How to Spot a Splog

I really enjoy reading blogs. And since you are here, reading my blog post, I’m guessing you do too. Blogs are a great way of gaining information and learning about different perspectives on a wide variety of topics. Unfortunately, spammers have tainted this medium with splogs.

7WThe word splog is a combination of the words spam and blog (from my perspective, it could easily be called  blam as well). And that’s exactly what it is, a blog full of spam.  Splogs are blogs that usually have plagiarized content and have a ton of banner ads and hyperlinks. Splogs also can have repetitive content—basically the same article but using different targeted keywords each time since the main goal of a splog is to direct to you sites the scammer wants you to visit

Spammers use search engine optimization (SEO), also known as manipulating a website’s page ranking on a search engine, to attract innocent visitors to the splog. To increase page ranking, splogs will use content filled with phrases or key words that get ranked high in search results.  That way, when you are searching for a particular search term, the splog will appear on the first few pages of search results.

Spammers primarily use splogs for two reasons. First and foremost, they use splogs to make money. The splogs have ads that link to partner websites and when you click on one of those ads, the spammer gets paid by the partner for directing you to the site. The second reason is more malicious. Scammers will use a splog to direct you to their fake site that is used to capture your personal information such as your credit card, email, or phone number or download  Once they have your personal information, they can use sell your information or generate phishing attacks to get money from you. Or if they automatically download malware to your device, they could be using the malware to find out more information or hold your device hostage.

Because blogs are relatively easy to create, it doesn’t take that much time to create hundreds and thousands of splogs, especially since the scammers aren’t creating original content and are often duplicating the same content. These splogs are then crawled by the search engines, thus appearing in search results for you to click on and making it harder for you to find the actual information you are searching for online.

Splogs are annoying and can get in the way of your web experience. Here is how you can spot a splog:

  • Splog posts are usually 50 to 100 words long and riddled with hyperlinks. Also, there might be hundreds of posts a month; you can check this by looking at the blog archive.
  • The URLs are unusually long and include keywords for SEO purposes.
  • They often use the domain (URL suffix) of .info rather than the widely used .com because those domains are cheaper. So if you see a blog.sample.info you should proceed with caution.

Don’t let a splog fool you. Share these tips with your friends and family. As  less people visit these sites and click on advertisements, spammers will be less likely to use this growing spam technique.

Robert Siciliano is an Online Security Expert to McAfee. He is the author of 99 Things You Wish You Knew Before Your Mobile was Hacked!  Disclosures.

Tonight’s Special Guest: McAfee’s Most Dangerous Celebrity of 2014

After a long day of hard work, there’s nothing like coming home, throwing on some PJs, and watching some good old late night television. I love catching up on all the latest news and watching celebrities like Kaley Cuoco-Sweetin discuss the celebrity photo hack (what can I say? I’m a security junkie).

Dangerous Celebrity of 2014It seems like we’ve always had a fascination with the lives of the rich and famous. In the 1700s, people gathered to watch the every move of the King of France, from getting out of bed to changing his underwear. Page Six, the gossip column, used to be the must-read page in the New York Post. Now, in the age of social media, following our favorite celebrities’ comings and goings is even easier. All we have to do is go on Twitter to get the latest about Jayoncé.

Unfortunately, our obsession with celebrities can get us into trouble on the Web. Cybercriminals love to take advantage of our interest in celebrities for malicious means. They use hot celebrity news, like updates on Ryan Gosling and Eva Mendes’ baby, along with the offer of free content to lure you to malicious sites that could steal your money or personal information or install malware.

There are some celebrities who are more likely to lead you to bad stuff than others. Today McAfee announced that Jimmy Kimmel, the host of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, is the 2014 Most Dangerous Celebrity™. McAfee found that searching for the latest Jimmy Kimmel videos and downloads yields more than a 19.4% chance of landing on a website that tested positive for online threats.

Here are the rest of the celebrities that round out this year’s Top 10 Most Dangerous Celebrities list.

 

History tells us we probably aren’t going to get over our fascination with celebrities anytime soon. But there are some things you can do now to stay safe online while you’re reading about your favorite personalities.

