Federal authorities announced in October 2016 that they had shut down a large call center operation that had scammed hundreds of millions of dollars from Americans. According to the Wall Street Journal, an 81-page indictment named 56 people in the U.S. and India and five call centers in India. They…
If you are accustomed to using your smart phone with your own car, you may not think twice about connecting it to a “smart” rental car with an infotainment system. However, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) warns that connecting to a rental car, even just to charge the phone, may…
Storing personal data in the cloud using Google Drive, Apple iCloud, Dropbox and other services has many advantages, but it also comes with risks. You can access your files from almost anywhere, but are they also more vulnerable to hackers and other bad actors?
The good news for taxpayers is that the Internal Revenue Service and private companies are making changes that are successfully thwarting tax fraudsters. IRS Commissioner John Koskinen reported that the number of people who reported being victims of tax identity theft was down more than 50% through the first nine…
In October 2016, hackers exploited unsecure networks and used webcams, DVRs and other Internet-connected devices to launch a massive Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack that brought down nearly 80 websites including Netflix, CNN and Pinterest.
Just as your Social Security Number and other personal information can be used to steal your identity, your car’s Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) can be stolen in order to “clone” your car.
This election year has featured front page stories of hacks and data breaches aimed at political parties and candidates; however, according to the Better Business Bureau, even the average citizen needs to be on guard against election-related schemes and scams that could affect them. The BBB has identified four common…
Home networks connect a large number of devices to the Internet and to each other. We use our networks with computers, tablets, phones, gaming systems, VOIP, security cameras, and even refrigerators and thermostats! Failing to properly protect your home network can lead to uninvited guests using your network in harmful…
When your mobile phone suddenly goes dead, it could be that the signal dropped or the battery died, or it could be that criminals have taken over your mobile account by doing a “SIM swap.”
Encryption is a hot topic, as law enforcement and tech companies debate the ethics and legalities of encrypting data. Encryption can keep the bad guys from accessing sensitive data. That’s a good thing, right? But it also allows the bad guys to hide information from law enforcement. That is where…
When installing an app or signing up for an online service, consumers are confronted with page after page of confusing legalese known as Terms of Service, Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policies. Carnegie Mellon researchers did a study that estimated reading all of the privacy policies an average Internet user…
Ransomware is a kind of malware that can keep you from accessing your files—or even destroy your files—unless you pay. In a ransomware attack, you open a file or click on a link and suddenly your computer freezes up. A message appears on the screen saying that your files have…
It can happen to anyone. Even the best security precautions cannot keep you 100% safe from hackers. According to the SANS Institute, it may not be immediately obvious that you have been hacked; however, there are several indications that you may have been hacked, including:
The broadband Internet service providers (ISPs) that give consumers access to the Internet can see exactly how their customers use the Internet, what websites they visit and the apps they use. They are therefore able to create detailed profiles about those customers’ lives with few restrictions and without giving consumers…