Many Mac users believe that antivirus and antimalware software is not necessary, and that Macs are immune to the problems that plague Windows users. According to MacWorld, malware writers are less likely to target Mac users because Apple has a smaller market share than Microsoft Windows. Additionally, Apple has included…
We all mistype a website address now and then. Usually, you get an error message or you end up on a website with a URL similar to the one you intended to enter. No harm, no foul. Sometimes, though, your innocent mistake can lead to a not-so-innocent website.
We are accustomed to hearing about online data breaches, phishing scams, and other high-tech ways that thieves get information to steal identities. However, scammers are still fond of doing things the old-fashioned way, too. They steal wallets and purses from homes and cars, and take documents from trash cans and…
Security cameras are useful for watching over not only our property, but also our families. Many security cameras allow users to access a live audio and video feed using a computer or mobile device. The problem is that unless the connection is secure, others may be watching, too. They may…
Tablets, such as the iPad and Galaxy Tab, are powerful and portable, and they have become a popular way to connect to the Internet. Many users have even replaced their laptop computers with lightweight tablets. Of course, any device that stores personal data and connects to the Internet can be…
A recent phishing scam involved emails claiming to be from the Social Security Administration. Although the emails claimed to help consumers watch for unauthorized use of their Social Security Numbers, in fact the emails were designed to infect victims’ computers with malware and steal their personal information.
By Michael Hiskey, Chief Product Evangelist at Socure Conventional wisdom: be careful what personal information you place online; more information means you’re more likely to have it stolen, making you a victim of identity theft. Well sometimes, conventional wisdom is wrong.
Your online dating profile may not be as private as you think. The AshleyMadison.com hack showed that profiles could be exposed by hackers, but that is not the only privacy concern. The Electronic Frontier Foundation points out some common privacy and security hazards with online dating, and suggests how you…
Virtual kidnappings do not involve physically holding someone for ransom, but they can be just as terrifying to the targets and their families. In a virtual kidnapping, criminals contact family members and claim that their loved one is being held and they must pay a ransom or the victim will…
Medical identity theft occurs when a criminal uses someone else’s personal information to receive medical treatment and supplies. A recent study by the Medical Identity Fraud Alliance (MIFA) indicates that medical identity theft has nearly doubled since 2010, with more than 2.3 million adult victims in the U.S in 2014.…
Perhaps you have seen the stories about a little girl using her family’s Amazon Echo to order a dollhouse. Or maybe you heard that news reports about that incident caused the Echos of television viewers to try to order the same dollhouse. And then there was the Google Home Super…
Many people have wills that determine who receives their property after they die. But what happens to their email accounts, Facebook profile and other online services? Photos and documents may be lost forever, as some accounts cannot be claimed by anyone else. Even the accounts that can be transferred may…
Victims of identity theft now have a new resource to help them report and recover from identity theft. .In 2014, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) received 330,000 complaints related to identity theft. Now, the agency has launched IdentityTheft.gov to assist those affected by this crime. There is a Spanish-language version…
Boarding passes with barcodes help to expedite the boarding process, but do you need to be concerned about the data contained in those barcodes? Security expert Brian Krebs says, yes, that barcodes on used boarding passes may reveal more about you than you realize.