The New York Times [unpaywalled] – “In recent weeks, Elon Musk and his aides have gained access to many federal agencies’ systems and unknown amounts of data. Many readers have written in to share their fears that the agencies — and the personal data they possess on hundreds of millions of taxpayers — are now… Continue Reading
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Category Archives: Privacy
Pete Recommends – Weekly highlights on cyber security issues, February 15, 2025
Via LLRX – Pete Recommends – Weekly highlights on cyber security issues, February 15, 2025 – Privacy and cybersecurity issues impact every aspect of our lives – home, work, travel, education, finance, health and medical records – to name but a few. On a weekly basis Pete Weiss highlights articles and information that focus on the… Continue Reading
How to Prepare for Your Digital Afterlife
The New York Times/unpaywalled: “How do you want your social media pages, smartphone photos and computer files handled after you die? While property and money distribution are usually at the top of the estate-planning list, don’t forget to leave instructions regarding your digital accounts and assets — so your survivors are left with more than… Continue Reading
The Best AI-Free, Encrypted Alternatives to Google Docs
Lifehacker: “Face it: with the competition spending hundreds of millions of dollars on it, Google’s recent foray into AI isn’t going to stop anytime soon. While you can hide Google Workspace’s Gemini buttons and prompts for now, you can’t actually stop the company from continuing to build its apps around a technology that revolves around… Continue Reading
Federal workers say they increasingly distrust platforms like Facebook
The Verge: “As Elon Musk and President Donald Trump have sought to gut and remake the federal government to their liking, federal workers have changed how they communicate with one another and with friends. They have locked down communication channels, migrated to new platforms, and what was once skepticism has grown into deep distrust —… Continue Reading
Your employer might be spying on you. Here’s how workers can check.
Washington Post [unpaywalled]: Six things you can do to get a sense of whether your employer is watching what you do on your computer and other devices. The reality is, your bosses may be able to see everything you’re doing on your phone or computer. So how can you be sure? Employers have a growing… Continue Reading
Cybersecurity Experts Warn of DeepSeek Vulnerabilities as Governments Ban App
Gizmodo: “A cybersecurity company is warning businesses and organizations not to use a popular app from the generative AI company DeepSeek, saying that the program contains a number of security vulnerabilities that could compromise users’ data. The DeepSeek app, which shocked the stock market when it moved to the top of the Apple App Store… Continue Reading
NSA can track powered-down phones: how to actually protect your privacy
BoingBoing – Ellsworth Toohey: “Yesterday I wrote about Privacy Guide’s mobile phone privacy and security guide for protesters. Today, Randy Zar, CEO of Faraday pouch manufacturer SLNT wrote: “Just want to let you know your cell phone is tracking you regardless if you have it in airplane mode or not. It even ping’s when it’s… Continue Reading
Pete Recommends – Weekly highlights on cyber security issues, February 8, 2025
Via LLRX – Pete Recommends – Weekly highlights on cyber security issues, February 8, 2025 – Privacy and cybersecurity issues impact every aspect of our lives – home, work, travel, education, finance, health and medical records – to name but a few. On a weekly basis Pete Weiss highlights articles and information that focus on… Continue Reading
The Government’s Computing Experts Say They Are Terrified
“Charlie Warzel and Ian Bogost from The Atlantic talked to four experienced federal-government IT professionals who have all “built, modified, or maintained the kind of technological infrastructure” that Elon Musk’s team of young hackers are attacking. They are beyond concerned about the potential consequences. Based on what has been reported, DOGE representatives have obtained or… Continue Reading
Government Agrees to Temporarily Restrict DOGE From Treasury Records
Democracy Docket:”The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) agreed to restrict the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) access to Department of the Treasury records after a coalition of federal unions and an advocacy group sued to block DOGE’s actions. According to the order — issued by a federal judge Thursday after the DOJ reached an agreement… Continue Reading
As Internet enshittification marches on, here are some of the worst offenders
Ars Technica: “Two years ago, a Canadian writer named Cory Doctorow coined the phrase “enshittification” to describe the decay of online platforms. The word immediately set the Internet ablaze, as it captured the growing malaise regarding how almost everything about the web seemed to be getting worse. “It’s my theory explaining how the Internet was… Continue Reading
