The airports? Crazy. The weather? Unpredictable. Travel is tough enough … and then your phone dies. Those charging kiosks in airports, hotels and malls can be big timesavers. Their owners promise they’re safe, but the FBI disagrees — and so do I.

Welcome to the newest phase of juice jacking. The phenomenon has been around for more than 10 years. Hackers use public phone charging stations to upload malware to your devices. Then, they ransom your phone or steal your passwords.

Click here to read full story.

You need a timer, and you need it fast. Do a Google search for “timer” and one appears right there for you to use. There’s a stopwatch option, too. Easy, right?

Here’s another smart tech tip I’m surprised so many people mess up. Most people fill in the email recipient section before writing the message. That’s a mistake. Make that your very last step — that way, there’s a much lower chance you’ll send an email before it’s truly ready to send.

Click here to read full story.

When I saw this malware report, I wanted to pass it along because hackers and scammers are no longer just going after adults. They’ve got a huge pot of gold for anyone looking for Sonic the Hedgehog, Taylor Swift or “Boss Baby.” 

Innocent searches for movies, shows and celebrities are turning up awful results. A new study found the most common search terms to infect kids’ devices with malware. I admit even I was surprised by some of these.

Click here to read full story.

When you want to find a scammer, follow the money. Remember when Microsoft rolled out Bing Chat, backed by OpenAI’s GPT-4, in February 2023? They wanted to shake things up and go smack up against Google. Yeah, I used the words Microsoft Bing for once in my life without laughing.

It was all AI chat-like until Microsoft decided to splash ads into the chat, hoping to make some extra bucks. But guess what? Some sneaky cybercriminals have jumped on the ad-wagon using it as a golden opportunity to spread malware! Yup, scammers are buying ads from Microsoft to steal your data and money.

Click here to read full story.

There’s a program on my desktop that I didn’t install. How do I remove it?

— A reader in Minnesota

Click here to read full story.

]]> 895290 https://www.komando.com/security-privacy/ways-to-protect-from-malware/894696/ Thu, 05 Oct 2023 08:00:00 +0000

Ah, malware. These insidious little programs crawl into our phones, laptops and other smart devices and wreak havoc.

Usually, you can trust the Google Play Store, Apple’s App Store, Amazon apps and all other official sources. That said, it’s just plain smart to “trust but verify.” 

Click here to read full story.

]]> 894696 https://www.komando.com/money/xenomorph-malware/894265/ Wed, 27 Sep 2023 00:00:00 +0000 https://www.komando.com/?p=894265

I’ve got some urgent news you need to pay attention to. The nefarious Xenomorph Android malware I told you about in February is back in full force — and it’s targeting a whopping 100+ banking and crypto apps. Yeah, that’s just about all the major ones.

The Trojan (like the horse) is now even stealthier. The upgraded Xenomorph is launching a fresh assault on Android users — and there’s a tricky way it’s worming in: Through fake updates.

Click here to read full story.

]]> 894265 https://www.komando.com/safety-security-reviews/malware-protection-steps-2023/892019/ Mon, 07 Aug 2023 21:00:00 +0000

When a word begins with “mal,” you know it’s bad news. Malodorous. Maleficent. And one that’s woefully underused: malversation. (Look it up; it’s a good one.)

But the most dangerous to our tech lives? Malware. These insidious little programs crawl into our phones, laptops and any other smart device and wreak utter havoc. And unfortunately, it’s everywhere.

Click here to read full story.

]]> 892019 https://www.komando.com/security-privacy/antivirus-protection-for-your-phone/792161/ Wed, 12 Jul 2023 10:00:00 +0000

Smartphones are computers, powerful enough to do everything from editing complex documents to recording high-quality video. This comes with cybersecurity threats, which is why you might wonder if you need antivirus protection for your phone.

As our phones have changed, hackers have changed, too. They’re smarter than ever and have more tactics to trick you into downloading, clicking or opening the wrong thing. Once you do, you’re deep in the malware mess.

Click here to read full story.

]]> 792161 https://www.komando.com/security-privacy/meduza-malware/890529/ Tue, 11 Jul 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Use Chrome, Edge, Brave, Sidekick, Opera or Firefox to browse the web? What about Discord, Steam, a password manager or a crypto wallet? 

You’re a prime target for the Meduza Stealer — a type of malware that poses a serious personal and digital security risk. Its primary purpose is to steal valuable data from your computer. We’re talking login credentials, credit card details and cryptocurrency wallet data.

Click here to read full story.

