Family picture taken from social media site

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June 12th, 2009 - Posted by Caitlin

Danielle Smith, who lives in Missouri, posted a family portrait, featuring herself, her husband and their two children, on a few different social networking sites. Two weeks ago, a friend of Danielle's was driving though Prague when he spotted the Smiths' portrait in the window of a grocery store. The picture had been repurposed into an advertisement. The owner of the grocery store said that the picture was from the Internet, and that he'd assumed it was computer generated. When he learned that it was a real picture of a real family, he removed the billboard. The Smiths, as well as the photographer who took the portrait, hadn't authorized any use of the picture. Next time Smith posts a picture on the Internet, she says she'll lower the resolution or add an electronic watermark.

This curious incident serves as a reminder that once pictures or information have been posted to a social networking site, it is impossible to predict where they might end up or who might access them. If you are concerned about protecting your privacy when using social networking sites, you may be interested in our Facebook Identity Theft Protection Guide or our MySpace Identity Theft Protection Guide. Or, for information about services that can help safeguard your identity, see our identity theft protection reviews and comparison.

The most dangerous search terms…

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June 11th, 2009 - Posted by Caitlin

McAfee recently conducted a study to identify the most dangerous Internet search terms. Searches for these words are most likely to lead Internet users to pages containing malware. The study tested thousands of keywords using Google, Yahoo, AOL and Ask, and analyzed hundreds of thousands of web pages.

Searches for screensavers, free games, work from home opportunities, the Olympics, videos, celebrities, music and news were found to be the riskiest, in terms of exposure to viruses and hackers. As  far as specific terms, "word unscrambler," "lyrics," "myspace," "free music downloads," "phelps," "game cheats," "printable fill-in puzzles," "free ringtones" and "solitaire" were the most dangerous.

Google and other search engines seem trustworthy, but they can't weed out all the potentially dangerous web sites. For that, you need Internet security software. To learn more about McAfee and other anti-virus programs, see our reviews and comparison chart.

The skinny on acai berry

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June 11th, 2009 - Posted by Joe

Acai (pronounced a-sigh-EE) is a berry has come into the collective conscious of many dieters in the last few years. Proponents of the fruit, which is indigenous to Brazil, claim that this so-called "super food" can help dieters rapidly lose weight and fight any number of ailments.

But, according to the independent Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), acai is no more beneficial for you than produce you would find at your local supermarket. The CSPI's Johnny Bowden recently addressed the topic of acai in an interview with CNN:

"Virtually every berry — blueberry, strawberry, goji, acai — are anti-inflammatory and high in antioxidants," Bowden said. "This particular one is exotic. It's found in Brazil. It's been marketed to have more of a magic ingredient. It's been over-hyped and marketed to death. There are claims to curing cancer, curing baldness that is all over the place."

The claims and marketing tactics used by acai proponents have been so outlandish that the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recently began a review of the practices of many of the companies promoting these products.

The truth is that there is little or no clinical research explicitly showing that acai is any more beneficial than any number of other fruits with similar antioxidant properties. So, while acai may be considered as part of a overall diet regiment, it is by no means a silver bullet for weight loss.

We have reviewed a number diet programs and meal plans that can help you develop a healthy lifestyle and lose weight the right way. Learn more by visiting our comparison of diet programs and meal plans.

Pickpocket identity theft ring goes high-tech

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June 11th, 2009 - Posted by Robert Siciliano

Robert Siciliano is a NextAdvisor.com Expert Guest Blogger

If there were a "criminal hall of fame," with an award bestowed on the "coolest" criminal, it would have to be a pickpocket. Pickpockets are sneaky, devilish creatures who function exactly one degree below the radar.

Pickpockets whisper through society, undetected and undeterred. They are subtle and brazen at the same time. They are  like a bed bugs, crawling on you and injecting a numbing venom that prevents you from detecting their bite until it's much to late. They aren't violent like a drug crazed mugger or confrontational like a stick up robber. They have much more gumption than any criminal hacker because they don't hide under the anonymity of the Internet.

