A massive digital attack that swept the world late last week, holding computers and their data hostage for ransom, has largely petered out (for now). But as the crisis settles down, researchers are now able to take the time to start figuring out who started it all… and fingers are pointing at a familiar target. [More]
Data & Privacy
Massive Ransomware Attack Has Slowed, But Probably Isn’t Over Forever
By 5.15.17
Ransomware — malicious software that encrypts your computer until you pay up — is, sadly, not new, but a recent, massive global attack on computer networks has pushed ransomware into the spotlight. While security researchers have figured out how to slow the havoc down, another wave of attacks seems likely. [More]
Feds Launch Major Smackdown On ‘Tech Support’ Scams
By 5.12.17
If the world of scams was a wrestling ring, the Federal Trade Commission would be launching itself from the corner to deliver a world of hurt on tech support scammers who claim consumers’ computers are full of malware and other nasty stuff that can only be vanquished by paying them hundreds of dollars. [More]
Imposter Phone Scam Targeting Veterans Who Misdial The Number For Healthcare Program
By 5.12.17
It’s easy to accidentally hit a wrong number when dialing, and usually it doesn’t lead to anything worse than an awkward conversation if someone picks up. But the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is now warning against a scam aimed at people who misdial the number for a healthcare program for veterans. [More]
Keylogging Spyware Found On Dozens Of HP Laptop Models
By 5.12.17
Owners and users of nearly 30 different Hewlett-Packard laptop models, beware: It turns out an unknown number of computers shipped with a keylogger embedded in them, tracing and recording your every keystroke. [More]
Why Won’t Grubhub Delete My Account After It Was Hacked?
By 5.12.17
Having one of your online accounts hacked is like having a reality show on Bravo — it’ll happen to all of us at some point. Given how commonplace hacks are, you might assume that multibillion-dollar online operations would have a process in place for dealing with compromised accounts. You’d be mistaken. [More]
Man Declared Dead By Government For 29 Years, Kept Paying Taxes Anyway
By 5.11.17
Nearly 30 years ago, the Social Security Administration decided that a 4-year-old Minnesota boy was dead. He was not. SSA employees chalked it up to a “glitch” and promised to correct the error. They did not. And even as that boy grew up and began paying taxes, the federal government still considered him deceased, at least until his local TV station and a U.S. Senator got involved. [More]
FCC Commissioner Warns Against Dismantling Of Net Neutrality
By 5.11.17
The Federal Communications Commission will soon begin the long process of trying to roll back the Open Internet Order, the FCC’s barely two-year-old rule that prohibits internet service providers and wireless companies from having any say in what you do or where you go online. Though the Commission’s lone Democrat is unlikely to change the minds of her anti-regulation colleagues, she’s not ready to admit defeat just yet. [More]
Appeals Court Resurrects Federal Government’s Lawsuit Over AT&T’s Old “Unlimited” Plans
By 5.10.17
The years-long dispute between the Federal Trade Commission and AT&T over the wireless company’s old “unlimited” data plans is still not dead. A federal appeals court has zapped new life into the lawsuit, meaning there’s still hope that AT&T users who saw their data throttled despite having unlimited data plans may someday get justice. [More]
Privacy Advocates Raise Concerns About Mattel’s Always-On ‘Aristotle’ Baby Monitor
By 5.10.17
Anyone who has watched a young child become fascinated with virtual “assistants” like Amazon’s Alexa, Apple’s Siri, or Google Home could guess that it was only a matter of time until one of these “smart” devices would be created specifically for monitoring kids. With Mattel set to release an all-in-one assistant/monitor, consumer advocates are questioning how secure, beneficial, or harmful these devices actually are. [More]
Senators Want FCC Chair To Explain Why Online Comment System Crashed
By 5.9.17
What caused the crash of the Federal Communications Commission’s online comment-filing system? The FCC is blaming denial-of-service attacks from “external actors” without explicitly laying any blame on comedian John Oliver’s latest story about net neutrality. Now, some Senators want to know what happened. [More]
How To Make Sure Your PC Is Safe From Windows Defender Vulnerability
By 5.9.17 — Updated: 5.10.17
Not sure whether or not your PC has been updated with a patch to fix a recently discovered Windows Defender vulnerability? Here’s what you should do. [More]
Microsoft Issues Fix For Massive Malware Vulnerability That Affects Most PCs
By 5.9.17 — Updated: 5.11.17
A few days after security researchers discovered a massive flaw in Microsoft’s malware protection engine Windows Defender — which is used in almost every recent version of Windows — the company has issued a fix that it believes will keep attackers out. [More]
John Oliver Tries To Save Net Neutrality Again; Likens FCC Chair Ajit Pai To A Serial Killer
By 5.8.17
With both the Federal Communications Commission and Congress looking to undo relatively recent net neutrality rules that prohibit internet service providers from interfering with what you do online, it was once again time for Last Week Tonight‘s John Oliver to remind viewers of how important these rules are; possibly disrupting the FCC’s public commenting system in the process. [More]
The NSA Collected 151 Million Phone Records In 2016
By 5.3.17
The National Security Agency (NSA) became a target for ire after the public learned in 2013 that it had been scooping up millions of Americans’ phone records without warrants or disclosure, and holding on to all of them. A change in the law in 2015 significantly changed the way and volume in which the NSA is legally authorized to scoop up data… but the net it casts is still pretty broad, pulling in 151 million phone records last year. [More]
In Response To Livestreamed Deaths, Facebook Adds 3,000 Moderators
By 5.3.17 — Updated: 5.9.17
Following a number of high-profile incidents involving Facebook users hurting themselves and others on livestreamed video, the company has decided to add thousands of new moderators to review and flag violent content. [More]
Senate Bill Would Roll Back Net Neutrality, Prevent FCC From Ever Trying It Again
By 5.2.17 — Updated: 5.9.17
While the new-look Federal Communications Commission is well on its way to undoing its own, relatively new, net neutrality rules that prevent companies like Verizon, Comcast, and AT&T from determining what you see and do online, lawmakers in the Senate have introduced legislation that would not only roll these rules back but also prevent the FCC from ever trying anything similar. [More]
Verizon Is Now Flat-Out Lying About Efforts To Kill Net Neutrality
By 5.1.17 — Updated: 5.9.17
In a video that would be laughable if it weren’t so terrifying, a senior executive at Verizon repeatedly lies about the FCC’s recently launched efforts to gut its own “net neutrality” rules, about his company’s support of net neutrality, and what these rules actually do. [More]
