Checklist 128: The Matrix, the Bounty, and the Electronic Frontier

On this week’s Checklist by SecureMac: Hear ye, the Thunderclap, Google’s Project Zero hits Apple & The EFF wants encryption in the cloud.

Checklist 127: Once More, with Facebook!

On this week’s Checklist by SecureMac: Popular Apps Send Your Info to Facebook, The State of Play for Consumer Privacy, Pulling the Plug on Onavo Protect, Which Nests are Miked-Up, The Senate Wants to See Google’s CEO

Checklist 126: Little Nests Have Big Ears

On this week’s show we talk about: Little Nests have big ears, Google crosses one of its own privacy lines, and when sharing can be a bad thing…

Apple Releases a Fix for Group FaceTime Bug — Update Now

After a couple of weeks of uncertainty following the announcement of a severe privacy flaw in one of Apple’s flagship features for iOS 12, a patch nearly entirely dedicated to fixing the problem is available for download. Relevant updates are included in iOS 12.1.4, a Supplemental Update to macOS Mojave 10.14.3, and a minor update to Shortcuts on iOS to version 2.1.3.

Let’s recap how we got here:

A teenager playing Fortnite with his friends sends FaceTime calls to multiple people.In the process, he discovers a bug, easy to execute, that allows …

New Linux Malware Appears, Infects Some Macs Along the Way

While the average user might think their operating system options only go so far as “PC or Mac”, the truth is that there are many more systems running behind the scenes which power a great deal of our digital infrastructure. Linux is one such system, used by hobbyists, computer enthusiasts, and enterprises to power all kinds of servers and back-end systems. Naturally, it follows that there would be malware for Linux too — though it is rarer than most. According to a story making the rounds on ZDNet and BleepingComputer, …

Checklist 125: Pirates on the Enterprise

On this week’s episode we talk about: apps that record what you’re up to, pirates on the Enterprise, and 2FA has a day in court (for some reason).

Checklist 124: Returning to the Nest

This week, a return to form — at least in terms of format. We’ve got follow-ups on stories from previous weeks for you, but we’re also hitting some big stories in security news this week. That includes another major event concerning Apple security and the ongoing tension over its bug bounty programs (or lack thereof), while smart home device maker Nest tries to smooth things over and assure users that yes, everything is absolutely fine! Those stories and in-depth discussions about them feature on today’s Checklist, which includes:

A Keychain Security …

Newly-Discovered Bug in Group FaceTime Inadvertently Allows Eavesdropping

When Apple debuted iOS 12.1 late last year, one of the flagship additions to the system was Group FaceTime. This long-requested feature allows multiple users to enjoy simultaneous face-to-face video chat through FaceTime. However, in the wake of a serious flaw in Group FaceTime that was disclosed this past week, the feature is currently inaccessible on all iOS devices.

At issue is the potential risk for spying on the audio (and in some cases, video) feeds from a phone targeted through the flaw. Unlike many iOS bugs, this one does not …

Latest Round of Security Updates Arrives for Apple Devices

It’s here: the first array of security updates in the new year for everything from macOS to iOS. These updates don’t roll out any brand new bells and whistles or slick new features, but they do address a host of flaws that require a fix. Systems affected by these new updates include:

iOS (new version: 12.1.13)macOS Mojave (10.14.13)Sierra and High Sierra tvOS (12.1.2)Safari (12.0.3)watchOS (5.1.3)

Typically, Apple does not typically disclose extensive details about what specific attacks were possible and addressed by the bug fixes, or loopholes closed in these latest versions. However, …

Checklist 123: Longtime Listener, FaceTime Caller

One story today… with lots of little stories nestled inside… Longtime Listener, FaceTime Caller… time to hit the Checklist.

Checklist 122: Unrest In The Nest

Jan 24, 2019

It’s the end of the world as we know it — or at least, for one Californian family, that’s what it seemed like for about thirty minutes or so. Meanwhile, the police are leaking data all over the place online, but hey, at least Apple has a new raft of updates for all your favorite products to download and install. Those stories, and our thoughts on them, make up this week’s list. We’re going down the following items:

Unrest in the NestTeaching Police Departments About SafetyAll Your Apple Gear …

Checklist 121: On Checklist, TV Watches You!

