Here’s How You Can… Almost…Delete Yourself Off of the Internet

/in , /by

Whether you like it or not, companies like Facebook, Google, and Amazon all have a ton of data about you, including social connections, health information, and things you like or dislike. These companies usually use this information for advertising and marketing purposes, other companies out there also are collecting information on you to influence you politically, and you probably don’t want them to have it.

Here’s How You Can... Almost...Delete Yourself Off of the Internet

The bad news is, that it is next to impossible to totally delete yourself from the internet. Keep in mind that if your data has been hacked, such as usernames and passcodes on sites that were breached, that data will live on the dark web forever. Check if your email, as a username was compromised on my site here: https://protectnowllc.com/hacked-checker/ The good news, however, is that you can remove a lot of your data if you put a little time and effort into it. Here are some steps to follow:

Opt-Out When You Can

You probably wouldn’t be surprised to know that collecting and selling consumer data is a big industry. In 2019, Vermont passed a law that required any company doing business in the state and buying and selling third-party info to register. More than 120 companies went through the process, and they collect information such as names, DOBs, addresses, education level, buying habits, and yes…. even Social Security numbers.

Some of these companies might be familiar to you — Oracle, Equifax, Experian, Acxiom, and Epsilon are some of them. There are data brokers that allow people to opt-out of this type of data collection, but it can be difficult to figure out how to do it. You may have to fill out a form online, send them an email, or even send in other identifying information.

There is an organization that can help – it’s called the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse. Here, you can access a database of more than 200 different data brokers, and you can see information on whether or not you can opt-out. You can also take a look at YourDigitalRights to get opt-out forms for the top 10 biggest data brokers.

Ask Google to Remove Your Personal Info

Another thing that you can do is to ask Google to remove your personal contact info from search results. You can remove your home address, your phone number, and your email address.

You can get started with this by going to this Google Support site to begin the process. Here, you can submit up to 1,000 URL’s that include information about you, and it will be removed from Google search results.

This doesn’t happen automatically. The company will review the request, and then contact you if more information was necessary. Once everything is in place, Google will let you know if it will approve the request. Some things, like public record or news articles, will not be removed, and people can still find this information by searching a name.

Also, keep in mind that just because your information is removed from Google, there are other search engines out there.

Get Rid of Old Accounts 

If you really want to minimize your online presence, deleting any accounts that you no longer use can be a real help. Did you have an account on MySpace? Try to delete it. Did you blog on Tumblr during high school? Scrap it.

Though it’s easy to delete a lot of these old accounts, it’s also pretty time-consuming. Start by making a list of any old accounts you can remember, and then go through them one by one. You will have to go to each site, and then figure out how to log in and then delete the account. To make things easier, you can use a site called Justdelete.me, which will point you to the page where you can start the process.

You also might want to search for your name, email address, or other information to see what comes up. If you see posts that come up, you may be able to contact the site administrator to remove the information.

Clean Up Your Online History 

If you don’t want to delete old accounts, that’s totally fine. However, you can still clean up some of the old data that may be stored online. For instance, your Twitter or Facebook timelines may have old messages on them that you don’t want to get out in public. You can also do similar with your email account.

Data that is posted publicly, like text or photos, is much more easily found than other information, but make sure prior to deleting, that you are backing these things up if you may want to ever access it. Almost all social media platforms have a backup option in settings that you can use to do this.

For those who want to get rid of old tweets in bulk, Twitter doesn’t let you do that. However, other programs like TweetDelete and Tweet Deleter will get rid of it. It’s not free, however, but once you do it once, at $5.99 a month for Tweet Deleter, you can cancel after that first month. Also, remember, that when you give third-party service access to your account, they can access information that is within those accounts, like direct messages. Alternatively, if you don’t use your Twitter account, just delete it.

Facebook posts are a bit different. Google, for instance, won’t post information from individual Facebook posts online, but if you want to do the most possible to remove your history, you can go into your account and delete them. You can make it a bit easier by checking out the Activity Log, and then choosing what you want to delete. Alternatively, if you no longer use your Facebook account, you can delete it.

Pay Someone to Do It 

Of course, there is a market for anything, and if you don’t want to spend the time to do all of this yourself, you can definitely hire a company to do it for you. These third-party data removal companies will do the time-consuming job of removing your data from the internet. Some, like DeleteMe, can attempt to remove the data from brokers who are selling your info. Others, like Jumbo, can give you an alert when there are data breaches that your accounts might be a part of, or it can be set to delete social media posts after a certain period of time.

