Tag Archive for: Expert

12 Days to a Safe Christmas: Day 12 – Holiday Security Tips All Wrapped up Together

Would you like to give the people you care about some peace on earth during this holiday season? Take a few minutes to pass on our 12 privacy tips that will help them protect their identities, social media, shopping and celebrating over the coming weeks. The more people that take the steps we’ve outlined in the 12 Days of Christmas, the safer we all become, collectively.

Have a wonderful holiday season, regardless of which tradition you celebrate. Now sing (and click) along with us one more time.  

On the 12th Day of Christmas, the experts gave to me: 

12 Happy Holidays,

11 Private Emails,

10 Trusted Charities

9 Protected Packages

8 Scam Detectors

7 Fraud Alerts

6 Safe Celebrations

Fiiiiiiiiiiive Facebook Fixes

4 Pay Solutions

3 Stymied Hackers

2 Shopping Tips

And the Keys to Protect My Privacy

 

About Cybersecurity Keynote Speaker John Sileo

John Sileo is the founder and CEO of The Sileo Group, a cybersecurity think tank, in Lakewood, Colorado, and an award-winning author, keynote speaker and expert on technology, cybersecurity, and tech/life balance. He energizes conferences, corporate trainings and main-stage events by making security fun and engaging. His clients include the Pentagon, Schwab, and organizations of all sizes. John got started in cybersecurity when he lost everything, including his $2 million business, to cybercrime. Since then, he has shared his experiences on 60 Minutes, Anderson Cooper, and even while cooking meatballs with Rachel Ray. Contact John directly to see how he can customize his presentations to your audience.

Is CHIP & PIN Credit Card Security Worth $100M? (Are You Serious?)

I’ve had dozens of media requests for interviews and countless more email inquiries from people concerned about the Target data breach.  At first, everyone just wanted to know details of how it happened, how big the breach was, and what they should do about it if their credit cards were at risk.  Now that the initial shock of it is over, we are on to a bigger question:

How do we keep breach from negatively affecting so many Americans? 

Breach will always happen. If it’s digital, it’s hackable. It’s coming to light that the Target breach may have been due to the computer access an HVAC WORKER (no, not an entire company, an individual WORKER) had to Target’s systems. While there is no guaranteed way of preventing fraud, there is a pretty reliable answer out there, and it’s been around for decades.  That answer is for the US to finally catch up to more than 80 countries around the world and start using chip and PIN enabled credit cards, also known as EMV, smart cards, or microchip cards.

By placing microchips in credit cards, it makes it much harder for criminals to clone the cards than the relatively easy-to-crack magnetic stripes.  Chip cards take the cardholder information and turn it into a unique code for each transaction. They also often require additional authentication, such a personal identification number, or PIN. So in the case of the Target breach, the stolen data couldn’t be used to easily create duplicate credit cards, drastically reducing the value of the stolen data. The possibility for online abuse of the numbers (known as Card Not Present transactions) would remain a threat from the breach, but it would be a fraction of the problem (and solvable in other ways).

France has been using this technology since 1982, the UK since 2001, and Canada since 2007. In the first five years after the UK started using chip & PIN, fraud went down 70%.  In that same time period, the cost for fraud in the US had DOUBLED. It’s not that the technology is perfect, it’s that the increased security convinces criminals to target those who don’t use the technology (which to this point has only been, well, the United States). 

If there is such a great guarantee on fraud reduction by switching to chip and PIN cards, why is the US resisting it?  The answer:  MONEY.  Banks, credit card companies, and retailers have been caught in a battle of wills for many years now, with retailers not wanting to spend money on installing new chip-friendly card readers unless banks are committed to spending money on issuing new cards.

The cost of implementing the card system can be staggering. Target is expected to spend around $100 million to install new chip card readers in an effort to protect against cyber theft.

So is it worth $100 million to implement chip and PIN technology?

Without question. And even Target thinks so, or at least it did ten years ago when it was at the forefront of implementing chip & PIN technology.  From 2001-2004 they spent $40 million to adopt chip-based credit-card technology and installed 37,000 new point-of-sale terminals to handle chip cards across its U.S. stores.