With January slipping by quickly, are you back in the groove of all your usual life responsibilities? Are you perhaps enjoying your free time by taking advantage of all those new gadgets you got over Christmas, such as a brand-new TV? It may have some unsavory features you don’t know about lurking in the menus and settings — and speaking of settings, what better time of the year than to review some of your mobile security settings? That, plus a look at some helpful resolutions you can make now that …

2019 Kicks Off with several Apple Security Issues

The year may not yet even be a few weeks old, but already the headlines have been crowded with a range of issues that Apple users would do well to notice. From malware slipping past Gatekeeper to a mysteriously cancelled hacker conference appearance, there’s plenty to take in this January. What do you need to know about the latest in Mac news?

First, watch out for more suspicious phone calls that seem like they’re coming from Apple. Phishing scammers have apparently taken to spoofing Apple’s identity and are making calls to …

Checklist 120: New Year Old Worries

It’s a new year — but some old worries have followed us into 2019, still lingering and causing some concerns. That means it’s time to shake off the last of the sleepiness still hanging around from the holidays and get back down to business. We have phishers making calls looking for info, more issues with troublesome apps that evaded Apple’s notice, and an update to the unfolding story about how Marriott Hotels suffered one of the biggest recent data breaches. So that means that on our list for today, we’re …

Checklist 119: Hacky Holidays!

The holidays are here — and so is the entire Checklist crew! On this week’s special holiday edition of the show, we’re veering into something new and fun. Rather than bringing you depressing stories about data breaches or the headlines about whatever Facebook’s latest follies may be, we’re sinking into the sofa with mugs of hot chocolate (and mini marshmallows, of course) for a holiday movie marathon. We aren’t flipping on the Hallmark channel, though, because on our list for this week, we’re going to tick off these stories:

An 11-year-old …

What’s in Apple’s Latest Security Digest?

Apple recently released a comprehensive set of security updates, affecting devices and applications ranging from the iPhone to the Apple Watch to iTunes to the Apple TV. Below, we have outlined some basic details about these updates, including the devices they are intended for and the security problems they fix.

APPLE-SA-2018-12-06-1 watchOS 5.1.2

This update for watchOS addresses numerous security vulnerabilities that could be exploited to gain or elevate privileges, to execute arbitrary code, to spoof the watch interface, or to present untrusted configurations as verified or trustworthy.

APPLE-SA-2018-12-05-7 Shortcuts 2.1.2

Apple has not …

Checklist 118: Australia Ruins Everything

With the New Year starting to peek over the horizon, The Checklist is heading to Oz in this week’s discussion — not in terms of “The Wizard of,” though, but “Australia!” There’s a story from Australia this week that has us quite cross, though we also have something to be happy about as Apple starts giving Safari users even more options for safety. We’ll follow that with an update on a story we brought you last week that, while not objectively good, still gives us some good feelings — sometimes …

SecureMac Celebrates Two Years of The Checklist Podcast

Las Vegas, Nevada — With more than 118 episodes in the history books, SecureMac is proud to mark the passing of two years since the initial launch of The Checklist, a weekly privacy and security-focused podcast for users of iOS, macOS, and all things Apple. Hosted by Ken Ray, creator of the long-running and enduringly popular show Mac OS Ken, and SecureMac’s own founder Nicholas Raba, and lead developer Nicholas Ptacek, The Checklist aims to be an easily accessible source of important security news. In an increasingly dangerous digital age, …

Checklist 117: Once More Into the Breaches

As we get back into the groove of things in between the major holidays, the security hits keep on coming as it starts to look like there are more than just a few weeds in the “walled garden” that is the iOS App Store. Elsewhere, things aren’t always as they seem either as one of the most fundamental ways we know we’re safe on the web turns out to not be so ironclad. And of course, what would an episode of The Checklist be without a discussion about the latest …

SecureMac’s PrivacyScan 1.9.5 Brings Powerful Privacy Protections to Mojave

Las Vegas, Nevada – How many companies are tracking where you go online right now? Answering that question isn’t easy, but one thing is sure: it’s not a small number, and it’s growing! From third-party advertisers to social media giants, tracking users is common-place across the web.

With headlines about major security breaches and privacy failures appearing with increasing frequency, Mac users can be left wondering: what can I do about this? It starts with protecting one’s private browsing data and eliminating troublesome tracking cookies. To help users …