Preparing for the Future 

As you can see, it’s probably possible to remove some of your information, but once a lot of it is out there, it’s nearly impossible to remove it all. However, the future is yet to be written, so there are some things that you can do to protect yourself in the years to come.

First, consider what type of information you really want to put online. When you sign up for a new account, consider what type of information you are comfortable sharing, and if you can, consider using a burner email account. This is an account that you can use to sign up for new accounts that are different from your actual email account. That way, when you start getting all of the spam, it goes to this account, and not your main account. Additionally, if this account gets compromised, it’s not a huge deal, assuming there is no identifying information kept in it.

You also might consider not using the “big guys” for your online browsing. For instance, you can choose a web browser that is not Chrome or Safari-like Brave, or a search engine that isn’t Google, like Duck Duck Go. You also should truly understand what type of information is shared by the apps or programs you are using.

Finally, you need to talk to your family and friends. If you really want to be invisible online, then you should make sure everyone knows. Most people will be considerate of your request. It’s a respect issue these days, and there could be many reasons why you don’t want your current location or photos of yourself posted to social media sites. Tagging you in things should also be avoided.

Written by Robert Siciliano, CEO of Credit Parent, Head of Training & Security Awareness Expert at Protect Now, #1 Best Selling Amazon author, Media Personality & Architect of CSI Protection Certification.

How to Prevent your Devices From Spying on You

/in , /by

You might not realize it, but your electronic devices may be tracking you. They know what you are doing, what you are reading, and the things you like to do. In almost every case, you give these devices permission to collect this info when you start using them. Here are some tips to help you prevent your devices from spying on you:

Laptops

Macs

If you are using a macOS computer, you can limit the information you are sending to Apple by choosing the Apple menu > System Preferences > Security & Privacy. Click the “Privacy” tab, and then you will see options about what apps can use and share data. If you click “Analytics,” you can do even more. Also, keep in mind that if you install a new app, you have to do those updates, too.

Windows

If you use Windows, you can limit the info you share by going to “Settings,” and then clicking on “Privacy.” You can enable and disable settings for each app. Again, any new apps that you install must be taken care of separately.

Chromebook

Google collects a ton of data, so Chromebook users should pay attention. Got to My Activity, and then delete what you want. You can also turn off some of the data collecting by clicking “Manage your Google Activity,” and then “Go to Activity Controls.”

Phones

You can do similar things to stop data collecting on your phone, too.

iOS

If you have an iPhone, there is a Privacy setting in the Settings menu. Open it, and then click on “Analytics,” to see what you share with Apple. If you don’t want to share this, simply toggle it all off. You can go back to “Privacy,” and then take a look at what the settings are for every app you have downloaded to your phone.

Android

If you have an Android phone, you can choose Google, then go to “Personal Info & Privacy.” Choose the “Activity Controls” screen, and then pick and choose what you want to share. Again, you have to also go to change settings for each app, too.

Fitness Trackers

Your fitness tracker is also spying on you. Apps like Strava and FitBit can be controlled through the Settings and Privacy options on your phone. You can do more, though:

Strava

Click on “Menu,” if you have Android or “More,” if you have iOS. Choose “Settings,” and then “Privacy Controls.”

FitBit

With FitBit, tap your profile, and then your account name. Tap “Personal Stats,” and then “Settings” followed by “Privacy.”

ROBERT SICILIANO CSP, is a #1 Best Selling Amazon author, CEO of CreditParent.com, the architect of the CSI Protection certification; a Cyber Social and Identity Protection security awareness training program.

It Should Be Illegal for Teen Girls to Give Rides to Strangers

/in , /by

https://safr.me/webinar/  | Robert Siciliano is the #1 Security Expert in the United States with over 25 years of experience! He is here to help you become more aware of the risks and strategies to help protect yourself, your family, your business, and your entire life. Robert brings identity theft, personal security, fraud prevention and cyber security to light so that criminals can no longer hide in the dark. You need to be smarter than criminals yesterday so that they don’t take advantage of you today! If you would like to learn more about Security Awareness, then sign up for Robert’s latest webinar!

_______

If only. But that’ll never be.

Brandi Hicks, 17, and her high school friend, Liz Reiser, exited a video store at 9:30 pm, where they were approached by Matthew Vaca, a creepy acting stranger.

He asked them for a ride to his house. At first they refused, but then he offered $20 for gas. The ID Channel re-enactment portrayed Vaca as stating that his home was “just down the road,” that he had been “walking all day,” and that he wanted to get home before his kids went to bed.

