The difference between a VPN and a proxy

You’ve heard of VPNs, and you may have come across the term “proxy” or “proxy server” before. If you’re like most people, you may be wondering if there’s actually a difference between the two — and asking yourself whether or not a VPN is more secure than a proxy.

The short answer is that VPNs and proxies perform similar functions, but do so in different ways. Depending on your needs, one of them is probably a better choice than the other. 

In this short article, we’ll explain the differences between VPNs and …

Checklist 185: Real Looking Scams and Fake Looking Help

This week on the Checklist, we cover:

Deeper analysis of Covid-19 scam domainsBank whose letters set off alarm bellsPossible GDPR problem for Germany’s Apple Stores

Coronavirus scam sites: a taxonomy

For the past couple of months, we’ve covered stories related to Covid-19 scams and security threats. One thing we noted early on was a surge in domain name registration for new websites related to the pandemic. While many of these were completely legitimate, initial research indicated that an unusual number of these new domains were malicious. 

In an effort to better understand the threat …

Kaiji malware: a new IoT threat

Security researchers have discovered a new family of malware, dubbed “Kaiji”, that targets Internet of Things (IoT) devices and Linux servers.

Checklist 184: Safe Passwords with Bart Busschots

This week on the Checklist, we sit down with a special guest to talk about passwords — plus we’ll update you on Google’s efforts to build a safer smart home.

Passwords for humans

If you’ve listened to the Checklist before, you know that the importance of good passwords is a favorite theme of ours — because it’s such a fundamental aspect of digital security and privacy.

This week, we sat down to talk with Bart Busschots, creator of xkpasswd, a web-based tool that helps users generate strong, unique passwords that are actually easy …

Google finds zero-click bugs affecting iOS, macOS, and more

his week, Google researchers announced that they had discovered multiple “zero-click” bugs in Apple’s image-processing framework. Such vulnerabilities could potentially be used to develop exploits…

Checklist 183: Tracing the Contact Tracing Story

This week, we’ll highlight some big decisions about mobile contact tracing from around the world — and we’ll also let you know what’s going on over at Apple (spoiler: get ready to update iOS).

Checklist 182: Tech Versus Tech Versus Coronavirus

This week, a special guest talks about the Apple/Google contact tracing tool (and the one proposed by France and Germany), plus we’ll share an important warning about a new text messaging scam.

What is Fleeceware?

The term “fleeceware” was coined by the British security researchers who have been investigating it. It refers to apps that charge an excessive monthly subscription fee after a brief trial period has ended — even if a user has uninstalled the app from their device.

Apple releases new iPhone SE

Apple has just released the new iPhone SE after months of speculation and rumors, and will begin taking pre-orders for the compact and powerful new device on Friday, 17 April. The most affordable iPhone on the market, the iPhone SE starts at just $399 (USD) for an entry-level model. 

In what follows, we’ll give you an overview of the iPhone SE’s major features, including the implications for security and privacy.

Size, storage, pricing, exterior

The iPhone SE has a 4.7-inch Retina HD display, making it almost identical to the iPhone 8 physically. 

The base …

Checklist 181: Tech Takes on Coronavirus

This week, Ken looks at the Apple/Google team-up on contact tracing, Apple’s use of Maps data to fight the spread of COVID-19, and a story about brand phishing that’s not coronavirus related. Mostly.

Apple and Google Develop Covid-19 Contact Tracing Tool

Apple and Google have announced that they’re working together to create a Covid-19 contact tracing framework for mobile devices. In this piece, we’ll tell you what you need to know about this important new technology.

What is it?

The joint project is aimed at developing a Bluetooth-based contact tracing system that will alert iOS and Android users if they’ve come into contact with someone who has been diagnosed with Covid-19.

When will it be available?

The system is being deployed in two stages. In May, Apple and Google plan to release APIs (Application Programming …

Teaching computers to kids

With schools closed indefinitely, many of us are looking for ways to keep our kids engaged and occupied at home (without just plonking them down in front of the TV for hours at a time!).

Checklist 180: Scams, Sign-Ins, and Automatic Updates

This week on the Checklist, we’ll share a new warning about coronavirus scams, update you on the state of Apple’s secure sign-in service, and debate the merits of our own advice!

Four Apps for Helping Others

The Covid-19 pandemic has created an enormous amount of stress and uncertainty. It’s understandable: We’re worried about our relatives, nervous about the state of the economy, and concerned for our own health. We all want to know when things will return to normal, but there is no clear answer to that question.

There’s a lot that is out of our control. At times like this, many people find that doing something to help others — taking positive action to bring some good into the world — can actually help to alleviate …

Cybersecurity Film and TV Guide

Many of us will be stuck inside for the foreseeable future. But while we won’t be heading to the movies any time soon, that doesn’t mean we have to go without entertainment!

Checklist 179: An Updates Update

Apple has released updates for a number of apps and OSes over the past couple of weeks. In this Checklist, we’ll take you through the most important of these — covering new features as well as security fixes.

LightSpy: APT malware for iOS

Security researchers have discovered a new form of iOS malware that they’ve dubbed LightSpy affecting both iOS and Android.

A Checklist of Checklists Around Covid-19

The Checklist is taking a break this week, but with all that’s going on in the world, and with so many new changes to the way we live and work, we wanted to point you to some resources that can help keep you safe and happy.

Apple’s March 2020 Updates

Apple has just released a raft of updates, and some of them have important security and privacy implications. In this brief article, we’ll highlight some of the key points from Cupertino’s release notes and explain their significance. Then (in a sign of the times) we’ll offer a special addendum to our update guidance.

macOS 10.15.4

Version 10.15.4 of macOS patches a number of serious vulnerabilities. Related security patches were also issued to support older versions of the operating system; these were named Security Update 2020-002 Mojave and Security Update 2020-002 High Sierra.

One …

Avoiding Covid-19 Financial Relief Scams

In a bid to blunt the economic fallout from the Covid-19 pandemic, U.S. lawmakers have proposed a program of direct relief payments to citizens. The first payments are expected sometime in April 2020, though the specifics are still undetermined. However, due to the high potential for fraudsters to take advantage of the situation, the United States Federal Trade Commission has already issued an alert to the public to be on the lookout for scams.

In what follows, we’ll talk about several scams you may encounter, and tell you what you should …