The California Consumer Privacy Act

The California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) is legislation designed to protect the digital privacy and consumer rights of residents of the State of California.

Why you should update Firefox right now, according to the U.S. Department of...

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has issued an alert about a “critical vulnerability” affecting Mozilla’s Firefox browser. The DHS has advised all Firefox users to update their browser software immediately.

In this short article, we’ll explain what the vulnerability is, help you parse the language used in the security advisory, tell you who is affected, and let you know how to get your updates and stay safe.

What is the vulnerability?

According to the Mozilla security advisory, the vulnerability was due to a flaw in the “IonMonkey JIT compiler”, which could “lead …

Checklist 169: New Year, New Rules!

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!

Cybersecurity New Year’s Resolution #2: Turn on 2FA

Two-factor authentication, or 2FA, is one of the best cybersecurity tools available to you. The main benefit of two-factor authentication is that it adds another layer of protection to your accounts and services, above and beyond passwords

RCS chat: a better SMS for Android?

Android has started rolling out Rich Communication Services (RCS) chat features to users of its Messages app, touting this as a better, more up-to-date successor to traditional SMS texting. However, there is still some confusion about what RCS is…

Is your bank a privacy threat?

Many people are aware that large tech companies like Facebook and Google collect and monetize user data . But privacy advocates are now sounding the alarm about the growing trend of consumer banks and credit card companies doing the same thing.

Best of the Checklist: January 2nd, 2019

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 …

Cybersecurity in 2019: Top 9 stories that show what the future holds

This year was a big one for cybersecurity news, with plenty of stories worthy of inclusion in a year-end review. We’ll take you through the top stories of 2019 which help us see the shape of things to come.

Apple in 2019: Naughty or Nice?

It’s that time of year again, when Santa makes his list, checks it twice and, well, you know the rest. So in the spirit of the season, we’re going to take a look at some of the top Apple stories of 2019 to see if the company was naughty or nice this year. 

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Checklist 168: It only FEELS like a recap

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 …

Georgia Weidman on penetration testing and the future of cybersecurity

Georgia Weidman is a penetration tester, security researcher, writer, trainer, and entrepreneur.

She is the author of a highly-regarded book which teaches the fundamentals of penetration testing, Penetration Testing: A Hands-On Introduction to Hacking, and has taught security courses and conducted advanced training sessions at such prestigious venues as Black Hat, Tulane University, West Point, and the NSA.

Weidman is also the founder of Shevirah, a company focused on mobile device and Internet of Things (IoT) security, as well as Bulb Security, a cybersecurity …

SecureMac marks 20 years of Apple security

Cybersecurity firm has changed with threat landscape; looks to future

Checklist 167: Apple updates all of it

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.

New fileless malware for macOS linked to Lazarus Group

The new malware sample bears similarities to the well-known AppleJeus malware, which targets cryptocurrency exchanges. AppleJeus is the product of Lazarus Group, a shadowy cybercrime organization believed by many to be linked to North Korea.

Checklist 166: Warnings from the FUN Bureau

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.

Setting up a new Mac for security: 7 tips and tricks

So you’re the proud owner of a brand new Mac — wonderful!

You’re no doubt eager to try out all the bells and whistles; install your favorite apps; start using your new machine. We know the feeling.

But part of setting up a new macOS device should always be making sure it’s secure — and that’s what we’re going to cover in this quick setup guide. Follow these “Day 1” steps so you can enjoy your Mac with confidence in the weeks, months, and years to come.

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Checklist 165: Safe shopping for the holidays

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 …

Checklist 164: Over the River and Through the Woods

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.

Checklist 163: Encryption Minus the Encryption

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

Encrypted messaging apps: Everything you need to know

Privacy is hard to come by these days. Malicious actors, large corporations, and governments are constantly trying to look over your shoulder when you’re online.

But some in the tech community are fighting back. Tools like ad blockers, no-track browsers, and VPNs can help keep digital snoops in check. 

One of the most important of these technologies is encrypted messaging, which is available through a number of third-party and native applications.

So how do these messengers work? Are they all the same? And the million dollar question: Are they truly secure? Here’s what …