Here’s How to Steer Clear of Bot Accounts on Social Media
“Congratulations, you’re a winner!” “Did you know this public figure is trying to make your life worse? Click here for what they don’t want you to know.” “Save thousands today with just one click!” Spam and bot accounts on social media are everywhere. You’ve likely encountered messages like these that attempt to get you to […] more…The AI-powered cyberattack era is here
Prognosticators have been prognosticating for 20 years about a future in which hackers use AI to breach networks, steal data, and socially engineer credulous employees. And like so many AI-related futurisms in the age of LLM-based generative AI, this prediction is coming true. Anthropic reported last week that a hacker used its technology for an […] more…Start the New Year Right With This 3-Step Digital Detox
Pledging to follow healthier habits is consistently the most popular new year’s resolution. That January 1st promise looks different to everyone: snacking less often, going to the gym more often, drinking more water, drinking less soda, etc. This year, instead of a juice cleanse subscription, opt for a healthier habit that’s not an unappetizing shade […] more…Getting Your Kids Ready for School—And Their Smartphones Too
If you’re the parent of a tween or teen, chances are they’re not the only ones going back to school. Their smartphones are going back too. Our recent global research showed just how many tweens and teens use a smartphone. Plenty. Depending on the age band, that figure ranges anywhere from 76% to 93%, with […] more…Seniors: How to Keep Your Retirement Safe from Online Scams
The growing number of internet crimes targeting senior adults is mind-blowing. In 2021, more than 92,000 people over the age of 60 reported losses of $1.7 billion, according to IC3, the FBI’s Internet Crime division. That number reflects a 74 percent increase in losses from 2020. These numbers tell us a few things. They tell […] more…Spam and phishing in Q3 2021
Quarterly highlights Scamming championship: sports-related fraud This summer and early fall saw some major international sporting events. The delayed Euro 2020 soccer tournament was held in June and July, followed by the equally delayed Tokyo Olympics in August. Q3 2021 also featured several F1 Grand Prix races. There was no way that cybercriminals and profiteers could […] more…Great R packages for data import, wrangling, and visualization
The table below shows my favorite go-to R packages for data import, wrangling, visualization and analysis — plus a few miscellaneous tasks tossed in. The package names in the table are clickable if you want more information. To find out more about a package once you’ve installed it, type help(package = "packagename") in your R […] more…How to Prepare for Your Child’s First Smartphone
If only more things in life came with training wheels; a child’s first smartphone could certainly use some. Like taking off the training wheels and riding out into the neighborhood for the first time, a smartphone opens an entirely new world for children. There are apps, social media, group chats with friends, TikTok stars, and the joy of simply being “in” with their classmates and […] more…Twitter Drama and What Parents Need to Know
With more teens flocking to social networks outside of Facebook, it’s more important than ever for parents to understand—and coach their kids—through the rapid-moving, drama-filled environment of Twitter. Twitter has become a hot spot for teens, many of whom view Tweets the same way they view texts. They tweet quickly and often. And, sometimes things […] more…Shady Surfing: Online Ads 182x More Likely than Adult Websites to Infect Your PC
Wait…what! You heard it right: According to a recent security report, Internet users are 182 times more likely to get a virus from clicking on online ads than visiting an adult website. At first glance, this sounds extremely counterintuitive (and it is). In theory, wouldn’t your risk go up when visiting shady sites? Yes and […] more…Facebook Spam Leverages, Abuses Instagram App
The downside of popularity is that cybercriminals tend to abuse it for their own nefarious ends. Case in point, social networking sites have been often used to proliferate malware. Just recently, we spotted a Facebook clickjacking attack that leverages and abuses Instagram to point users to malicious websites. Users encounter this threat by being tagged […] more…
Beware, the Curious Case of iPhone Spyware
The new iPhone spy app launched officially by the Apple Store ought to be turning quite a few heads at this point. The name of the app is enough to stop everyone in their tracks. ‘Stalker’ is now available for download and only costing a meager 99 cents, there is no reason that anyone should not be one. […] more…More information
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