The security & privacy stories our desk judged worth your time, written so anyone can follow them.
An AARP survey of 300 adults 50 and older found 41% ran into a fake profile or scam attempt on dating apps, and half of those seeking a partner had no luck yet.
Read more: Survey of 300 adults 50 and older: 41% met a fake or scam dating profileAn Android Authority writer swapped eight popular Android apps for free, open-source ones. Here is what that means for your phone and your data.
Read more: Free, open-source apps can replace eight popular Android appsTwilio says passkeys, a way to log in without a password, are on the rise as reused passwords keep driving break-ins and support costs.
Read more: Passkeys aim to replace the passwords you keep reusingCISA says attackers are already exploiting serious flaws in Collabora Online and Arista VeloCloud Orchestrator, so any business using either should check for fixes.
Read more: US agency warns hackers are attacking two business toolsBorder agents searched phones and laptops 32% more often this year, and a basic search needs no suspicion, so travelers should plan what they carry.
Read more: US border searches of phones and laptops are up 32% this yearChargeflow's Prevent 2.0 scans Shopify orders after checkout and blocks risky ones before shipping, just as 'never arrived' disputes tend to spike.
Read more: New AI tool blocks risky Shopify orders before they shipEvervault launched Browser Tokens, which give AI agents a stand-in card or password so the real details never pass through the AI.
Read more: New tool lets AI shop for you without seeing your real cardA Washington medical practice will pay $4.6 million over a breach that may have exposed 583,741 people. Affected patients can claim free monitoring and cash by January 10, 2027.
Read more: Washington clinic pays $4.6 million over patient data breachHPE released fixes for 72 flaws in the software behind Aruba Wi-Fi gear, and eight are rated maximum severity because attackers need no password.
Read more: HP Enterprise fixes 72 flaws in Aruba Wi-Fi network softwareResearchers shut down a hidden flaw in the old Time4Popcorn app that could have let attackers take over millions of PCs and Macs. Android users are still exposed.
Read more: Forgotten movie-streaming app left millions of computers open to takeoverMicrosoft will start using AI in Teams in early November 2026 to flag scam chats from outsiders, with no setup needed for businesses.
Read more: Microsoft Teams will use AI to spot scam messages from strangersAn email offering Knicks staff a championship ring reportedly was a phishing test, and clicking it led to mandatory cybersecurity training.
Read more: Knicks Staff Got a Fake Championship Ring Offer That Was a TestResearchers found ransomware affiliates using AI agents to hit 62 organizations. Reused passwords and unpatched remote-access tools were the easy way in.
Read more: Hackers used AI agents to break into 62 companies and demand ransomJacksonville police will post a scam warning every Saturday. Officers say scam calls come in daily, and fast reporting helps detectives catch the scammer.
Read more: Jacksonville Police Start Weekly Scam Warnings Every SaturdayMicrosoft will send the last security update for Windows Server 2016 in January 2027. Businesses still running it need an upgrade plan now.
Read more: Windows Server 2016 stops getting security updates in JanuaryA security group called Calif says it hacked the iPhone. The details are thin and Apple has not replied, so keeping your phone updated is the safe move.
Read more: Security team says it hacked the iPhone, details still thinUltraMobile Imaging says a network break-in exposed health and financial details on 75,000 people, and credit monitoring does not appear to be on offer.
Read more: Mobile scan provider says data on 75,000 patients was exposedCash was still about 56% of South African consumer transactions in 2024, even as banks build faster payments and test AI, the central bank found.
Read more: South Africa builds fast digital payments, but most people still use cashScammers are posing as Sam's Club in ads, emails, texts and calls to steal card and account details, and the fakes look more real than before.
Read more: Fake Sam's Club emails, texts and calls are getting harder to spotA hacker known as k0t targeted exposed Fortinet and Palo Alto firewalls worldwide, and researchers tied the campaign to more than 70,000 exposed logins.
Read more: Hackers broke into company firewalls and took 70,000 loginsResearchers got an AI agent to run commands, send out data and delete files just by having it read an email. Anyone who gives an assistant access should know why.
Read more: AI helpers can be tricked into harmful acts by a single emailAI is helping criminals write fake emails, texts and calls that sound real, and everyday current accounts are a common target. A few quick checks can protect your money.
Read more: How to protect your bank accounts from AI-powered scamsQuest Diagnostics says hackers got into a lab ordering system and patient records were likely exposed. Here is who should pay attention and what to watch for.
Read more: Quest Diagnostics says hackers likely got patient recordsState Bank of India says it has contacted customers whose personal details leaked online. Funds are safe, but the data could make scam calls sound real.
Read more: SBI tells affected customers their personal data leaked online
