SecurityEarlier this month, security researchers at Malwarebytes released a bombshell report which claimed that Mac malware threats were outpacing Windows threats for the first time ever. The report analyzed data taken from a variety of sources, including telemetry from the actual Mac and Windows machines of home and enterprise users. The core findings were remarkable, to say the least: a 400% year-over-year increase in Mac-specific threats and an eyebrow-raising 2:1 threat to endpoint ratio when comparing macOS and Windows platforms.
In this short article, we’ll take a closer look at the …
February 21, 2020 •
6 min read
SecurityThis week on the Checklist, we’ll start off with a big list of tips to keep your iPhone safe and happy … and then we’ll take a new look at Google’s Nest smart home devices.
February 20, 2020 •
11 min read
SecurityWith the April 15 tax filing deadline just weeks away, millions of U.S. taxpayers are getting ready to electronically file their tax returns. But electronic data transfer carries risks…
February 19, 2020 •
4 min read
SecurityFor U.S. residents, the annual April 15 tax filing deadline is fast approaching. Unfortunately, every year around this time, fraudsters attempt to take advantage of people’s understandable anxiety over tax delinquency and refund issues with an array of scams.
February 18, 2020 •
6 min read
SecurityRansomware is a major security threat which affects individuals, businesses, and governments. Over the past few years, researchers have noticed an increase in a new type of ransomware: doxware.
February 17, 2020 •
5 min read
SecurityOn this week’s Checklist, we’ll talk about the malware that’s infected millions of Macs worldwide, a social media service with data privacy issues, and the most common security problems facing startups.
February 13, 2020 •
12 min read
SecurityIt’s almost Valentine’s Day … but Cupid isn’t the only one looking for targets. Every year, hackers and scammers take advantage of people’s emotions around this holiday and do serious financial and psychological damage.
February 10, 2020 •
5 min read
SecurityVoatz is a privately-owned mobile voting platform backed by blockchain technology. The company began somewhat spontaneously — founder Nimit Sawhney built the prototype on a whim during a SXSW hackathon — but has since grown into a full-fledged mobile voting company, operating public and private elections around the country and attracting millions of dollars in funding from investors.
We sat down with the team at Voatz to discuss their platform, and to get their take on the larger issues surrounding technology and democracy.
Free and fair elections …
February 9, 2020 •
16 min read
SecurityThe Checklist is taking a brief hiatus, but will return next week with a new show. In the meantime, check out these Checklists from the archives.
February 6, 2020 •
3 min read
SecurityYour iPhone is a marvel of engineering: slick, powerful, and easy to use. But it’s also a complex device, with lots of little-known features — and it’s not immune to security issues. Here are 8 tips to help you get more out of your iPhone, and to keep it running smoothly and safely for years to come.
January 31, 2020 •
8 min read
SecurityApple has released updated versions of its major operating systems, with some important bug fixes and security patches. In this brief article, we’ll take you through the highlights of the release notes and let you know what they mean.
January 30, 2020 •
4 min read
SecurityOn this week’s Checklist, we’ll revisit the issues with Amazon’s Ring, take another look at iCloud backups, and hit the highlights from Apple’s latest round of OS updates.
January 30, 2020 •
7 min read
SecurityMacs are very safe computers, but they’re not immune to attacks — or to theft. Luckily, your Mac has some hidden features that can be enabled for extra security. One of these is Open Firmware Password Protection. Here’s what you need to know about it.
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January 29, 2020 •
5 min read
SecurityToward the end of last year, reports and rumors surfaced about a top-secret Apple program to develop satellite communications technology.
January 28, 2020 •
4 min read
SecurityThe government wants Apple to unlock a terrorist’s iPhone. Are they asking the impossible?
In the wake of the December terrorist attack at Naval Air Station Pensacola, in which three service members lost their lives, the federal government has renewed calls for Apple to provide a “backdoor” by which authorities can bypass the encryption on iPhones.
In this brief article, we’ll look at the background to this most recent clash between Apple and the U.S. Department of Justice, and we’ll examine the issue from a technical perspective as …
January 23, 2020 •
8 min read
SecurityOn this week’s Checklist, we’ll see how private your iCloud backups really are; we’ll examine the strange story of how the richest person in the world got hacked; and finally, we’ll look at a technology that promises a better way to do 2FA.
This week on the Checklist:
Considering iCloud and end-to-end encryptionA WhatsApp bromance gone badIf you’ve got an iPhone, here’s FIDO!
What happens in your iCloud…
We’ve known for a while that iCloud backup data isn’t protected by end-to-end encryption — meaning that encryption keys aren’t stored only on the user’s device, …
January 23, 2020 •
10 min read
SecurityRather than doing something to protect yourself, we’ll challenge you to teach someone else about cybersecurity and help them take steps to keep themselves safe.
January 22, 2020 •
10 min read
SecurityOn this week’s Checklist, we’ll take a look at someone else’s checklist of security tips, plus we’ll talk about what happens when companies that don’t specialize in security decide to get into the security business.
January 16, 2020 •
10 min read
SecurityBy testing your knowledge of the full spectrum of phishing tactics out there — by seeing what you know…and what you don’t — you’ll be better equipped to deal with even the sneakiest of phishing attempts.
January 14, 2020 •
2 min read
SecurityThe California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) is legislation designed to protect the digital privacy and consumer rights of residents of the State of California.
January 13, 2020 •
6 min read