In the News

• Delaware County Officials Paid $25,000 in Ransom To Hackers Who Infiltrated the County’s Computer System

  Robert D'Ovidio, PhD, an associate professor in the College of Arts and Sciences, was quoted in a Jan. 7 Philadelphia Inquirer article about ransom to hackers who infiltrated Delaware County’s computer system.
  

• Why Scammers Are Excited About Amazon Prime Day

  Robert D'Ovidio, PhD, an associate professor in the College of Arts and Sciences, was interviewed in an Oct. 13 WPVI-TV (6-abc) story about scammers and Amazon Prime Day.
  

• Septa Was Attacked by Ransomware, Sources Say. It’s Still Restoring Operations Stifled Since August.

  Robert D'Ovidio, PhD, an associate professor in the College of Arts and Sciences, was quoted in an Oct. 7 Philadelphia Inquirer article about a ransomware attack suffered by SEPTA.
  

• Guns Flashed in Philly Virtual Classrooms Raises Many Concerns

  Robert D'Ovidio, PhD, an associate professor in the College of Arts and Sciences, was interviewed in a Sept. 4 WPVI-TV (6-abc) segment about the Philadelphia School District’s Acceptable Use Policy for school-issued laptops and issues with paraphernalia like guns being brandished during online schooling.
  

• Wawa CEO Chris Gheysens Apologizes to Customers for Data Breach

  Robert D'Ovidio, PhD, an associate professor in the College of Arts and Sciences, was quoted in a Dec. 20 WPVI-TV (6-abc) story about a data breach at Wawa.

• Protect Mom, Dad, Grandparents, and Yourself During Cyber Security Awareness Month

  Robert D'Ovidio, PhD, an associate professor in the College of Arts and Sciences, was quoted in an Oct. 21 Philadelphia Inquirer story about his upcoming talk on how to not fall victim to electronic fraud. 

• Souderton Area School District Contending With Ransomware Cyberattack

  Robert D'Ovidio, PhD, an associate professor in the College of Arts and Sciences, was quoted in a WPVI-TV (6-abc) story about the ransomware cyberattack affecting the Souderton Area school district. 

• How Two College Students Tried to Outfox the Feds and Get Trump’s Tax Returns

  Robert D'Ovidio, PhD, an associate professor in the College of Arts and Sciences, was quoted in Aug. 7 Washington Post article about a Haverford College student hacking into the IRS to obtain President Trump's tax returns.

• Haverford College Graduate Pleads Guilty In Cyber ‘Prank’ To Access President Trump’s Tax Returns

  Robert D'Ovidio, PhD, an associate professor in the College of Arts and Sciences, was quoted in an Aug. 6 KYW-TV (CBS-3) story about a Haverford College student hacking into the IRS to obtain President Trump's tax returns.

• FaceApp Challenge Sweeping Social Media But Is It Safe?

  Robert D'Ovidio, PhD, an associate professor in the College of Arts and Sciences, was quoted in a July 17 KYW-TV (CBS-3) story about privacy concerns related to the new FaceApp filter.

• How to Keep Your Private Information Safe Following Massive Capital One Data Breach

  Robert D'Ovidio, PhD, an associate professor in the College of Arts and Sciences, was quoted in a July 17 KYW-TV (CBS-3) story about privacy concerns related to the recent Capital One data breach.

• 'Don't Be a Victim' Series: Romance Scams Led to $143 Million in Stolen Money

  Robert D'Ovidio, PhD, an associate professor and associate dean in the College of Arts and Sciences, was quoted in an April 30 WCAU-TV (NBC-10) story about an online dating scam.
  
  
  

• Did John Wilkes Booth Get Away with Murdering President Abraham Lincoln?

  Robert D'Ovidio, PhD, associate professor and associate dean in the College of Arts and Sciences, was quoted in a April 15 Philadelphia Inquirer article about the use of facial-recognition software to determine if John Wilkes Booth may have walked free from the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln.
  

