBS Movie and a Makeover. Disclosures.

How Secure Are You And That ATM Transaction?

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ATM fraud is more common and likely than a crime committed directly against customers who are in the process of attempting to withdraw cash from the machines, according to NetworkWorld.

When studying “emergency PIN technologies” they state fraud was one of the few concrete conclusions from a report about the use of emergency technology at ATMs issued by the Federal Trade Commission.

Meanwhile reports indicate that thieves used “skimmer” devices to steal $217,000 from Long Island Banks between April and the end of May 2010. Banking information was then re-encoded onto the magnetic strips of blank gift cards. Investigators report that the thefts occurred in Suffolk County, N.Y. They estimate that between 100 and 200 accounts may have been cloned.

The ATM is all about quick easy cash. In the world of technology, when “quick” is paired with “easy” there is a sacrifice made in regards to security. Security is often slow and difficult and most people won’t sacrifice convenience for personal security.

Certainly there is a degree of security in ATMs, but to make them fully secure requires the end user to do more, and unfortunately users often don’t have the ability to jump through all the hoops security requires.

However by understanding some of the risks and incorporating some security tips you can protect yourself.

Always be vigilant when you are at an ATM. Look around the perimeter of the kiosk and beware of anyone paying unwanted attention. If someone is “lurking” they could be waiting to pounce or are shoulder surfing to get your PIN code.

Choose a PIN that’s not easily guessed but can be quickly entered.  Consecutive numbers or the same numbers is never a good idea. Often new ATMs won’t allow you to choose a “soft” PIN anyway.

Don’t ever let anyone help you at an ATM. It’s hard to envision what kind of scenario might involve another person intervening at an ATM. But consider this: Your card gets stuck, someone graciously peeks their head over your shoulder to help. They un–stick your card and help you finish the transaction. In the process they got your PIN and swapped your card with another.

In another example two women picked up drunk guys from bars who were waiting for a cab and persuaded them to pull money out of their ATMs while they watched for the PINs. Once they got back to the car one, while making out with him, would pick his pocket and hand off the card to the friend.

Beware of ATM skimming and be able to recognize what an ATM skimmer looks like. Here are some excellent pictures of a well made covert skimming device attached to the face of an ATM. You really need to look for it to recognize it. Not all are as well crafted, but some are very good. ATM skimming of course is when the information on the back of your card is “skimmed” and the criminal then burns the data onto another card and makes withdrawals.

They may have also installed a camera behind a brochure holder, speaker, mirror or in a light bar. If you ever get a vibe that something doesn’t feel right, just leave. Always shield the ATM keypad with your second before entering your PIN.

Meanwhile Romanian Police raided 38 locations and arrested five fraudsters allegedly part of a card cloning gang. Those detained face accusations of being members of an organized crime group, unauthorized access to a computer system, possessing card-cloning equipment, access device fraud and distributing fake electronic-payment devices. Based on this video, they didn’t get a whole lot of equipment but confiscated some cash.

To help combat this type of crime, ADT unveiled the ADT Anti-Skim ATM Security Solution, which helps prevent skimming attempts and detects skimming devices on all major ATM makes and models.

ADT’s anti-skim solution is installed inside an ATM near the card reader, making it invisible from the outside. The solution detects the presence of foreign devices placed over or near an ATM card entry slot, without disrupting the customer transaction or operation of most ATMs. It can trigger a silent alarm for command center response and coordinate video surveillance of all skimming activities. Also, the technology helps prevent card-skimming attempts by interrupting the operation of an illegal card reader.

This technology does not require any software adjustments be made to the ATM itself, and does not connect to or affect the ATM communications network. Prior to its North American introduction, the ADT Anti-Skim ATM Security Solution was successfully field tested on dozens of ATMs of four major U.S. financial institutions in controlled pilot programs. Testing pilots yielded positive results, with no known skimming compromises occurring.

Robert Siciliano personal security expert to ADT Home Security Source discussing ATM skimming on Extra TV. Disclosures.

Facebook + Hackers – Privacy = You Lose

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I’m as sick of writing about it as you are sick of reading about it. But because Facebook has become a societal juggernaut: a massive inexorable force that seems to crush everything in its way, we need to discuss it because it’s messing with lots of functions of society.

