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Tag: TECH

  • Jury duty phone scams on the rise as fraudsters impersonate local officials, threaten arrest

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    Scammers are constantly finding new ways to trick people. While older tactics like phishing emails and impersonating government agencies to steal credentials are becoming easier to spot, bad actors are now turning to more alarming methods. One of the latest involves impersonating local authorities. 

    People have reported receiving phone calls claiming they missed jury duty and now face a warrant for their arrest. This kind of impersonation scam is harder to spot because it’s highly personalized, but that doesn’t mean you’re defenseless. Let’s break it down.

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    DON’T FALL FOR THIS BANK PHISHING SCAM TRICK

    Scammers impersonating local authorities are on the rise, telling victims they missed jury duty and must pay to avoid legal trouble. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

    What jury duty scam victims need to know

    Scammers posing as court officials are targeting individuals with false claims about missed jury duty, prompting warnings from law enforcement. The fraud typically begins with a call from a blocked or unknown number, alleging that the recipient has missed jury duty and is facing an arrest warrant. The scammers then demand payment, usually through wire transfers or gift cards.

    A key warning sign is being asked to pay money to avoid arrest or legal trouble. It is important never to give money or personal information to unknown callers.

    These scams often target older or more vulnerable individuals, although younger people have also reported close calls. In one example, a person received repeated calls from an unidentified number before answering. The caller, claiming to be from a local sheriff’s department and equipped with the individual’s full name and address, insisted they had failed to appear for jury duty and faced multiple citations.

    HOW FAKE MICROSOFT ALERTS TRICK YOU INTO PHISHING SCAMS

    man using laptop and talking on phone while in apartment

    Victims can spot jury duty impersonation scams by verifying suspicious calls before taking action and reducing their digital footprint. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

    How to spot jury duty impersonation scams

    • No jury duty arrest warrants: Missing jury duty doesn’t lead to criminal citations or warrants.
    • Blocked or spoofed numbers: Real law enforcement won’t hide their identity.
    • Unusual payment methods: No government agency will ask for gift cards or crypto.
    • Aggressive threats: Threats of arrest or contempt of court are a scare tactic.

    Legitimate jury summonses are delivered by mail, not through threatening phone calls.

    6 ways to protect yourself from jury duty scam calls

    If you get a suspicious call about missed jury duty, don’t panic. Follow these steps to stay safe and protect your personal information.

    1) Don’t trust calls from unknown numbers

    This might sound obvious, but don’t trust any unknown caller, especially if they demand money. Legitimate authorities will never ask for payment over the phone, especially not through gift cards, wire transfers, or cryptocurrency. If someone threatens you with arrest or legal action unless you pay immediately, it’s almost certainly a scam. Hang up and call your local court or police department using an official number.

    HOW TO HAND OFF DATA PRIVACY RESPONSIBILITIES FOR OLDER ADULTS TO A TRUSTED LOVED ONE 

    2) Verify suspicious calls before taking action

    If you receive a suspicious call, take a breath and fact-check. Court summonses are always delivered by mail, not over the phone. Even if the caller has personal information like your name or address, that doesn’t make them credible. Scammers often use leaked or publicly available data to appear convincing.

    Be extra cautious, even if the scam comes through text messages or email. Do not click on any suspicious links, as they can install malware on your device and steal your personal data.

    The best way to safeguard yourself from malicious links that install malware, potentially accessing your private information, is to have strong antivirus software installed on all your devices. This protection can also alert you to phishing emails and ransomware scams, keeping your personal information and digital assets safe.

    Get my picks for the best 2025 antivirus protection winners for your Windows, Mac, Android & iOS devices at CyberGuy.com.

    GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO BY CLICKING HERE 

    3) Reduce your digital footprint to stop scammers

    The truth is, your data is already out there, from old social media profiles to past breaches. That’s often how scammers get enough personal details to sound legitimate. Investing in a data removal service can help reduce your digital footprint by scrubbing your information from people-search sites and data brokers.

