Stephanie Carruthers makes her living breaking into phones, private accounts and more. But don’t worry — she’s doing it to help keep you safe. This IBM privacy expert and professional hacker shows Kim just how easy it is to get fooled by a digital criminal. Check out her tips for recognizing scams and keeping yourself secure online and offline.
Home security comparison: DIY options vs. traditional home security
With so many cybersecurity threats out there you might be focused on protecting your digital life. Even though that’s important, only paying attention to online threats is a huge mistake.
That’s because burglars are still out there in full force looking to invade your home and rip you off. This means having a home security system that you can trust watching your back 24/7 is extremely important.
Here’s the thing about those traditional home security companies: Most trap you with high prices, tricky contracts and lacking customer support. So, while there are a lot of options out there, there’s only one no-brainer: SimpliSafe.
How to save on reliable home security
If you’ve ever looked into a traditional home security company or have a contract now, you know just how expensive they can be. After the promotional pricing period ends, if you’re lucky enough to get one, you can expect to pay anywhere from $35 to $50 a month.
That’s after a steep installation and activiation fee, in many cases.
And if you’re not happy with the service or don’t want to pay any more, more bad news: Most security companies lock you into long contracts that you can’t get out of. Leading home security companies require a three-year contractor professional monitoring.
What about the DIY options?
Long contracts, steep monthly fees and questionable customer service might scare you away from using a home security company and turning to DIY security options.
While an inexpensive security camera that lets you view a live feed of what’s going on around your home is nice, it’s just not enough protection from burglars and other threats.
You need professionals monitoring your home 24/7 so they can catch criminal activity that you would miss while at work, sleeping or just busy and don’t have time to watch the camera feed. SimpliSafe is the perfect solution.
Set up a security camera in under 30 seconds (with stuff you already own)
Security is important. We all worry about the safety of our loved ones. Whether you have children at home or just want to be sure nobody is breaking into your home when you are not around, having a security camera can be a huge reassurance.
Headed back to the office? Best way to keep an eye on your home from anywhere
You know the stress of being a parent. When the kids were young, you jumped at every sneeze, cough and wobbly step.
Now that they’re young adults or teenagers, there are different stresses. Are they driving while distracted by texts and social media messages? At home, are they safe? Are they being responsible for getting home on time from school, not raiding your liquor cabinet and staying out of trouble?
Security camera hack: Hackers break into Tesla, jails, hospitals, schools
No matter where we go, we’re under constant surveillance. Cameras are set up everywhere, from restaurants and airports to businesses and hospitals. Plus, many of these cameras have facial recognition technology. This means a security camera hack or breach could expose your comings and goings to the entire world.
How to stop your smart TV from spying on you
Not only is your smart TV gobbling up your viewing data, but it also may be gathering information about your home. Can you minimize your smart TV’s snooping activities? Our advice: Turn off its tracking features. I’ll tell you how.
How to see what the kids are doing on their phones
In this modern world of digital dangers and threats, keeping children safe while online is of the utmost importance to all parents. There are inappropriate websites and apps, cyberbullying, sexting, the risk of internet and digital addiction and worst of all, online predators that your child can be exposed to.
Webcam videos leaked after accounts left exposed online
Have you ever been the victim of identity theft? If you have had your identity stolen, you know how hard it can be to clean up the mess it leaves behind.
The problem is, it can be a difficult crime to avoid. There are many ways you can end up a victim of identity theft, but one of the most common is via hacks or data leaks that expose your personal information. If these criminals get their hands on your information, you could end up a victim of the worst identity theft scam you’ve never heard of.
Comparison: SimpliSafe vs. ADT vs. Vivint
This is pretty cool. We wanted to do a visual comparison to show you how SimpliSafe is the better choice for home security, so we decided to look at two big-name competitors — ADT and Vivint.
You never know what’s going to happen when you compare a sponsor to its competitors, but we were thrilled with what we found.
Ring privacy: Here's how many video requests police and fire departments made last year
Footage captured by video doorbells could help police departments solve criminal cases. That’s the reasoning behind Amazon’s Ring network, which helps law enforcement in almost every state. Ring is partnered with over 2,000 police and fire departments across the U.S.
Buying a pet? Do this first or you could get scammed
Imagine buying a pet that doesn’t even exist. Unfortunately, that’s happening more often than ever before.
Pet fraud has skyrocketed since COVID-19 began. The Better Business Bureau says people lost $3 million to puppy scams in 2020.
ADT technician hacked home security cameras to spy on naked women
Most people are aware that using smart devices or internet-connected tech can open you up to privacy issues. After all, we’ve all seen news stories about spying or peeping due to smart device hacking.
Many of these stories are about outside cybercriminals taking advantage of loopholes in the system to gain access to security footage or other personal information. Not many involve security issues caused by employees of smart tech companies. Tap or click here to see why five smart video doorbells recently failed security tests.
Ring adds end-to-end encryption - See if it's supported on your system
Most Americans have multiple smart gadgets in their homes. These tech toys make it easy to automate day to day tasks — which often make them worth the investment.
But while smart gadgets can make it simple to automate your lights, vacuuming or other chores, they can also leave you open to privacy and security issues. If your smart device includes a camera, hackers could even use these vulnerabilities to spy on you.
Video doorbell settings you must change
When it comes to smart devices, you have a ton of choices. Not only are smart speakers and assistants affordable and easy to obtain, but so are smart plugs, smart lights, smart thermostats and a ton of other smart devices, too.
SimpliSafe's winter sweater sounds the alarm when people stand too close
Sick of people standing too close to you? Here’s a great new way to enforce the six-foot social distancing rule: Sound a siren through your sweater!
That’s the idea behind SimpliSafe’s new sweater. The company that keeps your family safe and sound made its own festive garment this year, decked out in tech to inspire social distance.
Your car is watching: Here's what your vehicle knows about you
We all know how much data our smartphones collect. The apps alone are data collection machines, and so is the search engine you use. Tap or click here to see which apps grab the most personal data from you.
Other smart devices similarly handle data collection. That smart speaker you’re using to control your robovac and smart thermostat is a culprit, and so is that smartwatch you’re wearing. If the device uses apps or “smart” features, it collects data.
Take the guesswork out of home security
It’s almost a new year, and that means you’re likely contemplating New Year’s resolutions. One of them should be to make improvements to your home security system.
Start 2021 off right and keep your family safe by adopting a security setup from our sponsor, SimpliSafe. It’s Kim’s pick for lots of reasons.
Hidden map on your phone shows everywhere you've been and the photos you took
GPS apps like Google Maps make navigating unfamiliar cities so much easier. It even has a clever feature that you might not even take advantage of, Street View. You can use it for things like creating your own stories and time traveling. Tap or click here for 10 ways to use Street View you never thought of before.
Security tip: How to spot fake social media profiles
Social media is packed with interesting accounts to follow and tons of useful information, but some people use the internet’s power for nefarious purposes by creating fake profiles. Whether it is to scam other users, spread spam messages or post questionable article links, fake social media profiles are a huge problem on almost all platforms.
TikTok intruder: Man caught breaking into woman's home on camera
If there’s one app that’s defined social media for the past few years, it’s TikTok. Originally designed to share karaoke and dancing videos, the app has skyrocketed to success as a fun, short video platform beloved by Millenials and Generation Z.