Wired [read free]: “…There are ways to increase your privacy on Google’s platforms, like using privacy-focused browsers, privacy-focused alternatives to Google Maps, auto-deleting your web history after a certain time period, or simply limiting the amount of data the company collects in the first place by opting out of features like web-based email and location… Continue Reading
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Category Archives: Privacy
Unclassified Documents Contain Troubling Information About Dragnet Phone Surveillance Program
“Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., called on Attorney General Merrick Garland [Read the full letter to Attorney General Garland here] to make public documents related to the Hemisphere phone surveillance program, which allows federal, state, local and Tribal law enforcement agencies to request searches of trillions of U.S. phone records, usually without warrants. Although the documents… Continue Reading
Criminals Can Steal Your Phone Number
How To Geek: Here’s How to Stop Them: “Key Takeaways Criminals are stealing phone numbers through “port out scams” by pretending to be the owner and transferring the number to another phone, gaining access to security codes and sensitive accounts. Port-out scams pose a major threat as phone numbers are often used for two-factor authentication,… Continue Reading
10 Things You Should Never Share on Social Media
MakeUseOf: “Key Takeaways Don’t share your travel plans or photos while on a trip to avoid advertising that you’re away from home and potentially inviting theft. Disable location data and delete photo metadata before posting to protect your physical address and sensitive information. Avoid sharing personally-identifying information, such as your full date of birth or… Continue Reading
Secretive White House Surveillance Program Gives Cops Access to Trillions of US Phone Records
Wired [read free]: “A little-known surveillance program tracks more than a trillion domestic phone records within the United States each year, according to a letter WIRED obtained that was sent by US senator Ron Wyden to the Department of Justice (DOJ) on Sunday, challenging the program’s legality. According to the letter, a surveillance program now… Continue Reading
Firefox 120 Now Available: Here’s What’s New
How to Geek: “Mozilla Firefox receives a major update about every four weeks, giving the web browser a steady stream of new features, bug fixes, and security enhancements. Firefox 120 will start rolling out today, with new link options, enhancements to data importing, new security features, and more. Firefox 120 has a few new improvements… Continue Reading
Pete Recommends – Weekly highlights on cyber security issues, November 18, 2023
Via LLRX – Pete Recommends – Weekly highlights on cyber security issues, November 18, 2023 – 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
ChatGPT Has Been Turned Into A Social Media Surveillance Assistant
Forbes [free to read]: “Social Links, a surveillance company that had thousands of accounts banned after Meta accused it of mass-scraping Facebook and Instagram, is now using ChatGPT to make sense of data its software grabs from social media. Most people use ChatGPT to answer simple queries, draft emails, or produce useful (and useless) code.… Continue Reading
As mass shootings multiplied, the horrific human cost was concealed
Washington Post: “States reeling from gun violence made graphic imagery confidential — part of a charged debate over privacy and public awareness. States have increasingly restricted records showing the impact of gun violence. How? Some have used or created exemptions to public records laws to withhold crime scene evidence, such as photos of mutilated bodies… Continue Reading
Microsoft lays hands on login data: Beware of the new Outlook
“The free new Outlook replaces Mail in Windows, and later also the classic Outlook. It sends secret credentials to Microsoft servers. (This is a translation of this german article.) The new Outlook is not what it seems at first glance: a replacement for Microsoft Office Outlook – at least not yet. What it definitely is,… Continue Reading
Your phone is the key to your digital life
Vox: “Make sure you know what to do if you lose it. Preparing yourself for the worst is easier than you might think — and it’s never been more important…Our phones have become our main — in some cases, only — gateway to so many things. If you lock yourself out of your house, you… Continue Reading
How Much Your Social Media Profile Data Is Worth on the Dark Web
MakeUseOf: “Key Takeaways Hackers often sell stolen data from social media accounts on the dark web, making it a valuable marketplace for criminals. LinkedIn accounts have the highest value on the dark web due to the professional information they contain, while Reddit accounts are the least valuable. To protect your social media profile data from… Continue Reading