    While no service can guarantee the complete removal of your data from the internet, a data removal service is really a smart choice. They aren’t cheap, and neither is your privacy. These services do all the work for you by actively monitoring and systematically erasing your personal information from hundreds of websites. It’s what gives me peace of mind and has proven to be the most effective way to erase your personal data from the internet. By limiting the information available, you reduce the risk of scammers cross-referencing data from breaches with information they might find on the dark web, making it harder for them to target you.

    Check out my top picks for data removal services and get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already out on the web by visiting Cyberguy.com.

    Get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already out on the web: Cyberguy.com.

    man talking to black-cased iphone in car

    Victims of jury duty phone scams can block and report suspicious numbers to local law enforcement or fraud reporting agencies. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

    4) Block and report scam numbers

    If you receive a scam call, report it to local law enforcement or your country’s fraud reporting agency. After hanging up, block the number on your phone and report it to:

    • FTC (USA): reportfraud.ftc.gov
    • Local police or sheriff’s office
    • Your phone carrier’s scam call reporting option

    Many carriers allow you to forward scam texts to 7726 (SPAM).

    5) Use call screening or spam protection apps

    Apps like Truecaller, Hiya, and built-in features like Google Call Screen or Silence Unknown Callers on iPhones can detect and block fake calls automatically.

    Pro Tip: Enable your phone’s “silence unknown callers” feature for extra protection. 

    6) Talk to vulnerable family members

    Older adults are frequent targets. Sit down with your parents, grandparents, or neighbors to explain how these scams work and what to watch for. A simple heads-up could stop a costly mistake.

    What this means for you

    Scammers are getting bolder and more convincing, but you can stay a step ahead. Knowing the signs of a jury duty phone scam, using smart tools like antivirus and call blockers and limiting your digital footprint can dramatically reduce your risk. Empower yourself and your loved ones with this knowledge.

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    Kurt’s key takeaway

    Instead of relying on faceless phishing emails, scammers are now using hyper-personalized and emotionally charged phone calls. By impersonating local authorities and referencing civic duties like jury duty, they exploit both fear and a sense of responsibility. What makes this especially dangerous is how plausible it sounds, drawing on real processes that many people don’t fully understand.

    Do you think law enforcement and government agencies are doing enough to educate the public about these scams? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com.

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    Copyright 2025 CyberGuy.com. All rights reserved. 

    Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson is an award-winning tech journalist who has a deep love of technology, gear and gadgets that make life better with his contributions for Fox News & FOX Business beginning mornings on “FOX & Friends.” Got a tech question? Get Kurt’s free CyberGuy Newsletter, share your voice, a story idea or comment at CyberGuy.com.

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  • This OpenAI engineer left her dream job and San Francisco home to move to Stockholm—all because of Trump 2.0

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    Miki Habryn can finally sleep at night. For many months, in the run-up to and after President Trump had won the election, that wasn’t the case.

    Up until June this year Habryn was living what many would call the American dream. She had a job at ChatGPT-maker OpenAI, surrounded by some of the brightest minds in artificial intelligence. Her pay was comfortably in the six-figures, and she owned a house in San Francisco, the first city she had ever lived in which felt like home.

    Her six-year old daughter, Steffi, was enjoying school and her wife, Eden, was thriving in her career as an artist.

    But the family couldn’t shake their concern about the direction U.S. politics was moving in. While Habryn was born in Poland and raised in Australia from the age of five, her partner and child had only ever known life in the States.

    When President Trump returned to the Oval Office, the family made the decision to leave San Francisco—and Habryn’s dream job—and move to Stockholm, Sweden. There they hope to stay indefinitely.

    Habryn said she made the choice to leave the the U.S., where she had lived since 2007, one night in March. She said: “My wife was traveling on the East Coast and I was home with Steffi. And something about that particular night, I was awake worrying about things which was not uncommon, and I just got to the point of: It’s time to go, I can’t just stay here and do nothing, but doing anything comes with such terrible risks for me because of my status.”

    “If I came to the attention of, or got arrested by the federal authorities, the outcome of that could be tragic. It turns out that my wife, on the same day, reached the same conclusion.”

