Valentine’s Day is the quintessential time to show the one you love your appreciation. And what says “You mean so much to me” more than a box of chocolates? Or a bottle of wine? Boring, overdone, and if you think about it, these typical gifts aren’t a very personal way to show you care. If you’re looking for a creative, yet practical way to show your appreciation, why not get your special somebody something that could actually make their lives better and more secure?
No, we aren’t suggesting to buy your significant other a small underground bunker or a body guard to keep away from any potential danger – that would be, well, extreme. But think about this – in 2014, identity fraud and breaches cost some 12.7 million Americans $16 billion. And countless people lost time, money and information to hacks and viruses that could have been prevented. Wouldn’t you like to make sure your true love is in the clear? To that end, we present to you some security-minded Valentine’s Day gift ideas that will let your sweetheart know you really care.
After a year filled with gargantuan corporate hacks and countless “little ones”, it’s time to face the reality that there is a decent chance that you or someone you love may become a victim of identity fraud sometime soon. While exact statistics for 2015 have not been released yet, in 2014 more than 70 million Americans had their sensitive information exposed in data breaches that could very easily lead to identity fraud.
Do you have a favorite household gadget? Do you reach for your drill or take out your handy roll of duct tape whenever there’s a problem? Most of us have tools that we are partial to, our tried and true saviors that have gotten us out of a bind time and time again.
When it comes to cybercrime, hackers also tend to stick with certain tools, ones that are proven to be more effective and more forceful than the rest. Sure, sometimes hackers may go out on a limb and experiment with a new technique, but by and large, the threats we face all stem from the same tactics, with some tweaks to the code here and there. In 2015, there were some things that proved essential in so many hackers’ tool kits – Why bother with originality when the old tried and true tools work so well?
It’s these standbys that we have to be the most vigilant about, and there’s a lot we can learn from these tools about how we arm ourselves better for 2016 and beyond.
Another New Year’s day has come and gone. As the holiday merriment all but fades away it’s time to start thinking about 2016. ‘Tis is the season when people solemnly swear to themselves to never eat another chocolate chip cookie and to start calling Grandma at least once a week. Great aspirations, to be sure but there is one area that’s often times overlooked when it comes to new year resolutions and it can have huge implications – The resolution to take the safety of your digital identity and assets more seriously in 2016.
As our lives get more digitally-centered by the day, the New Year is the perfect opportunity to assess old habits, ramping up the good ones and throwing out the bad ones. Isn’t your personal information worth just as much pause for thought as that cookie in your hand?
Here are tips to help make sure you are set up for security in 2016.
It’s been said before and we’ll say it again – 2015 was the year of the hack.
Sure, there were major hacks and breaches before 2015, but this was the year when hacking became de rigueur, when hacks went mainstream and became front page news. Often. Very often.
One of the most intriguing aspects of the hacks of 2015 was the scope. No sector was spared from data breaches, from top universities to federal agencies to Steam. It seems like everybody was targeted in 2015, as if the perps did their utmost to reach the widest range of victims. Profiled below are an assortment of people and the hacks that affected them most this year.