  • Be suspicious. If a search turns up a link to free content or too-good-to-be-true offers, be wary
  • Check the web address. Look for misspellings or other clues that the site you are going to may not be safe (for more on this, read my blog on typosquatting)
  • Search safely.Use a Web safety advisor, such as McAfee® SiteAdvisor® that displays a red, yellow, or green ratings in search results, alerting you to potential risky sites before you click on them
  • Protect yourself. Use comprehensive security software on all your devices, like McAfee LiveSafe™ service, to protect yourself against the latest threats

Help Spread the Word!
In order to continue to promote safe celebrity searching, McAfee will be running a sharing sweepstakes. Help others stay educated about staying safe online by sharing Most Dangerous Celebrities content and you could  win a Red Carpet Swag Bag that includes a Dell Venue™ 7 tablet, Beats Solo 2.0 HD headphones, a subscription to McAfee LiveSafe service along with other goodies. You must be 18 or older and reside in the United States in order to participate. Learn more here.

While it’s fine to get your fix of celebrity gossip , remember to be safe when doing so.

To learn more about Most Dangerous Celebrities, click here or read the press release, use the hashtag #RiskyCeleb on Twitter, follow @McAfeeConsumer or like McAfee on Facebook.

Robert Siciliano is an Online Security Expert to McAfee. He is the author of 99 Things You Wish You Knew Before Your Mobile was Hacked!  Disclosures.

How to Secure Your iCloud

By now you’ve heard that Jennifer Lawrence’s (and other celebs’) cellphone nude pictures were leaked out, but how in the heck did the hacker pull this off? Tech experts believe it was through the “Find My iPhone” app.

Apple2Someone anonymously posted nude photos of Jennifer Lawrence and Kate Upton to the 4Chan site, and the stars confirmed the photos were of them.

It’s possible that the hacker/s discovered a vulnerability in the Find My iPhone service. This app helps people locate missing phones via cloud. hackers use a “brute force” program to protect hack accounts. These programs make repeated guesses at random passwords for a particular username until a hit is made.

So it’s possible hackers used “iBrute” to get celebs’ passwords, and hence, the photos in their iCloud accounts.

This is only a theory, as most hacking occurs in a more straightforward manner such as:

a person receiving a phishing email and responding with their password

someone’s personal computer gets hacked and spyware is installed

a laptop with all kinds of data is stolen

the wrong person finding a lost cellphone.

Also, evidence suggests that some of the leaked photos came from devices (like Android) that won’t back up to the iCloud.

Apple is investigating the leaks, and apparently put out a security upgrade Sept. 1, to prevent a brute force service from getting passwords via Find My iPhone.

You yourself are at risk of this breach if brute force indeed was used, as long as the problem hasn’t been fixed. If someone has your username, this tactic can be used.

If you want 100 percent protection, stay off the Internet. (Yeah, right.)

Bullet proof your passwords

  • Each site/account should have a different password, no matter how many.
  • Passwords should have at least eight characters and be a mix of upper and lower case letters, numbers and symbols that can’t be found in a dictionary.
  • Use a password program such as secure password software.
  • Make sure that any password software you use can be applied on all devices.
  • A password manager will store tons of crazy and long passwords and uses a master password.
  • Consider a second layer of protection such as Yubikey. Plug your flashdrive in; touch the button and it generates a one-time password for the day. Or enter a static password that’s stored on the second slot.
  • Have a printout of the Yubikey password in case the Yubikey gets lost or stolen.
  • An alternative to a password software program, though not as secure, is to keep passwords in an encrypted Excel, Word or PDF file. Give the file a name that would be of no interest to a hacker.
  • The “key” method. Begin with a key of 5-6 characters (a capital letter, number and symbols). For example, “apple” can be @pp1E.
  • Next add the year (2014) minus 5 at the end: @pp1E9.
  • Every new year, change the password; next year it would be @pp1E10. To make this process even more secure, change the password more frequently, even every month. To make this less daunting, use a key again, like the first two letters of every new month can be inserted somewhere, so for March, it would be @pp1E9MA.
  • To create additional passwords based on this plan, add two letters to the end that pertain to the site or account. For instance, @pp1E9fb is the Facebook password.
  • Passwords become vulnerable when the internet is accessed over Wi-Fis (home, office, coffee shop, hotel, airport). Unsecured, unprotected and unencrypted connections can enable thieves to steal your personal information including usernames and passwords.

Use two-step verification.

