681 Results
Robert Siciliano Security Analyst at Safr.me
The Identity Protection PIN tool on the IRS.gov site has been temporarily suspended—because it was recently hacked into. The tool provides retrieval of forgotten or lost IP PINs to users who want an extra layer of protection against identity theft. But some users who received the IP PINs recently via the online tool learned that a thief had used th...
11 April 2016 /security
We’re told to change our passwords often to minimize getting hacked. Now we’re told this is a bad thing. But not for any inherent techy reason. It’s because frequent password changing makes many people lower their guard when it comes to creating new passwords. They get lax and end up with passwords like Bear1, Crazy4uand GetHigh1978. Or, they often...
06 April 2016 /security
Everyone has received very obvious “phishing” e-mails: Messages in your in-box that have outrageous subject lines like “Your Account Will Be Suspended,” or, “You Won!” While some phishing attacks are obvious, others look harmless, such as those in a person’s workplace in-box, seemingly from their company’s higher-ups. Researchers point out that an ...
22 March 2016 /security
Disasters happen every day. Crashing hard drives, failing storage devices and even burglaries could have a significant negative impact on your business, especially if that data is lost forever. You can avoid these problems by backing up your data. Backing up means keeping copies of your important business data in several places and on multiple devi...
21 March 2016 /security
13.1 million people were stricken by identity theft last year in America, reports a study by Javelin Strategy & Research which reveals: Many people who don’t trust their banks are unwittingly doing things that make crime easier for crooks. This includes not using the bank’s protection services such as e-mail alerts. Oddly, there are more victi...
14 March 2016 /security
Do you shop at Amazon.com? Are you aware they have a back door through which hackers can slip in? Let’s look at Eric’s experience with hackers and Amazon, as he recounts at medium.com/@espringe. He received an e-mail from Amazon and contacted them to see what it was about. Amazon informed him that he had had a text-chat and sent him the transcript—...
03 March 2016 /security
Your account passwords should be as unique as your fingerprint—to make them less hackable by crooks using password-guessing software that can run through millions of possible combinations in just minutes. And if you have an easy password, there may be a hit within 10 seconds. Think this software can figure out your password of “password1” or “monk...
02 March 2016 /security
Ever consider the possibility that a person gets a job as a bank teller…for the sole purpose of stealing a patron’s identity? Do you realize how easy this would be? No techy hacking skills required. No gun required. So we’ve all been instilled with fear of our bank getting data breached by Russian hacking rings, while that mousy looking teller wi...
01 March 2016 /security
Most people have heard of storing information in “the cloud,” but do you know what this means, and if it is even safe? A cloud is basically a network of servers that offer different functions. Some of these servers allow you to store data while others provide various services. The cloud is made of millions of servers across the globe and most are o...
22 February 2016 /security
This week I worked with Gemalto, as part of Gemalto’s #ChipAwayAtFraud campaign. I was tasked with using my “chip” card when making a bunch of every day purchases like getting coffee and shopping. Gemalto, one of the world’s leaders in digital security, wanted a real-world take on the EMV card experience, which includes the security benefits EMV c...
20 February 2016 /security
Welcome to Finextra. We use cookies to help us to deliver our services. You may change your preferences at our Cookie Centre.
Please read our Privacy Policy.