Spies want in on your router

May 6, 2024

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Is yours at risk? Hackers’ new side hustle is charging Chinese and Russian spies and scammers for access to old home routers so they can launch denial-of-service (DoS) attacks. Plus, Google blocks romance writer, worst airlines for luggage, and Microsoft gets hacked.

Tags: access, airlines, attacks, charging, Chinese, download, Google, hacked, hackers, home, launch, luggage, Microsoft, new, old, open, Plus, risk, romance, router, routers, scammers, service, side hustle, Spies

In 2000, the fastest-moving and most widespread virus in history hit 3 million PCs in just six hours. Can you guess the subject line of the infected email? Was it … A.) “URGENT,” B.) “ILOVEYOU,” C.) “MONEY4YOU” or D.) “HOT PICS”?

Find the answer here →

Roughly 20% of people reuse passwords across multiple sites, and many don’t know the difference between a good password and bad password. You’re smarter than that — you read this newsletter! Remember, using three random words in a password is more secure than selecting random letters and numbers.

40 million records sold of Fleetwood Mac’s “Rumours.”

First released in 1977, it’s the bestselling record of all time — at least, until Taylor Swift’s records get a little longer to cook. How long do we think they’ve got?

☝️ What the frunk? A YouTuber tested the safety sensor on the Cybertruck’s front trunk (aka “frunk”) by closing it on his finger. Surprise: It “frunk”-ed up his hand. Apparently, when you try to close the frunk multiple times, it thinks you’re trying to shut it and slams even harder. Don’t rely on this “safety” feature, folks.

A new phishing email making the rounds says you’ve violated FB’s terms of service or “Community Standards.” It’ll ask you to click a link to “appeal” within 24 hours or have your account deleted. Don’t fall for it; they’re after your login details. Two tips to spot the fakes: Look for typos and emails where the sender’s email address doesn’t end in facebookmail.com.

Archaeologists carbon-dated a stretch of wall in ancient Jerusalem and confirmed a part of the Bible. Turns out, the wall experts once credited to King Hezekiah was actually built by King Uzziah after an earthquake — just like the Old Testament claimed. The scriptures read, “Uzziah built towers in Jerusalem … at the angle of the wall … two years before the earthquake.”

🌼 Bogus bloom: Chinese scammers are selling fake seeds on eBay for “cat’s eye dazzle.” News flash: Flowers that look like cats don’t exist. These AI-generated fakes are going for $45 and up. Older folks are the main targets. Similar phonies have been spotted on imseeds.com, gardenerstar.com, foundseed.com and dailyrosy.com.

A photographer snapped a pic of an incredibly rare blue rock-thrush bird in Oregon. These little guys, native to Europe and Asia, have never been recorded in North America. The birding community is chirping, with experts collaborating to verify it all. How’d the bird get here? Theories range from strong winds to hitching a ride on a ship. Isn’t that amazing?!

Stop leaving it up to chance: Today’s hackers have more tools than ever to fool even the savviest person. Protect your devices with a solid antivirus solution. It’s def worth the $19 a year, trust me.

Social media’s “perfect” filters are pushing Gen Zers to the Botox bandwagon. A whopping 75% of plastic surgeons say more under-30s are craving forehead smoothers and plumped lips, all to nail that perfect selfie.