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    Apple just released iOS 16.5.1 with security fixes

    Jason Cipriani/ZDNET Apple on Wednesday released a series of software updates for the iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch. The updates in the form of iOS 16.5.1, iPadOS 16.5.1, MacOS 13.4.1, and WatchOS 9.5.2 are more than your typical bug fixes and feature updates.  According to Apple’s security update website, today’s updates all fix known […] More

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    The US government buys your user data. Here’s what it does with it

    In the ODNI’s report, commercially available information (CAI) is defined as “information that is available commercially to the general public, and as such, is a subset of publicly available information.” This information can include your location, credit history, insurance claims, criminal records, employment history, income ethnicity, purchase history, and personal interests.Also: Cybersecurity 101: Protect your privacy from hackers, spies, and the governmentAlthough apps and websites will disclose that some of this information is not linked to your identity, the report says it’s possible to “deanonymize [anonymous data] and identify individuals, including US persons,” via reverse engineering.Because CAI is available commercially, the information can be acquired from a third-party data broker, typically in exchange for money. The report defines these data brokers as entities maintaining sophisticated databases full of US citizens’ user data.But data brokers also obtain publicly available information, such as voting registration, bankruptcy information, and web-browsing activity, from cookies. Usually, citizens are unaware that this information is public and that data brokers obtain it.Also: How to delete yourself from internet search results and hide your identity onlineData brokers rely on website registration and cookies to track consumers’ online activity and sell the data to advertisers to target consumers with ads. This business practice makes user data a highly valuable commodity. More

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    How to automatically clear the Bitwarden clipboard for better security

    <!–> Thanakorn Lappattaranan/Getty Images Bitwarden has been my favorite open-source password manager for years. Not only is it highly secure, but it’s also user-friendly and available for all platforms (Android, iOS, Linux, macOS, Windows, and web). Bitwarden has a number of tricks up its sleeve but there’s one particular trick you might not even know […] More

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    You can get a share of Google’s $23 million dollar settlement. Here’s how

    <!–> NurPhoto/Getty Images Google reached a $23 million settlement on a class action lawsuit filed against the company for sharing users’ referrer headers, which include users’ search terms, with third parties.  Although Google denies any wrongdoing in the settlement, it is still willing to pay you some money.  Also: Best secure browsers to protect your privacy […] More

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    How to hack Facebook with just a phone number

    <!–> Photo by Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images Update (June 13, 2023): The vulnerability highlighted in the original article below has been resolved and it is no longer possible to break into an account using just a phone number, as far as we know.  Vulnerabilities in the social media platform do exist, but Facebook now operates a […] More