Latest news with #Guccione
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
The simple security setting everyone should switch on to avoid being hacked
Online hacking, cyberattacks and fraud are booming, with research from Britain's National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) suggesting that 80% of fraud is now 'cyber-enabled'. But what can you do yourself to protect your devices and accounts from attacks? The protections on online accounts such as email and social media are often the only thing standing between people and a dangerous cyber attack – and these are often too weak to be effective Analysis by the NCSC of passwords leaked in previous data breaches (when criminals leak data online) found that 232 million accounts had used the password '123456', while the password 'Chelsea' was used 216,677 times and 'Liverpool' 280,723 times. The National Fraud Intelligence Bureau (NFIB) said that there was a 46% increase in offences referred by Action Fraud for the year ending 2024, due to rises in social media and email hacking offences and virus and hacking offences. So how can you stay safe from hackers? Setting up two-factor authentication, or 2FA – also known as multi-factor authentication, or MFA – on your accounts is an important first step, explains Darren Guccione, CEO and co-founder at Keeper Security. The UK's NCSC advises all individuals to use 2FA, particularly on important accounts such as banking and email. Indeed, research by Microsoft suggests that using 2FA can block 99.9% of 'account compromise' attacks where criminals steal passwords. Two-factor authentication is where you secure your account with another layer, such as having to receive a code via text message. This is significantly more secure than relying on a password alone, as it means that (for example) if your password is leaked, or someone guesses it, they still can't access your account. "2FA works by providing a critical second layer of security before someone can access an account," says Guccione. "This can be done through an authenticator app, SMS message, hardware security key or biometric verification (using facial scans, eye scans or fingerprints). These factors are often time-sensitive, losing validity after a set amount of time to ensure that they cannot be reused. "By reducing reliance on passwords alone, 2FA helps protect against phishing and other common cyber threats, making it a simple yet powerful tool for enhancing online security." Platforms such as email and social media will always offer an option to set up 2FA on accounts – look for it under Settings, Security or Privacy, says Guccione. It can work via either email, SMS or a dedicated app, so pick an option that will be easily accessible when you need to log in. 'Users may register their phone number or email address, which will receive an 2FA code when login is attempted, or link their account to an authenticator app to generate a code," he says. This means that users will receive a text or email to check who they are, or alternatively an alert where they may have to enter a code. This locks out attackers who may have access to someone's email, and thus deters many automated or mass attacks. It is much harder for cybercriminals to get into accounts protected with 2FA, Guccione explains, but not all 2FA methods are 100% secure. Text message codes are weaker than other protection methods, as criminals can sometimes intercept codes or create a SIM card with the same number by fooling phone network employees. "While 2FA offers an important layer of protection against credential theft and breaches, not all 2FA methods are equally secure – SMS-based codes can be intercepted by bad actors, so authentication apps offer stronger protection," says Guccione. It's still worth ensuring that all passwords are strong, secure and unique – particularly for your email account, as criminals can use this to reset other passwords. Guccione advises using a password manager app to store passwords, which makes it easier to use unique passwords for each account. And even if you use 2FA, stay alert, Guccione advises. "2FA alerts on a smartphone can serve as a critical warning sign that your account's credentials have been compromised, providing an opportunity to update your password before the account is breached." While some organisations like Google are moving to make 2FA mandatory across all accounts for services such as Gmail, many lag behind. Just 40% of British businesses had applied mandatory two-factor authentication, according to the latest NCSC Cyber Breaches Survey, published April 2025.
