"Another fool who used 'password.' Time to harvest some credit card numbers." Photo: Nikita Belokhonov/Pexels
Some people simply can’t stop using stupid, weak passwords. An analysis of the phrases used to secure various accounts in 2022 finds that “password” was used 4.9 million times, making it the most popular. And the rest of the top 10 are all easily guessed, too.
Also, using “tinder” as your Tinder password isn’t nearly as clever as you think it is. Many thousands of other people had the same idea.
Apple Gatekeeper protects Mac users — it doesn’t spy on them. Photo: PhotoMIX/Pexels CC
Apple promises it isn’t spying on Mac users to find out which applications they are using. The company was forced to make this clear after a server glitch caused users to realize that Gatekeeper in macOS sends a message to Apple whenever they open an application.
This award-winning SSD gives you 128GB of storage, with PIN authentication, advanced encryption and super-fast read/write speeds. Photo: Cult of Mac Deals
There is some data that can’t be kept safe enough. Personal finances, professional project files, digital family pictures — and that’s just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to sensitive files.
How best to stash all that safely? Cloud storage is easy, but it’s not exactly 100% reliable. SSDs are great, but if they fall into the wrong hands, your data is as good as gone. However, this SSD packs PIN protection so only you can access your data.
A good VPN adds an essential layer of security to your Mac. Photo: John Sting/Unsplash CC
This post on VPNs for Mac is brought to you by VPNOverview.
Many advanced Windows users have been using VPNs for various reasons for years. However, not many people are aware that VPNs can be just as beneficial for Mac owners. There is a misconception that Macs do not get viruses, and that you are completely safe browsing the web if you do it on a Mac. Apple products are better at defending against attack — and are less frequently targeted by malware. But that does not mean VPNs aren’t useful for Apple computers. In fact, VPNs for Mac are just as effective as they are for Windows systems.
These people all know they are on a Zoom call. Photo: Zoom
Mac users who’ve used the Zoom video conferencing application can now be assured that a serious security flaw has been dealt with. Apple pushed out a patch that removed the vulnerability from every Mac, without users needing to do anything.
Before the fix, the flaw potentially let malicious websites force people into Zoom video calls.
Think you’ll never fall victim to a cybercrime? Think again.
Recent data shows individuals have a one in 10 chance of becoming a victim of cybercrime each year. In fact, people are 20 times more likely to experience fraud than robbery.
It’s time to start taking your data security seriously by ensuring your smartphone, computer and online accounts are safe from hackers. Luckily, Apple products are pretty secure on their own. However, it never hurts to add an extra layer of protection. Start with these nine ways to strengthen your Apple products.
This bundle of seven cybersecurity apps will bring your Mac to Fort Knox levels of protection. Photo: Cult of Mac Deals
It’s hard to know if we’re doing enough to protect our online identities and data these days. Got an email password with a dozen alternating numbers, letters and an upside-down question mark but somehow your email still gets hacked? This bundle of seven cybersecurity apps will cover the vulnerabilities in your Mac. And right now the whole shebang is going for just $52 at Cult of Mac Deals.
It's really easy to bypass Mac's Gatekeeper. Photo: Apple
Apple’s Gatekeeper feature was designed to keep even the most advanced users from accidentally installing malicious software on their computers, but a super-simple exploit lets hackers sneak malware onto your Mac.
The exploit was discovered by Patrick Wardle, director of research at security firm Synack. Wardle found that the exploit is made possible thanks to a key design shortcoming in Gatekeeper that lets an attacker use a binary file already trusted by Apple to execute malicious files.
Need a cheap Mac? Look no further than the MacBook Air. Photo: Apple
Just a week after Apple patch several OS X vulnerabilities, a security researcher has already discovered two new exploits that could allow an attacker to remotely gain access to your Mac.
Get yours for just $999. Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac
Apple has touted the Mac’s resistance to viruses for decades as a selling point over Windows PCs, but a team of researchers have created a new firmware worm for Mac that might just make you want to go back to doing work on good old pencil and paper.
Two white-hat hackers discovered that several vulnerabilities affecting PC makers can also bypass Apple’s renowned security to wreak havoc on Mac firmware. The two created a proof-of-concept of the worm called Thunderstrike 2 that allows firmware attacks to be spread automatically from Mac to Mac. Devices don’t even need to be networked for the worm to spread, and once it’s infected your machine the only way to remove it is to open up your Mac and manually reflash the chip.