Encrypted messaging apps: Everything you need to know

Privacy is hard to come by these days. Malicious actors, large corporations, and governments are constantly trying to look over your shoulder when you’re online.

But some in the tech community are fighting back. Tools like ad blockers, no-track browsers, and VPNs can help keep digital snoops in check. 

One of the most important of these technologies is encrypted messaging, which is available through a number of third-party and native applications.

So how do these messengers work? Are they all the same? And the million dollar question: Are they truly secure? Here’s what …

The SecureMac Interview: Security Researcher Patrick Wardle talks nation-state...

Patrick Wardle is a security researcher and software developer whose areas of expertise include macOS malware and nation-state threats.

Wardle is Principal Security Researcher at Jamf and creator of the Objective-See suite of security tools. He is also the founder of the world’s premier Mac security conference: Objective by the Sea.

We caught up with Patrick to talk about macOS security as well as the advanced threats being created by nation-state actors around the world.

CNN once called Patrick Wardle “a sweet guy” who could “hack …

Digital forensics and privacy: 3 things to know

Digital forensic analysts are the Sherlocks of cybersecurity, gathering and interpreting evidence from digital sources for use in criminal or civil court cases. While the field of digital forensics is an interesting topic in its own right, it’s also worth learning about if you’re interested in digital privacy issues. 

Understanding how digital forensic analysts work—and in particular, what they look for in their investigations—can teach you a lot about what’s going on behind the scenes on your computer. And once you know that, you can take steps to better protect your …

Checklist 162: Insecurity with a “light” touch

On this week’s Checklist, we’ll talk about a privacy issue with a privacy service. We’ll look at how social engineering works in practice by examining “SIM-swapping”. And we’ll check out a high-tech hacking story that reads like something out of a Hollywood thriller.

Here’s the Checklist for this week:

Taking the privacy out of VPNSIM-swapping 101An audio hack with a “light” touch

When VPNs go public

As many as 2,000 users of the popular VPN service Nord VPN may have had their accounts compromised in a credential stuffing attack.

Credential stuffing refers to the practice …

7 Facts About Ransomware Attacks on Local Government

High-profile ransomware attacks on city and state governments have made national and international news in the past year. Many people are left wondering how serious the problem is—and what, if anything, can be done about it.

5 Things to Know About Blockchain Voting

Free and fair elections are the cornerstone of any democracy. But in recent years, the integrity of the electoral process itself has been called into question.

People across the ideological spectrum are concerned about the political, technological, and social issues around voting: Foreign interference in elections, voter access issues, demonstrably insecure voting machines, and voter fraud. While we may disagree on the details, all of us want secure elections with reliable results.

Blockchain technology has been proposed as a solution to the challenges of modern voting—but many people are unsure about what …

Cybersecurity and healthcare: When infosec is a matter of life and death

We’ve talked about how cybersecurity affects enterprises and schools. But there’s another sector that is increasingly being targeted by cyberattacks: healthcare. The stakes are more than just financial—a cyberattack on a hospital or healthcare facility could literally become a matter of life and death.

In this article we’ll take a look at the state of cybersecurity in the healthcare sector, and detail the unique challenges faced by information security teams working to keep our hospitals safe.

The scope of the problem

The healthcare sector is vast. The US alone has over 6,000 hospitals …

Apple’s China Problem

In recent weeks, several high-profile US organizations have faced controversy due to their ties with China—and due to the actions which they took in order to preserve those ties.

Checklist 161: The Fixes Are In (Again)

This week on the Checklist, we’ll catch you up on what Apple has been doing to keep you safe. We’ll talk about some adware apps that got the boot from the App Store. And finally, we’ll look at the cybersecurity implications of Catholicism 2.0.

This week’s Checklist covers:

A look at the security bits of this week’s Apple updatesAdware violating apps kicked out of the App StoreDo rosary beads really need an app? Really?

To opt in, or to opt out, that is the question…

This week, Apple released a bevy of updates for …

Checklist 160: What If You Lose One Factor?

On this edition of The Checklist: What to do if you lose the 2FA “thing you have, Privacy concerns behind the wheel, and Who’s who and why you should fear them.