Apple’s iCloud asks users two personal questions before allowing access. And let’s face it: We’re all wondering what Jennifer Lawrence was thinking when she decided it was a smart idea to put her nude photos into cyberspace.

Passwords seem to be the common thread in data breaches. But passwords aren’t too valuable to a hacker if they come with two-factor authentication. This is when the user must enter a unique code that only they know, and this code changes with every log-in. This would make it nearly impossible for a hacker to get in.

Go to applied.apple.com and you’ll see a blue box on the right: “Manage Your Apple ID.” Click this, then log in with your Apple ID. To the left is a link: “Passwords and Security.” Click that. Two security questions will come up; answer them so that a new section, “Manage Your Security Settings,” comes up. Click the “Get Started” link below it. Enter phone number and you’ll receive a code via text. If your phone isn’t available, you can set up a recovery key, which is a unique password.

All that being said, two factor will not protect your phones data. Apple is lax in making this happen. What Apples two factor does is protect you when you:

  • Sign in to My Apple ID to manage your account
  • Make an iTunes, App Store, or iBooks Store purchase from a new device
  • Get Apple ID related support from Apple

Robert Siciliano is an identity theft expert to BestIDTheftCompanys.com discussing  identity theft prevention. For Roberts FREE ebook text- SECURE Your@emailaddress -to 411247. Disclosures.

Back to School Time Means Online Safety Time

It’s August which for parents (and kids) means it is back to school time. It can be easy to reminisce about your school days—passing notes to the cute girl or boy in class, late-night study sessions with friends, or playing tag on the playground.

4HBut your kids’ school experience is way different from when you were in school. Snapchat, Facebook, and text messaging have replaced those folded handwritten notes. Educational apps have replaced flash cards. A lot of your kids have their own smartphone or are probably asking for them.

Your kids are growing up as digital natives, with technology playing a part in almost every aspect of their lives. In a study conducted earlier this year, McAfee found that 54% of teens and tweens spend more than 10 hours online per week and over 60% use either Snapchat, YouTube or Instagram on a daily basis.

And while our kids may be digitally savvy, McAfee found that while 90% of tweens and teens believe their parents trust them to do what is right online, almost half (45%) would change their online behavior if they knew their parents were watching.  So it’s critical that we stay one step ahead of our kids.

With all this technology available, there comes new responsibilities for us as parents. It’s important that we take the time to teach our children how to safely navigate the digital world. Here’s some ways to protect your kids online:

  • Turn off GPS services. Encourage your child to disable this option to keep their location invisible to strangers.
  • Enable privacy settings. This is something we should all do and the McAfee study found that over 1/3 of youth did not use these on their social networking profiles.
  • Discuss the reality of cyberbullying. In the McAfee study, 87% of kids have witnessed cyberbullying and 24% said they would not know what to do if they were cyberbullied.
  • Teach them what is appropriate to share. 50% of tweens and teens share their email address, while 30% post their phone number and a whopping 14% posted their home address.

To help keep our kids safe online, McAfee and HP have teamed together to promote online safety during the Back to School season —and give you a chance to win prizes. To learn more, go to www.BTStips.com to enter to win!

For more tips, like McAfee on Facebook or follow them on Twitter.

Cheers to a safe, fun school year!

Robert Siciliano is an Online Security Expert to McAfee. He is the author of 99 Things You Wish You Knew Before Your Mobile was Hacked!  Disclosures.

10 Tips to Stay Safe Online

Hang ten, dude! It’s summertime and surfers are taking to the ocean to go catch some gnarly waves. Experienced surfers know that there are dangers out in the water and are trained to look out for them. These dangers include rip currents, shallow water, and of course, sharks.

4HJust like there are dangers in the ocean, there are many dangers lurking on the Internet. And a savvy web surfer and searcher knows that there’s ways to protect themselves. Here are some tips to keep you safe while you surf the internet.

