Can you please introduce yourself to our readers and share a few details about your background?
I’m a security expert and private investigator with 30+ years of experience, #1 Best Selling Amazon.com author of 5 books, and the architect of the CSI Protection certification, a Cyber Social Identity and Personal Protection security awareness training program. I am a frequent speaker and media commentator, CEO of Safr.Me, and the Head Trainer at ProtectNowLLC.com. I’m a 13-time Boston Marathoner and a Flotilla Staff Officer with the US Department of Homeland Security Coast Guard Auxiliary. Robert has been featured on CNN, Fox News, CNBC, MSNBC, ABC World News Tonight, NBC Nightline, CBS Early Show, Today Show, Good Morning America, and in the NY Times, Wall Street Journal, Time Magazine, Fortune, Forbes, Entrepreneur, and many more. My mission is to inform, educate, and empower people so they can protect themselves and their loved ones from violence and crime in their everyday lives, both in their physical and virtual interactions.What can you tell me about the services you offer through Protect Now?
Protect Now LLC offers a comprehensive range of cybersecurity products and services designed for both businesses and individuals. Their primary offering is the CSI Protection Certification, an employee training program developed by cybersecurity expert Robert Siciliano, which focuses on fostering a strong security culture within organizations. In addition to training, Protect Now provides various services to enhance security, including:- Anti-Phishing Training: Educates employees on identifying and responding to phishing attempts.
- Dark Web Monitoring: Alerts clients if their data appears on the dark web, indicating potential breaches.
- Virtual CISO Services: Offers executive-level cybersecurity guidance for system security, monitoring, updates, and infrastructure scaling.
- Regulatory Compliance: Assists businesses, particularly in the real estate sector, with FTC Safeguards Rule compliance.
- Title Company Services: Specialized cybersecurity support for title companies.
- Cyber Liability Insurance: Helps clients arrange appropriate insurance coverage.
What types of events do you speak at most frequently, and what can people expect from attending one of such events?
I’m a cybersecurity speaker, and I present at various events where I share my expertise on critical security topics. The specific “kind” or “type” of events includes conferences, corporate seminars, public forums, etc. My presentations focus on a range of pertinent subjects delivered in an accessible, jargon-free manner. The core topics covered include:- Data Breaches: Discussing the causes, impacts, and prevention of data compromises.
- Online Fraud: Educating audiences on different forms of online scams and how to avoid them.
- Identity Theft: Providing insights into protecting personal information and recovering from identity theft.
- Personal Security: Offering practical advice for individuals to enhance their overall digital and personal safety.
As a successful author, what books have you written, and which one would you recommend as a good starting point for someone interested in your work?
As a successful author and a security expert, I have written several books on personal security and fraud prevention. Here are the books I authored:- The Safety Minute: How To Be Safe In The Streets At Home And Abroad So You Can Save Your Life!*** (1996)
- The Safety Minute: Living On High Alert; How To Take Control Of Your Personal Security And Prevent Fraud*** (2003)
- 99 Things You Wish You Knew Before Your Identity Was Stolen*** (2011)
- 99 Things You Wish You Knew Before Your Mobile Device Was Hacked*** (2012)
- Identity Theft Privacy (2018)
What would be your biggest advice to people trying to protect their identity and privacy in 2025?
In 2025, protecting your identity and privacy is more crucial than ever as cyber threats continue to evolve. My biggest advice would be to adopt a multi-layered, proactive approach to your digital life. Here are key strategies: 1. Strengthen Your Passwords and Embrace Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA): This remains the bedrock of security. Use long, unique, complex passphrases for every account, ideally generated and stored by a reputable password manager. Crucially, enable MFA (preferably using an authenticator app, not SMS) on *all* accounts that offer it, especially email, banking, and social media. This adds a vital second layer of defense, making it significantly harder for unauthorized access even if your password is compromised. 2. Be Hyper-Vigilant Against Phishing and Social Engineering: Scammers are increasingly sophisticated, leveraging AI for more convincing attacks. Always scrutinize unsolicited emails, texts, and calls. Verify the sender’s identity, hover over links before clicking, and never give out personal information unless you initiated the contact and are certain of the legitimacy of the recipient. If something feels off, it probably is. 3. Regularly Monitor Your Digital Footprint and Financial Accounts:- Credit Reports: Access your free credit reports annually from Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. Look for unfamiliar accounts or inquiries. Consider freezing your credit if you’re not actively applying for new credit.