• Why Companies Want to Mine the Secrets in Your Voice

  Robert D'Ovidio, PhD, associate professor and associate dean in the College of Arts and Sciences, was quoted in a March 14 The Verge story about real-time voice analysis and potential discriminatory outcomes of technology.

• Apple Kills Group FaceTime Calls to Fix Bug That Allows Eavesdropping

  Robert D'Ovidio, PhD, associate professor and associate dean in the College of Arts and Sciences, was interviewed in a Jan. 29 KYW-Newsradio (1060-AM) story about a security vulnerability with FaceTime that allowed users to eavesdrop during group chats.

• As Colleges Embrace Smart Assistants, Privacy Questions Arise

  Robert D'Ovidio, PhD, an associate professor in the College of Arts and Sciences, was quoted in a Jan. 9 Ed Tech Magazine article about privacy questions surrounding colleges that embrace smart assistant devices. 

• Dunkin' Donuts data breach a reminder: Take precautions with logins

  Robert D'Ovidio, PhD, an associate professor in the College of Arts and Sciences, was interviewed for a Nov. 29 KYW Newsradio (1060-AM) segment the recent Dunkin’ Donuts data breach and the precautions consumers ought to take with their logins.
  
  

• Experts Warn of Privacy Concerns Around Digital Assistants

  Robert D'Ovidio, PhD, an associate professor in the College of Arts and Sciences, was interviewed for a May 7 WPVI-TV (6-abc) news segment about privacy concerns surrounding devices such as Amazon Echo and Google Home.

• Beware of New Pyramid Schemes on Popular Social Media Sites

  Rob D'Ovidio, PhD, an associate professor in the College of Arts and Sciences, was featured in a Jan. 17 WCAU-TV (NBC-10) story about a new pyramid scheme on social media. The story was picked up by a number of affiliates across the country, including WRC-TV (Boston), KNTV-TV (San Francisco) and KNSD-TV (San Diego).

• Analysis: Robocalls Reach Record Level, Up By 76 Percent

  Robert D'Ovidio, PhD, an associate professor in the College of Arts and Sciences was featured in a Dec. 20 KYW-TV (CBS-3) news analysis about the record level of Robocalls in the region and ways to combat them.

• New Snapchat Feature Is Raising Safety Concerns

  Rob D’Ovidio, PhD, an associate professor in the College of Arts and Sciences, was interviewed for a KYW-TV (CBS-3) news segment about the safety concerns surrounding Snapchat’s new “Snap maps” feature.

• How to Protect Yourself From a Ransomware Attack

  Robert D’Ovidio, PhD, an associate professor and associate dean for humanities and social science research in the College of Arts & Sciences, was quoted in a May 16 6abc.com story about protecting yourself from ransomware.

• Drexel Comes Out on Top in Dad Vail Regatta Shortened by Rain

  Drexel’s Director of Rowing Paul Savell and undergraduate rower Kendall Wenzki were quoted in May 13 stories on CBS Local, 6abc.com, Philly.com, Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia and Fox29.com about Drexel’s victory in the Dad Vail Regatta. A number of Drexel rowers from New Jersey were also featured in a May 13 Press of Atlantic City story about the regatta.

• Facebook Hiring Thousands More To Review Suicide, Crime Videos Posted On Site

  Robert D'Ovidio, PhD, an associate professor and associate dean for humanities and social science research in the College of Arts and Sciences, was interviewed in a May 3 KYW-TV (CBS-3) news segment in regards to Facebook hiring 3,000 new employees to help monitor for harmful posts.

• Growing Trend of Crimes Posted on Social Media

  Rob D'Ovidio, PhD, an associate professor and associate dean for humanities and social science research in the College of Arts and Sciences, was interviewed in an April 17, WCAU-PHI (NBC-10) segment about the growing trend of crimes posted on social media. 

   

• Digital Spring Cleaning: Password Security

  Robert D'Ovidio, PhD, an associate professor and associate dean for humanities and social science research in the College of Arts and Sciences, was interviewed on KYW Newsradio (1060-AM) providing password security spring cleaning tips.

• How Are Internet Privacy Regulations Changing?