  1. Know the scams. Read articles and blogs, follow the news, and share this so you can  learn about different kinds of scams and what you can do to avoid them and also help your friends.
  2. Think before you click. Never click on links in messages from people you don’t know or vaguely know. These phishing emails have links that lead to websites that can lure you into giving personal information or download malware to your computer. You should even be wary with emails from people you do know if it looks or sounds suspicious. Hackers can create a malicious email that looks like it came from your best friend’s email account.
  3. Safely peruse. Beware of phony websites. These sites may have an address that’s very similar to a legitimate site, but the page can have misspellings, bad grammar or low resolution images. However, scammers are getting better at replicating sites so make sure. If a site asks for personal information, that you double check the URL and make sure it’s not asking for information it shouldn’t.  McAfee SiteAdvisor is a free download and protects you from going to risky sites
  4. Shop safely. Don’t shop on a site unless it has the “https” and a padlock icon to the left or right of the URL. Also, protect yourself and use a credit card instead of a debit card while shopping online—a credit card company is more likely to reimburse you for fraudulent charges.
  5. Kick-butt passwords. Do away with the “Fitguy1982” password and use an extremely uncrackable one like 9&4yiw2pyqx#. Phrases are good too. Regularly change passwords and don’t use the same passwords for critical accounts. For more tips on how to create strong passwords, go to www.passwordday.org
  6. Protect your info. Keep your guard up. Back up all of your  data on your computer, smartphone and tablet in the event of loss, theft or a crash. Also, routinely check your various financial statements for questionable activity.
  7. Watch your Wi-Fi connectivity. Protect your network by changing your router’s default settings and making sure you have the connection password-protected. For more information on how to protect your Wi-Fi connection, click here.
  8. Install a firewall. A firewall is a great line of defense against cyber-attacks. Although most operating systems come with a firewall, you might want to consider installing McAfee LiveSafe™ service which has a much better firewall than the one that comes built into your operating system.
  9. Keep up to date. The best security software updates automatically to protect your computer. Use the manufacturer’s latest security patches to make regular updates and make sure that you have the software set to do routine scans
  10. Use your noggin. You do not need to be a seasoned computer whiz to know that it’s not smart to open an attachment titled, “Claim Your Inheritance!” Using common sense while surfing the Web can protect you from some hungry cyber-shark.

These are the basics to help you stay safe online. To stay on top of the latest consumer and mobile security threats by following @McAfeeConsumer on Twitter and Like us on Facebook.

Robert Siciliano is an Online Security Expert to McAfee. He is the author of 99 Things You Wish You Knew Before Your Mobile was Hacked!  Disclosures.

USB Drives – With Convenience Comes Risk

I’m sure most of us have used a USB drive (or thumb drive) at one point or another. They are super convenient to transfer files, especially when they are too large for email or you don’t have access to an Internet connection.

2DBut it’s this same convenience of being portable, readily available, and inexpensive that make them a prime target for cybercriminals. There’s a number of ways that these devices can fall victim to the underworld.

Because USB drives are primarily used to share and transfer files, it’s an easy target for hackers who are looking to distribute malware. And because most USB drives are set to auto-run (meaning that when you plug it into your computer, it will automatically open up the drive), the malicious software could be automatically transferred to your computer as soon as you plug this in. So once they get you to copy an infected file to the USB drive, it’s easily spread to other computers every time the USB drive is plugged in.

While their small size and portability make them easy to carry in your pocket or pretty much anywhere, it also makes them susceptible to loss or theft. Depending on what type of information is stored on here, losing this device could expose your personal information. A USB drive could easily be misplaced, dropped or taken from a table so it’s important to be careful when using these devices.

Another thing to keep in mind is that files aren’t really deleted, even if you hit the “delete” button to take something off your USB drive. In this case “delete” really means “hide” so unless you run a “wipe” program to really get rid of the files, someone could still retrieve your data, so you still need to make sure you are careful with these devices.

So here’s some tips how can you ensure that you stay safe and protect your information when using USB drives:

  • Watch your USB drive – don’t set it down and make sure you keep track of it so it’s not lost or stolen.
  • Disable auto-run – Turn off auto-run on your computer so that if a USB drive has malware, then it won’t automatically be transferred to your machine.
  • Be careful who you share your USB drives with – Be careful what computers you place your USB drive in and who you let borrow your USB drive.
  • Use comprehensive security software – make sure your security software not only scans your computer for threats, but also any drives that are attached.

Remember just as with being online, we need to make sure our conveniences don’t expose us to risk.

Robert Siciliano is an Online Security Expert to McAfee. He is the author of 99 Things You Wish You Knew Before Your Mobile was Hacked!  Disclosures.