The girls were sold and told him to get into the backseat.

What Brandi, the driver, should have done: Refused, possibly gone back into the store (with Liz) until Matthew left, or possibly asking the store manager to call the police.

The “down the road” seemed nowhere in sight as Matthew told Brandi to keep driving. Then he told her to pull over. He got out, during which the girls really began feeling fearful, discussing whether or not they should just leave him.

What Brandi should have done: Left him.

But Matthew got back into the car, and shortly after, threatened her with a gun, directing her to take the car into a wooded area.

He ordered both out, took Brandi’s shoelaces and bound her to the steering wheel, then ordered Liz to go off with him, eventually stabbing her to death.

He returned for Brandi, untied her and led her away, beating her, then using a shoelace to strangle her (it’s not known why he didn’t have the knife).

What Brandi should have done during the strangulation: Play dead.

What Brandi did: Play dead!

Faking death, she was pushed into a nearby river, and somehow while Matthew loitered nearby for an hour, pretended to be dead while floating in the water.

Once he was gone, she climbed to land and flagged down the first car she saw, which was a police officer’s.

We need to track back to the beginning, because once in the woods, victims don’t have too many options unless they are trained in self-defense tactics.

If you’re ever tempted to give a stranger a ride because he’s giving a story (“I’ve been on my feet all day”), remind yourself of some facts:

  • If he’s able-bodied and lives “down the road,” he doesn’t need ANY ride.
  • If he appears injured or sick, call him a cab, especially if he has $20.
  • If you refuse him a ride, what’s the worst that could happen to him if he’s truly harmless? Aching feet.

Bottom line: Under NO circumstances give a stranger, including a female, a ride. If she looks pregnant, she could be using pillows. Women, too, can be vicious.

Matthew Vaca will die in prison.

Robert Siciliano personal security and identity theft expert and speaker is the author of Identity Theft Privacy: Security Protection and Fraud Prevention: Your Guide to Protecting Yourself from Identity Theft and Computer Fraud. See him knock’em dead in this Security Awareness Training video.

Woman Voluntarily Sits in Truck of Man Who Creeped Her Out

/in /by

Who does this?

Morna Brennen did this when she was 22. She and a few friends went to a bar and stayed there late.

At some point while they were there, a man took an interest in Morna. But she was creeped out by him and pretty much ignored him.

Later when it was time to leave, Morna and one of her friends went out into the biting cold and dark parking lot.

Her friend was going to drive her home. Suddenly, someone from near the bar called out the friend’s name.

The friend told Morna to wait for her, that she’d be right back.

So Morna waited alone in the very cold air.

Then someone appeared before her from the parking lot – the creepy man who had approached her earlier inside the bar.

She told him she was waiting for her ride to rejoin her outside and take her home.

The man suggested that she wait inside his warm truck rather than shiver outside in the cold.

What Morna did: Went inside the man’s truck by her own free will.

What Morna should have done: Gone back inside the bar.

What could have possibly compelled her to sit inside the vehicle of a man who, just a short while earlier, had given her the creeps?

Nobody will ever know, but one theory is that she thought it would have been rude to decline a kind gesture. Women, as children, more so than men, are trained to “always be nice.” Perhaps Morna’s judgement was clouded by being trained since childhood to never appear rude.

Another theory is that despite the way this story is told on Investigation Discovery, Morna was actually forced into the truck.

One might also suppose that had Morna declined the man’s offer and headed back towards the bar, he would have ambushed her from behind and dragged her to the vehicle, forcing her in.

Or perhaps he would have killed her right in the parking lot, then sped off.

So what ultimately could have saved Morna’s life?

When her friend decided to go back into the bar, Morna could have followed as well, if for no other reason than to avoid standing outside in the frosty air.

Nobody knows how much time passed between the time her friend left her and the man approached her.

But if you’re ever standing alone in a dark parking lot in the wee hours of the morning for longer than a few minutes while waiting for your ride to come out of a building, it’s time to go back inside the building.

The man, Rickie Kiger, drove off with Morna in the passenger seat, and soon after butchered her, dismembering her body. This occurred in the mid 1980’s, long before smartphones with emergency apps were invented.

Though it’s possible that Rickie approached her only 20 seconds after her friend left her, it’s easy to believe that had Morna sprinted back into the bar the second she saw him, she would have gotten inside before he had a chance to grab her.