  Robert D'Ovidio, PhD, an associate professor and associate dean for humanities and social science research in the College of Arts and Sciences, was interviewed for a March 29 WPVI-TV (6-abc)/WPHL-TV (PHL-17) news segment regarding legislation in the hands of President Trump, that would kill an online privacy regulation, a move that could eventually allow internet providers such as Comcast, AT&T and Verizon to sell the browsing habits of their customers.

• Ex-Doctor Hacks Into Cell Phones, Emails, Social Media Accounts of Female High School Classmates: Police

  Robert D'Ovidio, PhD, an associate professor and associate dean for humanities and social science research in the College of Arts and Sciences, was interviewed for a March 27 WCAU-TV (NBC-10) segment about a former physician at Thomas Jefferson Hospital who illegally gained access to email accounts of several of his former high school classmates. 

• Twitter Reveals Vast Shut Down Of Accounts Linked To Extremist Views

  Robert D'Ovidio, PhD, an associate professor and associate dean for humanities and social science research in the College of Arts and Sciences, was interviewed on March 23 for a KYW Newsradio (1060-AM) segment regarding a mass shutdown of accounts linked to extremist views, conducted by Twitter.

• Ransomware Attack Hits Pennsylvania Senate Democrats
  

  Robert D'Ovidio, PhD, an associate professor and associate dean for humanities and social science research in the College of Arts and Sciences, was interviewed in a March 4 WPVI-TV (6-abc) news segment about a "ransomware" cyberattack that shut down the Pennsylvania Senate Democrats’ computer systems.
  
  
  

• Hacker Has Message For President Trump: Change Your Security Settings

  Robert D'Ovidio, PhD, an associate professor and associate dean for humanities and social science research in the College of Arts and Sciences, was interviewed for a Jan. 27 KYW Newsradio (1060-AM) story about security enhancements for social media amidst a rise in hacking and the president's increased use of social media.
  

• Travelers, Beware! Hacking Lurks in Plugs and Ports

  Robert D'Ovidio, PhD, an associate professor and associate dean for humanities and social science research in the College of Arts and Sciences, was quoted in a Dec. 18 USA Today story about how to avoid being hacked when traveling.

• Riders React to New Uber Feature, Tracking Your Location After Your Ride

  Robert D'Ovidio, PhD, an associate professor and associate dean for humanities and social science research in the College of Arts and Sciences, was interviewed during a Dec. 5 KYW-TV (CBS-3) news segment about the security and privacy implications of the ride sharing service Uber collecting location information from riders for up to five minutes after their ride has ended. 

• Green Party Files Lawsuit Seeking Presidential Recount in Pennsylvania

  Robert D'Ovidio, PhD, an associate professor and associate dean for humanities and social science research and graduate education in the College of Arts and Sciences, was interviewed on WCAU-TV (NBC-10) on Nov. 28 discussing the Green Party's lawsuit seeking a presidential recount in Pennsylvania due to the possibility of hacking. 

• Online Shoppers Warned of WiFi, Scams for Cyber Monday

  Robert D'Ovidio, PhD, an associate professor and associate dean for humanities and social science research and graduate education in the College of Arts and Sciences, was featured live on Nov. 25 in a news segment for WCAU-TV (NBC-10) discussing safety tips for online holiday shopping this season.

• In The Age of The Social Media Attack, Temple Freshman Lands on Haters' Radar

  Robert D'Ovidio, PhD, an associate professor and associate dean for humanities and social science research and graduate education in the College of Arts and Sciences, was quoted in a Nov. 18 WHYY/Newsworks story about the security challenges posed by a spike in threats on social media since the election of Donald Trump.

   

• PA Job Seeker Scammed Out of Thousands 

  Robert D'Ovidio, PhD, an associate professor in the College of Arts and Sciences, was featured in a Nov. 16 WPVI-TV (6-abc) segment regarding the growing sophistication of criminal enterprises particularly overseas. D’Ovidio was also interviewed in a Nov. 14 16 KYW-TV (CBS-3) segment regarding the impact Facebook has had on the election.

