Articles

Surprising facts about data privacy

In honor of the upcoming Data Privacy Day on 28 January, here are a few surprising facts and figures about data privacy in the United States. What is Data Privacy Day? According to the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA), “Millions of people are unaware of and uninformed about how their [...]

New Year’s Resolutions to Protect Your Privacy in 2021

Protect your privacy in 2021 by adopting these 4 New Year’s privacy resolutions: create and use stronger passwords, say yes to software updates, cover up your webcam/iPhone cameras, and check your privacy settings. Increase your privacy protection with these 4 simple resolutions: #1 Create and use stronger passwords This privacy [...]

4 Holiday scams to watch out for

Don’t let hackers hijack your holiday season. With the holiday season upon us, it is time to be extra vigilant against holiday scams. From holiday charity scams to package theft, there are a number of ways scammers may try to trick you out of your money or personal information. Learn [...]

4 Tips for Avoiding Black Friday Scams

Black Friday deals are just around the corner, but online shoppers should watch out for Black Friday scams. This year, it is anticipated that the majority of holiday shopping will be done online due to the pandemic, according to News19. During COVID-19, retail sales have been in decline while e-commerce [...]

Can someone hack your iPhone camera?

Webcam hacking is a known privacy problem for laptops and pcs. However, iPhone cameras may also be susceptible to “camfecting” or camera hacking. Camfecting refers to when a hacker remotely controls the camera on your device, states David Cook, a Computer and Security expert, in an article for The Conversation. [...]

Is your boss reading your Slack messages? 3 Slack privacy tips

Unlike Vegas, what happens in your Slack DMs doesn’t stay in your Slack DMs. For those unfamiliar with Slack, Slack is a communications platform used by businesses. Slack has “Channels” that include private groups where employees can chat or chat rooms organized by topic. Employees can also direct message one [...]

Was Trump’s Twitter hacked? Secure your Twitter account

Twitter is a popular social media platform for quickly reaching a broad audience. However, several high profile users have fallen victim to Twitter hacks such as Kanye West, Elon Musk, and Joe Biden. According to de Volkskrant, Donald Trump is the latest celebrity/politician to have his Twitter hacked. If it [...]

How I successfully avoided a rental scam

Looking for a new place to call home? Be on the lookout for rental scams. By learning what to look for, you can protect yourself from falling victim to a rental scam. Tips for how to avoid rental scams According to USAGov, rental scams occur when either the prospective renter [...]

Avoid making these 5 social media privacy mistakes

Protect your account from being hacked by staying away from these social media privacy mistakes. Social media allows us to express ourselves. We can post almost anything. Make connections. Follow the lives of others. Stay connected. However, all of these great benefits can come at the cost of our personal [...]

Stay safe with these 5 Zoom privacy tips

With working from home as the new norm in 2020, Zoom quickly became a popular choice for arranging video conferences and virtual meetings. However, Zoom has faced numerous privacy concerns, including Zoom bombing, accounts being hacked and passwords stolen, and issues that could have allowed hackers to access a computer’s [...]

What I learned when I downloaded my Instagram data

Did you know you can download your Instagram data? With a few simple steps, you can request an Instagram data download and see what information has been collected about your account over the last few years. According to Tech Crunch, one of the reasons Instagram rolled out this feature was [...]

How to protect your privacy while working from home

As remote work has become the new norm for many companies during COVID-19, employees and employers alike have had to adjust to this new reality. With such a distinct shift in the work environment, there have surely been some privacy hiccups experienced along the way. Understanding how to protect your [...]

How to create a strong password

Making and using a strong password can help to keep your accounts secure from hackers. Far too many of us make one or two passwords that we reuse over and over. We might then use them for multiple accounts or devices simply because we can remember them. While this convenience [...]

Avoiding LinkedIn job scams

LinkedIn is a popular tool for job seekers searching for future employment opportunities. However, job seekers should be aware of the potential for scams and phishing attempts on the job platforms they use – including LinkedIn. For example, Business Insider recently reported that a Dutch recruiting company purposely created a [...]

Why you need an iPhone case with camera cover in 2021

In 2020, an iPhone case with a camera cover is a must-have. Without an iPhone camera cover, privacy risks are high. Our iPhones are almost literally connected to us at the hip – we take them everywhere. Imagine the potential consequences of a hijacked camera which is with us in [...]

Digital Privacy in America: 10 Key Takeaways

Now more than ever, the news has been inundated with privacy concerns and red flags that have been raised as the world population has become increasingly reliant on the internet to conduct our daily affairs. There are numerous recent examples of the consequences of overlooked privacy risks. For example, the [...]

Is Houseparty safe? 7 easy steps to protect yourself

Many of us have searched for fun and creative ways to stay connected with others while staying safe at home. The Houseparty app has risen in popularity as it allows users to video chat while playing interactive games together. However, recently the Houseparty app has faced a backlash against data [...]

Find real love online – How to spot a Catfish

Dating in the digital age opens up seemingly endless possibilities for finding romance. With Valentine’s Day around the corner – it’s important to remember that dating apps can be misused for digital deception. Using a dating app to find your perfect match is like going to the library to find [...]

How to use Facebook’s updated Privacy Checkup tool

What is Facebook’s Privacy Checkup? Facebook’s Privacy Checkup tool is meant to help make it easier for users to understand their current privacy and security settings. This includes helping users to see which information is being shared on their profile, and who it is being shared with. Facebook has had [...]

Best Privacy Apps For iPhone. Protect your iPhone’s data!

Like any other iPhone user, you probably have lots of private data on your iPhone, like personal photos and, business information, passwords, and personal journals. The best way to protect all of this delicate information is to use specialized privacy and security apps. Put all your private data in a [...]

Understanding the Risks of Using Public Charging Stations

Many of us cannot bear to have our phones run out of juice. When the battery runs down, we feel like a part of our lives has been put on hold. That is why we are so eager to charge our phones so we immediately rush to any public charging [...]

Article 13 and Its Implication for Internet Privacy

Since the EU passed the highly controversial Article 13, a lot of concerns have been raised. Discussions aimed at addressing its likely effect on the internet and its users have been rampant. Most people are complaining about how it will stifle creativity and stem the emerging culture of the internet. The [...]

Preventing RFID Skimming – A Simple but Effective Approach

In a previous article we attempted to highlight the risks and process of RFID skimming. In that brief post, we simply identified some of the obvious risks without really proffering any solution. Today, we will be looking at some simple but effective ways of preventing RFID skimming. From our last [...]

Cybercrime Russia – Russia’s Hackers’ Dreamland?

With Russia currently holding the title as the world’s leader in cybercrimes, many have described it as hackers’ dreamland. There’s a general feeling among nations of the world that Russia is aiding and abetting cybercrimes on many levels. Russia is currently suspected of hacking or attempting to hack into important [...]