One second is all a pickpocket needs. A brief diversion, a quick move, and before you can take a breath, your wallet is gone.

Pickpocketing is one of the oldest criminal professions, and is still very prevalent in Europe. Their target? Clueless Americans. Americans just aren't as aware of pickpockets, since it isn't as prevalent here.

One victim's story: "My wife and I were at a Paris Metro station where the loudspeakers were blaring, 'WARNING. THERE ARE PICKPOCKETS PRESENT AT THIS STATION.' We got on the crowded subway. A woman stayed half on and half off, blocking the door. At the same time, another woman was bumping against me, indicating that she needed to get off. She got past me and she and her friend exited the train, allowing the door to close. As she did, I realized that my cash (about $120) was gone from my pocket. As we pulled away, I watched the two women at the station, smiling and waving at me."

Pickpockets' greatest advantage is the fact that most people don't believe it can happen to them. Including me.

Years ago, I met this cat named Gene Turner at a convention. A great guy who has the skills of a real pickpocket, but uses his abilities to inform, educate and entertain people. I told him to get Pickpocket.com, which he did. I should get a slice of that action! Real nice guy, very personable. He introduced himself to me by – without me knowing – taking my watch off my left wrist. Then asked me what time it was. I looked at my left wrist, no watch. He pointed to my right arm, where he re-fastened it. Freaked me out.

Gene says, "Personally, I get 'caught' maybe once out of a thousand times when I'm lifting a watch. And usually it's either a really difficult watch or I'm taking it from the same person for the third or fourth time. I have always said a good pickpocket could pick me clean and I would never feel it. Even the best multi-tasker can be distracted, and it only takes a split second of distraction to become a victim. I have lifted watches from and put watches on many magicians, security people and yes, even other pickpockets, without their knowledge."

Wired reports that pickpockets have upped the ante: "Feds Swoop In on Nationwide Pickpocket, I.D. Theft Ring." The suspects, using a novel and high-tech strategy, allegedly stole the identities and bank account information from victims nationwide through pickpocketing and other means. The ring allegedly traveled around the country to crowded events, targeting sports fans in particular. Often, they worked in teams, in which one person distracts the victim and the other lifts the victim's wallet.

How to protect yourself:

1. Be wary of someone yelling, "There's a pickpocket in the crowd."

Gene says, "I use this ploy a lot in my show. When people find out that I can pick pockets, the men check for their wallets and the women will check for their jewelry in the order of value – most expensive first. Their actions clue me as to exactly where the wallets and valuable jewelry are located."

A man in a business suit has four pants pockets and six to eight pockets in the jacket. His wallet, cash and credit cards could be in any one of ten or more pockets. Pickpockets don't usually have time to search all ten, but if they see you check your pocket when you read the sign, they now know the exact location. If you think there are pickpockets around or you see a sign, don't be obvious about checking for your wallet or valuables.

2. Don't display money or valuables in public.

Flashing your money will get you more attention than you want. Pickpockets will notice where you stash the cash and one bump later, you'll be left with an empty pocket.

3. Be aware of your surroundings.

Especially in crowded places, bumps, commotions, and aggressive people are the typical distractions pickpockets use. Sometimes a person will fall down, drop something or appear to be ill, and we rush in to help. That's great and I recommend it, but it may be a diversion. If you're helping a stranger, make sure someone you trust is watching your valuables. Sidewalks, malls, bus terminals, airports, train stations, in any type of crowd it is extremely important to be aware of your surroundings. Pickpockets are counting on you paying attention to everything except for your wallet or purse.

4. Don't carry valuables in a backpack or fanny pack.

Anyone can reach into a backpack without you seeing or feeling. Fanny packs, if worn, should only be worn in front. Keep in mind that that won't prevent a thief from undoing it or slashing the belt and getting away with it. If you do wear a fanny pack, make sure the buckle is near the pouch in front, so a pickpocket would have a more difficult time getting to the latch without your knowledge. It is not uncommon for a pickpocket to use a razor blade to slice through a bag and reach in.