Scottish Sun
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Inside abandoned ‘Haven of Hedonism' hotel left to rot once owned by US porn baron & frequented by Saddam Hussein
Guests tucked away hundreds of kilos of lobster and guzzled gallons of champagne every day PORN KING'S PALACE Inside abandoned 'Haven of Hedonism' hotel left to rot once owned by US porn baron & frequented by Saddam Hussein Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) THE Haludovo Hotel is one of many abandoned buildings along the Croatia's glittering Adriatic coast - but this one has a particularly scandalous past. Amongst all the casinos and party hotels, the Haludovo was notorious for being the haven of hedonism. 11 American porn baron Bob Guccione, here in 1994, founded the decadent Haludovo Hotel Credit: Rex 11 The sprawling complex was the pinnacle of luxury 11 The grand building now lies in a state of decay Credit: Getty 11 Sadam Hussein would visit the hotel and stay in the master suite Credit: AFP - Getty The opulent estate had 17 tennis courts, a mini football pitch and mini-golf, as well as waterski, paragliding and diving centres. One of America's most notorious porn barons, Bob Guccione, dreamt up and funded the hotel throughout its 1970s heyday - when it was known as the palace of "Peace and Porn". He brought in corset-clad hostesses, which he called "Penthouse Pets", who would walk the halls and serve guests champagne. Many rich and famous names indulged in the glamour, even including Sadam Hussein - Iraq's violent dictator of 24 years. Hussein enjoyed gold-standard service when he came walked through the doors of the Haludovo, and would always stay in the master suite. The once-plush pad is now a graffiti-coated ruin, with crumbling walls and smashed windows. Many curious tourists still visit the site on the island of Krk to photograph the deteriorating shell and wonder at the things that went on between the walls. Guccione founded the Penthouse Magazine, which was the first American publication to feature full-frontal nudity. He dreamed of building a lavish resort in Malinska, Krk, filled with luxury hotels and a grand casino, to attract a wealthy American pleasure-seekers. He opened it up in 1972 in socialist Yugoslavia - which was largely ignored by the States. The perfect Haven holiday park for a kid-friendly break - with direct beach access, indoor waterpark and neighbouring seaside theme park This was a savvy business move, because casinos were untaxed. Locals were banned from gambling in them, so they existed only to serve foreign tourists. Guccione hoped that wealthy American tourists would flock to Krk to gamble away their money at his hotel. He also planned to hire only locals so that he could avoid American employment regulations. 11 Hostesses at the hotel worse corsets and kept gusts topped up with champagne 11 Bob Guccione surrounded by glamorous ladies in the 1980s Credit: Alamy 11 Wealthy Americans would visit and gamble away in the hotel's casino In a 1972 interview with Radio Free Europe, Guccione vowed his resort would be the "real formula in the struggle against the cold war". He claimed it would help relations to have Americans visiting the socialist country and enjoying themselves. The porn king invested a whopping $45million, £296m in today's currency, into the development of the property and the casino. One of Croatia's most celebrated architects, Boris Magaš, was drafted in to design the complex. The building's style was strikingly modern, and is now considered a classic example of brutalism. 11 The main entrance to the abandoned hotel Credit: Alamy 11 The swimming pool is long dried up and littered with debris Credit: Getty 11 Curious travellers still visit the hotel to explore the abandoned building Credit: Getty 11 The hotel has been left to rot on the island of Krk Credit: Alamy It took four years to build, and The Haludovo Palace Hotel and Penthouse Adriatic Club Casino opened in 1972 to great fanfare. A 1972 ad for Haludovo in Penthouse magazine described the resort as a "mile-long Xanadu of glittering buildings [that] will become for international cognoscenti a premier playground for summer and winter seasons alike". Guests gobbled 100kg of lobster, 5kg of caviar and hundreds of bottles of champagne each day of its lively first year. The resort bloomed into a hub for global dictators and politicians, American weekend gamblers, the Yugoslav music scene, and ordinary citizens.
The Sun
02-05-2025
- The Sun
Inside abandoned ‘Haven of Hedonism' hotel left to rot once owned by US porn baron & frequented by Saddam Hussein
THE Haludovo Hotel is one of many abandoned buildings along the Croatia's glittering Adriatic coast - but this one has a particularly scandalous past. Amongst all the casinos and party hotels, the Haludovo was notorious for being the haven of hedonism. 11 11 11 11 The opulent estate had 17 tennis courts, a mini football pitch and mini-golf, as well as waterski, paragliding and diving centres. One of America's most notorious porn barons, Bob Guccione, dreamt up and funded the hotel throughout its 1970s heyday - when it was known as the palace of "Peace and Porn". He brought in corset-clad hostesses, which he called "Penthouse Pets", who would walk the halls and serve guests champagne. Many rich and famous names indulged in the glamour, even including Sadam Hussein - Iraq's violent dictator of 24 years. Hussein enjoyed gold-standard service when he came walked through the doors of the Haludovo, and would always stay in the master suite. The once-plush pad is now a graffiti-coated ruin, with crumbling walls and smashed windows. Many curious tourists still visit the site on the island of Krk to photograph the deteriorating shell and wonder at the things that went on between the walls. Guccione founded the Penthouse Magazine, which was the first American publication to feature full-frontal nudity. He dreamed of building a lavish resort in Malinska, Krk, filled with luxury hotels and a grand casino, to attract a wealthy American pleasure-seekers. He opened it up in 1972 in socialist Yugoslavia - which was largely ignored by the States. This was a savvy business move, because casinos were untaxed. Locals were banned from gambling in them, so they existed only to serve foreign tourists. Guccione hoped that wealthy American tourists would flock to Krk to gamble away their money at his hotel. He also planned to hire only locals so that he could avoid American employment regulations. 11 11 In a 1972 interview with Radio Free Europe, Guccione vowed his resort would be the "real formula in the struggle against the cold war". He claimed it would help relations to have Americans visiting the socialist country and enjoying themselves. The porn king invested a whopping $45million, £296m in today's currency, into the development of the property and the casino. One of Croatia 's most celebrated architects, Boris Magaš, was drafted in to design the complex. The building's style was strikingly modern, and is now considered a classic example of brutalism. 