Privacy & Security Articles

What to Do Before (and After) Your Phone Is Stolen

Millions of phones are stolen every year, and there’s a chance yours could be one of them. But it doesn’t have to be—you can make your phone theftproof! We’ll show you how, and what you should do if yo...

Andrew Heinzman Aug 12th

The Tech Industry Wants to Kill the Password. Or Does It?

Some people can’t stop talking about the death of the password. Passwords are old, insecure, and easily leaked. Soon, we’ll all be using biometrics, hardware security keys, and other futuristic solutions—rig...

How to Stop Companies From Listening to Your Voice Assistant Recordings

It’s been in the news for weeks: Employees and contractors at Amazon, Google, Apple, and Microsoft are listening to recordings of you talking to voice assistants like Alexa, Google Assistant, Siri, Cortana. Here’s...

Netflix’s Parental Controls Are Terrible

Netflix has a parental control problem. You can create “Kids” profiles, but kids can easily escape them. You can set a PIN to block content, but Netflix still bombards kids with mature trailers. Netflix’s pa...

Why Does Windows Defender Firewall Block Some App Features?

Almost everyone who uses Windows has seen it. You launch an application or game, and Windows Firewall pops up and says it’s “blocked some features of this app.” What does this mean, and should you allow acce...

Chris Hoffman Aug 6th

What’s the Worst Thing Someone Can Do With Your Unlocked iPhone?

We use our phones for event tickets, reservations, insurance cards, and even driver’s licenses. But what happens when someone takes your unlocked iPhone out of view for a moment—what’s the risk? What’s...

Chris Hoffman Aug 5th

How to Protect Your Smarthome from Attack

Every new device you introduce into your smarthome is another device that can be attacked. You can secure your smarthome with simple steps like locking down your router and taking proper care of the gadgets in your smarthome....

Should You Pay Up If You Get Hit by Ransomware?

It might be your worst nightmare. You turn on your PC only to discover it’s been hijacked by ransomware that won’t decrypt your files unless you pay up. Should you? What are the pros and cons of paying off cyber-criminals...

Why Are Companies Still Storing Passwords In Plain Text?

Several companies have recently admitted to storing passwords in plain-text format. That’s like storing a password in Notepad and saving it as a .txt file. Passwords should be salted and hashed for security, so why isn...

How to Stream UFC 240 Holloway vs. Edgar Live Onlne

UFC is in Edmonton, Alberta this time around. On Saturday, July 27 at 10:00 PM Eastern Time (US), Max Holloway tries to defend his men’s featherweight championship against challenger Frankie Edgar. Here’s how to w...

Walter Glenn Jul 27th

How to Hide the Games You’re Playing on Steam

Steam shares your gameplay activity by default. If you’re playing Hello Kitty: Island Adventure or Bad Rats, you might want to keep your gameplay a secret. Here’s how to hide your Steam activity from your friend...

Chris Hoffman Jul 26th

Free Download: Remove PC Bloatware With Malwarebytes AdwCleaner

AdwCleaner just got better. The latest version of the free Malwarebytes tool can now remove manufacturer-installed bloatware on Windows PCs. We already loved it for removing potentially unwanted programs (PUPs) like adware an...

Chris Hoffman Jul 25th

How to Kick People Off Your Wi-Fi Network

Once you’ve given someone your Wi-FI password, they have unlimited access to your Wi-Fi, and they can join your network on all their devices. That’s how it usually works, anyway. Here’s how to boot them off....

Can Pacemakers (and Other Medical Devices) Really Be Hacked?

From pacemakers to smartwatches, we’re increasingly becoming a cybernetic species. That’s why recent headlines about vulnerabilities in implanted medical devices might set off alarm bells. Can your grandfather’s...

How to Disable Twitter’s “News For You” Notifications

Twitter typically notifies you about likes, retweets, or mentions. But sometimes it notifies you about “News for You,” inviting you to read the latest news on Twitter. Here’s how to turn off those news notif...

Chris Hoffman Jul 16th

Fight Night: How to Stream Pacquiao vs. Thurman Online

Manny Pacquiao returns to the ring Saturday, July 20 at 9:00 PM Eastern Time (US) to face off against undefeated Super WBA Welterweight Champion Keith Thurman in Las Vegas. Here’s how to watch.

Walter Glenn Jul 15th

How to Stream UFC Fight Night 155 de Randamie vs. Ladd Online

UFC comes to Sacramento, California tonight, July 13 as Germaine de Randamie faces off against Aspen Ladd. Here’s how to watch.

Walter Glenn Jul 13th

How to Encrypt and Decrypt Files With GPG on Linux

Protect your privacy with the Linux gpg command. Use world-class encryption to keep your secrets safe. We’ll show you how to use gpg to work with keys, encrypt files, and decrypt them.

Dave McKay Jul 12th

Windows 7’s July 2019 Security Patch Includes Telemetry

To the surprise of Windows watchers, the latest Windows 7 “security-only” update includes telemetry. The telemetry in question is Microsoft’s “Compatibility Appraiser,” which checks PCs for probl...

Chris Hoffman Jul 11th

Why Am I Getting Spam From My Own Email Address?

Have you ever opened an email only to find it’s spam or blackmail that seemed to come from your own email address? You’re not alone. Faking email addresses is called spoofing and, unfortunately, there’s litt...

Josh Hendrickson Jul 11th

How to Check and Tighten All Your iPhone’s Privacy Settings

Apps on your iPhone have to ask permission before accessing your data, but have you ever agreed to a permission request only to reconsider it later? Take back control of your data by reviewing your privacy settings....

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