Passwords – Creation & Usage – Online Safety & Security

Do you use a password? The evolution of online crime is as much about your password strength as it is about your password usage. If you use your strong password for shopping site A and then reuse the password for shopping sites B, C, D, E, F then you are basically saying to yourself – “I trust each of these sites to have the same robust level of security”

Do You Know Where Your Data Is?

The following appeared in the Canadian online magazine Security Matters:  Location Based Services: Do you know where your data is? Do you know where your data is? By Christopher Burgess  Everywhere you look, retailers and other entities are offering to collect your data using one of the many location-based services available to collate your whereabouts and analyze your behavior.  Are …

Google Bomb – a book review by Christopher

Every person with a name and reputation which they wish to protect should purchase this book. You don’t have to be a technological titan to understand the examples provided. The take-away knowledge provides you a fighting chance to protect, and when necessary, reclaim your reputation. My adage re family online safety is: “Invest in your family’s online safety, commensurate with the value of your family.”

Bullycide – My Time Has Come and So I’m Gone

No doubt you are aware of the tragic loss of life which occurred in Cooperstown, North Dakota late last week, when 16 year old Cassidy Joy Andel, posted a disquieting message upon her Facebook page, “My time has come, and so I’m gone. To a better place, far beyond,” and then took her life, she hung herself.  You see, she …

Online Safety: Today Begins National Cyber Security Awareness Month

Today marks the beginning of National Cyber Security Awareness Month in the United States. I urge you to take a moment each day to educate yourself, your family, your colleagues on the need to be vigilant, proactive and engaged with respect to protecting your online persona and also your business. Your personal data and privacy are your responsibility to maintain …

Our Family Is Our Responsibility

I recently spoke at an event in Seattle on the security aspects of Social Media, both from the business and personal perspective.  One question which I fielded surrounded whether or not there is risk to children via the various social media networks (i.e., Facebook) or should one accept that if someone really wants to hurt my family they don’t need …

Crimeware – a book review by Christopher

Five stars to Jakobsson & Ramzan for a most useful guide to understanding the underbelly of the internet. The strength exhibited by this book lies within the all-star lineup of contributors and the thorough dissection of the numerous forms of crimeware. Their book is a must read for anyone who has responsibility or an interest in protecting Personal Identifying Information (PII), Private Consumer Information (PCI) or Intellectual Property (IP).