Robert Siciliano personal security and identity theft expert and speaker is the author of Identity Theft Privacy: Security Protection and Fraud Prevention: Your Guide to Protecting Yourself from Identity Theft and Computer Fraud. See him knock’em dead in this Security Awareness Training video.

Must-have Apps for Safe Long Distance Driving

/in , , /by

Whether you’re driving long distance to make a career move, visit family/friends, or just sightsee multiple states, you may be wondering what kind of helpful applications for your phone are out there.

045There’s just tons, and many fall under the category of convenience, such as apps that locate the cheapest gas stations, the nearest and cheapest lodging or your favorite restaurants. But this article is about safety and security.

The issue isn’t so much what particular app to install, but the type of app, what it does. For example, there are a number of weather applications out there. Which one is best? That depends on your needs and wants. But the important thing is that you know that the category of weather should be one of your app considerations for equipping your phone.

However, I will be mentioning some applications in particular, just to give you an idea of what’s out there. For instance, there’s the iMapWeather Radio application. This works even when your phone is asleep. It will arouse your phone to alert you if you’re nearing dangerous weather. This app automatically updates to wherever you currently are located.

Additional Apps for Road Travel

  • iTriage helps you figure out medications and medical conditions. It tells you where the nearest medical treatment centers are. You can also ask medical questions and get fast answers. So if, for instance, you notice that one of your legs has begun to swell and ache after you’ve been on the road all day, you can plug in this information and see what the likely cause is. As mentioned, there are numerous apps out there that fall into specific categories; review several before making your decision.
  • Another medical app worth mentioning is smart-ICE4family. Its features include: EMS-alert and location finder if the user becomes unconscious; in addition offers a piercing siren to help locate user; and a one-button-hit provides pre-existing medical information to first responders. If you think you might accidentally drive your car into a remote lake or ditch, this app is for you.
  • wikiHow explains how to resolve countless emergency situations. Chances are, whatever fix you’re in, this app covers it. It has over 140,000 how-to articles that explain resolutions for choking, animal attacks and surviving in the wilderness.
  • DriveSafe.ly is coming soon, designed to eliminate texting-caused accidents. It will read your text messages out loud. It will also read to you your e-mails. You also won’t need to touch your phone to respond.
  • Flashlight converts your phone to a flashlight. Need I say more?
  • Another category is “accidents.” If you don’t want to be overwhelmed by apps that seemingly have everything under the sun, such as the wikiHow, you can opt for applications that focus only on vehicular crashes, such as iWrecked.
  • For repairs, there’s RepairPal. You may also want to look into Collision Call.
  • Red Panic Button; the name speaks for itself. Another good app is iMPrepared.

Other categories that are must-haves for your long road trip are that of GPS and maps.

Robert Siciliano personal security and identity theft expert and speaker is the author of 99 Things You Wish You Knew Before Your Identity Was Stolen. See him knock’em dead in this identity theft prevention video.

Safety Tips for Lone Female Road Travelers

/in , /by

Rule #1 for women traveling alone: Do not look or act like prey, as this will grab the attention of any predator nearby. Looking like non-prey may be difficult for some women, but one way is to dress in black. Black is the color of authority (e.g., judges, nuns, priests, referees, police officers). Here are more rules:

042

  • Before embarking on your trip, get your car road ready by a trusted body shop.
  • Never give strangers a ride. If you’re tempted, ask yourself what their fate would be if you never crossed paths. Would they die? If not, ignore them and move on. You are not obligated to give anyone a lift, even if it’s “just a mile down the road,” even if the stranger is a woman. She might be a co-conspirator with a man to rob you, or just plain dangerous by herself.
  • To reinforce the don’t give strangers a ride rule, review possible scenarios before you leave for the trip. For example, you strike up a friendly conversation with a stranger at a diner who then offers to cover your meal, then says he/she needs a ride to the motel down the street. What would you do? Plan ahead your template response, then rehearse it.
  • Give someone your travel plans including complete itinerary before you leave.
  • Always be aware of every exit in any building you enter such as diners.
  • Don’t yap to anyone that you’re traveling alone, not even the nice lady pouring your coffee. If anyone says something like, “It must be scary, traveling alone,” and it’s obvious you’re alone, do NOT validate this comment! Say something like, “Actually, I’m not the least bit scared. I turn into a grizzly bear when threatened.” Rehearse this line so that it sounds like it’s true.
  • Do not carry a lot of cash; use your ATM card or credit card.
  • Leave the pricey jewelry and high priced designer handbag behind. Don’t wear clothes that suggest you have a lot of money. Do not wear any attention-getting attire.
  • Wear sneakers when driving. You can run easily in these and walk long distances. Forget the flip flops or pumps.
  • Never ask strangers for directions; only ask employees.
  • Don’t stand at the payment counter fishing through your stuffed purse to pay for gas or your meal. Have the money in your hands ahead of time and leave the purse hidden from view in your car.
  • Carry pepper spray on your person.