Ultimately they backed out because their marketing strategy at the time just didn’t catch on with consumers and because it was taking “A FEW SECONDS” longer per customer to get through the line.  I don’t know about you, but I’d wait an extra two seconds in order to know my data is secure.  And I bet Target victims would take back the time it is taking them to change their credit card information with every online site or monthly automatic payment company their now-compromised card was used for.

To put the cost in perspective, $100 million is about $1.00 per Target breach customer. I bet the average credit card holder would be willing to foot the $1 bill to dramatically reduce their risk (even if it’s not a perfect solution). In fact, the cost of fraud gets passed on to customers anyway (higher credit card rates, higher retail prices), so why not spend that same money (or far less, in fact) on securing the transactions in the first place? 

  • A survey of 936 credit unions indicates the Target breach has cost credit unions an average of about $5.10 per card affected by the security lapse.  The Credit Union National Association said these costs most likely do not include any fraud losses, which are likely to occur later.
  • In 2012, the Ponemon Institute’s annual study showed the average cost of a data breach in the US is $188 per person notified.
  • For credit issuers, the average cost per record breached is set at $280.
  • Aite Group reports that card fraud in the U.S. already costs the card payment industry (primarily issuers) $8.6 billion a year.

 You tell me if it’s worth it! (Seriously, I want your thoughts and comments below)

How do we get there?

It seems crystal clear to me that fraudsters have gotten so sophisticated that we either need to join together (retailers, banks, and credit card companies) or we will fail to stop this trend of Mega-Breaches.  Pardon the pun, but clearly we have put the “target” on our own backs; criminals have increasingly focused on the US because we are so far behind.

James Dimon, CEO of J.P. Morgan Chase sees this as an opportunity for real change.  He said,  “All of us have a common interest in being protected, so this might be a chance for retailers and banks to for once work together, as opposed to sue each other like we’ve been doing the last decade.”

I see 4 overarching steps that need to be taken:

  1. Retailers, credit card processors, banks, VISA, MasterCard and American Express need to stop focusing on their own self-interest (profit) and start to work together for the common good. Of course, they won’t do this without incentive, so…
  2. Congress should create  a U.S. equivalent of the U.K. Card Association that sets policy and has the authority to fine those stakeholders who fail to act.
  3. In other words, we will need legislation to ensure that the “liability shift” dates projected for 2015 are met.  This means that if credit card companies have issued chip and PIN cards, but retailers have not installed machines to read them, the merchants would be held accountable for any losses due to fraud.
  4. Everyone needs to understand that there will be costs associated with the change, just like there are costs when you install a security system, a lock on a door or a vault in a bank.

Will chip and PIN cost retailers? Yes. Will chip and PIN cost banks? Yes. Will it cost consumers? Yes. Will it cost (in total) as much as the fraud resulting from even a single major breach like Target. NO. It’s time to start thinking about security from a long-term perspective, and long-term profitability will follow.

John Sileo is an author and highly engaging speaker on internet privacy, identity theft and technology security. He is CEO of The Sileo Group, which helps organizations to protect the privacy that drives their profitability. His recent engagements include presentations at The Pentagon, Visa, Homeland Security and Northrop Grumman as well as media appearances on Rachael Ray, 60 Minutes, Anderson Cooper and Fox Business. Contact him directly on 800.258.8076.

Top Tips to Stop Tax-time Identity Theft – Part 1

“Tax Time ID Theft – Part 1″ href=”https://sileo.com/top-tips-for-tax-time-security-peace-of-mind-part-1/”>Part 1 – Tax Preparers | Part 2 – Protecting Computers | Part 3 – IRS & Tax Scams

Tax season can be a stressful time of year for individuals and business owners alike, especially those who fail to plan in advance and then sacrifice focus and performance as they race to meet the filing deadline. But that stress is nothing compared to the potential destruction of your financial reputation brought on by tax-time identity theft. And tax-related identity theft is on a precipitous rise.

An audit published on July 19, 2012 by the U.S. Treasury Department, found that the IRS paid fraudulent tax returns to identity thieves worth a total of $5 Billion in 2011. The study also predicted that the IRS (and therefore, you as a taxpayer) will lose an estimated $21 Billion in fraudulent claims over the next five years. Tax-related information is the Holy Grail of identity theft because it contains virtually every piece of information, including a Social Security number (SSN), which a fraudster needs to defraud you.