5. Thin out your wallet.

Ultimately, they may still get your wallet. And when they do, you need to be prepared to respond to the fallout. The best protection is to not carry anything of value. There is no need to carry documents containing Social Security numbers, passwords, account numbers, birth certificates or anything that could lead to new account fraud. I carry a drivers license, credit card and a Costco card. Think of it this way: if your wallet were lost or stolen, would you feel like throwing up? If so, you have too much stuff in there.

6. Make copies.

For those of you that have to carry lots of stuff for various reasons, please make a photocopy, front and back, of every document in your wallet. Keep those photocopies in a secure place. If your wallet goes missing, you will have everything you need to close the existing cards and get new ones. Plus, it doesn't hurt as much when you can see a copy of the missing cards.

7. Use anti-check washing pens.

Wallets often contain checkbooks. Check fraud is a billion dollar problem. Check washing occurs when criminals use nail polish remover to scrub out the payee and dollar amount, and rewrite checks to themselves for increased  amounts. With a uni-ball anti-check washing gel pen, you can prevent your checks from being washed.

8. Protect your identity.

Invest in identity theft protection. Even if your wallet is squeaky clean, your data may be found in your bank's dumpster, or though hacking. That's why you must also protect your computer by having updated Internet security software.

Robert Siciliano, identity theft speaker, discusses the bust of an identity theft ring:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akQkIfIKx30[/youtube]

Robert Siciliano is CEO of IDTheftSecurity.com , an identity theft expert, professional speaker, security analyst, published author and television news correspondent. Siciliano works with Fortune 1000 companies and startups as an advisor on product launches, branding, messaging, representation, SEO and media. Siciliano's thoughts and advice on all these matters appear often in both the televised and print news media including CNN, MSNBC, CNBC, FOX, Forbes and USA Today. He has 25 years of security training as a member of the American Society of Industrial Security. He is the author of 2 books, including The Safety Minute: Living on High Alert; How to take control of your personal security and prevent fraud. He's also partnered with Uni-Ball to help raise awareness about the growing threat of identity theft and to provide tips on how you can protect yourself.

New security patch protects BlackBerry business users

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June 10th, 2009 - Posted by Caitlin

Research in Motion recently released a security patch to repair a vulnerability in the software on some BlackBerry smartphones. This particular vulnerability occurs in the PDF distiller program, and only impacts consumers that use BlackBerry Enterprise Server, versions 4.1 through 5.0. Unpatched, it could allow hackers to send BlackBerry users emails with specially crafted PDF attachments containing malware designed to steal data. The patch itself, along with further details, can be found on the BlackBerry support forum.

As smartphones become even more popular and increasingly powerful and complex, they will draw more attention from hackers and identity thieves. Until more robust security software is made available for smartphones, users should be vigilant when it comes to security patches like this one, and consider investing in an identity theft protection service.

McAfee to partner with Mozy to offer online backup services

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June 10th, 2009 - Posted by Joe

McAfee, which received a five star rating in our comparison of Internet security software providers, is partnering with Mozy, a five star provider from our online backup service comparison, to offer online backup services.

According to McAfee officials, the service will cost $50 to $60 per month for unlimited data backup and will be targeted at consumers. The service is expected to be available to McAfee customers sometime before the end of 2009.

We recommend that most consumers simply sign up for the Mozy service directly versus waiting for the McAfee product to be released. NextAdvisor.com visitors receive a special 15% discount on an annual plan which means that an annual subscription of Mozy costs just $46.29 when you use the discount promo code "NEXT" during the online checkout process.

That being said, we do applaud McAfee for taking steps to increase awareness of the importance of data backup.

You can learn more about Mozy and other online back up services by visiting our reviews and comparison of online backup.