We should all now know that whatever you post on Facebook is not private. You may think it is, but it isn’t. Even though you may have gone through all kinds of privacy settings and locked down your profile, Facebook has changed them up internally so many times that they may have defaulted to something far less private then what you previously set.

Furthermore, no matter how private you have set them to, if you friend someone who you don’t know (like that human resource officer), they see what’s “private” and anyone on the “inside” can easily replicate anything you post to the world.

The activist groups waging what amounts to an undeclared war against the social-networking site for the last year, complete with no fewer than three letters to federal regulators claiming Facebook’s actions are illegal said that they’re hardly ready to declare a truce.

Attacks targeting Facebook users will continue, and they could easily become even more dangerous. Computerworld reports “There are limitations to what Facebook can do to stop this,” said Patrik Runald, a U.K.-based researcher for Websense Security Labs. “I wouldn’t be surprised to see another attack this weekend. Clearly, they work.”

Websense has identified more than 100 variations of the same Facebook attack app used in the two attacks, all identical except for the API keys that Facebook requires.

What does this mean to you?

For crying out loud stop telling the world you hate your boss, neighbor, students’ teachers, or spouse and you’d like to boil a bunny on the stove to teach them a lesson. I guarantee even if you are kidding, someone won’t like it. What you say/do/post, lasts forever.

Stop playing the stupid 3rd party games. When you answer “25 questions about whatever” that data goes straight into the hands of some entity that you would never have volunteered it to.

Make sure you PC is secured. Keep your operating system up to date with security patches and anti-virus and don’t download anything from any email you receive or click links in the body of any email. Once you start messing with these files you become a Petri dish spreading a virus.

Robert Siciliano personal security expert to Home Security Source discussing Facebook scams on CNN.

Renting and Securing an Apartment

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The time has come to leave the nest. The little birdie has to spread its wings and fly on their own whether they like it or not.  The process is often overwhelming and difficult and the results can end up being great or awful. But knowing what you’re getting yourself into ahead of time can save you all kinds of headaches down the road.

Check the crime climate of the city/town/neighborhood you are considering moving to.  Often we make moving decisions based on convenience and price.  However consider spending a little more (or even less) if another location is safer but less convenient.

Protect your identity. Landlords almost always ask for a Social Security Number in order to check an applicant’s credit prior to considering them for a move. It is generally not an option to say NO. However by investing in a credit freeze or credit monitoring you can reduce your risks that the Social Security Number will be used for identity theft.

Check out potential roommates. I did the roommate thing throughout my entire 20’s. I had the best and the worst roommates of all times. Some, I am friends with today and others, I wish I never met. There are numerous considerations to be made. The most important consideration is your personal security. Do a background check before signing a lease with a potential roommate.  Determine if they have any type of a criminal history. A background check may also determine if they have even been bankrupt.

Ask the landlord about options for installing an apartment security alarm for maximum safety. Apartment security systems today are easy to install for a do-it-yourselfer or certified alarm dealer. Often they require minimal wiring which means the landlord should have a problem with it. Wireless home alarms are even easier and only require batteries and two sided tape. If the landlord opposes an apartment security system, then the apartment is the right fit for you.

Robert Siciliano personal security expert to Home Security Source discussing burglar proofing your home on Fox Boston.

Police Seek 2 Men, Woman in Stun-gun Robberies

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A Stun gun or electromuscular incapacitation device when pressed against a human’s body causes a disruption in the electrical impulses of the nervous system.  When someone is “shocked” in the upper chest area where the arms meet the chest or the lower abdomen on the left or right sides and in the upper thighs, they may lose the ability to walk, talk or function normally.  Stun guns are considered non-lethal, which means they aren’t supposed to kill. However there have been situations where people have died when a stun gun was involved in subduing them.

Seattle police are searching for a trio of robbers responsible for daytime attacks on three women using stun guns.

In each case they were “crimes of opportunity.” Crimes of opportunity generally mean the victims were in the wrong place at the wrong time, but what it really means is they were taken by surprise.

The women were going about their business and the robbers attacked them. One was pushed into her trunk then her purse stolen. Her wallet with her home address and her keys were stolen so her landlord changed her locks.

Another woman was followed home and while taking groceries out of her car was accosted by 2 men.