• Your Life: Device Helps Disconnect to Keep Families Connected
  

  Robert D'Ovidio, PhD, an associate professor in the College of Arts and Sciences, was featured in a Nov. 2 WPVI-TV (6-abc) segment regarding the safety of Meet Circle, a filtering device meant to help families make the most of technology without having it completely take over.

• More Than 500 Million Yahoo Users Have Data Stolen In 2014 Hack

  Robert D'Ovidio, PhD, an associate professor in the College of Arts and Sciences, was featured in a Sept. 23 Wisconsin Public Radio segment about the Yahoo breach.

• The Evolution of Terror

  Rob D’Ovidio, PhD, an associate professor in the College of Arts and Sciences was interviewed in a July 15 WCAU-TV (NBC-10) news segment about the evolution of terror and the recent attack in France.

• Good Question: Is it Safe to E-File Taxes?

  Rob D’Ovidio, PhD, an associate professor and associate dean for humanities and social sciences research in the College of Arts and Sciences, was interviewed on KYW-TV (CBS-3) in a news segment about how to safely e-file taxes.

• Rutgers Weathers Another Cyberattack

  Rob D’Ovidio, PhD, an associate professor and associate dean for humanities and social sciences research in the College of Arts and Sciences, was quoted in a WHYY/Newsworks.org story on Dec. 28 about cyberattacks at Rutgers University.

• #CoverStory

  Rob D’Ovidio, PhD, an associate professor and associate dean for humanities and social sciences research in the College of Arts and Sciences, was interviewed on FOX-29 (WXTF-TV) on Nov. 21 about the federal government’s “see something, say something” initiative. 

• Privacy Laws Called Into Question After Paris Attacks

  Rob D’Ovidio, PhD, an associate professor and associate dean for humanities and social sciences research in the College of Arts and Sciences, was interviewed on WCAU-TV (NBC-10) on Nov. 19 about privacy laws in light of the Paris attacks.

• 3 On Your Side: What Does Google Know About You?

  Rob D’Ovidio, PhD, an associate professor and associate dean for humanities and social sciences research in the College of Arts and Sciences, was quoted in a Nov. 9 KYW-TV (CBS-3) segment about how much information Google keeps on its users.
  

• Cops Track Down Suspect After He Allegedly Posts Picture of Marijuana Plant on Instagram

  Rob D’Ovidio, PhD, an associate professor and associate dean for humanities and social sciences research in the College of Arts and Sciences, was quoted in a KYW-TV (CBS-3) story on July 28 about the use of social-media surveillance methods in law enforcement.

• Social Media Heavyweights Push Back Against Proposed Online Anti-Terror Legislation

  Rob D’Ovidio, PhD, an associate professor and associate dean for humanities and social sciences research in the College of Arts and Sciences, was quoted in a KYW Newsradio (1060-AM) story on July 28 about proposed online anti-terror legislation. 

• Tech Meltdown

  Rob D’Ovidio, PhD, associate professor and associate dean for humanities and social sciences research in the College of Arts and Sciences, was interviewed in a July 8 KYW-TV (CBS-3) segment about the technical glitches suffered by United Airlines, the New York Stock Exchange and the Wall Street Journal.

• U.S. Supreme Court Tosses Bethlehem, Pa. Man’s Conviction Over Facebook Posts

  Rob D’Ovidio, PhD, an associate professor and associate dean in the College of Arts and Sciences, was quoted in a KYW Newsradio 1060 story on the recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling pertaining to online harassment.

• Hacking Investigation

  Robert D’Ovidio, PhD, an associate professor and associate dean for humanities and social science research in the College of Arts and Sciences, was interviewed in a May 20 WCAU-TV (NBC-10) in a story about the Philadelphia City Council website being hacked on election day.

• April 27 Dobidio WPVI

  Rob D’Ovidio, PhD, an associate professor and associate dean for humanities and social science research in the College of Arts and Sciences, was interviewed on WPVI-TV (6-abc) on April 27 about facial recognition technology. 

• Confide

  Rob D’Ovidio, PhD, associate professor and associate dean for humanities and social sciences research in the College of Arts and Sciences, was interviewed on WTXF-TV (FOX-29) on March 9 about privacy concerns in so-called secret messaging apps.

