The security & privacy stories our desk judged worth your time, written so anyone can follow them.
Apps like Google Messages, Truecaller and Norton Genie can warn you about scams, but a clean result does not mean a text, call or website is safe.
Read more: Scam check apps can flag red flags but can't prove who is contacting youNorthShore Health Centers in Northwest Indiana says hackers got into its network, and a ransomware group has leaked stolen files that likely include patient data.
Read more: Northwest Indiana health provider hit by hackers, patient data leakedPolice say 59 people lost at least $1.3 million in October to callers posing as Simba staff, then as police or government officers.
Read more: Fake phone company staff and fake officials stole $1.3m in a monthPalo Alto Networks says attackers are exploiting a serious flaw on firewall management pages exposed to the internet. Businesses should close access and patch.
Read more: Hackers are breaking into Palo Alto firewalls left open to the internetA China-linked group used a VMware flaw to hide its tracks in attacks on U.S. law firms. Businesses should patch and check Microsoft 365 for unknown sign-in devices.
Read more: Hackers Linked to China Hid Their Tracks in Law Firm AttacksHong Kong's privacy office has 85 complaints about three company data breaches, and some scam victims lost more than HK$100,000.
Read more: Hong Kong shoppers hit by scam calls after three company data leaksAttackers have begun testing a critical, newly patched flaw in Oracle E-Business Suite that could expose payroll, HR and financial records without a login.
Read more: Hackers probe serious flaw in Oracle business softwareA Chinese blogger known for exposing scams was killed by people hired online, a reminder that scam groups can hit back at those who call them out.
Read more: Chinese anti-scam blogger killed by people hired onlineA six-month White House pilot will give rural South Carolina hospitals free security upgrades, aiming to keep care running if hackers strike.
Read more: Rural hospitals in South Carolina get free cybersecurity upgradesA startup says it got into Anthropic's internal systems in under 12 hours. Anthropic says it took days. Here is what was and was not exposed.
Read more: Startup says it broke into Anthropic's systems; Anthropic disputes timingA Ukrainian man who worked with two ransomware gangs, including one that hit an Ohio hospital, got 70 months in prison. Here is what it means for businesses.
Read more: Ransomware hacker who hit a hospital gets nearly six years in prisonA Louisiana woman lost thousands of dollars to a fake Jon Bon Jovi built on AI videos. Here is how the scam worked and why a video no longer proves who is real.
Read more: Fake Jon Bon Jovi videos helped scammers nearly take a woman's homeA McAfee Labs survey of 5,000 Americans found fake account alerts are the most reported scam in 17 states, and toll texts lead in others.
Read more: Fake account alerts are the top scam in 17 states, a new survey findsResearchers say Volt Typhoon hid its attacks behind hacked routers and gadgets, hitting hundreds of targets. Here is why your own devices matter.
Read more: Chinese hackers hid behind hacked home routers to break into key systemsKuwait's telecom regulator received 621 fraud reports in the third quarter, and websites and social media made up most of them. Text messages made up almost none.
Read more: Kuwait logged 621 scam reports in three months, most from websitesCircle and Proof showed a test where an AI agent proves who approved a purchase, then pays in digital dollars. It could decide whether stores let AI shoppers in.
Read more: Circle and Proof test a way for AI shopping agents to prove who they work forAT&T has begun paying out a $177 million settlement over a data breach, and some customers may soon get a check in the mail.
Read more: AT&T starts paying out its $177 million data breach settlementShepherd Outsourcing is a real debt collector, but scammers can borrow the name. A call, text or letter using it is not proven real or fake.
Read more: Got a call from Shepherd Outsourcing? Check before you payIn an Anthropic test, experts followed an AI's advice 86% of the time, though the advice was set by coin flip and most did not say it swayed them.
Read more: Experts followed a secretly biased AI's advice 86% of the timeEU governments backed a privacy law change that would let AI companies use personal data without consent. It is not final, but it could reach old posts and chats.
Read more: EU countries back letting AI firms use your data without askingGoogle is building an automatic backup tool for Android, but some Samsung Galaxy Book laptop owners may not be able to use it, according to a report.
Read more: Google's coming Android auto-backup may not work with some Samsung laptopsA researcher chained design mistakes in Microsoft Edge and Windows to escape the browser's safety wall. Microsoft patched it in May, so updated browsers are safe.
Read more: Researcher Broke Out of Microsoft Edge Using Only Design MistakesReports say Nine9, a Michigan talent group, pitched paid sign-ups to people expecting auditions. No ruling calls it a scam, but the pattern is worth knowing.
Read more: Nine9 talent group draws complaints over fees and unexpected textsScammers can fake a court or police number on your caller ID, then threaten arrest unless you pay now. A San Diego County warning explains how to spot it.
Read more: Scammers fake court and police calls to demand money