    Habryn explains the “status” she refers to: “During the campaign it was immigrants and transgender people that was occupying the airways and since I’m both, they’ve got me coming and going effectively.”

    The family are not alone in their decision to leave Trump’s America. While it’s hard to pin down the number of people leaving the U.S. every year (the Department of State previously told Fortune it does not keep such records) in 2024 applications from Americans to live in the United Kingdom alone spiked 26% compared to a year prior. More than 6,100 Americans applied for British citizenship last year, a record number.

    Immigration experts also previously told Fortune their phones had been ringing off the hook—particularly since that infamous Trump and Biden debate, when many people felt the fate of the November election had been decided. Montreal-based immigration experts Moving2Canada, for example, saw inquiries spike in both 2016 and 2020 and in 2024 saw enquiries triple in volume after the Trump vs. Biden debate.

    Life at OpenAI

    Habryn is no stranger to working in America’s tech elite: She moved to the U.S. originally to work for Google in Mountain View where she stayed for the next 12 years. Her experience at OpenAI, where she worked from May 2024 to July 2025, is a familiar story to many in Big Tech: An intense atmosphere, “wonderful” people and riveting work.

    “It’s challenging,” Habryn said. “I think it’s exciting but I was lucky enough to have a lot of security and confidence in my own abilities—I think without that it would have been very, very hard.”

    The prospect of losing her dream role in the research department of one of the world’s most-talked about companies was a key issue which held Habryn back from making the move earlier. While her team was supportive of the decision, ultimately the legalities of Habryn’s work meant it couldn’t move with her.

    “It was really hard,” she said. “That was probably the reason it took me as long as it did to make the decision, because honestly I had this period of grief stepping away from this. I’ve been working in tech for a long time … and really the only thing I want to be working on is AI.

    “It was hard and I didn’t love making that decision but, ultimately, it was just a question of priority.”

    Habryn is confident she will find interesting work when she needs to, and the family are settling into their newly purchased home in Stockholm—the family doubt they will ever return to the U.S. That comes with “guilt”, Habryn says: “I buy the narrative that you should fight for the things that you believe in and that there is value to staying and fighting for that. If it were not for Steffi, I think we would have.”

    Ultimately her six-year-old daughter is their focus: “We set aside a lot of things that we love to do [because] we want Steffi to have a routine, a stable home, a stable school and all those things. The hardest thing about this whole move has been worrying about the impact on her and so the priority was that we don’t want to do this again, we’re going to move once, and we want to put down roots and spend the next 15/20 years there.”

    Introducing the 2025 Fortune Global 500, the definitive ranking of the biggest companies in the world. Explore this year’s list.

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  • Experts warn AI stuffed animals could ‘fundamentally change’ human brain wiring in kids

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    Do AI chatbots packaged inside plush animals really help children, or do they threaten vital developmental milestones? Companies market them as “screen-free playmates” for toddlers, but pediatric experts warn these toys could trade human connection for machine conversation. Toys like Grem, Grok and Rudi are designed to bond with kids through voice and conversation. Instead of simply replacing screen time, they may replace something far more important: the role of parents and peers in emotional development.

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    THIS EV HAS A FACE, AND IT TALKS BACK WITH AI

    AI-powered stuffed toys, such as Grem (left), could disrupt cognitive and emotional development among young children, experts say. (Curio/©Michael Cuviello/Amarillo Globe-News/USA Today Network/IMAGN)

    Why AI stuffed animals worry child experts

    Pediatricians and psychologists raise red flags about these AI toys. Young children naturally form attachments. If those attachments shift to chatbots, kids may learn to trust machines more than people. Research already shows children ages 3 to 6 sometimes trust robots more than humans, even when the robots give wrong answers. That undermines how kids build empathy, learn to question, and develop critical thinking. There are also privacy concerns. Parents may not realize that these “personalized” toys are recording conversations. Sensitive information could be stored, analyzed, or misused without families fully knowing.

    grey cone-shaped, rocket-like smiling stuffed animal

    A-powered stuffed toy called Grok. Companies market AI-enhanced plushies as “screen-free playmates” for toddlers. (Curio)