• Facebook’s New Facial Recognition Algorithm Draws Attention From Privacy Experts

  Rob D’Ovidio, PhD, associate professor and associate dean for humanities and social science research in the College of Arts and Sciences, was quoted in a KYW-Radio (1060-AM) story on Feb. 11 about Facebook’s facial recognition technology. 

• After Anthem Data Breach, Area Insurers Vigilant Against Evolving Threat

  Rob D’Ovidio, PhD, an associate professor and associate dean for research in the College of Arts and Sciences, was quoted in a WHYY/Newsworks.org story on Feb. 9 about the recent Anthem insurance data breach.

• U.S. Military Hacked; Apparent Personal Info of Officers Posted Online

  Rob D’Ovidio, PhD, an associate professor in the College of Arts and Sciences and associate dean for humanities and social science research, was quoted in a KYW Newsradio 1060-AM story on Jan. 12 about the U.S. military’s Twitter and YouTube pages being hacked by the ISIS terror group.

• Millions Dealing With Gaming Blackout

  Rob D’Ovidio, PhD, associate professor and associate dean for humanities and social science research in the College of Arts and Sciences, was interviewed on KYW-TV (CBS-3) on Dec. 26 about Playstation and XBOX blackouts.

• Staples Is Latest Retailer Hit With Data Breach

  Rob D’Ovidio, PhD, associate professor and associate research dean for the College of Arts and Sciences, was interviewed on KYW-TV (CBS-3) about a data breach at Staples stores on Dec. 19.

• The Aftermath of the Sony Hack

  Rob D’Ovidio, PhD, an associate professor in the College of Arts and Sciences, was quoted in a KTXL-TV (FOX-40 Sacramento) segment about the aftermath of Sony Pictures Entertainment’s computer system being hacked.

• Snapchat Buys Into Peer Payment Space With Snapcash

  Rob D’Ovidio, PhD, an associate professor in the College of Arts and Sciences, was quoted in a CBSLocal.com story about Snapchat on Dec. 3.

• Biggest Social Media Scams

  Rob D’Ovidio, PhD, an associate professor in the College of Arts and Sciences, was quoted in a Nov. 17 WPVI-TV (6-abc) segment about social media scams.

• Q&A: What Is 4chan and Where Did It Come From?

  Rob D’Ovidio, PhD, an associate professor in the College of Arts and Sciences, was quoted in an Associated Press article on Nov. 7 about the social networking site 4chan. The story was picked up by numerous outlets, including U.S. News & World Report, ABCNews.com and Salon.com.

• NJ Family 'Swatted' by Video Gamers: Police

  Rob D’Ovidio, PhD, an associate professor in the College of Arts and Sciences, was quoted in an Oct. 23 WCAU-TV (NBC-10) segment and article on Oct. 7 about a “Swatting” hoax that targeted a video gamer’s home.

• Twitter Sues For Right To Make US Government’s User Inquiries Public

  Rob D’Ovidio, PhD, an associate professor in the College of Arts and Sciences, was quoted in a KYW Newsradio story on Oct. 8 about Twitter suing for the right to make the government’s inquiries about users public.

• Facebook Vows To Be More Careful When Experimenting With Users

  Rob D’Ovidio, PhD, an associate professor in the College of Arts and Sciences, was quoted in a KYW Newsradio story on Oct. 4 about Facebook experimenting on its users.

• Data Breaches

  Rob D’Ovidio, PhD, an associate professor and associate dean for research in the College of Arts and Sciences, was interviewed on WHYY-FM’s “Newsworks Tonight” about data breaches at Acme, Target and other major retail outlets on Sept. 30.

• How to protect yourself from identity theft

  Rob D’Ovidio, PhD, an associate professor in the College of Arts and Sciences, was interviewed on KYW-TV (CBS-3) on Sept. 3 about how to protect yourself from identity theft.