Online Tax Time Scams: How to Avoid

Filing your taxes online is convenient but also comes with some potential security problems. My job as an expert in all things online-security is to spell out what these online tax scam risks are and how to avoid them. As you get ready to file your taxes this year, here are some things you should know about.

9DThere were billions of fraudulent refunds that the IRS discovered for just 2012. Both consumers and business owners (small to medium) are being targeted by hackers during tax time. Following are tax time scams that are related to online filing:

  • Phishing: If you get an unsolicited email that seems to be from the IRS or similar, requesting personal information (especially bank account information, passwords or PINs) or claiming you’re being audited, it’s time to smell a big rotting phish. The IRS will never contact you via email, text message or social media. Make sure you don’t click on any links or open or download any attachments if you even suspect that the message is fake. Report any time of phishing to phishing@irs.gov.
  • The fake IRS agent: Crooks will pose as IRS agents and contact you by email or phone. They’ll already have a few details about you, probably lifted off your Facebook page, using this information to convince you they’re the real deal. If you sense a scam, go to IRS.gov/phishing.
  • The rogue tax preparer: It’s best to use a reputable tax return service, rather than an independent-type preparer. After all, some of these preparers have been known to charge extra high fees for getting you a bigger return, or steal some of your refund.

Additional Tips for Online Tax Time Scam Protection

  • Protect your data. From the moment they arrive in your mailbox, your personal information (financial institution numbers, investment records, Social Security numbers, etc.) must be secured. Don’t give personal information over the phone, through the mail or on the Internet unless you have initiated the contact and are sure of the recipient.
  • Chuck the papers. Opt for electronic statements to be received via email to eliminate paper statements coming into your mail box where thieves could get at them.
  • Check and monitor your statements. To ensure that you’re not a victim, the best thing to do is to monitor you monthly bank statements and do a credit report at least once a year.
  • Use a clean machine. Make sure that the computer you use is not infected or compromised. The operating system and browser should be updated. It should have comprehensive, up to date security software, like McAfee LiveSafe™ service, which protects all your devices, you data and your identity.

If you’re vigilant and follow these guidelines and you won’t have to deal with online (or offline) tax time scams. You can also watch this video from the IRS.

Robert Siciliano is an Online Security Expert to McAfee. He is the author of 99 Things You Wish You Knew Before Your Mobile was Hacked!  (Disclosures)

What is a Denial-of-Service Attack?

You may have heard news reports about popular websites such as CNN, Amazon and Yahoo! being taken down by a DoS attack, but have you ever wondered what DoS means?

3DThis common tech term stands for “denial-of-service,” where an attacker attempts to prevent legitimate users from accessing a website entirely or slowing it down to the point of being unusable.  The most common and obvious type of DoS attack occurs when an attacker “floods” a network with useless information.

When you type a URL for a particular website into your browser, you are sending a request to that site’s computer server to view the page. The server can only process a certain number of requests at once, so if an attacker overloads the server with requests, it can’t process your request. The flood of incoming messages to the target system essentially forces it to shut down, thereby denying access to legitimate users.

A distributed denial-of-service (DDos) attack is one where a site is attacked, but not by just one person or machine. DDos are attacks on a site by two or more persons or machines. These attacks are usually done by cybercriminals using botnets (remote computers that are under their control), to bombard the site with requests. Cybercriminals create botnets by infecting a collection of computers—sometimes hundreds or thousands—with malware that gives them control of the machines, allowing them to stage their attack.

There is also an unintentional DoS where a website ends up denied, not due to a deliberate attack by a single individual or group of individuals, but simply due to a sudden enormous spike in popularity. This can happen when an extremely popular website posts a prominent link to a second, less well-prepared site, for example, as part of a news story. The result is that a significant proportion of the primary site’s regular users–potentially hundreds of thousands of people—click that link in the space of a few hours, having the same effect on the target website as a DDoS attack. When Michael Jackson died in 2009, websites such as Google and Twitter slowed down or even crashed.1

While this can be an inconvenience to you, as you may not be able to complete transactions or access your banking site, there’s no real danger for you. But unbeknownst to you, your computer or mobile device could be part of the botnet that is causing a DDos attack.