    HOLLYWOOD TURNS TO AI TOOLS TO REWIRE MOVIE MAGIC

    How AI toys may disrupt child development

    Pediatric experts in early childhood and language development warn that responsive AI could “fundamentally change the wiring of the human brain.” Unlike television or passive media, AI plushies respond in real time, adapting to a child’s questions, stories, and moods. That responsiveness can be powerful. It can encourage curiosity, vocabulary growth, and even creativity. But it can also crowd out human interactions, those subtle facial expressions, pauses, and “nos” that children need to experience to learn empathy and resilience. Another risk is that AI companions are trained to be overly charming and agreeable. Instead of challenging a child’s thinking, these “sycophantic” toys may simply tell kids what they want to hear. Over time, that could nudge children toward believing comforting lies instead of asking hard questions, a toxic pattern for developing critical thinking. 

    red, white, blue robot like stuffed animal

    AI-powered stuffed toy called Gabbo. Pediatric experts in childhood development warn responsive AI in stuffed animals may “fundamentally” alter brain growth. (Curio)

    MCDONALD’S AI HIRING CHATBOT EXPOSED DATA OF JOB CANDIDATES

    The benefits and risks parents should weigh

    Some parents say these AI toys offer relief. They help answer endless questions, tell stories, and spark play. In fact, some early research shows kids learn new words faster when engaging in dialogue with AI rather than passively consuming media. But the tradeoff is significant. If AI becomes the primary companion, kids could miss out on the messy, unpredictable, and deeply human experiences that shape trust, empathy, and social awareness.

    cute grey stauffed animal in box with label name Grok

    AI-powered stuffed toy called Grok still in its shipping box. Experts warn that AI-powered plushies could reshape child development and trust. (Curio)

    Safety and security tips for parents before buying AI plush toys

    Before bringing one of these toys home, experts suggest:

    • Check the fine print: Review what data is collected, where it’s stored, and if it can be deleted.
    • Limit use to short sessions: Treat the toy like TV, fun in moderation, not a substitute for playmates.
    • Keep conversations public: Encourage kids to use the toy in family spaces, not behind closed doors.
    • Turn off the cloud if possible: Some models work locally without sending every word to servers.

    WE HAVE TO ACT NOW TO KEEP AI FROM BECOMING A FAR-LEFT TROJAN HORSE

    Better play alternatives to AI-stuffed animals

    If you’re worried about replacing human connection, consider healthier alternatives:

    • Rotate traditional toys to keep novelty alive.
    • Use AI plushies together with your child, treating it as a shared activity instead of a private companion.
    • Encourage kids to retell stories to parents and siblings, not just to the toy.

    What this means for you

    Parents need to think critically before bringing an AI-powered plushie into their home. Ask yourself:

    • Do I want my toddler’s first conversations recorded by a company?
    • Could a chatbot toy undermine the natural give-and-take of family interaction?
    • Am I replacing screen time, or am I replacing myself?

    Balancing curiosity with caution is key. Occasional use may spark fun, but long-term reliance could reshape your child’s emotional growth in ways no study has yet measured.

    CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP 

    Kurt’s key takeaways

    AI stuffed animals may look like harmless, cuddly friends, but the stakes are bigger than bedtime stories. These AI-powered plushie toys raise questions about privacy, trust, and what it means to connect as humans. Technology will always tempt us with convenience, but children learn best through love, attention, and genuine relationships.

    Would you let an AI-powered toy become your child’s closest companion? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com/Contact.

    Sign up for my FREE CyberGuy Report
    Get my best tech tips, urgent security alerts and exclusive deals delivered straight to your inbox. Plus, you’ll get instant access to my Ultimate Scam Survival Guide — free when you join my CYBERGUY.COM/NEWSLETTER.

    Copyright 2025 CyberGuy.com. All rights reserved.

    Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson is an award-winning tech journalist who has a deep love of technology, gear and gadgets that make life better with his contributions for Fox News & FOX Business beginning mornings on “FOX & Friends.” Got a tech question? Get Kurt’s free CyberGuy Newsletter, share your voice, a story idea or comment at CyberGuy.com.