- Bank/Credit Card Statements: Review all transactions frequently for any unauthorized activity.
- Dark Web Monitoring: Utilize services that scan the dark web for your personal data.
- Online Presence: Regularly review and tighten privacy settings on all social media and online accounts. Be mindful of what you share publicly, as seemingly innocuous details can be pieced together by identity thieves.
Is there anything else about your work that you’d like to share that we haven’t covered?
I frequently emphasize the concept of “security appreciation” as a more effective and profound approach than mere “security awareness.” What is “Security Appreciation”? Security appreciation goes beyond simply *knowing* about security risks; it involves a full understanding and emotional connection to the importance of security, leading to a fundamental shift in behavior. While security awareness provides facts and information, appreciation cultivates a deeper, “heart-based” emotional connection that makes individuals truly internalize the value of security. This transforms passive knowledge into active, consistent protective habits because people genuinely *value* and *care* about their security and the security of their organization. He argues that traditional security awareness training often fails because it lacks this crucial emotional buy-in, leading to employees still falling for common scams despite being “aware.” How Does it Benefit a Person Both Personally and Professionally? Personally:- Empowerment: Individuals gain a deeper sense of control over their personal safety, identity, and data, reducing anxiety and fear associated with cyber threats and physical risks.
- Proactive Habits: Appreciation leads to consistent application of security best practices in daily life, such as using strong passwords, recognizing phishing attempts, and safeguarding personal information, thus significantly lowering the risk of becoming a victim of fraud, identity theft, or other crimes.
- Peace of Mind: By actively protecting their digital and physical lives, individuals can enjoy greater peace of mind, knowing they are taking concrete steps to secure themselves and their loved ones.
- Protection of Assets: It directly helps safeguard personal finances, credit, and valuable digital assets from compromise.
- Reduced Human Error: Since human error is a leading cause of security breaches, employees with “security appreciation” are less likely to fall for social engineering attacks or engage in risky online behaviors that could compromise company data or systems.
- Stronger Organizational Security Culture: When employees internalize security as a personal responsibility, it fosters a collective culture where security is prioritized, discussed, and reinforced by peers, not just mandated by IT. This distributed responsibility enhances the entire organization’s defensive posture.
- Improved Compliance: A workforce that truly appreciates security is more likely to adhere to security policies and regulatory requirements (like FTC Safeguards Rule), reducing the risk of non-compliance fines and legal repercussions.
- Enhanced Reputation and Trust: For businesses, a strong security posture driven by employee appreciation helps protect sensitive client data, intellectual property, and trade secrets, building trust with customers and partners and safeguarding the company’s reputation.
- Cost Savings: Preventing breaches is far less costly than responding to them. By minimizing incidents caused by human vulnerabilities, organizations save significant financial resources and avoid operational disruptions.
- Behavioral Change: The primary benefit is a genuine and lasting change in employee behavior. Instead of merely checking a box, individuals actively engage with security practices because they understand the personal consequences of inaction.
- Elevated Proactive Defense: It cultivates a workforce that is not just reactive to threats but proactively identifies and mitigates risks, becoming the “first line of defense” for the organization.
- Resilience Against Social Engineering: By tapping into emotional drivers and personal relevance, training becomes more impactful in equipping individuals to resist sophisticated social engineering tactics like phishing, ransomware, and business email compromise.
- Holistic Security: My philosophy emphasizes that “all security is personal.” When employees understand how their personal security choices impact the enterprise, it creates a more holistic security approach where individual diligence directly contributes to organizational resilience.
- Sustainable Security Culture: True appreciation leads to sustained engagement with security. Employees become advocates, fostering an ongoing security-conscious environment that continuously adapts to new threats, rather than security being a periodic, forgotten training event. This leads to a more secure and robust operational environment for any organization.
To learn more about Robert’s work, you can visit ProtectNowLLC.com and safr.me
