Biggest hack in US history: How to encrypt your communications
I’ve been talking about it for weeks, and now it’s all over the news: Communist Chinese hackers infiltrated telecommunications giants like AT&T and Verizon and wormed their way into government surveillance systems. The massive breach was detected over a month ago, but it’s been going on for over a year.
These hackers even intercepted live phone calls from Donald Trump, J.D. Vance and Kamala Harris’s staffers.
And what’s our government doing about it? The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, or CISA, just released a “how-to” for secure communications … a whole month later.
Should you panic?
No. Now, it’s not good Chinese hackers are snooping around, but their targets are typically high-profile individuals and politicians. If you’re an average person texting friends and family and not sharing espionage information, don’t worry. Spies, keep reading.
What’s the big deal?
Text messages sent using Apple iMessages are encrypted, but only between iPhones. Text from your iPhone to someone using an Android device, and that message (SMS or RCS) is unencrypted. Android-to-Android texts are generally encrypted through Google Messages, but texting on an Android phone to an iPhone? Not protected.
The same goes for email. Standard Gmail or Outlook messages are vulnerable once they leave that network. Gmail to Gmail? Safe. Gmail to Outlook? No. (More about this below.)
There are tools that fix this problem
When you’re texting about the latest Hallmark movie, privacy probably isn’t at the top of your mind. But it needs to be if you’re sharing financial info (including account numbers, Social Security numbers and PINs), login credentials or passwords, or private health info.
Use a secure messaging app
The key here is end-to-end encryption. Popular picks include Signal, WhatsApp, Telegram, Session and Briar. These apps also have:
Quick privacy upgrade: Turn your phone to safe mode
All I want for Christmas is to help keep your data safe. The bad news is there are a ton of cybercriminals out there doing their best to stop me.
Apple recently shared the results of a study from MIT on the growing threat of cyberattacks around the globe. A mindblowing 2.6 billion personal records were breached in 2021 and 2022. I’d say it’s time to act if you haven’t already.
All the companies collecting your info to train AI
Aliens might be on their way, but the robots are very much here. The apps you rely on every day use your data in many ways. The latest craze? Your data’s making a whole lot of robots a whole lot smarter.
Earlier this month, Zoom users discovered the app was using data from video calls to train its artificial intelligence (AI). It didn’t go over well, and they quickly backtracked (sort of). Now, we’re all wondering what these companies are really up to.
Security camera warning: This brand is missing a key privacy feature
There are plenty of reasons to install a video doorbell at your home. The most significant benefit for many is seeing who walks to the front door. Tap or click for a handy product that solves the Ring doorbell’s biggest problem.
Facebook Messenger is better than ever - Here's what's new
End-to-end encryption is an excellent defense against prying eyes when sharing digital messages between devices. While it’s been available on Facebook Messenger for a while, many noticed that enabling it pared away at some of the more advanced features non-encrypted users could utilize.
Genius trick to find any message you're looking for in seconds
Social media platforms let you pin a post to the top of your page, so it’s always the first thing your audience sees. Did you know that this useful feature is also available on your iPhone? Tap or click here to pin messages for easy reference later.
Turn on this smart security setting to protect your phone backups from hackers
You should always have a backup of precious photos and essential personal files. It would be best to back up your mobile phone before upgrading its operating system, so you don’t lose anything important. Tap or click for three things to look for in a cloud backup.
End-to-end encryption comes to Facebook Messenger - Here's how to enable it
End-to-end encryption is an important security tool to protect communications. Tap or click here to find out how to encrypt your emails and text messages.
The technology makes it more difficult for hackers to infiltrate conversations. Almost all chat applications, including Signal, Telegram and WhatsApp, use end-to-end encryption.
How to see all the data the world's most popular messaging app has on you
Most social apps have some direct messaging system built-in. Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat are a few examples. Facebook replaced its chat function with Messenger in 2011, which is now a standalone app.
Until a few years ago, you could create a Messenger account without ever having a Facebook account. That’s not the case anymore, but you can create a Facebook account with Messenger and then deactivate Facebook. Tap or click here to learn more.
The best new features coming to Android 13
You get excited when an entirely new operating system version is released for your smartphone if you’re anything like us. Still getting to know Android 12? Tap to click here for eight hidden features you should be using.
If you see these 4 words on Facebook Messenger, don't click
Meta’s Facebook is undoubtedly the largest social media platform globally, and its Messenger is used by more than 900 million people a month. That is an awful lot of messages, but unfortunately, not all of them are friendly conversations. Tap or click here to use Messenger without a Facebook account.
How to use Messenger without a Facebook account
Facebook Messenger lets you send a message to anyone on Facebook, regardless of your friendship status (unless they’ve blocked you). If you are, in fact, friends on the social network, you can also call them or initiate a video chat.
Clicking on one of these texts allows devious malware to take over your phone
Text messages have not gone out of fashion. While platforms like WhatsApp and Telegram have exploded in use, 2.1 trillion text messages were still sent in 2020. Facebook Messenger is also a popular choice, and the company recently introduced end-to-end encryption.
Mozilla warns: Avoid these 3 messaging apps if you care about privacy
Chatting online isn’t anything new, but the pandemic has fueled the use of video calling and messaging apps. As social distancing began around the country, these apps saw a surge in popularity. Tap or click here to find out which browser is best for your privacy.
After years of saying otherwise, now we know Facebook can read your WhatsApp messages
Facebook doesn’t have the best track record when it comes to privacy. Even founder Mark Zuckerberg acknowledged that in 2019, saying it doesn’t have “a strong reputation for building privacy-protective services.”
Use Facebook Messenger to chat or call? Check if you have access to massive new privacy change
There is no doubt that Facebook is the biggest social media network on the planet. It is used by tons of people every day, who generate millions of posts. But it is not all about posting cat pictures or funny memes.
Many also rely on the network as a communication tool. According to a 2019 statistic, as many as 20 billion messages are sent between people and businesses every month. And while Facebook Messenger is a hugely popular choice, you can also make voice calls through it.
Used Zoom in the past few years? See if you qualify for a class-action settlement payout
Every time you go online, you are putting your data and privacy at risk. Websites, apps, browsers and social media all have the potential to collect your information and do whatever they want with it. It can be used to hit you with targeted ads or sold to third parties. Either way, it’s an invasion of privacy and you should be angry about it.
Ring just made its biggest security change in years - Here's how to enable it
Ring cameras are incredibly useful to see what is going on in your house or in the backyard. By connecting them to your Wi-Fi network, you can see who is at the front door right from your mobile device.
While these video doorbells are a great way to fend off porch pirates, you shouldn’t leave your total home security up to them. Tap or click here for our home security comparison: DIY options vs. traditional home security.
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.
Has WhatsApp been sharing your data with Facebook for years?
Facebook is one of the worst tech companies when it comes to safeguarding its users’ privacy. It’s been known to share your personal information with advertisers to provide targeted ads and third-party companies like Cambridge Analytica.