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  • TransUnion becomes latest victim in major wave of Salesforce-linked cyberattacks, 4.4M Americans affected

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    You might have recently noticed a wave of cyberattacks hitting companies whose services millions of Americans rely on every day. Among the victims are Google, Farmers Insurance, Allianz Life, Workday, Pandora, Cisco, Chanel and Qantas, all reporting breaches linked to Salesforce-connected applications.

    Now, credit reporting firm TransUnion has confirmed its own major incident, with more than 4.4 million U.S. consumers affected. Attackers exploited weaknesses in third-party integrations, not Salesforce itself. Security researchers tie this technique to the extortion group ShinyHunters and its affiliated crews.

    Sign up for my FREE CyberGuy Report
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    SCAMMERS ARE USING DOCUSIGN EMAILS TO PUSH APPLE PAY FRAUD

    Hackers stole 13 million records, exposing data of 4.4 million Americans in the latest TransUnion cyberattack. (Christopher Dilts/Bloomberg)

    What you need to know about the TransUnion data breach

    TransUnion has disclosed a major data breach that impacted 4,461,511 individuals in the United States, according to a filing with the Maine Attorney General’s Office. The incident occurred on July 28, 2025, and was discovered two days later on July 30.

    The breach resulted from unauthorized access to a third-party application used in TransUnion’s U.S. consumer support operations. The company stressed that its core credit database and credit reports were not compromised.

    Although TransUnion characterized the exposed information as “limited,” the stolen data is highly sensitive. It includes names, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, billing addresses, email addresses, phone numbers, reasons for customer transactions (such as requests for a free credit report), and customer support tickets and messages.

    Hackers claim they stole more than 13 million records in total, with about 4.4 million tied to U.S. consumers.

    In response, TransUnion is providing all affected individuals with 24 months of free credit monitoring and identity theft protection services.

    FARMERS INSURANCE DATA BREACH EXPOSES 1.1M AMERICANS

    entrance of google office building with people standing outside

    The breach at TransUnion follows several similar cyberattacks against tech companies, including Google and Cisco, and retail brands, such as Chanel and Adidas.  (Mike Kemp/In Pictures)

    Hackers target companies through Salesforce apps

    The breach appears to be part of a broader wave of Salesforce-related attacks that is hitting organizations across sectors, from tech and finance to retail and aviation. Alongside Google, Farmers Insurance, Allianz Life, Workday, Pandora, Cisco, Chanel and Qantas, brands like Adidas, Louis Vuitton, Dior, Tiffany & Co., Cartier and Air France-KLM have also reported incidents tied to weaknesses in Salesforce-linked applications.

    In most cases, attackers exploited malicious third-party integrations or OAuth-connected apps disguised as legitimate Salesforce tools to siphon sensitive records. This technique bypassed traditional login protections and gave intruders long-lasting access to customer relationship management data. The stolen information ranges from basic contact details and business notes to highly sensitive identifiers such as Social Security numbers, dates of birth and driver’s license information.

    Researchers say these intrusions align with activity from the extortion group ShinyHunters, with some overlap in tactics and infrastructure linked to other threat actors like Scattered Spider. Campaigns tracked under names such as UNC6395 and UNC6040 point to a larger “extortion-as-a-service” model, where criminal crews collaborate and share stolen data across underground forums.

    TransUnion’s response

    CyberGuy reached out to TransUnion for a comment and received the following response:

    “TransUnion recently experienced a cyber incident that affected a third-party application serving our U.S. consumer support operations. Upon discovery, we quickly contained the issue, which did not involve our core credit database or include credit reports.

    The incident involved unauthorized access to limited personal information for a very small percentage of U.S. consumers. We are working with law enforcement and have engaged third-party cybersecurity experts for an independent forensics review. Additionally, we will notify affected consumers and provide credit monitoring services.”

