The landscape of cyberthreats is constantly changing. In this episode, we talk with a cybersecurity expert to learn what we can expect the greatest threats to be in 2018, and what consumers need to know to protect themselves and their families from the effects of malware and ransomware, data breaches,…
The 2017 Equifax data breach got a lot of attention, but credit reports are not the only data Equifax maintains on consumers. According to FastCompany, Equifax’s Work Number database regularly receives employment and salary data from a wide range of employers, “including 75% of Fortune 500 companies, 85% of the…
Smart technology, such as Internet-connected thermostats, locks, security systems, appliances and even lightbulbs, is attractive to home buyers and may help sell your home faster and for a higher price. A survey by John Burns Real Estate Consulting found that 65% of home shoppers would be willing to pay a…
Even if you have heard of “doxing” (or doxxing) you may not be clear on exactly what it means. Wikipedia defines doxing as “the Internet-based practice of researching and broadcasting private or identifiable information (especially personally identifiable information) about an individual or organization.” The term derives from “document tracing” which…
Phishing has been around a long time, and as consumers have gotten wise to the scammers tricks the criminals are getting more sophisticated. The days of poorly crafted emails, loaded with spelling and grammar errors, are long gone. Today’s phishing emails may look much like the legitimate emails they emulate,…
In September 2017, credit reporting agency Equifax disclosed that the personal information of 143 million American consumers was exposed in a data breach. The hackers got information including names, addresses, birth dates, Social Security numbers, credit card numbers and driver’s license numbers. Consumers were advised to take steps to mitigate…
DNA tests from vendors such as 23andMe and Ancestry were popular purchases during the 2017 Christmas season, with Ancestry selling about 1.5 million kits between Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Although many people view these tests as a simple way to find out about their ethnic heritage and genetics, the…
A study reported by the New York Daily News found that 17 percent of teens reported being victims of cyberbullying, and 69 percent of the teens surveyed said they have done something abusive toward another person online. Dr. Lisa Strohman believes the misuse of technology is a significant factor in…
Has your computer been acting strangely? If your computer is working at a crawl, you are getting odd error messages and the cooling fan runs even when the machine appears to be idle, it may be part of a botnet. A botnet (or robot network) is a group of computers…
Many implanted medical devices, such as pacemakers and insulin pumps, now feature wireless connectivity and remote monitoring, enabling health professionals to monitor and adjust the devices unobtrusively. However, as is the case with other Internet of Things (IoT) devices, they can also be discovered and compromised by hackers. Pacemakers and…
A massive DDoS attack in October 2016 that blocked access to many popular websites, including Twitter, Spotify, Netflix, Amazon, Tumblr, Reddit, PayPal and others, used home devices connected to the Internet of Things (IoT) to carry out the attack. As Forbes defines the IoT, “Simply put, this is the concept of basically connecting any…
The Federal Trade Commission says that if you have a credit report, there’s a good chance you’re one of the 143 million American consumers whose personal information was exposed in a data breach at Equifax, one of the nation’s three major credit reporting agencies. The hackers got information including names,…
Many law enforcement agencies at all levels of government have begun using facial recognition to identify possible lawbreakers. The state of New York claims that using the technology on its database of driver’s license photos has led to the arrest of 4,000 persons for identity theft or fraud. A statement…
Do you ever get the urge to escape from the internet and make yourself invisible? Due to the amount of public information online, completely removing yourself is probably impossible. However, you can reduce your exposure and make yourself much less visible online. Do you want to make yourself invisible online?…