This week, we’ve dubbed our episode the “head shaking edition” because each of our stories today left us shaking our heads for one reason or another. From Google quietly looking over your shoulder to Comcast fumbling the ball with yet another big leak of user…
August 16, 2018 • 12 min read
The summer marches on, and so does the parade of headlines and security concerns. From sneaky websites pretending to be someone they are not, to creepy social media spying thanks to an old and supposedly broken phone, and onward to concerns about requests for your…
August 9, 2018 • 12 min read
It has been a long time coming, but we are proud to celebrate the milestone achievement of 100 episodes of The Checklist, brought to you by SecureMac! We’d like to take this moment to say a big “thank you” to our listeners, especially those who’ve…
August 2, 2018 • 11 min read
Over the past several years, international travel has become fraught with more privacy and security concerns than ever before. At many borders, including those in the United States, customs agents are increasingly asking travelers to unlock their phones and hand over their laptops for inspection….
July 30, 2018 • 2 min read
It’s time for another look into the world of security news, where we’ll talk about where Apple stores your sensitive data, the latest and strangest anti-spam efforts, and more. This week we’re narrowing our focus to look at how Apple is handling some of the…
July 26, 2018 • 14 min readIt’s that time again: Apple has pushed out a variety of updates for practically all its products, from iTunes for Windows to multiple flavors of macOS, plus the latest version of iOS 11.4. New security updates are also available for iCloud for Windows, Safari, watchOS,…
July 18, 2018 • 2 min read
In the past, we’ve spent a substantial amount of time talking about the business of security flaws. Usually, it centers around things such as selling personal data on the Dark Web after stealing it using exploits and attacks. Credit card details, names, and addresses, and…
July 12, 2018 • 12 min read
The summer keeps on heating up, so why not stay inside where it’s cool, and relax with the newest edition of The Checklist? As the temperatures outside climb, the headlines in the world of Mac security and beyond keep piling up too. This week, we’re…
July 5, 2018 • 18 min readA strong passcode is one of the most important elements of personal security on iOS devices. While it has been some time since Apple introduced the stronger six-digit passcodes (which they now recommend), many people continue to use the four-digit PIN. According to one recent…
July 3, 2018 • 2 min read
Apple’s Swift programming language is a useful tool for developers on Mac and iOS platforms due to its versatility and wide-reaching application. Occasionally, though, Apple uncovers issues within Swift that could unintentionally allow bad actors to make inroads towards attack execution. A new Swift module…
July 2, 2018 • 2 min read
It seems like it was just yesterday that we were kicking off the new year and wondering what the months ahead would have in store for us. As we head into the first sweltering days of summer, it’s safe to say that the first half…
June 28, 2018 • 17 min readCode signing is one of the most important lines of defense against malware. It allows a user to know that the software they intend to install or run came from a trusted source, such as Apple, or another trusted developer. While code signing is not…
June 26, 2018 • 2 min read
How can programmers keep track of all the changes that get made to a piece of software during its development while keeping everyone else on the project in the loop? Answering that challenge is the purpose of what is known as a “version control system.”…
June 25, 2018 • 2 min read
Facebook quietly funneled private user data to device-makers like Apple via hidden partnerships. The New York Times exposes how this sharing bypassed privacy settings and extended third-party access well beyond Facebook’s platform.
June 21, 2018 • 15 min read
Welcome to Episode 93 of The Checklist. Today, our attention turns towards security and insecurity — but we’re not talking about a long-lost Jane Austen novel. Instead, we’re taking a tour through the headlines to hit some of the big and interesting stories that have…
June 14, 2018 • 15 min readWhatsApp, the popular messaging app owned by Facebook, is arguably one of the most popular means for secure communication in the world. Facebook says that more than a billion and a half users trade nearly sixty billion messages across WhatsApp every day. Because the software…
June 7, 2018 • 3 min read
In many of our recent episodes, we’ve spent plenty of time talking about data breaches, a subject that often dominates security conversations these days. For good, reason, too, as everyone from major credit bureaus such as Equifax to retail store chains have lost or mishandled…
June 7, 2018 • 15 min read
The 2018 parade of big tech and security headlines continues, and in recent episodes, we’ve touched on some pretty big developments. From Cambridge Analytica and Facebook scandals to the rollout of the General Data Protection Regulation in Europe, we’ve covered some major issues so far…
May 31, 2018 • 14 min read