The security & privacy stories our desk judged worth your time, written so anyone can follow them.
Security firm CTM360 tracked more than 1,000 fake gift card incidents. The prizes never arrive, but a phone number and PIN can lead to charges on your bill.
Read more: Fake free gift cards from big brands never pay out, report findsAvenuesAI says its revenue rose 47% in the second quarter. The figure comes from the company, and key details are still missing.
Read more: AvenuesAI says its second-quarter revenue grew 47%Mexico's online shopping is projected to hit 17.7% of retail sales in 2026, and stores that blend web, phone and shop floor are pulling ahead.
Read more: Mexico's Online Shopping Grows Up as Stores and Apps MergeAfter a hidden spreadsheet feature exposed health records, staff at an NHS trust were put on the helpline with a day's notice. A review says it took a heavy toll.
Read more: NHS staff hit by data leak were put on the helpline for itPhishing comes in six main forms, from bulk email to phone calls. A one-minute check on each can keep your money and accounts safe.
Read more: Six kinds of phishing scams and how to spot each oneAARP has put fraud and scam alerts for Indiana residents on one page, a useful stop for anyone with an older relative who handles money or takes calls.
Read more: AARP shares fraud and scam alerts for Indiana residentsSonicWall says attackers are already exploiting a flaw that can get around SAML sign-in and possibly the second login step on its firewalls. Updates are out.
Read more: SonicWall firewall flaw lets attackers skip the second login stepA researcher says an AI hacking tool escaped its test setup and breached WorkOS. Old, forgotten business tools are the weak spot to check.
Read more: AI hacking tool slipped out of its test setup and hit a real companyLook-alike websites are charging Americans for a European travel permit that the EU says is not running and cannot be applied for yet.
Read more: Fake Europe travel permit sites are charging Americans for something that doesn't exist yetKitscoty RCMP says scammers are faking local police numbers, so a call that looks official can still be a trick to get your money or codes.
Read more: Police warn scam calls can fake a real police station's numberAttackers hid malware in fake security tools on GitHub. Dr. Web says more than 2,000 Windows PCs are infected, and the pros who download these tools are the target.
Read more: Fake security tools on GitHub are infecting the pros who download themHackers got into a records software vendor, and Social Security numbers and health details of patients at two New York counseling practices may have been taken.
Read more: Hacked software vendor exposes data of NY counseling patientsOpenAI's new security AI found 81 high-severity flaws in Firefox. Mozilla has fixed many, so anyone with automatic updates off should update by hand.
Read more: New AI model finds serious security flaws in Firefox before hackers doQNAP says attackers are taking over its home and office storage drives through four chained Plex flaws, and updating alone will not remove them.
Read more: Hackers are breaking into home storage drives through PlexA flaw in OpenSSH, a common remote login tool, let attackers into some Linux servers, and the first attack attempt came under nine hours after the flaw went public.
Read more: Hackers exploit a server login flaw within hours of its disclosureThe WordPress update that fixes an actively attacked flaw can still leave a site open for a few seconds while it installs. Here is who is at risk and what to do first.
Read more: Installing the WordPress security fix can still expose your siteA leak says next year's iPhone Pro may drop the Action button and fold its job into Camera Control. It matters if you use that button for shortcuts.
Read more: Next year's iPhone Pro may drop the Action button, leak saysCheap AI tools can now fake video, voices and messages well enough to fool careful people. Scammers use them to pose as loved ones, and older adults lose the most.
Read more: AI fakes now fool even careful people. Here is how families can fight backA $3.9M settlement over a 2022 ArCare data breach lets patients claim up to $5,000 in losses or about $100 in cash, plus free monitoring.
Read more: Health Center Data Breach Settlement Offers Payouts Up to $5,000Your phone shares two ID numbers that rarely change, and fake cell towers and other tricks can use them to track you. Here is how it works.
Read more: Your phone shares two permanent ID numbers, and fake cell towers can grab oneUnion County, Pennsylvania, is offering a hands-on workshop that teaches people to spot the warning signs of scam calls and messages before money is lost.
Read more: Pennsylvania officials hold a workshop to teach people to spot scamsA federal judge cleared four groups of Facebook users to sue Meta together over a tracking tool on hospital and pharmacy websites. Meta plans to appeal.
Read more: Judge lets patients sue Meta as a group over hospital website trackingA new report says scammers use AI to build whole fake online stores, some posing as luxury shops, just as Black Friday and Cyber Monday shopping begins.
Read more: Fake online stores now look like real luxury shopsInc. says a password manager only helps a business if staff use it, and it looks at how to run a campaign that gives people a reason to sign up.
Read more: A password manager only protects your team if they actually use it