Tax-related identity theft affects individuals in a couple of ways:

  1. Refund fraud. In refund fraud, an identity thief illegally uses a taxpayer’s name and SSN to file for a tax refund, which the IRS discovers after the legitimate taxpayer files. The legitimate taxpayer is then forced to spend time and money proving her innocence, setting the record straight with the IRS and protesting fines and penalties assessed because a refund was given where taxes were potentially owed. According to an article in the Wall Street Journal, “The National Taxpayer Advocate, an IRS watchdog group, got 55,000 requests for help with tax-identity theft in 2012.  The group has seen a 650% rise in the number of identity theft cases it handles since 2008.  And the IRS since last year has doubled to 3,000 the number of staffers working on such cases.”
  2. Employment fraud. In employment fraud, an ID thief uses a taxpayer’s name and SSN to obtain a job. When you as the employer report income for the employee to the IRS, the legitimate owner of the SSN appears to have unreported income on his or her return, leading to enforcement action.

There are steps that you can take that will minimize your chances of being affected by this growing crime. It is your responsibility to protect not only your own tax-related information, but also the sensitive data you handle on behalf of your business, employees and customers if you work in a job that requires you to handle such data.

This is the first of a three-part series in which we’ll provide you with practical checklists to help prevent tax identity theft and/or deal with it once it’s happened.

Today’s Tax-Time Identity Theft Tip: Choose a security-minded tax preparer.

Your greatest risk of identity theft during tax season comes from a surprising source: a dishonest or disorganized tax preparer. Ask yourself (and your preparer) these questions:

  • Does your tax advisor have an established track record and years of satisfied clients? Google them to find out.
  • When you visit your tax preparer’s office, are client files well protected? Do they leave tax-related folders in the open for the cleaning service to access, or are they locked in a filing cabinet or secure office? Do they meet with clients in a neutral, data-free, conference room?
  • Have you interviewed them on how they protect your private data, whether or not they have a privacy policy and if they provide employee data security training?
  • Have you expressed your desire that they take every precaution to protect your data? Asking professional tax preparers these questions sends them a message that you are watching!
  • Is your tax preparer working on a secured computer, network and Internet connection?
  • When filing W-2/W-3 and 1098/1099 tax forms, have you obtained them from a reputable source to make sure that they aren’t fraudulent?

Tax Time Identity Theft: Part 2 – Protecting Computers | Part 3 – IRS & Tax Scams

John Sileo is an author and highly engaging speaker on internet privacy, identity theft and technology security. He is CEO of The Sileo Group, which helps organizations to protect the privacy that drives their profitability. His recent engagements include presentations at The Pentagon, Visa, Homeland Security and Northrop Grumman as well as media appearances on 60 Minutes, Anderson Cooper and Fox Business. Contact him directly on 800.258.8076.

10 Times NOT To Use Your Debit Cards this Holiday Season!

As you head into the holiday season, one of the best steps you can take to protect your bank account is to eliminate the use of your debit card. While delivering a keynote speech in Washington DC last week, someone asked me if I could name ten times when you should NOT use a debit card.  I replied, “It’s a trick question because the answer is NEVER!” I seriously do feel that way, but I know there are people who either need to or prefer to use a debit card rather than a credit card or cash, so I want you to be informed about how to use it wisely.

First, make sure you understand the difference between a credit and debit card.  While they appear identical and can often be used interchangeably, remember that a debit card is a direct line to your bank account.  If a thief gets ahold of your debit card information, they essentially have access to your account.  One of the biggest differences comes to light when fraud occurs.  Credit card users can simply decline the charges and not pay the bill.  Debit card fraud comes straight out of your bank account and is much harder to fight or reclaim the money that as been debited. In the meantime, while you prove it was fraud, you’re out the cash.

Here is a Top Ten List of times to choose credit over debit.

10. Booking future travel

If you book your travel with a debit card, they debit your account immediately,. So if you’re buying travel or making a reservation that you won’t use for several months, you’ll be out the money immediately.  Also consider that many large hotels have suffered data breaches.