The SecureMac Interview: Nancy Willard on Cyberbullying

Nancy Willard is an educator and lawyer who runs Embrace Civility in the Digital Age, an organization dedicated to creating a culture of civility and positivity online through empowering teens and the adults who care for them. She is the author of several books, including the first book ever published on the topic of cyberbullying, Cyberbullying and Cyberthreats: Responding to the Challenge of Online Social Cruelty, Threats, and Distress.

SecureMac caught up with Nancy to ask her about the state of cyberbullying today, and what parents and …

Checklist 159: What That and Tencent Will Get You

This week on the Checklist, we’ll look at a troubling connection between Apple and the Chinese government. We’ll revisit the issue of IoT security (spoiler: It’s not getting any safer out there). And we’ll round out the list with a reminder that when it comes to cybersecurity, sharing is caring!

This week’s Checklist is: 

What Website Warnings and Tencent will get youSecurity and an Internet of Things thingAnd would you please join our street team? We offer benefits! 

Apple’s silent partner

Last week MacRumors reported on a connection between Apple and Chinese tech giant …

8 Things Small Businesses can do to Prevent a Data Breach

Big companies spend millions of dollars guarding against data breaches—and sometimes they still come up short. 

So how can small businesses prevent data breaches? Can it even be done? Fortunately, the answer is yes—and there are a number of simple, cost-effective things smaller organizations can do to minimize their risk and keep their customers safe.

Several of the insights in this piece came from our conversation data breach expert Troy Hunt, creator of the “Have I Been Pwned” data breach aggregation service. If you’d like to learn even more about data breaches …

The SecureMac Interview: Troy Hunt on data breaches

Troy Hunt is a Microsoft Regional Director and Microsoft Most Valuable Professional for Developer Security. He is the creator of Have I Been Pwned (HIBP), a free service that aggregates data breaches and lets people check if their accounts have been compromised. He is also a prolific speaker and educator, giving talks and organizing workshops around the world.

We caught up with Troy to talk about how both businesses and individuals can protect themselves from data breaches—and ask him about the future of information security and his …

Are Macs Safe for Enterprise?

Everyone loves a Mac. They’re famously easy to use. Many people find themselves more productive on Macs. And let’s face it—they definitely have a “cool” factor that PCs can’t match.

Checklist 158: Catalina Bound

On this Checklist, we’ll take a look at the latest version of macOS. We’ll revisit two-factor authentication by way of a somewhat disappointing story involving Twitter. And we’ll round out the show with news of yet another data breach.

Checkm8: The unpatchable iOS jailbreak

We’ve talked quite a bit about jailbreaks in the past couple of months, from Apple’s accidental reintroduction of an old iOS jailbreak to one developer’s attempt to create an app marketplace for unapproved iOS software.

But recently, news has surfaced of a new jailbreak for iOS devices that could be bigger than all of these: checkm8. 

Discovered by a security researcher who goes by the handle axi0mX, checkm8 (which is pronounced “checkmate”) is an unpatchable exploit for millions of devices running on iOS, including most iPhones and iPads.

In this article, we’ll tell …

The SecureMac Interview: Michael Hartl on technical sophistication

Michael Hartl is an award-winning educator and passionate advocate for technical literacy. He is the author of numerous books on programming, including the Ruby on Rails Tutorial, an introduction to web development which has helped people all around the world learn to code. Michael is also the founder of Learn Enough, an education company devoted to empowering people through the teaching of fundamental technical skills.

We recently spoke with Michael Hartl about the meaning of “technical sophistication”, the importance of technical education for cybersecurity, and more.

Thank …

Understanding macOS Catalina Security and Privacy Features

It’s official: macOS 10.15 Catalina has now been released to the public. 

The latest Mac OS has a number of new features, including several key enhancements to security and privacy. But Apple’s release notes can sometimes be a bit heavy on jargon, leading users to wonder what the latest, greatest macOS updates actually mean!

In this article, we’ll take you on a tour of Catalina’s security and privacy features, explaining their significance and letting you know how they keep you safe.

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Checklist 157: Just Add S4LT

On this edition of The Checklist: The DoorDash data breach, Considering risks around AltStore, And the security side of recent Apple updates.