Robert Siciliano personal security and identity theft expert and speaker is the author of 99 Things You Wish You Knew Before Your Identity Was Stolen. See him knock’em dead in this identity theft prevention video.

Never put these Docs in your Wallet

/in , , /by

Yes, believe it or not, you CAN get by in life with a wallet that just has a little cash, a store card or two, one to two credit cards and your ID.  Unless you absolutely need your insurance card or Social Security card, leave those items at home.

1DFor years now, wallets have been on the market that you can stuff everything into, save for the kitchen sink. This doesn’t mean you must carry a ridiculous bulging wallet everywhere you go.

Now you may not mind having to dig through your wallet for five minutes to retrieve things because there’s so much stuff in there, but do you know who actually would enjoy this?

A crook who specializes in identity theft. With just your Social Security card (come on already, just memorize the number), a crook could open up credit lines in your name and make your life a nightmare.

Now you may think it doesn’t matter because your wallet will never be lost or stolen. Everyone must lose their wallet at some point in their lives? But what if you’re in an accident? What if you’re jumped on the street? What if someone brazenly approaches you, grabs the wallet out of your hands and runs?

If my wallet is lost or stolen I won’t care because there’s nothing in my wallet that the thief could easily use to steal my identity, nor is there anything I couldn’t easily name or easily replace.

Keep the following items out of your wallet:

  • Anything with your Social Security number; again, just memorize it already.
  • Home address
  • Keys
  • PINs and passwords (if you need an assortment of these to function while away from home, use an encrypted app—assuming you have a smartphone).
  • Checks
  • Credit cards you won’t be using on any given day you’re out in the community (though one emergency credit card at all times is a smart move).
  • Birth certificate
  • Credit card receipts
  • Medical cards unless you are going to the doctor
  • Store cards unless you are going to that store

Make photo copies of all docs in your wallet and upload them to your secure email account. Consider an app like “Key Ring” and enter the cards into your mobile device. Put ALL your loyalty cards there and copies of most cards you might need in a pinch.

Robert Siciliano is an identity theft expert to TheBestCompanys.com discussing  identity theft prevention.

How to safely travel in a Car

/in , , /by

Before embarking on a road trip with a car full of kids, make sure everything about the vehicle is in top working condition, including the windshield wipers, A/C, heat, fluid levels, seatbelts and lights (exterior and interior).

Hopefully you’ll have a GPS; make sure that works, too; they’ve been known to malfunction. Have a backup mobile GPS app too.

While on the road you may hear a lot of “Are we there yet”s. Feel free to announce, “Next one who asks are we there yet will have to do 20 pushups.” Just kidding, but seriously, come up some way to discourage any nagging if it bugs you enough. Kids iPads loaded with family moves and a good headset are the best tool ever invented for parents. My Aunt used to have a yard stick on the dash. Us kids still have scars from it. I wish we had iPads!

  • If you’ll be driving in a foreign country, make sure you have everything you need in the car that the country requires.
  • Have emergency supplies: first aid kit, nutrition bars, flares, flashlight, pepper spray (check laws), blankets, water, motion sickness tablets, etc.
  • Don’t load the kids empty-handed; give them coloring books, crossword puzzles and other age-appropriate word games, 3D puzzles that will keep them occupied for extended periods trying to figure them out, etc.
  • Give older kids (8-10) a long word that you can make a ton of words out of, such as “Transportation.” Arm them with a pencil and paper on a clipboard and give them a command to “Go” once you’re on the road. Who will have formed the most words by the time you get to your first rest stop? Every word formed gets them a dime. This will pretty much guarantee stillness and quiet among the participants.
  • Do not tolerate resistance to seatbelts. “The car won’t start till everyone’s buckled up.”
  • Pack snacks such as raisins, bananas, apples and nuts.
  • Take a rest stop at least every hour to 90 minutes. Not only do the kids need to get out and move, but remaining cramped in a car for extended periods can lead to a blood clot in the adults’ legs!
  • Sing-alongs? I don’t know. Not my thing.
  • Avoid loud music; the driver needs to hear sirens and honking horns. Unless it’s Led Zeppelin.
  • Forbid screaming, yelling and hitting. Such can cause you to lose control of the car or miss an exit. Issue all the rules before you even get the vehicle out of the driveway.
  • And last but not least, everyone must relieve themselves prior to traveling whether they feel a need or not…before getting into the car.

