Hey guys,
It’s been a crazy busy start to the year, so apologies for not getting a blog out to you earlier. I have a bunch of awesome security news / tips ‘n tricks to share with you below.
OK, lets jump straight into the latest news:
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This story is absolutely nuts. Please check out the deep fake video of Tom Cruise, so you realize how visually believable these fake videos really are. It will blow your mind.
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Adobe Flash is finally going away…Woohoo! Because it is such an insecure technology, as of January 21, Adobe will block Flash from running on your systems, and have stopped sending any more updates. And all of the latest versions of the major browsers have, as a default setting now, disabled Flash content from running (please update your browsers as always to the latest versions!) Keep in mind, anyone who previously installed Flash Player by themselves, will need to personally remove it, using Adobe’s uninstall instructions below.
Moreover, iIf you still need to use Flash for anything (I really hope you don’t), you will need to run older i.e. vulnerable versions of browsers and Flash on your systems, so make sure they are in very tightly controlled environments.
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Google is going to start blocking 3rd party cookies soon, similar to what Firefox and Safari have already done in the past. But they will still track you in Chrome using a new system they are developing called Floc. It basically puts you into big user groupings, with other users with similar surfing habits, and will then serve you targeted ads that way. Still a bit creepy in my opinion:
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“Have you ever wondered: Where does this link go? The URL redirect checker follows the path of the URL. It will show you the full redirection path of URLs, shortened links, or tiny URLs.”
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A friendly reminder that if anyone ever steals your identity in the U.S., make sure this website is the first place you visit:
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Apple’s privacy labels have arrived in the app store — similar to the nutrition labels you get on the side of food items. They essentially describe how an app uses your data. “A label might say that an app wants to collect your location data, financial details, and contact information” This is a brilliant move by Apple, bravo.
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A glimpse of the future: both the US and China are testing swarms of ‘suicide drones’ – yes you read that right – that can all fly simultaneously using AI, on command, and attack multiple targets at once. Crazy.
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Firefox browser has a new feature that will force your browser to surf exclusively to HTTPS sites. The feature will ask users before they want to access non-HTTPS sites. It’s similar to the HTTPS Everywhere browser extension. Good stuff
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If you guys want to know how to lock down parental controls on the various tech platforms, Wired has a great article on this.
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Brave browser is developing a search engine to compete with Google and Bing. It will be similar to DuckDuckGo, in that they will not track you in any way when you do searches. Sign up for their waiting list using he link below
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Nice resources by the FTC on how to avoid imposter scams, and to avoid Vishing calls pretending to be from Amazon or Apple
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5 great tips on how to lock down your home Wifi network
And 7 sensible tips on how to make your Android phone more secure
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If you use Gmail, here is a cool browser extension called Ugly Email that will block + notify you on which incoming emails have tracking pixels embedded in them. These tracking pixels will notify the sender when you open the email, which a ton of companies use by the way. You can also block these pixels by blocking the display of embedded images in emails (this can be turned off in your email settings).
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Microsoft has a built-in password manager in their Microsoft Edge browser, and it will sync your passwords between all your devices.
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The super secure Signal now has encrypted group calls, allowing users to speak in an end-to-end encrypted group video chats of up to 5 people.
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Consumer Reports has launched its Security Planner, which helps you understand security risks and what you can do to be more secure with your very own personalized plan Simply answer a few simple questions to get customized recommendations – to help you safely backup files, browse online without tracking, avoid phishing scams, and prevent identity theft
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LastPass has revised its free accounts policy, to no longer allow cloud syncing across devices, which I think is annoying. Moving forward, free users will have to pay for cloud syncing. Or, you can use alternatives such as 1Password or Bitwarden (which also has a free tier).
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#ClickGameOver