11 11 11 11 It took four years to build, and The Haludovo Palace Hotel and Penthouse Adriatic Club Casino opened in 1972 to great fanfare. A 1972 ad for Haludovo in Penthouse magazine described the resort as a "mile-long Xanadu of glittering buildings [that] will become for international cognoscenti a premier playground for summer and winter seasons alike". Guests gobbled 100kg of lobster, 5kg of caviar and hundreds of bottles of champagne each day of its lively first year. The resort bloomed into a hub for global dictators and politicians, American weekend gamblers, the Yugoslav music scene, and ordinary citizens. Who was Bob Guccione? BOB Guccione was one of America's most famous porn publishers. He founded Penthouse magazine, which was the first publication in the US to feature photographs of full-frontal nudity. Guccione considered himself an artist and took many of the photos for Penthouse himself. The trademark of his brand of soft porn was to picture the naked model looking away from the camera - which Guccione described as the "philosophy of voyeurism". Founded in Britain in 1965, Penthouse made headlines across the Atlantic two decades later when it published unauthorised nude photos of Vanessa Williams, the first black Miss America. The controversy forced her to give up her crown, but the issue sold nearly six million copies and helped make Guccione one of America's wealthiest men. Guccione went on to squander a $400m fortune on unwise investments in the gambling and film industries. He died in 2010 from cancer aged 79.
The Irish Sun
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Inside abandoned ‘Haven of Hedonism' hotel left to rot once owned by US porn baron & frequented by Saddam Hussein
THE Haludovo Hotel is one of many abandoned buildings along the Croatia's glittering Adriatic coast - but this one has a particularly scandalous past. Amongst all the casinos and party hotels , the Haludovo was notorious for being the haven of hedonism. 11 American porn baron Bob Guccione, here in 1994, founded the decadent Haludovo Hotel Credit: Rex 11 The sprawling complex was the pinnacle of luxury 11 The grand building now lies in a state of decay Credit: Getty 11 Sadam Hussein would visit the hotel and stay in the master suite Credit: AFP - Getty The opulent estate had 17 tennis courts , a mini football pitch and mini-golf, as well as waterski, paragliding and diving centres. One of America's most notorious porn barons, Bob Guccione, dreamt up and funded the hotel throughout its 1970s heyday - when it was known as the palace of "Peace and Porn". He brought in corset-clad hostesses, which he called "Penthouse Pets", who would walk the halls and serve guests champagne. Many rich and famous names indulged in the glamour, even including Sadam Hussein - Iraq's violent dictator of 24 years. read more in world news Hussein enjoyed gold-standard service when he came walked through the doors of the Haludovo, and would always stay in the master suite. The once-plush pad is now a graffiti-coated ruin, with crumbling walls and smashed windows. Many curious tourists still visit the site on the island of Krk to photograph the deteriorating shell and wonder at the things that went on between the walls. Guccione founded the Penthouse Magazine, which was the first American publication to feature full-frontal nudity. Most read in The Sun He dreamed of building a lavish resort in Malinska, Krk, filled with luxury hotels and a grand casino, to attract a wealthy American pleasure-seekers. He opened it up in 1972 in socialist Yugoslavia - which was largely ignored by the States. The perfect Haven holiday park for a kid-friendly break - with direct beach access, indoor waterpark and neighbouring seaside theme park This was a savvy business move, because casinos were untaxed. Locals were banned from gambling in them, so they existed only to serve foreign tourists. Guccione hoped that wealthy American tourists would flock to Krk to gamble away their money at his hotel. He also planned to hire only locals so that he could avoid American employment regulations. 11 Hostesses at the hotel worse corsets and kept gusts topped up with champagne 11 Bob Guccione surrounded by glamorous ladies in the 1980s Credit: Alamy 11 Wealthy Americans would visit and gamble away in the hotel's casino In a 1972 interview with Radio Free Europe , Guccione vowed his resort would be the "real formula in the struggle against the cold war". He claimed it would help relations to have Americans visiting the socialist country and enjoying themselves. The porn king invested a whopping $45million, £296m in today's currency, into the development of the property and the casino. One of The building's style was strikingly modern, and is now considered a classic example of brutalism. 11 The main entrance to the abandoned hotel Credit: Alamy 11 The swimming pool is long dried up and littered with debris Credit: Getty 11 Curious travellers still visit the hotel to explore the abandoned building Credit: Getty 11 The hotel has been left to rot on the island of Krk Credit: Alamy It took four years to build, and The Haludovo Palace Hotel and Penthouse Adriatic Club Casino opened in 1972 to great fanfare. A 1972 ad for Haludovo in Penthouse magazine described the resort as a "mile-long Xanadu of glittering buildings [that] will become for international cognoscenti a premier playground for summer and winter seasons alike". Guests gobbled 100kg of lobster, 5kg of caviar and hundreds of bottles of champagne each day of its lively first year. The resort bloomed into a hub for global dictators and politicians, American weekend gamblers, the Yugoslav music scene, and ordinary citizens. Who was Bob Guccione? BOB Guccione was one of America's most famous porn publishers . He founded Penthouse magazine, which was the first publication in the US to feature photographs of full-frontal nudity. Guccione considered himself an artist and took many of the photos for Penthouse himself. The trademark of his brand of soft porn was to picture the naked model looking away from the camera - which Guccione described as the "philosophy of voyeurism". Founded in Britain in 1965, Penthouse made headlines across the Atlantic two decades later when it published unauthorised nude photos of Vanessa Williams, the first black Miss America. The controversy forced her to give up her crown, but the issue sold nearly six million copies and helped make Guccione one of America's wealthiest men. Guccione went on to squander a $400m fortune on unwise investments in the gambling and film industries. He died in 2010 from cancer aged 79.
