Security researcher Phil Stokes on the state of Mac malware

Phil Stokes is a malware researcher and technical writer for SentinelOne, an emerging powerhouse in the world of enterprise cybersecurity. He is also an independent app developer who has created several macOS troubleshooting tools. In March, he will present his research at the Objective by the Sea 3.0 macOS security conference. We spoke with Phil about the state of Mac malware today — and why Apple is going to need all the help it can get.

New research suggests that Mac malware is increasing exponentially — and even beginning …

The Checklist 175: Certified Good for a Limited Time

On this week’s Checklist, we’ll talk about Apple’s moves to improve web security. We’ll look at what Google is doing to make downloads safer. And last but not least, we’ll give you a quick intro to data breach prevention.

Is Mac malware really outpacing Windows malware?

Earlier this month, security researchers at Malwarebytes released a bombshell report which claimed that Mac malware threats were outpacing Windows threats for the first time ever. The report analyzed data taken from a variety of sources, including telemetry from the actual Mac and Windows machines of home and enterprise users. The core findings were remarkable, to say the least: a 400% year-over-year increase in Mac-specific threats and an eyebrow-raising 2:1 threat to endpoint ratio when comparing macOS and Windows platforms.

In this short article, we’ll take a closer look at the …

Checklist 174: Building a Safer Nest

This week on the Checklist, we’ll start off with a big list of tips to keep your iPhone safe and happy … and then we’ll take a new look at Google’s Nest smart home devices.

7 Cybersecurity Tips for E-Filing Taxes in 2020

With the April 15 tax filing deadline just weeks away, millions of U.S. taxpayers are getting ready to electronically file their tax returns. But electronic data transfer carries risks…

4 Tax Scams to Avoid in 2020

For U.S. residents, the annual April 15 tax filing deadline is fast approaching. Unfortunately, every year around this time, fraudsters attempt to take advantage of people’s understandable anxiety over tax delinquency and refund issues with an array of scams.

What is Doxware?

Ransomware is a major security threat which affects individuals, businesses, and governments. Over the past few years, researchers have noticed an increase in a new type of ransomware: doxware.

Checklist 173: Are you smarter than the average startup?

On this week’s Checklist, we’ll talk about the malware that’s infected millions of Macs worldwide, a social media service with data privacy issues, and the most common security problems facing startups.

3 Common Valentine’s Day scams (and how to avoid them)

It’s almost Valentine’s Day … but Cupid isn’t the only one looking for targets. Every year, hackers and scammers take advantage of people’s emotions around this holiday and do serious financial and psychological damage.

The SecureMac Interview: Voatz on mobile voting

Voatz is a privately-owned mobile voting platform backed by blockchain technology. The company began somewhat spontaneously — founder Nimit Sawhney built the prototype on a whim during a SXSW hackathon — but has since grown into a full-fledged mobile voting company, operating public and private elections around the country and attracting millions of dollars in funding from investors.

We sat down with the team at Voatz to discuss their platform, and to get their take on the larger issues surrounding technology and democracy.

Free and fair elections …

Best of the Checklist: February 6th, 2020

The Checklist is taking a brief hiatus, but will return next week with a new show. In the meantime, check out these Checklists from the archives.

8 Tips to Keep your iPhone Healthy and Safe

Your iPhone is a marvel of engineering: slick, powerful, and easy to use. But it’s also a complex device, with lots of little-known features — and it’s not immune to security issues. Here are 8 tips to help you get more out of your iPhone, and to keep it running smoothly and safely for years to come.

Apple Updates macOS, iOS, and more

Apple has released updated versions of its major operating systems, with some important bug fixes and security patches. In this brief article, we’ll take you through the highlights of the release notes and let you know what they mean.

Checklist 172: A Ring of Trouble

On this week’s Checklist, we’ll revisit the issues with Amazon’s Ring, take another look at iCloud backups, and hit the highlights from Apple’s latest round of OS updates.

6 Things to Know about Open Firmware Password Protection

Macs are very safe computers, but they’re not immune to attacks — or to theft. Luckily, your Mac has some hidden features that can be enabled for extra security. One of these is Open Firmware Password Protection. Here’s what you need to know about it.

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Apple in space: 7 things you should know

Toward the end of last year, reports and rumors surfaced about a top-secret Apple program to develop satellite communications technology.

Apple and the FBI

The government wants Apple to unlock a terrorist’s iPhone. Are they asking the impossible?

In the wake of the December terrorist attack at Naval Air Station Pensacola, in which three service members lost their lives, the federal government has renewed calls for Apple to provide a “backdoor” by which authorities can bypass the encryption on iPhones.

In this brief article, we’ll look at the background to this most recent clash between Apple and the U.S. Department of Justice, and we’ll examine the issue from a technical perspective as …

Checklist 171: Here, FIDO!

On this week’s Checklist, we’ll see how private your iCloud backups really are; we’ll examine the strange story of how the richest person in the world got hacked; and finally, we’ll look at a technology that promises a better way to do 2FA.

This week on the Checklist:

Considering iCloud and end-to-end encryptionA WhatsApp bromance gone badIf you’ve got an iPhone, here’s FIDO!

 
What happens in your iCloud…

We’ve known for a while that iCloud backup data isn’t protected by end-to-end encryption — meaning that encryption keys aren’t stored only on the user’s device, …

Cybersecurity New Year’s Resolution #4: Teach someone about cybersecurity

Rather than doing something to protect yourself, we’ll challenge you to teach someone else about cybersecurity and help them take steps to keep themselves safe.

Checklist 170: A Great Big List + Home Insecurity

On this week’s Checklist, we’ll take a look at someone else’s checklist of security tips, plus we’ll talk about what happens when companies that don’t specialize in security decide to get into the security business.