9. Hotels

Many hotels follow the practice of using your debit card to place a hold on your money (sometimes hundreds of dollars) to make sure you don’t run up a long distance bill, empty the mini bar or trash the room. The practice is almost unnoticeable if you’re using credit, but can be problematic if you’re using a debit card and have just enough in the account to cover what you need.  Be sure to ask about their “holding” policy if you are using a debit card.

8. Expensive purchases

This one is simple.  If something goes wrong with the merchandise or the purchase, a credit card offers rights to dispute and stop payments much easier than a debit card. You have a much shorter window for reporting and resolving an issue and may even be responsible for all charges if you wait too long.

7. Rental or security deposits.

Say you want to rent a car or borrow a Bobcat from your local home improvement store.  Remember that when you use a debit card to put down a deposit, that money is temporarily unavailable to you.  Of course, you’ll get the money back when you return the car or equipment, so this is no big deal if you have the money to spare until that time. But with a credit card, the money is just “frozen” and not actually charged so you won’t ever notice it’s gone.

6. Regular/recurring payments

You’ve heard about someone who quit a gym or discontinued a magazine subscription only to find that they kept getting billed. If you used a debit card for those payments, they’ll just keep coming right out of your bank account.  (Using a credit card is also a good way to ensure you don’t forget to make that monthly debit in your check register!)

5. Wi-Fi hot spots

Never use your debit card for an online purchase while at a coffee shop or other business that offers free wi-fi access.  Many of those businesses have unsecured wireless connections, so it’s much easier for hackers and scammers to log on and steal your data.

4. Restaurants

Anytime the card leaves your sight, you should NOT use your debit card. The waiter coming to your table has alone time with your card, giving them the opportunity to copy your card information.

This also applies to ordering food for delivery.  Restaurants that deliver tend to keep customer payment information on file in order to make future orders more convenient.

Another problem with using a debit card at restaurants is that some establishments will approve the card for more than your purchase amount because, presumably, you intend to leave a tip. So the amount of money frozen for the transaction could be quite a bit more than the amount of your tab. And it could be a few days before you get the cash back in your account.

3. Outdoor ATMs

Outdoor ATM machines provide the perfect opportunity for thieves to skim users’ debit cards.  Skimming is the practice of capturing a bank customer’s card information by running it through a machine that reads the card’s magnetic strip. Criminals place these machines over the real card slots at ATMs and other card terminals.  If the public has access to it, so do data criminals.  Use the ATM just inside the bank where it is under constant surveillance. And no matter what, look for devices or cameras on the ATM machine that aren’t normally there.

2. Gas stations

Every gas pump asks, “Credit or Debit?” these days.  Don’t choose the debit option!  Go inside and pay cash if you choose not to use your credit card!  There are three reasons.  One, it’s fairly easy for a thief to insert a skimmer and then sit nearby with a laptop accessing your information.  Even if the thief doesn’t manage to get your debit card personal identification number, or PIN, from such a device, he still may be able to duplicate the card’s magnetic strip and use it for “sign and swipe” Visa or MasterCard transactions.

Thieves can also sit nearby using small cameras to capture footage of debit card users entering their PINs. Finally, similar to the hotel example above, your debit card may be used to place a hold for an amount larger than your actual purchase.   So, even though you only bought $10 in gas, you could have a temporary bank hold for $50 to $100, says Susan Tiffany, director of consumer periodicals for the Credit Union National Association.

1. Online

Using you debit card online is like asking for your bank account to be emptied. There is just way too much potential for hacking at many different points in a transaction.  It could occur due to malware on the computer, someone could be “eavesdropping” via a wireless network, or it could happen once in the hands of the merchant due to a data breach.  If you have a problem with the purchase or your debit card number is stolen, it’s a huge hassle to get the money restored to your account and make your card number safe and secure again.

Keep it simple and just always use a credit card. I realize that it is easier to spend more money when it’s not coming directly out of your account, but it’s better to resist the temptation to spend for the added security provided. 

John Sileo is an author and highly engaging keynote speaker on internet privacy, identity theft and technology security. He is CEO of The Sileo Group, which helps organizations to protect the privacy that drives their profitability. His recent engagements include presentations at The Pentagon, Visa, Homeland Security and Northrop Grumman as well as media appearances on 60 Minutes, Anderson Cooper and Fox Business. Contact him directly on 800.258.8076.

