Checklist 15: 4 Things to Know About the Muni Hack

It seems like new malware attacks are in the news just about every week. A recent ransomware attack crippled San Francisco’s public transit system, with far-reaching consequences. In today’s episode, we’re going to cover four important things you should know about the Muni hack.

Malvertising Hits macOS Users Through Google AdWords

With the huge number of ads present on the web today, it’s no surprise that they’re often a target and an attack vector for hackers looking for an open door. We’ve discussed malvertising here before to alert our readers to the potential threat. Now there comes word from security researchers that malvertisers executed a campaign specifically targeting macOS users early in November. This time the target was users who were hoping to install Google Chrome.

When searching for the keywords “Google Chrome,” a malicious ad purchased by the …

Checklist 14: 5 Ways to Secure Your Browser

It’s no secret that web browsers rank among the most popular software for daily use, but this popularity also makes browsers an appealing target for viruses, malware, and hackers. In today’s episode, we’re going to tackle this issue with 5 ways to ensure a safe and secure Internet browsing experience.

Dual-Booters Beware: Boot Camp Could Damage the Speakers on your new MacBook

For those who need versatile options when it comes to operating systems, Boot Camp is one of the best tools to have at your disposal. With how easy it makes dual-booting both Windows and macOS on your Mac, many people rely on it when they require access to a Microsoft environment for work or development purposes.

However, it seems that the recent refresh of the MacBook Pro line has brought with it some unexpected problems affecting the laptop’s speakers. Users began to report that when dual-booting into Windows, they …

Checklist 13: Q&A Grab Bag

On this week’s episode, we’re going to do something a bit different, and rather than focusing on one topic, we’ll be answering some listener questions on-air! Please feel free to shoot us an e-mail if you ever have a question about a topic we’ve covered, have a specific topic you’d like us to cover in the future, or need some advice when it comes to the security of your devices — we love hearing from our listeners!

Checklist 12:Five Tips for Secure Holiday Shopping

It’s estimated that 120 million people shopped online on Cyber Monday in 2015, and that number is sure to be even higher this year! That’s a lot of gift shopping — and a lot of opportunities for something to go wrong. While shopping online is convenient, it also carries some security risks. On today’s Checklist: Five things you can do to make your online shopping more secure.

Cyber Monday Savings from SecureMac – PrivacyScan for Only 99 Cents

Las Vegas, NV, November 21, 2016 – SecureMac, one of the key contributors in the Mac security world, today announced a Cyber Monday special for its PrivacyScan software.  Consumers will have one day, Monday, November 28, 2016 to purchase this popular privacy protection software for Mac users for only 99 cents, compared to $14.99 the other 364 days of the year.

PrivacyScan securely removes files used for tracking your computer usage and online whereabouts, including internet browsing history, cache files, cookies, search history, recent items and much more – …

Researcher Discovers That Shazam App Is Always On

Since its arrival in 2002, Shazam has become a popular tool among music fans for identifying songs playing on the radio, in restaurants, in movies or TV shows, and in other similar situations. However, according to recent research conducted by a former NSA staffer, the Mac version of Shazam might be invading your privacy.

Shazam essentially works by listening to and analyzing sound. If you have the app on your phone, you would pull it up and let the app “listen” to whatever song is playing in order to identify it. …

Checklist 11: Traveling Safely with Your Mac and iOS Devices

Today’s topic: travel. Millions of people travel substantial distances every day, whether it’s for business or pleasure. For the safety of your devices and the security of your data, there are a few things you’ll want to do. Today we’ll look at several ways you can prepare and keep yourself safe on your trip.

