Category: Identity Theft
Amazon Ring Doorbell Footage Shared With Police Without User Consent
Amazon was caught red-handed, handing over Ring doorbell footage to law enforcement agencies without user permission, subpoenas, warrants, without any of the traditional legal controls which prevent liberal disclosure of non-public data to law enforcement. This disclosure was set to further ignite ongoing debates about privacy and civil liberties in relation to the tech giant’s video-sharing agreements with police departments nationwide.
Navigating the Cyber Seas: Unmasking and Dodging the Latest Email Phishing Scams Like a Seasoned Mariner!
Ahoy, digital sailors! Today, we’re embarking on a thrilling voyage to navigate the treacherous waters of the internet. Our mission? To help you, our dear readers, spot and avoid the latest phishing scams that are swimming around in your email inbox, just waiting to take a bite out of your…
Juice Jacking: What it is, and how to defend yourself
Public charging stations in places such as airports, malls, and hotels are convenient for keeping your devices charged up when you’re on the go. However, according to the FBI’s Denver field office, these free charging stations are increasingly being hijacked by bad actors who use them to infect devices with malware that can steal sensitive data. They advise users to avoid using these public USB ports and to carry their own charger and USB cord and use an electrical outlet instead.
Google Paying $29.5 Million To Settle Lawsuits Over User Location Tracking
Google has agreed to pay a total of $29.5 million to settle two lawsuits regarding the company’s geographic tracking of their users.
Yes, Facebook’s Data Mining is a Problem
Yes, Facebook has once again admitted that there is seriously a problem with the way they are handling user data. Are we really that surprised? Maybe this is the first time you’ve seen the news that Facebook’s privacy issues are spiraling out of control. Or perhaps this is the first time you’ve cared to search for it. This isn’t a new occurrence.
Data Broker was Selling Location-Tracking Data of People Visiting Abortion Providers
So a date broker was selling the location-tracking data of people visiting abortion providers. Data about all sorts of things holds value, and in today’s world, your data holds plenty. Like it or not, your data has almost definitely already been bought and sold. Just like mine, just like nearly every other person’s in the good ol’ US of A. Of course, it would be nice if you or I had some say in the matter. Personally, I would not freely consent to my data being bought or sold without providing me a benefit, and that is precisely the reason why I don’t have any say in the matter.
Multi-factor Authentication and Why You Need It
As the threat of cyberattacks keeps on increasing, individuals and organizations need to take the necessary steps to protect their data. One of the tried and tested ways of deterring data breaches is using multi-factor authentication, commonly known as MFA. The primary reason MFA is hailed as an effective method…
The NSA is Telling Mobile Users to Turn Off Find My Phone, WiFi, and Bluetooth. Here’s Why
The National Security Agency (NSA) is recommending that people who are concerned about privacy turn off Wi-Fi, Find-My-Phone, and Bluetooth whenever they do not need to use those services. Yes, this is the same NSA about whom we have written in the past, including for being spanked by the court…
Does Private or Incognito Mode Make Browsing Anonymous?
By now you know that your online activities are an open secret and can be tracked by various parties. While some users resort to deploying VPNs, others activate the incognito or private mode when browsing to keep their online activities away from prying eyes. So, how private is the incognito…
Gmail’s Spam Problem and What You Can Do About It
Google’s Gmail has been hailed as one of the best free email services around the world. Gmail has great security features, including 2-step authentication that provides industry-standard protection against hackers. In addition, it has robust spam filters, which will send all your bad incoming mail to the spam folder.
How to Know If You Are Interacting With a Bot
It is no secret that messaging platforms have a bot problem. While some of these programs will tell you upfront that you are interacting with a chatbot, others will try to fool you into thinking you are talking with a fellow human being. While bots have become highly popular in…
How to Create a Strong Password
Every week there are reports of new data breaches, where massive amounts of personal information are leaked and exposed. Many of these data breaches revolve around unscrupulous people getting access to personal accounts as a result of weak or compromised passwords. Basically, a password acts like a gate or a…
The Story of CTRL + ALT + DEL: How these Shortcut Keys Became Famous
You probably do not think much about it as you press the three-key combination of Control-Alt-Delete, commonly known as security keys or the “three-finger salute” whenever Windows acts up. You probably also use it when locking or logging out of Remote Desktop. But did you know that this combination came…
The Cognizant Breach: What You Should Know About Maze Ransomware Attacks
Cognizant, an American company providing IT services based in Teaneck, New Jersey, is one of the latest victims of the infamous Maze ransomware. The IT services provider operating in more than 37 countries, with a turnover of $16bn, said the attack took place on Friday, April 17th. According to the…
Zoombombing and Other Security Issues Surrounding Virtual Meetings and How to Prevent Zoombombing
Zoombombing and other security issues have become more common as web meetings and conference calls have become the new normal in the modern workplace. Though many people are aware of cybersecurity issues during online interactions, very few take virtual meeting security seriously. It is not uncommon for people to finish…