All rise: Emojis have entered the court. Plus, three WFH jobs that pay $20 per hour, a popular game for kids goes woke and a high-tech way to protect your logins that’s better than 2FA.
The new scams that know you by name
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Ever get a text that feels … a little too real? You know the ones: “Your account has been locked. Click here to verify.” Most of us roll our eyes and delete them.
But the new generation of scams? They’re scarier and a whole lot smarter.
📱 Smishing goes high-tech
In the past month, investigators uncovered a Chinese cybercrime group that stole data on up to 115 million U.S. payment cards over 16 months. That’s one card for every three people.
They didn’t skim them from ATMs. They tricked people into handing over their card info through fake payment alerts sent to phones, aka “smishing” or phishing through text messages.
Those stolen cards were instantly loaded into mobile wallets and used before victims could blink.
💍 The ‘small’ breach that isn’t
Jewelry brand Pandora admitted a hacker got hold of customer names and email addresses via a third-party platform. No passwords, no payment info. Sounds harmless, right? Wrong.
That data is a gold mine for cybercriminals. Why?
It makes their fake messages frighteningly believable. Picture this: “Hi, [Your Name], we noticed unusual activity on your Pandora account…” See how quickly you’d lower your guard?
🕵️♂️ Phishing-as-a-service
Criminals are running ready-made scam platforms with names like “Sneaky 2FA” and “Tycoon 2FA.” These are crazy. You pick a phishing email, select email addresses, pay for it and they are sent out. These services make it easy to mimic real login pages and even trick two-factor authentication systems.
Digital self-destruction for fun and paranoia
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How to make any USB drive self-destruct
“Kim, I’m paranoid about losing my USB drive. Is there any way to make it so if someone steals it, they can’t see or open anything?” — Dave in Denver
Woman kills Instagram lookalike, encryption 101, ChatGPT news
Gmail’s getting more secure: Google’s making it way easier for businesses to send encrypted emails. Before, you had to deal with something called S/MIME, which was a pain to set up. Now? Just turn on the Additional encryption option when drafting an email. FYI: It only works within your company, so yes, your boss can finally encrypt that calendar invite you’ll ignore.
1 terabit per second
Of data was sent over 750 miles using optical fiber. For context, that’s like streaming around 40 Netflix shows in Ultra-HD at the same time. The real twist? Researchers did it completely securely. How? They built a new “IEAC” system that hides the encryption inside the light signal itself. Pretty genius.
What really happens when you delete a text?
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We’ve all had those texts we want to delete — from bad jokes and typos, to (gulp) sending something sensitive to the wrong contact. Can you really ever remove a text from your life? Is a deleted text really deleted for good? It’s complicated.
Think your browser’s password manager is safe? Think again.
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It’s so easy to click and save your passwords right to Chrome, Edge, Safari or any other browser. Have you ever stopped to think about just how bad an idea it is to do this? Anyone with access to your browser can jump right into any one of your accounts. Yup, even your banking and investment accounts are up for grabs.
Under the radar: A flaw in Microsoft’s Windows BitLocker encryption system could expose your sensitive data, including passwords in unencrypted form. BitLocker is meant to protect your data if your laptop or PC is stolen by encrypting your hard drive. The fix? Update to the latest version of Windows. PSA: I only work with brands I trust to keep you secure. Hit this page to see the five must-have tools I recommend.
Set up your Wi-Fi for easy sharing with guests
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You’ve got a turkey in the oven, presents need to be wrapped, and your cousin’s kid screams (again), “What’s the Wi-Fi password?” You’re juggling a hundred things at once, and the last thing you want to do is to spell out your password.
How to stay safe on public Wi-Fi
You don’t leave your front door unlocked. So why would you use public Wi-Fi networks without protection? Defend your private data from cybercriminals in public places with these five tips.
If you listen to The Kim Komando Show and Kim’s podcasts, you know about digital dangers. Accessing the internet via public Wi-Fi networks can heighten these risks even more.
How the government spies on you
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When I shared my tip on opting out of the Transportation Security Administration’s new facial recognition tech at airports the other week, I got a ton of questions. First and foremost, though, a lot of you said, “I didn’t know I could do that.”
3 reasons you shouldn't go another day without antivirus software
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If you don’t have antivirus software, you’re putting every internet-connected gadget you own at risk. Something as simple as an unchanged router password can be an entry point for an invader to shut down your phone or even taunt your children through a security camera or smart speaker.
Use this home security camera buying guide to be safer at home
Here’s a conundrum: Your security camera could expose you to data breaches. Last year, a security researcher found that Eufy cameras uploaded private images to the cloud.
Anker recently admitted to storing images and video feeds in the cloud without users’ knowledge. This popular security cam manufacturer recently didn’t even encrypt the private content. That means anyone could have seen your personal images through your Anker devices.
I ticked off the creepy people-search sites, and you can, too
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My son asked me where I lived for a few months in Los Angeles over 25 years ago. It was a gig working for Unisys that was far from memorable. He found that address at a free people search site, along with my other addresses and cell phone numbers. Nice.
Get weather alerts and $360 in freebies, cat chess, Xbox goes woke
Plus, why MacBooks are being sold for scrap, use physical security keys to protect your Apple accounts, end-to-end encryption in Facebook Messenger and cool ways to use your router’s USB ports.
$1K health headphones, top holiday scams, safer group chats
Would you let Amazon track your search history if it paid you $2 per month? Plus, Google Messages rolls out fully encrypted group chats, how to enable full encryption for iCloud backups, next iOS update boosts AirDrop security, air-purifying headphones for almost $1K and holiday scams to watch out for.
Does a VPN slow down your connection? Answers to 6 common VPN questions
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Let’s face it, the internet can be a scary and unpredictable place when it comes to maintaining your privacy and security. You never know who may be keeping virtual tabs on you.
Whether it’s a hacker or scammer out to get your personal info, a government agency or even your creepy neighbor, you need to secure your web browsing.
Space travel coming soon, thin speakers, unsend texts
Have a printer at home? Follow these five critical security steps to keep hackers out. Plus, new smart screws detect when they’re loose, MIT researchers build ultra-thin speakers, 3 gotchas about unsending text messages, encryption 101 and all you need to know about Spaceship Neptune, a space travel capsule that costs $125,000 per ticket.
Netflix ads, creepiest tech, encryption 101
Not sure what encryption is? Here’s a quick explanation, plus how to tell if your texts are encrypted. In this episode, you’ll get the scoop on new Netflix ads, the creepiest tech to watch out for and how to hide your phone number when making a call.
Encryption 101
Not sure what encryption is? Here’s all you need to know, in 60 seconds.