Robert Siciliano personal and home security specialist to BestHomeSecurityCompanys.com discussing burglar proofing your home on Fox Boston. Disclosures.

Take a Women’s Self-Defense Course

/in , /by

Crimes against women are often “crimes of opportunity”. The predator doesn’t care if the opportunity presents itself in a major bustling city or in a tiny town with a population of only 400. If he sees prey and nobody else is around, he’ll strike—big town, medium town or small town.

1SDWomen should take self-defense classes, regardless of their age, weight or height. Just do it. There’s more to a high quality self-defense program than learning how to throw a punch, get out of a choke-hold and deliver a kick.

Sometimes, a predator can be frightened away by a woman’s eyes and tone of voice. In fact, a predator will “interview” a woman before assaulting her. He wants to first make sure he can overtake her. He won’t automatically assume he can simply because he’s taller and heavier. He has to qualify her as victim material.

He may do this by asking her for the time, for directions, or just looking at her in a creepy way. Her response, tone of voice and body language will be very telling. Self-defense and martial arts teaches a woman how to display a posture that makes a dangerous man back off.

Sometimes a woman who’s trained to fight will get attacked anyways.

Its simple enough, you have to be willing to injure, hurt and harm your attackers. A good self-defense program will include instruction in how to get out of real attacks and how to fight from the ground and even when there is a weapon involved.

Attackers generally don’t expect their victims to fight back. So what you do, your response to an attacker in the first few moments of an attack, can very well determine the outcome. Scratching a man’s face is a good start, but may anger him rather than scare him, but a solid punch to the throat or a deep gouge to the eyes is better.

Robert Siciliano personal and home security specialist to BestHomeSecurityCompanys.com discussing burglar proofing your home on Fox Boston. Disclosures.

Chip and PIN vs. Chip and Signature Cards

/in /by

The planet’s most powerful nation is sure backwards when it comes to the payment card industry: Why has America been using 1970s technology as of the posting date of this article? That magnetic strip on credit and debit cards has GOT to go already! And thank goodness, the transition to chip technology is more imminent than ever.

1CFor those of you out of the loop, the stripe makes it ridiculously easy for cyber thieves to commit all sorts of crimes. (Remember Target?) The chip in most cases will trip them up on this.

Chip-and-PIN technology is better than chip-and-signature. However, the chip-and-signature is taking a much stronger root in America than the PIN version. The signature version’s most obvious drawback is that it’s useless in all the other nations where PIN technology rules.

Additional Problems with Chip ‘n Signature

  • A signature can be forged.
  • The card can be intercepted prior to transaction completion.
  • Will be very costly to convert the current stripe technology to signature—but the investment will not offset the cost due to the inherent weaknesses in signature-based technology.
  • Consumers, thinking that the “chip” part of the signature version means great security, will be miffed once they realize how vulnerable signature actually is.

Benefits of Chip ‘n PIN

  • The card issuer must assign the personal identification number prior to mailing the card to the user; the user must reset the PIN at a branch. Just like a debit card. Easy.
  • Makes it really difficult for criminals to use a person’s credit or debit card in a fraudulent way. A most obvious example is that if a thief steals or finds a lost credit card…and tries to make a purchase…he’ll come to a dead end when it’s time to enter the PIN.

Drawbacks of Chip ‘n PIN

  • Will cost an arm and a leg to implement on a universal scale, and unfortunately, funds are already being diverted to switch over to the signature technology rather than the chip.

Solutions to the Signature Problem

  • To nab or prevent imposters from making that signature, certain technologies like geo-location can be implemented to determine if the customer is the real owner of the card. There’d be multiple technologies in place for verifying ownership.
  • The transaction can require voice biometrics with a smartphone: The system will approve the purchase only when the card user’s voice is identified as that of the real owner.
  • The second point here would be contingent on authenticating the smartphone.

But all that seems a little complicated an unnecessary. We really should just use the Chip and Signature. Or how about we just use Apple Pay!

Robert Siciliano is an Identity Theft Expert to Hotspot Shield. He is the author of 99 Things You Wish You Knew Before Your Identity Was Stolen See him discussing internet and wireless security on Good Morning America. Disclosures.