DEF CON 29 Apple security and privacy talks

DEF CON 29 featured a number of talks related to Apple security and privacy. We’ve rounded up the best ones here!

Checklist 232: Practice Safe Venmo and Update Your Stuff

On this week’s Checklist, we’ll talk about Venmo’s privacy issues — and we’ll tell you why it’s update time again!

Venmo privacy issues concern security experts … and users

Venmo privacy issues exposed the personal account of US president Joe Biden … and security experts say that all users have reason to worry.

How to use an authenticator app for 2FA on iOS

How to use an authenticator app for 2FA on iOS. Complete guide includes step-by-step walkthroughs for setup on Google and LinkedIn.

Apple AirTag and Privacy

Apple AirTag and Privacy: AirTag can track your stuff…can it track you too? Privacy protections and issues | Check if you’re being tracked.

Ransomware attack shuts down major US gas pipeline

Last Friday, hackers hit the Colonial Pipeline fuel company with a ransomware attack. When the company realized what was going on, it shut down its 5,500-mile pipeline as a proactive measure

Checklist 227: Playing AirTag

AirTag is finally here. On this Checklist, we’ll tell you what it is, why some competitors are crying foul, and how it protects your privacy.

iMacs, AirTag, and More at Apple’s Spring Loaded Event

Apple’s Spring Loaded event brings new iMacs, new iPad Pros, AirTag, and more. Details, Prices, Specs, and Availability.

TextEdit flaw could have let hackers create malicious TXT files

A flaw in macOS TextEdit could have let attackers create malicious TXT files — files that could have led to DOS attacks, IP leaks, and more.

Checklist 198: Listener Tracking in Podcasts with Rob Walch

Did you know that some podcasts actually track their listeners? Rob joins us today to talk about how the tracking occurs and about a new tool on the way to fight it.

Checklist 196 : The Art of Mac Malware: Analysis with Patrick Wardle

Security pro Patrick Wardle is writing a book, and he may just want your help. We’ll cover some Mac malware basics, talk about the book he’s writing, and how the security and Mac communities can help on episode 196 of The Checklist, brought to you by SecureMac.

Checklist 195: Attacks on the 2020 Election with Nick Leon

The 2020 U.S. election is under attack. Who’s doing it? Why? How? And what can we do stop it? SecureMac’s Nick Leon joins us to talk it over.

Disinformation in the age of social media: Renée DiResta’s Black Hat 2020 keynote

Black Hat USA is a major event in the world of information security. This year, due to the ongoing pandemic, the conference went virtual — and the organizers offered open access to many of the most important talks and sessions. 

Among these were two timely keynote addresses that deal with issues around election security, one of which was delivered by Renée DiResta. DiResta is the Research Manager at Stanford Internet Observatory, an interdisciplinary program that studies the misuse of information technologies. Her work focuses on the way in which narratives spread …

Checklist WWDC20 Outtake

We’re bringing you a WWDC outtake: an off-the-cuff, practically off-mic discussion of WWDCs past — as well as the roles Apple execs play.

Chris Hadnagy on social engineering

Chris Hadnagy is one of the world’s foremost authorities on social engineering. He has written four books on the topic, including Social Engineering: The Science of Human Hacking and Unmasking the Social Engineer: The Human Element of Security. Hadnagy has been a prominent figure in the security industry for many years, founding the popular Social Engineering Village (SEVillage) at DEF CON, and establishing the Innocent Lives Foundation, a non-profit organization that coordinates the resources of the infosec community to fight online child predators. Hadnagy’s company, Social-Engineer, LLC, helps …

Checklist 193: A Look at Apple Silicon with Nick Leon

Starting this year, Apple will begin making its own, ARM-based processors for the Mac. In this episode of The Checklist, we take a look at the background to this change, as well as what it means for Mac users:

Intel vs ARMApple Silicon Macs and performanceApple Silicon Macs and security

Goodbye Intel, Hello ARM

When Apple announced their move from the Intel to the ARM processor architecture, it was clearly big news. But it also left many folks with a pretty basic question: What’s the actual difference between the two?

At a hardware level, …

Checklist 191: TikTok Talk with Patrick Wardle

TikTok. Harmless fun? Or existential threat to the United States? The answer you get depends on who you ask. This week we have a special guest to help us discuss the question in depth — and we’ll get into the larger issues with apps, user data, and digital privacy.

TikTok, apps, and your privacy

In recent weeks, the popular video-sharing app TikTok has made headlines for its practice of monitoring iOS pasteboard data. The pasteboard — kind of a system-wide clipboard for iOS that lets apps access the information copied there — …

EARN IT Act moves forward, worrying privacy advocates

The “EARN IT” Act is slowly making its way through the U.S. Senate. Despite strong public criticism, an amended version of the bill was unanimously approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee in early July, setting the stage for full hearings in the near future.

In this article, we’ll discuss the background to EARN IT, and let you know why some people say it’s a serious threat to free speech and digital privacy.

What is EARN IT?

EARN IT (Eliminating Abusive and Rampant Neglect of Interactive Technologies) is the name of a bill currently …

Is Mac malware evolving?

Mac malware is increasing in quantity, and many security researchers say it’s becoming more sophisticated as well. While some Mac users are still a bit blasé about the threats facing the platform, the last few weeks have provided two great examples of the evolution of Mac malware. In what follows, we’ll fill you in on the details, and offer some thoughts about what it all means for the future of macOS security.

Old malware, new delivery method

Security researchers at Intego recently spotted what seemed to be a new variant of Mac …

Checklist 190: WWDC20, iOS, and Safari with Brett Terpstra

This week, we dive a bit deeper into some WWDC20 announcements with developer Brett Terpstra