Tag Archive for: ASAP

Have you been hacked? Follow this seven-step checklist ASAP


I always feel sympathy when I hear about hackers breaking into someone’s computer. I felt terrible when Phillis from Orlando Beach, FL, called the show and said hackers stole $150,000 from her brother’s PC. If you’ve ever been hacked, you know how scary it is.

That’s why I put together this hacking survival guide. Follow this seven-step checklist if you’re unfortunate enough to fall victim to this cybercrime.

1. Change all passwords

Update all of your passwords — especially your email and financial accounts. Every password you keep is a potential entry point for a hacker.

Here are five ways to make a strong password:

  1. Make them longer than 14 characters: More is better, but be mindful of character limits.
  2. Use a mix of uppercase and lowercase letters: Mix them up to make your password more complex.
  3. Throw in numbers: Avoid birth dates. They’re far too easy to figure out.
  4. Don’t forget the symbols: Throw in asterisks, parentheses, exclamation marks, commas, question marks and anything else you can think of.
  5. Make it a secret phrase: Use something like, “I went to the spa and saw the moon.” Replace some of the letters with numbers and symbols.

Need more advice? Use these 10 tips to secure your accounts with strong passwords.

Don’t forget to use unique passwords for every online account. It can be challenging to remember them all. A password manager can help keep track of your changes. Here’s everything you need to know about these important security tools.

2. Enable two-factor authentication (2FA) after you’ve been hacked

2FA makes you prove your identity whenever you log in. For example, when you try to access your online banking account, you’ll need to enter your credentials and a security code sent by text. Type the code into your device to prove your identity.

Unfortunately, some hackers can intercept 2FA texts. That’s why I recommend authenticator apps. They provide one-time-only codes that refresh every 30 seconds. Since they’re time-sensitive, they’re…

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Apple Just Patched 37 iPhone Security Bugs—Update iOS ASAP


July has been a month of important updates, including patches for already-exploited vulnerabilities in Microsoft and Google products. This month also saw the first Apple iOS update in eight weeks, fixing dozens of security flaws in iPhones and iPads.

Security vulnerabilities continue to hit enterprise products, too, with July patches issued for SAP, Cisco, and Oracle software. Here’s what you need to know about the vulnerabilities fixed in July.

Apple iOS 15.6

Apple has released iOS and iPadOS 15.6 to fix 37 security flaws, including an issue in Apple File System (APFS) tracked as CVE-2022-32832. If exploited, the vulnerability could allow an app to execute code with kernel privileges, according to Apple’s support page, giving it deep access to your device.

Other iOS 15.6 patches fix vulnerabilities in the kernel and WebKit browser engine, as well as flaws in IOMobileFrameBuffer, Audio, iCloud Photo Library, ImageIO, Apple Neural Engine, and GPU Drivers.

Apple isn’t aware of any of the patched flaws being used in attacks, but some of the vulnerabilities are pretty serious—especially those affecting the kernel at the heart of the operating system. It’s also possible for vulnerabilities to be chained together in attacks, so make sure you update as soon as possible.

The iOS 15.6 patches were released alongside watchOS 8.7, tvOS 15.6, macOS Monterey 12.5, macOS Big Sur 11.6.8, and macOS Catalina 10.15.7 2022-005.

Google Chrome

Google released an emergency patch for its Chrome browser in July, fixing four issues, including a zero-day flaw that has already been exploited. Tracked as CVE-2022-2294 and reported by Avast Threat Intelligence researchers, the memory corruption vulnerability in WebRTC was abused to achieve shellcode execution in Chrome’s renderer process.

The flaw was used in targeted attacks against Avast users in the Middle East, including journalists in Lebanon, to deliver spyware called DevilsTongue.

Based on the malware and tactics used to carry out the attack, Avast attributes the use of the Chrome zero-day to Candiru, an Israel-based company that sells spyware to governments.

Microsoft’s Patch Tuesday

Microsoft’s July Patch Tuesday is a big one, fixing 84…

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Venmo settings to change ASAP: Start by making your transactions private


Mobile payment app like Venmo and Cash App

Follow these simple steps to protect your privacy on Cash App and Venmo. 


James Martin/CNET

Tens of millions of people use mobile payment apps like PayPal’s Venmo and Square’s Cash App to transfer money directly from their bank accounts to friends, family and merchants. While these platforms offer convenience, they also bring security risks, due in part to their combination of finance and social media. Users can also be targets for hackers looking to drain financial accounts. 

But don’t worry — there are plenty of ways for you to secure your Venmo and Cash App accounts with a few simple settings changes and privacy best practices. Here’s what to do. 

Read more: Venmo’s social payments can get you into trouble. But people like them anyway

Protecting your privacy on Venmo and Cash App: Basic tips

Both payment apps use encryption and fraud detection technology to protect account information. But to better ensure your security, you should take a few extra steps.

Use a randomly generated password

We know — you’re tired of hearing about how you need to use unique, hard-to-guess passwords for every account. But it’s still true, especially when your money’s involved. One easy way to do this is to use a password manager. Our favorites — including LastPass, 1Password and Bitwarden — offer a free tier of service with all of the basics: password storage, strong and secure password generation and autofill capabilities. 

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A password manager can help keep your Venmo and Cash App accounts secure.


Angela Lang/CNET

Beware common scams

Criminals target users of apps like Venmo and PayPal in all kinds of clever ways. There have been reports of hackers posing as Venmo and Cash App support staff, calling or…

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Twitter to Android users: We’ve just patched this nasty bug so update your app ASAP – ZDNet

Twitter to Android users: We’ve just patched this nasty bug so update your app ASAP  ZDNet
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