Hello everybody,

I hope you’re well wherever you are in this great big world that we live in. Here is a roundup from the past 48 hours of information that you need to be aware of. Some of it’s just plain information to keep you updated in the world of cyber security and there are some direct tips on how to further bolster your day-to-day security.

ONLINE MEETING SECURITY
If you use Google Meet or Zoom for online meetings you might want to read this article here. They talk about how there are fake domain names out there that look like Google Meet and that look like Zoom to the casual observer but what they do is they actually download malware onto your device. When you’re using any online service you make sure that the domain name is correct. You can also use the incognito website checker that will tell you immediately if it’s safe or not.

OPERATING SYSTEM UPDATES
If you are using a Mac, please make sure that you are running the most recent version which is macOS Sequoia 15. Microsoft reported a major security flaw that could allow remote attackers to gain access to your Mac. You don’t need to know any more other than that, make sure you’re running the latest version. To update your Mac, go to System Settings > General > Software Update, then click Update Now if an update is available.

RANSOMWARE ATTACKS
The Bianlian ransomware group have attacked the Boston Children’s Health for Physicians (BCHP) and is threatening to leak stolen files unless a ransom is paid. They claim to have everything from Social Security numbers to treatment details. I saw the advertisement on the dark web for the stolen data. I honestly don’t know how cybercriminals can lower themselves by attempting to extort information on children.

DATA BREACH
The Internet Archive has been hacked into again and all of their information has been put up on dark web forums for sale. Just so you know, the Internet Archive is an archive of the entire Internet. They take snapshots of every webpage regularly so that you can go back almost like in a time machine to view what a webpage looked like 10 years ago, for example. Here is the article about the data breach and also if you want to go and check out the Internet Archive, this is their website as well. This is also a gentle reminder to say that everything you write on the Internet is stored forever. Even if you delete it the Internet archive can go back and find it.

BANKING MALWARE
A strain of the banking malware called TrickMo has been discovered. If you’re lucky enough to get this on your device, it is capable of emptying your bank accounts. It has already been reported on 13,000 Android devices around the world. Make sure you never download anything unless it’s from the App Store. If you have any questions, let us know.

ANDROID PRIVACY TIPS
Tip, if you are an Android user, did you know that you have a private safe space on your phone for hiding sensitive apps and photographs? Go here to read about it and how to use it.

FUN HACKS/TOOLS
If you want to turn your Android into a ham radio, follow these instructions. It actually looks very fun to do.

PAYMENT APPS PRIVACY
If you are a Venmo user, you need to go and change this privacy setting right now. At the moment, your entire friend list and transaction history are public. Anybody can go and see these things. Follow the instructions in this article and it will show you how to change the privacy setting to hide this information. Why would they have it public in the first place? This is highly sensitive information.

MOBILE DEVICE SECURITY GUIDE
Here is an excellent guide that was developed by the NSA in America to advise you on how to keep your phone secure. Here is a direct link to the instructions.

WI-FI IMPROVEMENT TIPS
If you have slow Wi-Fi in your home or office, here is a good article offering tips on what you can do to improve the signal.

PASSWORD MANAGEMENT
A master password is like the One Ring to rule them all. With this one password, you unlock and have control of every password in your password manager. There’s just one issue: What happens if you lose your master password? Here are some ideas.

AI VIDEO CALL SCAMS
Here is a really good article on how AI video call scams work. Imagine receiving a video call from one of your children. They tell you they are in an emergency and they need you to send money right now. It looks like them, it sounds like them, but it’s not them—it’s an AI video deepfake. Here is a really good article that you can read, but also as advised before, always have a password between you and your family members and your friends that you can ask them to tell you on the video call. If they can’t tell you the passcode or password that you’ve agreed on in person, it means that it’s a scam.

Well, I hope you found these articles informative and that you followed some of the advice in them which are all designed to make your digital life safer. If you have any suggestions or comments, let me know. If there’s any specific direction you’d like me to take these tips let me know. Also, please do remember that you can contact our privacy care team any time of the day or night from within the application and you can also upgrade to one of our VIP plants which will give you access or, will give you direct access to talk to me and the team about your security problems in real-time.

I wish you all the best,
Stephen