The personal information of 143-million people may have been compromised when the consumer credit reporting agency Equifax was hacked. What do we know about the attack? And what can we do going forward?

We know that an unsecured Internet of Things (IoT) thing like a light bulb or a web-connected picture frame can become part of a botnet or a dedicated denial of service attack. But how does that happen? That’s the topic of today’s show.

With malicious networks using tens of millions of computers and devices to serve up spam, run denial of service attacks, and more, botnets are a threat we can’t ignore.

On today’s episode, we’re looking at the way technological change has affected modern medicine, threats the healthcare industry faces, and what we can do to protect patient safety now and in the future.

The rise of artificial intelligence in the consumer space seems to have happened overnight. It feels like we’ve gone from Apple’s introduction of Siri to virtual assistants everywhere in the blink of an eye. On today’s episode, we’ll be covering some security concerns that accompany the rise of AI.

On today’s episode we’ll be taking a look at spyware: what it does, where it comes from, and what you can do to defend against it.

Sometimes it’s pretty obvious when you’ve got a malware infection – ransomware lets you know that your files have been encrypted and are being held for ransom, while adware spawns endless popups in your web browser. Spyware operates a bit differently, and unlike other types of malware it prefers to remain hidden on an infected system. It might come as a surprise, but some spyware …

Today’s episode of The Checklist is all about identity theft. With the right information, the wrong people can steal your identity – basically pretend to be you – and do a lot of damage in your name, and to your name.

On today’s Checklist, we’re cracking open the history books! We’ll be looking at the evolution of malware: from the early days of “joke” viruses to the serious threat it poses today.

In the world of security, deception is as big a threat as any malware you might find. From spear phishing to scary sounding phone calls, these threats all fall into the same category: social engineering.

Today’s episode is all about encryption. We’ll look at encryption across time – from ancient history, to encountering it today on the web.

Today’s episode is all about spam! No, not the mystery meat, but rather those mountains of junk email that clog up your inbox and take up your time.

Today, Internet connectivity doesn’t just include computers and phones. It’s lights, cameras, thermostats, and more. It’s called the Internet of Things, and it’s the topic of today’s show! In this episode we’ll be taking a closer look at security concerns that come with all these new IoT devices.

When it comes to online security, there are all sorts of ways to prove we are who we say we are. On this week’s Checklist, we’re talking authentication, authorization, and the difference between the two.

Ransomware, malware, DDoS attacks… Those are the kinds of things we tend to think of when someone says the work “hacker” today. That’s not what the word used to mean, though. We’re doing a bit of hacker history on today’s checklist, looking at Apple’s hacker roots and how that led to the ever growing Apple ecosystem.

Ever wonder how to become a computer security expert? On this edition of The Checklist, we’re looking at ways that anyone with a drive for it can pick up computer security skills and start down the path to becoming a computer security professional.

The world saw one of the largest ransomware attacks conducted so far just a couple of weeks ago. The story has captured public attention for longer than most digital security stories, and for good reason. From its shadowy origins to its very visible effects, the ransomware known as ‘WannaCrypt’ or ‘WannaCry’ is the topic for today’s edition of The Checklist.