Robert Siciliano is a NextAdvisor.com Expert Guest Blogger
You are on business or on vacation and you connect to a public computer to check your email. You enter your credentials, read a few emails, delete some spam, triggering a note to a work colleague, and disconnect. Think nothing, but before you know it, your email account was hijacked. Your friends, family and business associates all receive the following message, sent from your account:
"While traveling in Europe, I was approached by what looked like a man without -abri who met with me and he apologized. a few minutes later I went to a cafe for lunch. But when I went to pay, my wallet was gone. I pickpocketed! Now I'm stuck here without money, can you send me money via a bank transfer? I promise to pay you back as soon as I get home! "
most of your contacts are probably too savvy fall for it, but maybe your aunt responds gullible. She believes that she engage in an email conversation with you, but it is actually a con artist who pushed your account. Then she falls for the ruse and son a few thousand dollars to a criminal place in Europe.
Think it can not happen to you or someone you know? This week, I meet someone who actually pulled the money from his account and wired it. It was an educated person who should have known better. But when he saw a call for help, his first instinct was to help a loved one, and he did what many good people would do.
This scam is easy, and it's happening more frequently. I'm surprised I did not meet a new victim of this particular crime every ten minutes. There are some simple ways to hack an email account. A public computer in a hotel, a library or Internet café may have spyware or a keylogger installed. This type of hardware or software can record everything you do on a PC. If you use your own laptop on a public wireless connection unsecured, your data can be intercepted wireless packet in the air. You can also connect accidentally to an "evil twin," a wireless network appears to be a legitimate WiFi spot, but is actually distributed via a router or a computer, which allows a criminal hacker to sift all your data.
The chance of someone access to your laptop via a public Wi-Fi is thin, but it happens. your best bet is to connect only to Web sites that are secure. the Web address should begin with https: // www ... the "S" in "https" indicates that the site is secure Otherwise, you must download and install the private network software, such as WiTopia If you use a.. public computer in a hotel, a library or Internet café, you are thank you to the administrator who created the PC, or the one who used the computer before you unless you make an investment in a very IronKey cool USB drive called. This small secure drive combines hardware, software and services that allow you to connect to a PC with a USB drive available.
And you should always protect yourself against identity theft. Get a credit freeze. Go to ConsumersUnion.org and follow the steps for your particular state. This is an absolutely necessary tool to secure your credit. In most cases, it prevents new accounts from being opened in your name. This makes your Social Security number useless to a potential identity thief. And invest in identity theft protection. All forms of protection against identity theft can be prevented, but identity theft protection services can dramatically reduce your risk.
Robert Siciliano, identity theft speaker, discusses the wireless piracy Fox & Friends .
Robert Siciliano is CEO of IDTheftSecurity.com, an expert on identity theft, professional speaker, security analyst, published author and television news correspondent. Siciliano works with Fortune 1000 and start-up companies as a consultant on product launches, branding, messaging, representation, SEO and media. the thoughts and advice of Siciliano on all these issues often appear in both television and print media news, including CNN, MSNBC, CNBC, FOX, Forbes and USA Today. He has 25 years of safety training as a member of the American Society for Industrial Security. He is the author of two books, including The Safety Minute: Living on high alert; How to take control of your personal safety and to prevent fraud . He also established a partnership with Uni-Ball to help raise awareness of the growing threat of identity theft and provide tips on how you can protect yourself.