Apple Issues iOS 10.1 to Patch a Critical Web Content Vulnerability

In its newest push to make its iOS products safer, Apple has released iOS update 10.1, featuring an array of twelve different patches for various parts of the system. While details on many of these patches are scant at best, we do know one of the major vulnerabilities patched in this update. Apple took extra steps to close a loophole that could allow what it terms “maliciously crafted web content” to exploit and hijack iOS devices. What exactly does that mean? Put simply; there was a risk that viewing an …

Adobe Issues Zero-Day Exploit Patch for New Flash Vulnerability

Once an undeniable staple and even a trendsetting application across the web, Adobe Flash no longer enjoys the widespread popularity it once did. This shift of power is due in part to the rise of HTML5 video support across the Internet. Being more stable and secure, HTML5 offers a superior alternative to Flash. The deprecation of many Flash only websites also ensures that the web is easier to browse and more mobile friendly. Nonetheless, there are still some sites which require Adobe Flash to function properly. We advise users still …

The New MacBook Pro Touch Bar Has Big Implications for Apple Pay

In keeping with its long tradition of placing groundbreaking new hardware and software on its devices, Apple’s latest product event made a big splash. With the first new MacBook Pro models in years, there was plenty for everyone in the industry to discuss. From dropping Lightning ports to losing the physical Escape key on the keyboard, there was a buzz about many of the changes. Perhaps the biggest change, though, comes in the addition of the Touch Bar. No longer just a feature on the iPhone, fingerprint scanning technology will …

Checklist 10: Demystifying Malware Types and Terminology (Part 2)

With malware attacks on the rise, more and more news coverage is devoted to analyzing these threats. On today’s show we’re going to help you make sense of all that security gibberish by demystifying the terminology and acronyms frequently encountered when it comes to malware.

Apple and Others Revoke All Security Certificates from Chinese Provider

In recent days, several major tech companies have formally disavowed and discontinued use of a Chinese security certificate provider, WoSign. The abandonments began when Mozilla announced that WoSign was not following best practices in issuing its certificates. The primary concern lies in the fact that WoSign was back-dating certain website certificates to circumvent checks that prevent expired certs from working. After Mozilla’s announcement, Apple quickly also said that they would distrust and ban all WoSign certificates. Not long after, Google followed by announcing the search giant would also distrust WoSign …

Securing Your iPad in iOS 10

Ten years ago, the idea of powerful, portable tablets in everyday use around the world seemed closer to science fiction than reality. With the incredible success of the iPad and the ignition of a booming market for tablets, though, they’re now as ubiquitous as cell phones. They make appearances everywhere from school classrooms to corporate boardrooms. Because so many of us now use our iPads as part of our daily lives, keeping them secure is a top priority. Should you ever lose your iPad to theft or misplacement, no one …

Checklist 09: Demystifying Malware Types and Terminology (Part 1)

On today’s show we’re going to cover what makes a piece of spyware different from a worm, and what makes a keylogger different from adware. Once you can tell the difference between the different types of malware, you’ll be better prepared to understand just how the different types of threats can affect *you*, and which ones are worth losing sleep over!

Safeguarding Your Information in the Age of the App

There’s no denying that Apple has completely changed the way we interact with and think about software, especially on mobile devices. Nearly a decade after its release, the App Store serves up hundreds of thousands of apps that are downloaded billions of times by people around the world. Even the word “app” itself entered our vocabularies largely as a result of mobile software.

Today, “apps” even appear on desktop computers, from Google Chrome’s store to Microsoft’s focus on desktop-based apps. The ease of installation — often just a …

The Dyn DDoS is a Reminder of the Need for Hardened Network Security

When the first computer networks were connected, it’s unlikely the engineers had any idea of what was to come. Today, with the ubiquity of the Internet and digital electronic devices, a world without networks and instant global reach seems almost entirely foreign. While these systems power the connectivity of our smartphones and let us watch funny videos online, they also do much more.

Our digital infrastructure forms the backbone of modern financial institutions, power production, industry, and much more. Computers play a fundamental role in many sectors. To …

Checklist 08: Best Practices for Login and Password Security

On today’s episode, we’re hitting best practices when it comes to login and password security — simple steps you can take to keep your accounts from falling into the wrong hands, and what to do in the event that your password has been compromised.

Checklist 07: New Security Features in macOS Sierra

On today’s episode, we’re talking about the latest version of Apple’s desktop operating system, the newly rebranded macOS Sierra. Specifically, we’re going to be focusing on some of the new and expanded security features found in macOS 10.12.