Many people believe that by not using the Internet to manage their accounts they are keeping their personal information offline and staying safe. In fact, they may simply be making it easier for criminals to masquerade as them and take over their accounts. KrebsOnSecurity has documented many examples of scammers…
Identity theft is constantly evolving. We come up with ways to thwart the bad guys, and they come up with new ways to steal from us. Although there is probably no way to make yourself 100% secure against identity theft, there are several things you can do to make yourself…
When there is money to be claimed, scammers will be there claiming their (un)rightful share. According to the U.S. Secret Service, a Nigerian crime ring is committing fraud against many states’ unemployment insurance programs using Personally Identifiable Information (PII) obtained from identity theft victims. The scam operates very much like…
Calls from debt collectors are bad news in any circumstances, but, what’s even worse, many of those calls are not legitimate. The caller may not be authorized to collect the debt, it may not be a debt incurred by the person receiving the call or the debt may not even…
“Doxing” refers to publishing a person’s private information (such as their home address, employment location, cell phone number, etc.) to get revenge or for “social justice” purposes. This can lead to harassment or physical harm of the target. In some cases, the target may become the victim of “swatting” which…
Contact tracing involves identifying people who have an infectious disease and the people with whom they have come into contact. That information is then used to reduce or halt the spread of the disease by taking preventive or curative measures. Diseases for which contact tracing has been used range from…
Two-factor authentication (2FA) adds another level of security, beyond only a password, when you log in to apps and accounts. In this interview we will discuss how 2FA helps to secure your accounts, how it works and why you should use it. Expert: Steve Tcherchian Steve Tcherchian is the Chief…
We all learned as children that we shouldn’t take candy from strangers. It turns out we shouldn’t take charging cables from them either. According to Charles Henderson, Global Managing Partner and Head of X-Force Red at IBM Security, “There are certain things in life that you just don’t borrow. If you…
By now many people know that “https” before a web address means that the site is secure. However, they may not understand what “secure” actually means. Even the U.S. government doesn’t seem to fully understand it, as the Census Bureau site includes this false statement: “The https:// ensures that you…
It’s that time again! Although the Census Bureau conducts more than 130 surveys every year, every ten years they conduct a massive survey to count every person living in the country. And just as surely as we can depend on the decennial count by the Census Bureau, we can trust…
Many employees are working from home to self-isolate during the COVID-19 pandemic. And for some employees and contractors the opportunity to work from home may continue long after the effects of the pandemic have faded away. Although avoiding a commute by working remotely can be convenient, there are security issues…
Once you have gotten your DNA tested, is it possible to remove your data from the databases in which it is recorded? If you are among the millions of Americans who have sent DNA to genetic testing labs, such as Ancestry.com and 23andMe.com, you may be wondering what you can…
Every newsworthy event becomes a hook for scammers who want to get our money or our personal information, and scammers have eagerly taken advantage of the confusion, concern and even panic surrounding the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The scams being put forth are similar to past frauds, but with a Coronavirus…
Most children spend hours every day online. Much of that time is spent messaging with others. Gaming and social media apps provide a way for children to connect with others, but sometimes those others are not what they appear to be. In this podcast we discuss where predators seek children…