Voice of America
19-02-2025
- Voice of America
Tech Tip: How to Block Location Tracking on your Phone
Smartphones have become valuable tools for helping to organize our lives. However, the devices can also capture personal data and location information that users might want to keep private. Here are some tips, suggested by the Associated Press (AP), to help smartphone users limit the collection of private data on personal devices. How does a smartphone track your location? All a user has to do is open a phone's map tool to search for a restaurant or other business to activate data tracking. Similarly, someone choosing to look up the price of a product online can unknowingly permit the smartphone to track the user's location and share data with others. Darren Guccione is the chief executive of U.S.-based internet security company Keeper Security. He told the AP that many apps, 'from fitness tracking to navigation,' can record data signals that show a user's movements, both physical and digital. Guccione's advice to users is to 'turn on location tracking only when necessary, such as during navigation, emergencies or sharing updates with trusted contacts…' He adds that after this kind of necessary tracking is complete, users should immediately turn off location tracking. Identify your app permissions One step to limit smartphone tracking is to identify and change app permission settings. To do this, iPhone users can first go to the device's Privacy & Security settings. Then go to Location Services to check settings for individual apps. Internet security experts say it is not a good idea to let apps always use your location in the background. Instead, get the app to either ask first before using your location, or use it only when the app is open. A user can also choose the setting that never lets an app track location. The process works a little differently for Android phones because manufacturers have different versions. In general, Android users should go to settings. Then go to Location to turn the setting on or off for all apps. Ad trackers To avoid being tracked by advertising systems, privacy experts suggest that users block advertising identifiers on Android or Apple devices. This can stop third parties from tracking ads to target users. To do this, iPhone users can go to the Privacy setting, then find Apple Advertising. Then turn off Personalized Ads. On newer Android phones, users should go to the Privacy setting, then to Ads, and choose Delete Advertising ID. Check your Google account Along with app permissions for your device, security experts say it is a good idea to look closely at your Google account to make sure it is not tracking you. To find this out, go to and find Data & Privacy. Users can find Location History controls there. Under recent changes, the history will be removed after three months although users can change that setting as well. How to use web browsers Popular web browsers for smartphones – like Safari or Chrome – could also give away location information. Try using one that does not store your data. Such browsers include DuckDuckGo, Firefox Focus or Ecosia. If a privacy-protected browser needs to identify your location through an IP address, it will ask first before doing so. These kinds of browsers will also let users easily remove internet cookies and other web browsing data. Find my device Phones or tablets can also be tracked with Apple's Find My or Google's Find My Device services designed to recover lost devices. Users can turn this tool off if they think someone was able to take control of their Apple or Google account and is using it for tracking. Block the signal Some cybersecurity websites advise using a smartphone's Airplane Mode to block tracking operations. But some experts say this does not always turn off all tracking signals. Users should not depend on this setting alone to block data collection. A better tool in many situations would be a signal-blocking Faraday bag. These block all wireless signals to the smartphone. Experts suggest testing the bag to make sure data is actually being blocked. While such bags can be helpful, devices kept inside the containers cannot be used. I'm Bryan Lynn. The Associated Press reported this story. Bryan Lynn adapted the report for VOA Learning English. _____________________________________________________ Words in This Story location – n. a place where someone goes or something happens track – v. to follow the movements of something navigation – n. a method to find the right direction to travel in by using maps or other equipment digital – adj. any kind of information that is changed from electrical or physical to a form that is used by computers cookie – n. small data files that are stored on an internet user's computer as they browse different websites. tablet – n. a small computer that uses a touch screen bag – n. a container made of paper, plastic, etc. that is used for carrying things