To make sure you’re not part of a DDos attack:

  • Pay attention if you notice that your Internet connection is unusually slow or you can’t access certain sites (and that your Internet connection is not down)
  • Make sure you have comprehensive security installed on all your devices, like McAfee LiveSafe™ service
  • Be careful when giving out your email address, clicking on links and opening attachments, especially if they are from people you don’t know
  • Stay educated on the latest tactics that hackers and scammers use so that you’re aware of tricks they use

“Web slows after Jackson’s death”BBC News

Robert Siciliano is an Online Security Expert to McAfee. He is the author of 99 Things You Wish You Knew Before Your Mobile was Hacked!  Disclosures.

Will The Rise Of Tablets Affect Security Measures In The Workplace?

With unit sales of smartphones and tablets eclipsing those of desktop and notebook PCs, cybercriminals will continue setting their sights on mobile, and increased mobile Internet use will continue exacerbating security and data breach issues in the workplace.

The issues of “BYOD” or Bring Your Own Device to work is plaguing IT managers everywhere. While your company’s IT guy has a relative hold on all the work laptops and desktops, and even some of the mobiles, he is quickly losing control when you bring your new Droid and connect it to the corporate network.  Now he has to worry if that last app you downloaded will infect the network when you plug your device into the company’s PC to update or sync something.

A study by ESET/Harris Interactive shows less than 10% of people using their own tablets for work auto lock them and people were more security-savvy about their smartphones, with 25% using autolock.

McAfee Labs™ points out today’s tablets are more powerful than notebooks were just a few years ago. Although their lack of real keyboards makes them unsuitable for many tasks (editing texts, programming, and design), they are very suitable for browsing the Web, which today is a primary source of malware.

Tablets mainly differ in the size of the screen of a mobile phone, but they share the same software, operating systems, and processors so their security concerns are nearly identical. About the only difference is that some tablets can use USB devices, which increases the attack surface of such devices.

And because like our mobile phone, tablets tend to be portable and one of our most personal computing devices, you need to take steps to protect it. Many of the best practices you use on your computer can be transferred to your tablet.

To help ensure that your tablet is protected, you should:

  • Always password protect your device and set it to auto-lock after a certain period of time to increase your mobile security
  • Never leave your tablet unattended in a public place
  • Don’t click on links on emails and text messages from people you don’t know
  • Even if you know the company or person, use a browser to search for a link or use the company’s official app to navigate to the site
  • Always double-check the web address of a site when doing a search on your mobile phone.
  • If you use online banking and shopping sites, always log out and don’t select the “remember me” function
  • Before downloading a third-party app, check other users’ reviews to see if it is safe, and read the app’s privacy policy to make sure that it is not sharing your personal information

Robert Siciliano, personal security expert contributor to Just Ask Gemalto. Disclosures

Holiday Shopping: Beware of Unethical Online Merchants

We have all encountered a sales clerk who was rude, a customer service representative who was incompetent and an online purchase that went south. Even I’ve been scammed out of an entire order and spent dozens of hours trying to get a return on another.

But when it comes to outrageous and shocking, including threats of violence and outright fraud, this story takes the cake.  An online merchant based in Brooklyn New York retailing designer sunglasses, some counterfeit and some real, thrives on bad customer service, over charging, making threats, stalking and abusing clients into giving up the fight over what’s right.

The merchant prides himself on getting negative feedback on consumer advocacy and review sites such as Get Satisfaction, ComplaintsBoard.comConsumerAffairs.com, RipoffReport.com, Yelp and Epinions.

He thrives on – for example “DO NOT ORDER ANYTHING FROM THIS COMPANY. This has been the most horrific experience EVER. I have extensive knowledge of website management and customer service, and they pretty much break every rule imagined. They are a total scam

The strategy of negativity gets this merchants website ranked high on search when listed with all the different opinion sites. Google and other search engines often rank a website to show on the first page of search based on how many links point to it from other prominent sites. So even though all the negative links are pointing to the unethical site from opinion sites, it still ranks on the first page of search helping its sales.

Beware of making purchases on any website based on how they rank in search. Even a first page organic hit can lead to a scammy company.

Learn from others bad experiences. ALWAYS search “Name Of Company” in Google before you make a purchase. The review sites almost always show on the first page of search when “Name Of Company” has been blacklisted.

More on THIS STORY.

Robert Siciliano personal security expert to Home Security Source discussing scammers and thieves on The Big Idea with Donnie Deutsch.