Entrepreneur Magazine calls Carbonite an "essential" for any new business

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June 10th, 2009 - Posted by Joe

Entrepreneur Magazine released a list of ten top tech essentials for new businesses today. We weren't surprised at all to see that Entrepreneur had selected Carbonite, a five star provider and editor's choice in our comparison of online backup services, as the best online backup service for new businesses. Here is what the folks at Entrepreneur had to say:

We're all for saving money on technology, but don't skimp too much when it comes to data backup. External hard drives that connect to your computer or network are a good start. But off-site backup is even better for protection against natural disasters, damage or theft. For inexpensive, automatic online backup of a single system, look into a $50-per-year service like Carbonite.

We agree wholeheartedly that Carbonite is both a great value and a good investment for both consumers and smaller businesses. It is important to note that NextAdvisor.com visitors receive a special 15% discount on one, two or three year plans. This means that one year Carbonite plan is just $46.71 per year versus the $50 per year that Entrepreneur referenced above.

You can learn more about Carbonite and online backup by visiting our review and comparison of online backup services.

Data Breach Alert: More than 17,000 VCU students impacted

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June 10th, 2009 - Posted by Caitlin

Last week, Virginia Commonwealth University sent letters to 17,214 current and former students, notifying them that their names, Social Security numbers and test scores may have been exposed when a computer was stolen from the school library. VCU is offering the impacted individuals one year of identity theft insurance. Another 22,500 students have been notified that their names and test scores, but not their Social Security numbers, have also been compromised. VCU identified students by their Social Security numbers until January 2007, but now uses computer generated student identification numbers instead.

This breach draws attention to two areas of vulnerability in guarding one's own identity. When universities and other organizations rely on Social Security numbers for identification, those Social Security numbers are often recorded in databases that are not adequately secure. This places countless individuals at a greater risk for identity theft. Stolen computers are also a common source of data breaches and identity theft. Our NextAdvisor.com guide, How to deal with a lost or stolen laptop, details some of the ways you can prevent or mitigate the costs and risks associated with missing computers.

To learn about identity theft protection services, see our reviews and comparison chart.

Hackers gain access to sensitive data from 100,000 websites

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June 9th, 2009 - Posted by Joe

A UK-based web hosting company is reporting that data from as many as 100,000 websites hosted on it's servers was destroyed as a result of vulnerabilities in a software program used by many web hosts.

Hackers were able to gain very high levels of access to a large number of sites hosted at web host Vaserv.com by hacking a common software utility used by many such web hosting companies. Officials for the company estimated that about 50% of the impacted websites didn't not have any type of data backup and, therefore, are likely lost completely. Vaserv.com technicians are actively working to restore the remaining impacted websites.

It is also believed that hackers had direct access to sensitive personal information stored on Vaserv.com's servers. This data breach is likely to have worldwide impact given the international nature of the Internet and sheer number of websites impacted.

To learn more about how to protect your identity following such data breaches, visit our comparison and reviews of identity theft protection services. To get more details on steps you can take to prevent documents and files on your personal computer from falling victim to hackers and experiencing such data loss, visit our comparisons of Internet security software and online backup services.

Three weeks left to win one of two $1,000 cash prizes from NextAdvisor.com

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June 9th, 2009 - Posted by Joe

Yesterday marked the halfway point in our $2,000 Credit Crisis Relief Sweepstakes and we have been very pleasantly surprised with the number of people who have taken the time to enter to win the cash grand prize. The sweepstakes runs through July 1, 2009 and we will be selecting a winner on or about July 9, 2009. All you have to do to enter to win one of two $1,000 cash prizes is complete our Credit Report & Score IQ.

You can also qualify to win a second $1,000 cash grand prize by telling your friends about the sweepstakes by sending them the unique referral link that you'll receive when you register to win. If your referral is selected as a grand prize winner then you win too. That means that your odds of winning actually increase every time one of your referrals signs up for the sweepstakes.

There are just three weeks left to register to win one of two $1,000 grand prizes so visit our sweepstakes sign up page today. You can also visit our credit report monitoring reviews and comparison to learn more.