Don’t look for a job on Facebook: An ad campaign is pushing “digital advertising” jobs. Click it, and you’ll end up with password-stealing malware on your machine. Stick with finding a real, good job on LinkedIn,folks.
Top tech myths you need to stop worrying about
Let’s bust some tech myths wide open! I’ve heard them all, and it’s time to set the record straight to keep you ahead of the game.
Myth: 5G causes cancer.
Fact: Relax, folks. The World Health Organization (WHO) and other health agencies have done extensive research and found no adverse health effects linked to 5G. It uses the same type of nonionizing radio frequencies as 4G and Wi-Fi, neither of which damage our DNA or cells.
Myth: Closing apps on your phone saves battery.
Fact: Both iOS and Android OS manage background apps efficiently, keeping them in a low-power state. Reopening an app consumes more energy than resuming it from this low-power state. Instead, lower your screen brightness, disable unnecessary notifications and use battery-saving modes.
Myth: More RAM means a faster computer.
Fact: While more RAM can improve multitasking, upgrading your hard drive from an HDD to an SSD will boost performance by reducing load times.
Myth: You should always let your phone’s battery drain fully before recharging.
Fact: Older nickel-cadmium batteries suffered from the “memory effect.” Completely draining a lithium-ion battery in today’s newer phones will shorten its lifespan. Lithium-ion batteries work best when kept charged between 20% and 80%.
Myth: Incognito mode keeps your browsing activity completely anonymous.
Fact: Incognito mode only prevents your browser from saving your history, cookies and form data. It doesn’t hide your activity from your ISP, your employer (if you’re using a work computer) or the websites you visit. For more comprehensive privacy protection, use a VPN.
Myth: You should always use your monitor’s highest resolution.
How to stop spam texts for good
Remember back in the day when you didn’t think twice about putting your cell number and email address into any form that asked for it? If you’re thinking, “Uh, Kim, I still do that,” I’m about to make your life so much easier.
How ironic: Security training company KnowBe4’s latest remote hire turned out to be a collection of North Korean hackers. When they mailed the “employee” a company-issued Mac to the guy’s phony home address (that was really a hacker farm), it was immediately loaded up with malware. How’d he get through HR screening? An AI-edited stock headshot — something they should’ve checked before hiring the guy.
280 million
Chrome users who have installed shady extensions in the past three years. These extensions included malware and often asked for advanced permissions during installation. On average, dangerous extensions stayed in the Chrome store for over a year before getting the boot. Good job there, Google.
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.
Don’t click the ads – Might be malware
When I have a question now, whether it’s finding a recipe or doing math, I’m using AI a lot more than doing a good ol’ Google Search. My go-to is ChatGPT, but Perplexity is useful, too. I often ask both AI bots the same question as a way to double-check things. Google Gemini is a big “meh” to me so far.
⚠️ Job seekers, beware: North Korean hackers are setting up fake job interviews. Their goal is to break into Macs. How it works: They ask you to join a meeting by downloading a file called “MiroTalk.dmg.” It’s hiding info-stealing malware. Next time you get an offer, vet the company and stick to using trusted software already on your computer.
🛑 Been saying this for years: A new lawsuit claims Chinese app Temu is essentially malware that accesses everything on your phone, from texts to emails, and sells your data to third parties. Temu says they’re “surprised” by the lawsuit and blame misinformation. If you still have the app, delete it ASAP.
Bad ads: Fake Google ads for browser company Arc are routing people to a landing page that looks nearly identical to the real one. When you install the software, malware sends your data to a shady IP address. Tip: If a download tells you to right-click to open instead of just double-clicking, it’s a scam. That’s a trick they use to bypass macOS security.
Web safety alert: Over 100,000 websites, including Hulu, are victims of a security breach. They all use a compromised JavaScript library that could redirect users to scam sites, install malware, and even swipe usernames, passwords and credit card info. Watch out for rogue pop‑ups.
A dangerous Google Chrome scam: It’s planting malware that starts with a pop-up when you try to open a webpage or document. It’ll then tell you to copy and paste text into Windows PowerShell. No, don’t do this. Time to add a trusted ad blocker to your browser to avoid this scam and the thousands of others that get you the same way.
🚨 TikTok malware in your DMs: Celebs like Paris Hilton and big brands like CNN are getting hacked on TikTok — no clicks needed! Just opening a DM lets the malware sneak right in (paywall link). The strange part? The infected accounts haven’t posted anything fishy yet.
600,000 routers
Destroyed in 72 hours by a mysterious hacker. In October 2023, thousands of Windstream internet customers reported their routers had suddenly gone dark. A new security report reveals it was a targeted attack using a single piece of malware anyone can find online. The who and why are both still a mystery.
A slew of Trump fakes are coming – How to spot them
Folks, before you even think about writing me a note saying, “You wrote this ‘cause you hate Trump” or “You wrote this ‘cause you love Trump,” don’t waste your time. I’m not talking politics today, and I’m not taking sides. I’m protecting you from falling for deepfakes and the absolute barrage of junk you can expect on social media in the coming days, weeks and months.
🔍 App traps: Over 90 apps with a combined 5.5 million downloads were spotted hiding malware in the Google Play Store. At the top of the list are PDF Reader & File Manager and QR Reader & File Manager, both packing the Anatsa banking Trojan that steals financial info. If you downloaded a compromised app, do a factory reset on your phone ASAP.
Getting cash is annoying: Split the check for drinks, a concert, vacation — whatever — through Venmo. Open the Venmo app and add your pals as contacts. Choose Pay/Request at the bottom of the screen. Tap the names of the people you want to split the check with. Enter the amount and click Split. You can customize the amount for each person.
🛑 Free malware with purchase: Android TV boxes promising free streaming “forever” are filled with malware and marketed online like they’re from Google. They’re not. TV shopping? Look for the words “Android TV OS,” not just “Android TV.”
👾 Windows and macOS users, beware: Hackers are spreading malware through fake versions of popular apps including 1Password, Bartender 5 and Pixelmator Pro. The malware disables security features and steals your info. That’s bad. Be smart and download apps from official stores only.