The security & privacy stories our desk judged worth your time, written so anyone can follow them.
Texts claiming a FedEx package could not be delivered are aimed at any phone number. The link leads to a fake page that collects card numbers and logins.
Read more: Fake FedEx texts try to steal your card details through a linkArrests of ransomware negotiators have rattled the cybersecurity world, and they raise new questions for any business that might one day need to hire one.
Read more: Arrests of ransomware negotiators put a hidden industry under scrutinyAn AARP survey finds most Washington residents 50 and older back bans or tighter rules on crypto kiosks, yet few know how to report a scam.
Read more: Most Washington Adults 50+ Want Stricter Rules on Crypto KiosksA test of 50 healthcare websites found many ignored a browser privacy signal, and 32 offered no way to opt out of tracking.
Read more: Healthcare Websites Often Ignore Your Do Not Track SettingFake PS5 emulators on GitHub hide a password stealer that switches off antivirus checks and erases itself, so a bad download could cost you your logins.
Read more: Fake PlayStation 5 emulators on GitHub are stealing passwordsHackers got into a Sony internet provider's member database in Japan. About 2.5 million records leaked, and prize-scam messages are already a worry.
Read more: Sony's internet provider in Japan loses 2.5 million customer recordsBoston police say scammers posing as officers or court staff are demanding instant payment, now even in gold bars. Here is how to spot the call.
Read more: Boston police warn of fake officers demanding money by phoneResearchers say China-backed group Volt Typhoon hides attacks behind hijacked routers and modems, using at least four zero-day flaws. Here is what to check.
Read more: Chinese hackers use hijacked home routers to hide their attacksResearchers say a suspected China-linked group used AI-assisted tools to take over 25 firewalls and then went after a U.S. government-affiliated network's logins.
Read more: Hackers used AI tools to break into 25 firewalls, including a government networkHackers copied health records for about 341,000 Blueberry Pediatrics patients through a flaw in a data tool. Many families may get two breach notices.
Read more: Hackers Stole Data on 341,000 Children's Telehealth PatientsMedical details of 3,182 Johns Hopkins patients were exposed when one employee uploaded a file. No hacker was involved, and the same slip could happen at any workplace.
Read more: Johns Hopkins Patient Data Exposed by One Employee Upload, Not a HackerHyderabad police warn that answering a fake bank text on WhatsApp, even with a simple 'No', could lead to money being taken from your account.
Read more: Replying 'No' to a fake bank text on WhatsApp can cost you moneyMicrosoft ends its own text and phone-call sign-in codes for work accounts on February 1, 2027, so staff will soon be asked to set up a passkey.
Read more: Microsoft will stop texting sign-in codes to work accounts in 2027A new report says attackers are exploiting flaws in firewalls and VPNs, and two PHP flaws could expose the web pages used to manage those devices.
Read more: Hackers are attacking the control panels of company firewalls and VPNsWhatsApp is rolling out a new backup screen on Android and iPhone. Chat backups decide whether your messages and photos survive a lost or new phone.
Read more: WhatsApp changes how chat backups look on Android and iPhoneFake UPS texts and emails claim a delivery failed and ask you to tap a link. The goal is to get your card or personal details, so check your package yourself.
Read more: Fake UPS texts ask you to reschedule a delivery. Don't tapBlack Duck, a software security company, unveiled an AI agent meant to fix security flaws as quickly as attackers can exploit them. Slow patches put businesses at risk.
Read more: Black Duck launches an AI tool that fixes software security holesAttackers are scanning the internet for Oracle business systems missing a critical October fix, so companies that run the software should confirm they have installed it.
Read more: Hackers are already hunting for a newly fixed Oracle business software flawResearchers built a fake start-up to lure and study North Korean IT workers who apply for remote jobs under false identities, a risk for any company that hires remotely.
Read more: Researchers pose as a start-up to study fake North Korean job applicantsA campaign called Skyw4lker uses fake contracts to get workers to approve a real Microsoft sign-in that hackers started, giving them access to the account.
Read more: Fake contract emails trick workers into approving hackers' Microsoft loginsLeaks say Samsung may sell six folding phones in 2027, including a cheaper wide Fold and one that slides. None of it is confirmed.
Read more: Samsung may launch six folding phones in 2027, including one that slidesA settlement over a 2024 hacking at an Arkansas hospital offers free credit monitoring and up to $4,000 for fraud losses. Claims are due December 8, 2026.
Read more: Arkansas hospital data breach settlement offers up to $4,000 per personThe FCC says port-out fraud is rising. Scammers move your phone number to another carrier, and that can give them a way into your money and accounts.
Read more: Scammers can steal your phone number and take over your accountsA new survey says nearly half of Canadians have been targeted online. The details are thin, but the finding is a good reminder to slow down before you click.
Read more: Nearly half of Canadians say they have been targeted online
