The security & privacy stories our desk judged worth your time, written so anyone can follow them.
A New York health IT company says an intruder took patient files, exposing birth dates, insurance details and medical histories for 49,467 people.
Read more: Hackers got into a New York health IT firm's files for nearly three monthsData tied to about 851,000 Harvard email addresses is now public, and alumni and donors should watch for scam emails and calls that use real details.
Read more: Hackers leaked Harvard alumni and donor data on 851,000 accountsA new Regula report says identity checks at signup are not enough, and that recovery, retries and AI agents are where businesses can be caught out.
Read more: Identity checks at signup are not enough, a new report warnsHoney Badger's new Risk Playbooks lets fraud teams build and launch live risk checks without code, which could speed up how a business reacts to fraud.
Read more: Honey Badger lets fraud teams build risk checks without codingAttackers are stealing Bitcoin and Litecoin from BTCPay Server shops running old software. Anyone who accepts crypto this way should check their version now.
Read more: Hackers are draining crypto from outdated BTCPay Server shopsA couple was told they won $850,000 but must first pay about $2,500 in taxes with gift cards. They spotted the scam in time, and the script works on many people.
Read more: A fake $850,000 prize call shows how prize scams hook peopleAttackers remotely heated fridges and freezers at stores in Belgium, Sweden and Estonia. Older, poorly secured controls were the target, and businesses should check theirs.
Read more: Hackers warm up supermarket fridges across Europe, forcing stores to toss foodSynology says attackers are locking files on its network storage boxes through a flaw that was fixed in December 2024. Devices that never updated are the targets.
Read more: Hackers are locking files on Synology storage boxes that skipped an updateFake texts and emails claiming a Royal Mail delivery failed are on the rise as Christmas parcels start moving, and one wrong tap can expose your bank details.
Read more: Fake missed-parcel texts surge before Christmas, UK officials warnJapan's communications ministry is studying ways to let households shut off all international calls on landlines, as phone scams there cost far more.
Read more: Japan weighs letting homes block all international calls to stop scamsA fake hospital surgeon convinced an 85-year-old Geneva woman her daughter needed emergency surgery. She gave a courier cash and jewelry, and hospitals warn of the same trick.
Read more: Fake surgeon calls Geneva woman, 85, and takes her cash and jewelryA creator showed that faint plane noise in a video's audio can be matched to public flight data to find where it was filmed, which matters for anyone posting clips from home.
Read more: Faint airplane noise in a video can reveal where it was filmedThe Hernando County Sheriff's Office warns of a scam involving credit and debit cards. Debit card fraud can reach your bank account quickly, so a quick check is worth it.
Read more: Sheriff's office warns residents about a card scamReport Fraud says criminals posing as Amazon staff took more than £86,000 in nine days, and over half of victims were aged 50 to 79.
Read more: Fake Amazon callers stole over £86,000 in just nine daysGoogle's November Play Services update lists automatic photo and video backup from Android phones to Windows PCs, which could mean free copies at home.
Read more: Android phones can now back up photos to a Windows PC automaticallyBeeline Russia now pays back up to 500,000 rubles a month if a scammer tricks a prepaid customer, at no extra cost. Here is why that matters.
Read more: Russian phone company Beeline now insures customers against scam callsWhatsApp can back up chats to Google Drive or iCloud, and an optional lock adds privacy. Lose the password and the backup cannot be recovered.
Read more: Back Up WhatsApp Chats Before You Lose Your PhoneA new SEON survey says U.S. consumers are embracing AI. The details are missing, but it may matter for how you serve customers and spot scams.
Read more: New survey says Americans are warming up to AIA new leak puts Samsung's next Ultra phone next to the Pixel 11 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro and S26 Ultra, but nothing in it is confirmed.
Read more: Leak shows how Samsung's next top phone may compare to rivalsA fake WhatsApp message in Airtel's name promises Rs 2,000 for Diwali. A warning says tapping its link can put your bank account at risk.
Read more: Fake Airtel Diwali message promises Rs 2,000 and targets your bankT-Mobile has released a report on how it changed its cybersecurity. It is the company's own account, so customers should look for proof behind the claims.
Read more: T-Mobile publishes a report on how it changed its cybersecurityA former banker argues that cashless-only shops push card fees into prices for everyone, and regulator data shows those fees have been rising.
Read more: Cashless shops make every customer pay card fees, even cash buyersShopify's Fall '26 update lets store owners approve what AI assistants say about their business, and adds fraud tools and new ways for customers to pay.
Read more: Shopify adds fraud tools, new payment options and AI shopping helpAttackers are using a perfect-score flaw in Node-RED, a tool common in factories, to install a Linux bot. Exposed systems need a check today.
Read more: Hackers exploit a top-severity flaw in a factory automation tool
