It’s the first Checklist of 2020, and we’re starting things off with some important privacy news from the great state of California. We’ll also discuss (another) potential issue with Amazon’s Ring doorbell surveillance camera. And finally, we’ll leave you with a decidedly low-tech security tip that you’ll want to remember all year long!

The Checklist is taking a little holiday break this week, but we’ll be back on the 9th of January with a new podcast. Until then, we’d like to invite you to check out these classic Checklists you might have missed, especially as they touch on topics that have been in the news of late! 

In what follows, we’ll let you know what’s been going on in the world of cybersecurity for the past week, and then we’ll point you to a Checklist where you can learn more.

This Best of the Checklist …

This week’s Checklist topics may sound familiar, but don’t be fooled! We revisit three stories that we’ve talked about before, but which now have some updates worth discussing (spoiler: it’s not all good news!).

On this week’s Checklist, it’s deja vu all over again:

$20 bucks and a security breach on pump four…revisitedLast week’s Communications Limits…revisitedBad passwords…revisited (again)

$20 on four: the case for paper money

Earlier in the year, we covered a story about gas station monitoring software that had serious vulnerabilities — serious enough to attract the attention of the Department of …

Cupertino rolled out new features and bug fixes for all of its operating systems, so we’re going to take a look at last week’s security news broken down by OS.

On this week’s Checklist, we’ll look at some dumb ways to buy a smartwatch. We’ll share a PSA from the FBI. And we’ll talk politics and app security by way of FaceApp.

This week’s Checklist gets you ready for the seasonal shopping rush (from a cybersecurity perspective, anyway). We’ll show you how to keep safe as you shop online; what gifts you might want to avoid; and how to make sure everything arrives as planned; and what to do when all the madness is over! 

This week’s Checklist covers:

How to shopWhat (not) to buyDeliveries and checkups

Shop smart, shop safe

Before you actually purchase anything online, there are a couple of basic precautions you should take — and one or two seasonal threats you need …

A a complete guide to how to keep yourself safe during the holiday travel season. We’ll tell you what to do before you even walk out the door, how to protect yourself while you’re traveling, and what things to bear in mind when you reach your destination.

On this edition of The Checklist: Apple Mail Encryption, Now with Less Encryption!, Ransomware Revisited, and A Ring of Insecurity.

On this week’s Checklist, we’ll talk about a privacy issue with a privacy service. We’ll look at how social engineering works in practice by examining “SIM-swapping”. And we’ll check out a high-tech hacking story that reads like something out of a Hollywood thriller.

Here’s the Checklist for this week:

Taking the privacy out of VPNSIM-swapping 101An audio hack with a “light” touch

When VPNs go public

As many as 2,000 users of the popular VPN service Nord VPN may have had their accounts compromised in a credential stuffing attack.

Credential stuffing refers to the practice …

This week on the Checklist, we’ll catch you up on what Apple has been doing to keep you safe. We’ll talk about some adware apps that got the boot from the App Store. And finally, we’ll look at the cybersecurity implications of Catholicism 2.0.

This week’s Checklist covers:

A look at the security bits of this week’s Apple updatesAdware violating apps kicked out of the App StoreDo rosary beads really need an app? Really?

To opt in, or to opt out, that is the question…

This week, Apple released a bevy of updates for …

On this edition of The Checklist: What to do if you lose the 2FA “thing you have, Privacy concerns behind the wheel, and Who’s who and why you should fear them.

This week on the Checklist, we’ll look at a troubling connection between Apple and the Chinese government. We’ll revisit the issue of IoT security (spoiler: It’s not getting any safer out there). And we’ll round out the list with a reminder that when it comes to cybersecurity, sharing is caring!

This week’s Checklist is: 

What Website Warnings and Tencent will get youSecurity and an Internet of Things thingAnd would you please join our street team? We offer benefits! 

Apple’s silent partner

Last week MacRumors reported on a connection between Apple and Chinese tech giant …

On this Checklist, we’ll take a look at the latest version of macOS. We’ll revisit two-factor authentication by way of a somewhat disappointing story involving Twitter. And we’ll round out the show with news of yet another data breach.

On this edition of The Checklist: The DoorDash data breach, Considering risks around AltStore, And the security side of recent Apple updates.

On this edition of The Checklist: A third-party keyboard warning from Apple, How much is too much consumer protection?, and Apple Watch privacy in an always on world.

On this edition of The Checklist: iOS 13’s built-in Cycle Tracker, Privacy and security in Apple Arcade, and Facebook location follow-up.

On this edition of The Checklist: Grading the Siri “grading” situation, Project Zero’s “iPhone Hack”, and Making the case for shoes that aren’t that smart

On this edition of The Checklist: Convenience versus privacy on Yelp, Tips for staying digitally safe on campus, and Everybody needs to update their everything!