]]> 890529 https://www.komando.com/safety-security-reviews/malware-as-a-service-warning/889120/ Mon, 26 Jun 2023 03:00:00 +0000

Phishing attacks, ransomware and data breaches have been ramping up over the last few years and threatening our digital lives more than ever before.

You don’t need to be a professional hacker living off the grid in a remote location guzzling energy drinks while you ply your crooked trade. Hacker toolkits are available online for anyone to purchase and they’re shockingly cheap and easy to use.

Click here to read full story.

]]> 889120 https://www.komando.com/tech-tips/virustotal-malware-checker/837760/ Wed, 31 May 2023 10:30:00 +0000

Hidden malware, hackers and phishers are after your data and bank accounts. But what can you do when you need to visit a website and aren’t sure if it’s safe?

We’ve found an online tool to check websites and files for digital threats before opening them. Keep reading to find out how to use it.

Click here to read full story.

]]> 837760 https://www.komando.com/security-privacy/android-apps-hiding-malware/887826/ Wed, 31 May 2023 08:00:00 +0000

Sorry, Android users. More bad news for you on the app front. (I know, it never ends.) Security researchers at Dr. Web found spyware in more than 100 popular apps. The most popular ones on the list have over 100 million downloads.

Are they on your phone?

Here are the most popular infected apps, along with total downloads. If you have one, delete it!

Click here to read full story.

]]> 887826 https://www.komando.com/security-privacy/trojan-infected-app/887437/ Wed, 24 May 2023 08:00:00 +0000

Not every scammy app was designed that way by the developers. Hackers can target popular apps and inject them with malicious code. And it’s incredibly spooky when this happens to one with a ton of downloads.

When good apps break bad

The app iRecorder – Screen Recorder has more than 50,000 installs … now passes along a Remote Access Trojan (RAT) to users, Cybersecurity firm ESET says.

Click here to read full story.

]]> 887437 https://www.komando.com/security-privacy/bad-app-alert/886255/ Tue, 09 May 2023 08:00:00 +0000

Is your Android phone running sluggishly? It could be any number of causes, from bloatware to spyware. Here are eight ways to get your phone back up to speed.

Have you seen charges for things you don’t remember subscribing to? Either your kids got their hands on your credit card, or you may be the victim of a thieving app. The apps boast abilities to make you look slimmer, remove imperfections and add filters. Don’t let vanity be your downfall!

Click here to read full story.

]]> 886255 https://www.komando.com/tech-tips/best-antivirus-protection/885282/ Fri, 05 May 2023 10:00:00 +0000

Too many cybercriminals are trying to worm their way into your system and steal from you. Even the most tech-savvy folks can be fooled. You don’t even need to click anything to download malware anymore.

That’s why you need powerful software to sniff out malicious files. I trust my sponsor TotalAV. It’s simple to install and use, and it’s received the VB100 award for detecting more than 99% of malware samples for the last three years in a row. (Yeah, that’s a big deal.)

Click here to read full story.

]]> 885282 https://www.komando.com/security-privacy/malicious-google-ads/884790/ Tue, 25 Apr 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Malware can come from pretty much anywhere nowadays. Just previewing a Word doc could infect your device. Here’s what you need to know to stay safe.

What do you do when you need to find something online? “Just Google it!”

Click here to read full story.

]]> 884790 https://www.komando.com/security-privacy/fake-app-reviews-everywhere/880801/ Sat, 18 Mar 2023 08:00:00 +0000

Exploring your favorite app store can be fun, but you can’t trust everything you see online. There are tons of malicious apps with fake reviews on official app stores. It’s not just Google Play, either. A recent report has shown that you can find phony reviews everywhere. Who can you trust?

Read on for some facts that may shock you.

Click here to read full story.

]]> 880801 https://www.komando.com/security-privacy/malware-steals-bank-credentials/880092/ Mon, 13 Mar 2023 17:15:00 +0000

Malware can be used for many nefarious things. The scariest way it’s used is to steal banking information. Now, hackers are going straight for the financial reward, sidestepping the usual methods for data extraction.

Read on to see how Xenomorph malware goes after your banking details and what you can do about it.

Click here to read full story.

]]> 880092 https://www.komando.com/security-privacy/malware-link-checker/879539/ Thu, 09 Mar 2023 08:00:00 +0000

Before you click a link, how certain are you that it will take you to the webpage you are expecting? It’s nearly impossible to tell by simply looking at the address, especially when modified with a link shortener.

And criminals know that, so they often hide malicious links ingeniously. The address could seem legitimate, but when you look closer, you might spot some character substitutions, revealing a bogus destination.

Click here to read full story.

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