Measure and Counter-Measure

Until the last few years, hi-tech theft and fraud was the realm of white-collar criminals. Perhaps one reason it’s called white collar crime is because the perpetrators need not get their hands dirty during the commission of their acts. But alas, with the advent of wireless pick-pocketing this kind of thievery has gone mainstream. Any mischievous techie or worse, swarthy but well- financed criminal organizations, can place their fat, grubby virtual fingers into your pockets any time they choose – and most of you don’t seem to worry at all. Ignorance may be bliss, but it is no excuse to neglect threats to your personal security that are already here.
I will explain in a moment, but first, think back to a simpler time when the internet age was in its infancy. Via a dial-up connection we surfed to our hearts content with nary a thought about privacy – after all, who would be interested in what we were doing and why would anyone want to mess with that. There was never a concern about our computers but, of course, nothing lasts forever and voila, enter the computer virus and malware. As a result, anti-virus software became available and as time passed it wasn’t long until anti-virus software became an integral part of your internet suite. Today, it would be reckless and irresponsible to be without anti-virus protection – would it not?
Getting back to the topic of wireless identity and bank card theft; the threat is here, it’s a clear and present danger to your privacy and, even worse, your money. People will debate all day about the level of vulnerability of bank cards both debit and credit. RFID embedded or NFC capable, there is a chip of one sort or another in almost any card you are carrying and they all contain your personal info to varying degrees. Meanwhile, thieves are developing programs that can reach out and touch you from further and further distances. Never mind there is already this kind of tech within airport terminals, and who knows where it will be next, shopping malls, hospitals, courthouses, but you needn’t worry - those are government-sanctioned groups, the good guys, right? The bad guys might not yet have the same advanced capabilities, but they already possess what they need enough to take what you have and you’ll never know it until after the fact.
And by the way, while everyone is talking about chips they’ve forgotten about strips -- yeah that’s right, the magnetic strips on the back of your card, which often do have your PIN information. The fact that it is magnetic also means there need not be physical contact, just a nearby and improvised reader.
So, if what I am describing is only half as scary as I know it to be, you are foolish or lazy (pick one) to do nothing about it. Again, to use my earlier analogy, would you have and operate your computer without anti-virus protection and when it expires, do you become slightly anxious about it? So then, why do you not equip yourself with the same counter-measures for your ID and bank cards? Times are changing and you need to change and keep up with trends – or get run over.'Silent Pockets' can secure your phone data,credit card info and even your computer files-Available on Steve's front page of his website-Take this alert seriously before they take your Identity and money as they are not playing games!

Sep 9, 2014