Baby Cam Hacked: What You Can Do To Protect Yourself and Your Children

The story about the Texas parents who were terrified when their child’s video baby monitor was hacked struck me at first as a minor incident when viewed in the whole scheme of the world of hackers.  After all, it is a rare event, no one was hurt, no threats were overtly made, and the child herself even slept through the event.  But when I read more about it, I became increasingly bothered by the fact that I was not initially bothered by it!  I mean, is that the creepiest of all feelings, to know that a stranger is watching your kids?

Here’s the summary for those who missed the story.  Marc and Lauren Gilbert were in another room when they heard strange sounds coming from their daughter’s monitor.  When they went into her room to investigate, they realized it was a strange man’s voice coming through the monitor and saying disturbing things, even using the child’s name, which could be seen above her bed.  The child, who was born deaf and had her cochlear implants turned off, slept through the entire incident.  Gilbert immediately disconnected the device, which was hooked up to the home’s wireless Internet system.

It is believed the webcam system, Foscam wireless camera, was compromised.  In April, a study was released revealing potential vulnerabilities; in it the researchers said the camera would be susceptible to “remote Internet monitoring from anywhere in the world” and that thousands of Foscam cameras in the U.S. were vulnerable.  A glaring flaw (which has since been “fixed” by a firmware update in June) is that users were not encouraged to have strong passwords and were not prompted to change from the default admin password.  Gilbert said he did take basic security precautions, including passwords for his router and the IP cam, as well as having a firewall enabled.

For an interview with Fox and Friends, they asked me to consider the following questions.  I’d like to share my answers with you in case you missed it.

How easy is it to hack a baby monitor?

It’s probably an apt cliché to say it’s as easy as taking candy from a baby. Just like with any device, an iPhone, laptop, home Wi-Fi, it’s only as secure as you make it. If you’ve taken no steps, it’s relatively easy to hack. You don’t make the problem go away by ignoring it.

Why would someone do this?

Some do it for the challenge, some for the thrill of controlling other people’s lives, and unfortunately, others do it because they are sick individuals that want to watch what you do in the privacy of your home.

Is this one of the more scary cases of hacking a household device you’ve seen?

This one hits close to home because it takes advantage of our kids, but I’ve seen pacemakers turned off, blood pumps shut down, brakes applied in cars, and all of it done remotely by outsiders who are never even seen. If the device is connected to a network, I guarantee you it can be hacked, and in most cases, you never know the bad guys are in control.

How can we avoid this type of hacking of our personal devices, whether it’s a video baby monitor, an iPhone or a pacemaker?  

The good news is that’s it’s the same steps you probably already take on your other devices, like laptops, smartphones and iPads:

  1. Buy Digital. Only buy a digital monitor that is password protected, not an analog version that operates on an open radio frequency.
  2. Change Default Passwords. During setup, change the factory defaults on the monitor so that the password is long, strong and device specific. This case we are talking about probably had a default password in place, making it easy to hack.
  3. Firewall Your Privacy. Install a firewall between your Internet connection and ALL devices to keep the peeping Toms out. Hire a professional to set it up properly.
  4. Lock Down Wi-Fi. Make sure your Wi-Fi network is locked down properly with WPA2+ encryption and SSID masking so it can’t be hacked.
  5. Turn Devices Off. If you are not using the device, turn it off, as hackers can more easily crack devices that are up 24/7.

John Sileo is an an award-winning author and keynote speaker on identity theft, internet privacy, fraud training & technology defense. John specializes in making security entertaining, so that it works. John is CEO of The Sileo Group, whose clients include the Pentagon, Visa, Homeland Security & Pfizer. John’s body of work includes appearances on 60 Minutes, Rachael Ray, Anderson Cooper & Fox Business. Contact him directly on 800.258.8076.

Top Tips for Tax-time Identity Theft Prevention: Part 2

Tax Time Identity Theft: Part 1 – Tax Preparers | Part 2 – Protecting Computers | Part 3 – IRS & Tax Scams

Secure your computers and copy machines from hackers.

