Is it real? Is it fake?  Deepfake technology has certainly made everything far more complicated online. How do you know for sure what’s real? Can you actually trust anything anymore? Recently, a Hong Kong company lost A$40 million in a deepfake scam after an employee transferred money following a video call with a scammer who looked like his boss! Even Oprah and Taylor have been affected by deepfake scammers using them to promote dodgy online schemes. So, how do we get our heads around it, and just as importantly, how do we help our kids understand it? Don’t stress – I got you. Here’s wh ..read more

A new packed variant of the Redline Stealer trojan was observed in the wild, leveraging Lua bytecode to perform malicious behavior. McAfee telemetry data shows this malware strain is very prevalent, covering North America, South America, Europe, and Asia and reaching Australia. Infection Chain   GitHub is being abused to host the malware file at Microsoft’s official account in the vcpkg repository https[:]//github[.]com/microsoft/vcpkg/files/14125503/Cheat.Lab.2.7.2.zip McAfee Web Advisor blocks access to this malicious download Cheat.Lab.2.7.2.zip is a zip file with hash 5e37b32890 ..read more

Imagine receiving a call from a loved one, only to discover it’s not them but a convincing replica created by voice cloning technology. This scenario might sound like something out of a sci-fi movie, but it became a chilling reality for a Brooklyn couple featured in a New Yorker article who thought their loved ones were being held for ransom. The perpetrators used voice cloning to extort money from the couple as they feared for the lives of the husband’s parents.   Their experience is a stark reminder of the growing threat of voice cloning attacks and the importance of safeguarding ..read more

‘Ensure your privacy settings are set to the highest level’ – if you’ve been reading my posts for a bit then you’ll know this is one of my top online safety tips. I’m a fan of ensuring that what you (and your kids) share online is limited to only the eyes that you trust. But let’s talk honestly. When was the last time you checked that your privacy settings were nice and tight? And what about your kids? While we all like to think they take our advice, do you think they have? Or it is all a bit complicated?  ‘We Don’t Want To Share Everything with Everybody’  Research from McAfee conf ..read more

In recent news, Roku, a leading streaming platform, reported that over 591,000 user accounts were affected by credential stuffing attacks. This incident underscores the critical importance of safeguarding your online accounts against cyber threats. Here’s what you need to know to protect yourself and your streaming accounts.   As a proactive security measure, Roku has reset the passwords for all affected accounts. It is also notifying customers about the data leak and is refunding or reversing charges for those with unauthorized charges made by cybercriminals.  Understanding Cr ..read more

Some conversations on social media can get … heated. Some can cross the line into harassment. Or worse.  Harassment on social media has seen an unfortunate rise in recent years. Despite platforms putting in reporting mechanisms, policies, and even using AI to detect and remove harmful speech, people are seeing more and more harassment on social media.  Yet even as it becomes more prevalent, nothing about it is usually. Or acceptable. No, you can’t prevent social media harassment. Yet you can protect yourself in the face of these attacks.  Online harassment statistics continue t ..read more

In a world where digital communication dominates, the art of scamming has evolved into a sophisticated game of deception. A recent story in The Cut featured a seasoned personal finance journalist falling prey to an Amazon scam call and being duped out of a staggering $50,000. The story serves as a stark reminder that anyone, regardless of their expertise or background, can become a victim of vishing. Short for “voice phishing,” vishing is a form of cybercrime where scammers use phone calls to deceive individuals into revealing personal or financial information.  Contrary to common belief ..read more

Four in ten Americans say they use peer-to-peer payment services, like Venmo, PayPal, or Apple Pay, at least once a month. These platforms have made it even easier to send money by adding QR codes that people can quickly scan to pull up someone’s profile and complete a payment. Two-thirds of restaurants have started including QR codes on tables to access menus. Scanning QR codes has become a normal, convenient way to exchange money or information.  Unfortunately, scammers are always looking for ways to take advantage of moments when people are primed to part with their money. The Federal ..read more

In today’s digital landscape, distinguishing between legitimate communications and phishing attempts can feel like navigating a labyrinth blindfolded. Phishing is a deceptive tactic where cybercriminals use fraudulent emails, texts, or messages to trick individuals into revealing sensitive information or clicking on malicious links. And let’s not forget its crafty sibling, “smishing” – the text message iteration of this digital charade.  Now that most brands and even government agencies communicate with consumers via text or email, it’s hard to know whether a message is legit or not. Con ..read more

When you open your laptop or your mobile device, what is the first thing you do? Do you head to your favorite social media site to skim the latest news, or do you place your weekly grocery delivery order? No matter what your daily online habits are, even the slightest degree of caution can go a long way in staying secure online.   That’s because hackers are experts at hiding malware in your everyday online routines, or even infiltrating your cookies to steal login information and learn about your personal preferences.   According to a StatsCan Canadian internet use survey, six out o ..read more