A third woman was in her driveway when she too was robbed when she heard the crack of a stun gun then fell to the ground hitting her head.

An attacker’s tool of trade is the element of surprise. They like to attack from behind when you aren’t paying attention. They also attack from the side or often use a distraction up front.  It’s easy to say all these attacks could have been prevented. But as they say, easier said than done.

By being fully aware of your surroundings you look less like a potential target.  When a bad guy stalks you, if they know you see them, they may move on to someone who they can easily surprise.

Always know what is going on behind you.

Be prepared for someone approaching and distracting you.

When pulling into your garage if you have the option shut the door behind you before you get out of your car.

When pulling into your driveway always look around your car before getting out.

Consider a home security alarm that also has home security cameras.  That same alarm equipped with a panic button can help you if you see someone paying unwanted attention. By hitting that panic button it sets off an alarm getting attention to the situation.

Robert Siciliano personal security expert to ADT Home Security Source discussing non-lethal personal protection and home invasions on the Gordon Elliot show.

How Secure is your Mobile Phone?

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I love my iPhone. The fact that I have a full web browser and can access all my data anytime from anywhere is fantastic. Plus my iPhone allows me to peek in on my home security system with an application that’s connected to my home security cameras. If I’m on the road I can log in and see the family doing whatever activities in our outside the home.

If you don’t have a phone that you can integrate with your home security system I strongly recommend considering an iPhone. Besides being the coolest thing to be able to show someone live video of your home base, it is incredible peace mind to check in.

And consider if that phone fell into the wrong hands what could come of it? In my case not much due to the fact I’m pretty well locked down.

If you have one of the popular brands below pay attention:

BlackBerry:

The Blackberry is easily the most popular Smartphone on the market and, according to cellphones.org, the most ‘natively’ secure. Just by having a Blackberry, you are one step ahead but that doesn’t mean you don’t still have to enable your security settings.

Enable your password. Under General Settings set your password to ‘on’ and select a secure password. You may also want to limit the number of password attempts. Test to make sure that your password works by locking your phone to confirm.

Encrypt your data. Under Content Protection settings, enable encryption. Then, under ‘Strength’ select either ‘stronger’ or ‘strongest’. Though ‘strongest’ is the most secure, ‘stronger’ has faster encryption/decryption. Under the Content Protection settings you will also have the option to encrypt your address book.

When visiting password protected internet sites do not save your passwords to the browser. Anyone who finds your phone and manages to unlock it will then have access to all of your account data and your identity will be stolen. It may be annoying to have to enter your password every time but the extra 30 seconds is certainly worth avoiding identity theft.

iPhone:

The iPhone, which has captured over 25% of the Smartphone market, the second highest share in the industry, has notoriously poor encryption capabilities. As such, enabling the included security features and adding apps that allow you to secure your information is key to being a ‘safe’ iPhone owner.

Enable the Pass code Lock and Auto-Lock. Go into your phones General Settings and set the 4-digit phone pass code to something that you will remember but is not ‘significant’ to you. That means no birth dates, no anniversary dates, no children’s ages. Then, go back into General Settings and set the Auto-Lock. Although you can choose from 1 min to 5min, the quicker your phone locks the safer it is from those who might be tempted to tamper with it while you aren’t looking.

Turn your Bluetooth off unless you are using it. Bluetooth allows you to easily connect to a hands-free head set or to send files from your phone to a computer. However, this also works the other way. A tech savvy hacker with a laptop can easily hack your phone from the Bluetooth connection if it’s on.

Download Simple Vault 1.2. Simple vault adds a second layer of protection to your iPhone by allowing you to password protect each of your apps. It also allows you to store your sensitive information right on your phone, unlike other security apps which send it to you over the internet when you access it

General:

Whenever possible, wait till you get to your computer on a secured network before accessing sensitive information. When responding to important work emails or checking your bank account balance it really is best to wait until you can access this information from a secure network. Anti-virus and anti-malware software as well encryption capabilities for computers are miles ahead than what is currently available for phones. So ask yourself before you enter your credit card number to that online store: Is it worth identity theft for me to do this now or can it wait till I get back to the office/home?

Robert Siciliano personal security expert to Home Security Source discussing Mobile Phone Spying on Good Morning America