• Local Expert: Facebook Experiment Unethical, Not Illegal

  Rob D’Ovidio, PhD, an associate professor in the College of Arts and Sciences, was quoted in a KYW Newsradio (1060-AM) story on July 2 about the ethics of Facebook’s recent study of emotional manipulation.

• Is A Threat On Facebook Real? Supreme Court Will Weigh In

  Rob D’Ovidio, PhD, an associate professor in the College of Arts and Sciences, was interviewed on NPR on June 19 about the Supreme Court hearing a case on Facebook threats.

• A Cyber Breach: More Likely Than a Fire

  Rob D’Ovidio, PhD, an associate professor in the College of Arts and Sciences, and Norman Balchunas, assistant research professor and director of strategic solutions for Drexel’s Cybersecurity Institute in the College of Computing and Informatics, were interviewed in the Philadelphia Business Journal about cyber breaches. D’Ovidio was also quoted in a KYW 1060-AM Newsradio story about threatening online statements.

• What if you could kill your stolen phone?

  Rob D’Ovidio, PhD, an associate professor in the College of Arts and Sciences, was interviewed on American Public Media’s “Marketplace” on April 11 about kill switches on cell phones.

• California leads states in identity fraud and computer hackings, report says

  Rob D’Ovidio, PhD, an associate professor in the College of Arts and Sciences, was quoted in a Christian Science Monitor article on March 20 about cybercrime in California.

• Report Says Target Could Have Stopped Hacker Attack, But Didn’t

  Rob D’Ovidio, PhD, an associate professor in the College of Arts and Sciences, was quoted in a KYW Newsradio (1060-AM) story on March 13 about the data security breach at Target.

• SnapChat Security Breach Affects Millions

  Rob D’Ovidio, PhD, an associate professor in the College of Arts and Sciences, was interviewed on WPVI-TV (6-abc) on Dec. 27 about the data breach at Target stores. He was also quoted in a KYW Newsradio story on Jan. 2 about a SnapChat app security breach.

• Local Expert Says Newer Credit Cards Can Fight Some Types of Fraud, But…

  Rob D’Ovidio, PhD, an associate professor in the College of Arts and Sciences, was interviewed on KYW Newsradio 1060-AM on Dec. 20 about the Target security breach. He was also interviewed on FOX-40 (Sacramento) and KNX-1070 (Los Angeles) on this topic

• Data Breach

  Rob D’Ovidio, PhD, an associate professor in the College of Arts and Sciences, was interviewed on KYW-TV (CBS 3) on Dec. 19 about the Target security breach.

• 5 Things You Probably Didn't Know About Identity Theft

  Robert D’Ovidio, PhD, an associate professor in the College of Arts and Sciences, was quoted in a US News & World Report story about identity theft on Dec. 18.

• Girl's suicide teaches us that parents must be digital guardians

  Dr. Rob D’Ovidio, an associate professor in the College of Arts and Sciences, was quoted in an October 21 Orlando Sentinel story about parents’ responsibility to be digital guardians.

• Twitter: The new face of crime

  Dr. Rob D’Ovidio, an associate professor in the College of Arts and Sciences, was quoted in a USA Today article on September 29 about criminals using Twitter.

• Twitter Launches New Alerts System

  Dr. Rob D’Ovidio, an associate professor in the College of Arts and Sciences, was interviewed on KYW-TV (CBS-3) on September 26 about Twitter’s new alert system.

• Racy Photo

  Dr. Rob D’Ovidio, an associate professor in the College of Arts and Sciences, was interviewed on KYW-TV (CBS-3) about state laws preventing people from uploading racy photos of others online. The reporter also spoke with Drexel students on campus about the problem.

• Cyber Criminals Target Parents in Back-to-School Scam

  Dr. Rob D’Ovidio, an associate professor in the College of Arts and Sciences, was interviewed on WCAU-TV (NBC-10) on September 5 for a story on a phishing scheme that targets parents of school children.

• FOX 29 Explores Snapchat

  Dr. Rob D’Ovidio, associate professor in the College of Arts and Sciences, was interviewed on WTXF-TV (FOX-29) on August 8 about the dangers of using the new app SnapChat.