Last year, more than 80 million Americans filed their tax returns electronically and even more stored tax-related information insecurely on their computers. To prevent electronic identity theft, implement the following security measures:

  • Install anti-virus, anti-spam and anti-spyware software (generally referred to as a Security Suite) configured to download and install automatic updates. Failure to take this most basic and time-tested of steps allows malware attached to malicious emails, social media platforms and rogue websites to penetrate your entire system, giving thieves access to every computer on your network, not just one.
  • Create strong alphanumeric passwords or utilize password protection software to protect the digital keys to your information.
  • Encrypt hard drives or data-sensitive folders to keep out unwanted visitors.
  • Set up automatic operating system updates and security patches that close gaping entry points for data thieves.
  • Utilize only a WPA2+ encrypted wireless network that discourages thieves from sitting outside of your home or office to sniff the data you send over Wi-Fi.
  • Have a professional install a properly configured, password-protected firewall that sits between your network and the Internet.
  • Don’t email sensitive tax data unless it is encrypted. In a pinch, you can email password protected PDF documents.
  • If you use a commonly accessed copy machine, consider erasing your copy machine’s hard drive, as it maintains a digital record of every document you scan or copy. Criminals often access these when you (or your workplace) sells or repairs the machine.
  • Continuously monitor your identity using  a sophisticated product that handles cyber-surveillance, credit monitoring, restoration services and ID theft insurance.

Tax Time Identity Theft: Part 1 – Tax Preparers | Part 3 – IRS & Tax Scams

John Sileo is an author and highly engaging speaker on internet privacy, identity theft and technology security. He is CEO of The Sileo Group, which helps organizations to protect the privacy that drives their profitability. His recent engagements include presentations at The Pentagon, Visa, Homeland Security and Northrop Grumman as well as media appearances on 60 Minutes, Anderson Cooper and Fox Business. Contact him directly on 800.258.8076.

Stop Online Tracking Ep. 5: Flush Your Cookies

Watch the entire Browser Spies Online Privacy series. To view the entire series, wait until the end of each video and click on the Next Video button in the lower right-hand corner of your screen. As you watch each short video in your browser, make the necessary changes based on each simple video tip on protecting your online identity and privacy.

Browser privacy expert John Sileo and Fox & Friends have teamed up to educate consumers on how your surfing habits are being intercepted, collected and sold as you browse the Web. These tips give you more control over your Internet Privacy in short, easy to implement tips. Privacy exposure, browser tracking and constant data surveillance are a reality of the digital economy. It’s important to defend your data privacy before it’s too late.

Stop Online Tracking Ep. 4: Enable Do Not Track

Watch the entire Browser Spies Online Privacy series. To view the entire series, wait until the end of each video and click on the Next Video button in the lower right-hand corner of your screen. As you watch each short video in your browser, make the necessary changes based on each simple video tip on protecting your online identity and privacy.

Browser privacy expert John Sileo and Fox & Friends have teamed up to educate consumers on how your browsing patterns are being monitored, shared and sold as you surf the Internet. These tips give you more control over your online security in short, easy to implement phases. Data exposure, surf-tracking and constant browser surveillance are a reality of the digital age. It’s important to defend your information privacy before it’s too late.

Stop Online Tracking Ep. 3: Turn on Private Browsing

Watch the entire Browser Spies Online Privacy series. To view the entire series, wait until the end of each video and click on the Next Video button in the lower right-hand corner of your screen. As you watch each short video in your browser, make the necessary changes based on each simple video tip on protecting your online identity and privacy.

Online surveillance expert John Sileo and Fox & Friends have teamed up to educate viewers on how your data is being tracked, stored and sold as you surf the World Wide Web. These tips give you more control over your online privacy in short, easy to implement steps. Internet privacy, cookie tracking and constant web surveillance are a reality of the information economy. It’s important to defend your privacy before it’s too late.

Stop Online Tracking Ep. 2: Log Out of Spying Sites

Watch the entire Browser Spies Online Privacy series. To view the entire series, wait until the end of each video and click on the Next Video button in the lower right-hand corner of your screen. As you watch each short video in your browser, make the necessary changes based on each simple video tip on protecting your online identity and privacy.

Internet privacy expert John Sileo and Fox & Friends have joined up to educate you on how your data is being tracked, recorded and sold as you surf the Internet. These tips give you greater control over your online privacy in short, easy to implement steps. Web privacy, browser tracking and constant Internet surveillance are a reality of modern browsing. It’s important for you to protect your privacy before you have totally lost control.