Don’t believe everything you see on the internet. It’s easier than ever to fake famous faces.
Your network is a target for hackers
“That would never happen to me.” That’s probably what these people thought.
- There’s the couple who woke up to a stranger talking dirty to their infant son in the middle of the night through his baby cam and monitor.
- Then, there’s the family targeted by a hacker who cranked up their smart thermostat to unbearably high temperatures.
And don’t forget the countless other stories of home security cameras being hacked.
Get this: The average home and all its internet-connected devices experience about 10 attacks every 24 hours. Everything from your smart light bulbs to your smart thermostat is a way in. The answer isn’t to throw your hands up or ditch your smart gear. You just need to know how to protect your home the right way.
‘Wouldn’t I know if I got hacked?’
Some of these attacks are loud and in your face, like the email trying to extort you or a computer flashing with pop-ups. But some happen quietly in the background, like these:
- Botnet recruitment: Getting into your network means hackers may be able to add you to an army of infected devices. Their goal? To use all that power to carry out bigger attacks and hacks.
- Data theft: Most smart devices collect at least some personal details, like your location, behaviors, health data — whatever. This kind of info is worth money on the dark web.
- Spying: Think listening in, watching, recording or otherwise stealing info, often to bolster a future attack.
- Cryptojacking: Thieves want to steal your computer’s processing power and internet connection to mine cryptocurrency and reap the profits.
Your computer might be protected
Windows PCs and Macs both have a built-in firewall that does the bare minimum.
- On Windows: Open Control Panel, then type firewall into the search box. Click Windows Defender Firewall. In the left pane, tap Turn Windows Defender Firewall on or off to enable it.
- On Mac: Click the Apple menu > System Settings > Firewall, then turn it on.
Now, it’s important to know your computer’s software firewall means nothing if your security cams, smart bulbs and network are under attack. It’s common knowledge that most internet-connected devices have no security protocols.
That’s where a physical firewall comes in. It’s a safeguard between your devices and the internet. More specifically, a firewall provides:
6 safe smart gadgets for a high-tech nursery
Putting smart speakers in your living room is one thing, but if you’re going to have a connected device in your nursery, you need to know it’s secure.
Case in point: A popular baby monitor that allowed hackers to spy on live video of parents and their babies. Yeah. Scary. This isn’t the place to be cheap, folks. I found these top-rated, ultra-safe smart devices to make those early days a lot less stressful.
Feelin’ like summer
- Sounds like a gimmick, but the Chill-O-Matic cools a can in 60 seconds. Right now, it’s 14% off, too!
- If you’re living on the porch this summer, this outdoor Wi-Fi extender (20% off) gives you better internet out there.
- Forget a wet bandana. A neck fan (21% off) is your new gardening best friend.
- When the kitchen is full of fruit flies, plug in one of these sticky traps. All the grossness is on the back, phew.
- Love these LED lights ($9.99) that pop onto outdoor umbrellas. Dinner alfresco? Yes, please!
Say no: If your bank asks you to set up your voice profile attached to your account, decline. You can bet hackers are trolling the internet to get clips of folks talking to make their own deepfake copies. A fingerprint or a solid password are safer login methods.
🛰️ Something to ruin your sleep: Hackers’ newest target is outer space, where they could disable satellite GPS signals for airplanes, boats and cars … or take down all satellites providing the internet. The right mind could even corrupt planetary probe data, giving inaccurate atmospheric or water readings on Mars. Yikes.
Let’s do a fun math problem that’s stumping the internet. “A bat and a ball cost $1.10 in total. The bat costs $1.00 more than the ball. How much does the ball cost?”
500 pet photos
Just got beamed into space by NASA. They’re testing a fast, new data link between Earth and the International Space Station. The data travels at 1.2 gigabits per second, which is probably faster than your home internet. Don’t stop retrievin’!
Your car is a target – Don’t get hacked or duped
Ever heard of wrapping your key fob in aluminum foil? It sounds a little crazy, but it’s a smart move. Your key fob’s signal is surprisingly easy for criminals to intercept using cheap scanners sold online. Thieves can open your car without setting off any alarms. If you have a true keyless car model, they might just drive away. Wrapping your fob in foil blocks the signals.
Pig-butchering scams cost Americans $4B a year – Don’t be a victim
Looking for love online? Keep your head on a swivel for pig-butchering scams.
Cybercrooks play the long game in this one. They “fatten you up” with lovey-dovey texts over months, and then, once they have your trust, they send you to slaughter with a crypto scam.
AI is stealing your voice from the internet
It’s easier than ever to copy a real human voice. Just think about all the harm that could cause. Scary stuff, folks. Pro tip: Set all your online accounts to private.
This week 19 years ago, a site that’s still going strong launched. Was it … A.) Reddit, B.) Wikipedia, C.) Tumblr or D.) LinkedIn?
Attention, campers and hikers: SpaceX is launching a backpack-sized Starlink Mini satellite antenna for $599. Monthly service is $150 with speeds over 100 Mbps. No, it’s not cheap, and you’re capped at 50GB per month, with extra data usage setting you back $1 for each gigabyte. FYI: Streaming a two-hour movie in 1080p eats 5GB to 8GB. But heck yeah, you have the internet wherever the path leads.
🛰️ Get cheaper Starlink internet: Folks in one of the 28 U.S. states with “extra capacity” can get SpaceX’s Starlink dish for $200 off ($299, plus shipping and tax) and $90 a month for internet. That’s a huge discount — the dish is regularly $499 and the service is normally around $120 a month. If you’re considering Starlink, jump on it now.
Major ISP hacked: Around 750,000 Frontier Internet customers had their info stolen in a ransomware attack. No financial data was grabbed, but the info does include full names, Social Security numbers, birthdays and home addresses — more than enough to steal your identity. If you use Frontier, put up your scam guard. Cybercriminals may have a boatload more info on you now.
Remote tribe gets internet access, immediate porn addiction
I’ve been to the Amazon and experienced its remote wonderland. I remember standing in a lush rainforest, in the warm, humid air, surrounded by the sounds of exotic birds. The people are wonderful and almost childlike in their trusting nature. But let me tell you, I still get chills thinking of the swarms of bullet ants that grow over an inch long, fishing for piranhas and avoiding tons of snakes.
🚨 Data held hostage by LockBit ransomware? Don’t negotiate with terrorists. The FBI is giving out 7,000 free decryption keys you can use to unlock your data without paying a ransom. If you’re affected, you’ll probably know it (i.e., you won’t be able to access files on your computer). Go to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center to snag your free key.
Play as you go: Uber wants to make your ride more fun. Hidden code in Uber’s latest iPhone app update hints at mini-games coming soon with data or an internet connection required. Why? It’s another way to serve you ads, of course.