Hardly a day goes by without some “exciting” news about AI.
This time, it’s warnings of doom if we don’t change course: god-like AI that runs everything, a scorched Earth covered in data centers, etc.
So, right…
What’s REALLY going on here?
Most likely, all is not as it seems on the surface…
If I say "Apple", no doubt you think "security".
Unfortunately, nothing could be further from the truth.
In fact, you might even be making it EASIER for the bad guys to spy on you if you use an iPhone.
In any case, the cat's out of the bag - and it's all thanks to US spying on Russia!
What a crazy world...
(more…)
When you hear the word "linux", you probably think of nerds hidden away in a cramped office, managing all the servers that make our high-tech modern world actually go.
You probably also associate "linux" with "security".
Unfortunately, recent events have shown that the truth is a bit more... holey. Like, Swiss cheese holey.
From Copy Fail to cPanel to Dirty Frag, the linux server community has been utterly hammered by nasty exploits in the past weeks.
We'll tell you what happened, what it means, and how to protect yourself and your gizmos!
(more…)
Even if you don't know the term 'phishing scam', chances are you've already been targeted by many of them.
A phishing scam is when someone uses a genuine-looking e-mail, login page, SMS, or whatever to fool you into giving up personal data - like logins, passwords, card and banking info, etc.
They often involve some kind of 'hook' that makes you worried or scared. When that happens, you stop thinking and fall into the trap.
But these scams are very easy to avoid with a bit of extra attention. I'll show an example of a phishing scam I received recently and then take it apart piece by piece so that next time, you'll know exactly what to look for to protect yourself!
(more…)
Hacking, data breaches, and general cyber battles have been in the news a lot lately.
I recently read a book that shed a lot of light on how these things actually work - behind the scenes.
It's called Dark Territory: The Secret History of Cyber Warfare.
Despite our Hollywood-fueled ideas about hacking, the practical reality is waaay different...
In short: It's complicated!
(more…)
By popular demand!
Meltdown and Spectre are the recently-publicized exploits that take advantage of flaws in modern processors.
These flaws are big news, but what's the actual scoop?
It turns out that they ARE a big deal, but with a few important caveats...
Since the exploits themselves are so technically complicated, I have tried to explain them in a simplified way without sacrificing actual useful details.
That way, you can make up your own mind as to whether or not you should run for the hills!
(more…)
Cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum are the wave of the future, right?
So why is all the latest news about their value in US dollars? Isn't that kind of backwards?
Obviously, these new digital currencies have a ways to go...
It doesn't help that the systems in place are less than stellar, and we're still seeing hacking resulting in people losing money.
But what about the future of blockchain technologies as a whole? Those are pretty awesome, right?
Well, yes and no. If you cut out the hype, you'll have a much better idea about where all of this stuff is heading.
(more…)
There are a few things you need to understand about staying safe and secure online. You need to realize what you're actually up against.
But don't fret, because it's really not a big deal if you always keep in mind how things usually work.
For example, e-mail is never really safe, HTTPS doesn't really always keep your connection secure, you can be tracked online very easily despite what most people will tell you, and you should always use some kind of anti-virus/malware protection no matter what OS you use.
And remember that the OS you use makes very little difference if you've taken some basic precautions... In fact, thinking you're safe because you use Not Windows is probably a bad idea!
(more…)
You've got an e-mail address, and you've got friends. So far, so good.
Then one day, you get an e-mail from Debbie telling you that your e-mail account has been hacked. She got a spam message that appeared to come from you!
Johnny got one, too.
Sweet mother of mercy, it must be the end of the world! Your e-mail's been hacked! Maybe your puter's been hacked!
Not so fast...
(more…)
I'll be honest: I didn't think I had to explain any of this, because I thought it was obvious.
Given the number of recent online security breaches - including the release of really, really bad passwords - clearly it's not so obvious.
Well, I guess I shouldn't be surprised. After all, I think about this kind of thing as part of my work. Most people don't. It's my job to program things that work, but a big part of it becomes making things that other people will find difficult to exploit.
Otherwise, what's the point? No one cares if it "just works" if some evil person out there can break it in 5 minutes! The way to go about doing this is to not program a single line of code until you've got the whole thing sorted in your head. Then, think about how you would hack it.
You don't do this by thinking like yourself; you must think like someone who wants to attack you. Unless you're a Russian chess master, you probably don't think this way very often.
But, not to worry! The following are a few tips that will greatly increase your online security without making your brain catch on fire. Which is nice...
(more…)
Recent Comments