    As for the gap between when the breach occurred (July 28, 2025) and when it was officially recorded as “discovered” (July 30, 2025), a TransUnion spokesperson clarified that the company “identified and contained this event within hours” of it happening, but that it is common industry practice to designate a later “date of discovery” to reflect a more complete assessment following the initial response.

    MARY KAY’S ICONIC PINK CADILLAC SHIFTS TO FULLY ELECTRIC

    hacker wearing globes and using laptop

    Researchers have linked the latest cybercrimes to extortion group ShinyHunters and its affiliated crews. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

    8 ways you can stay safe from the TransUnion data breach

    The TransUnion breach exposed millions of people’s data, but there are steps you can take to protect yourself. Here are eight ways to stay safe.

    1) Delete personal data that puts you at risk

    Go through old online accounts, shopping profiles or cloud storage that may still hold sensitive data. Deleting what you no longer use reduces the amount of information that could be stolen in future breaches or sold on dark web forums. You can also get help from a data removal service.

    While no service promises to remove all your data from the internet, having a removal service is great if you want to constantly monitor and automate the process of removing your information from hundreds of sites continuously over a longer period of time.

    Check out my top picks for data removal services and get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already out on the web by visiting Cyberguy.com/Delete.

    Get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already out on the web: Cyberguy.com/FreeScan.

    2) Avoid phishing scams and use strong antivirus software

    Data stolen in breaches often ends up fueling phishing campaigns. Attackers may use your name, email or phone number to make messages look more convincing. If you get an email or text claiming to be from TransUnion, your bank or any service asking you to “verify” details, don’t click on the link. Instead, log in through the official website or call customer service directly.

    The best way to safeguard yourself from malicious links is to have antivirus software installed on all your devices. This protection can also alert you to phishing emails and ransomware scams, keeping your personal information and digital assets safe.

    Get my picks for the best 2025 antivirus protection winners for your Windows, Mac, Android & iOS devices at Cyberguy.com/LockUpYourTech.

    3) Save passwords securely

    If your login details were exposed, reusing the same password across sites puts multiple accounts at risk. Use a password manager to create and store strong, unique passwords for every service. Even if hackers get hold of one, they won’t be able to use it elsewhere. Consider using a password manager to generate and store complex passwords.

    Next, see if your passwords have been exposed in past breaches. Our No. 1 password manager (see Cyberguy.com/Passwords) pick includes a built-in breach scanner that checks whether your passwords have appeared in known leaks. If you discover a match, immediately change any reused passwords and secure those accounts with new, unique credentials. 

    Check out the best expert-reviewed password managers of 2025 at Cyberguy.com/Passwords.

    HACKERS FOUND A WAY TO TURN OFF WINDOWS DEFENDER REMOTELY

    4) Turn on two-factor authentication

    Two-factor authentication (2FA) adds a critical extra step beyond just a password. If someone tries to break into your email, banking app or social media account, they’ll also need the one-time code from your authenticator app or text message. This makes stolen credentials much less useful.

    5) Keep your devices updated

    Hackers often rely on outdated software to spread malware or steal information. Installing the latest updates for your phone, computer and apps ensures security patches are in place, blocking known vulnerabilities that attackers might exploit.

    6) Freeze your credit right away

    One of the biggest risks after a breach is criminals opening new loans or credit cards in your name. A credit freeze with all three major bureaus, TransUnion, Equifax and Experian, prevents anyone from accessing your credit file without your approval. It’s free and can be temporarily lifted if you need to apply for credit.

    7) Monitor your accounts regularly

    Watch your bank and credit card statements for unfamiliar charges, no matter how small. Set up transaction alerts where available. You should also pull your free annual credit report to check for unauthorized accounts or inquiries, which could be signs of fraud.

    8) Consider identity theft protection services

    If your Social Security number, driver’s license or other sensitive identifiers were exposed, you may want to sign up for an identity theft protection service. These services monitor credit reports, dark web forums and financial activity for signs of misuse. Some also include insurance or recovery assistance if your identity is stolen, giving you added peace of mind beyond basic credit monitoring. If you’re one of the affected TransUnion users, make use of the 24 months of free credit monitoring and identity theft protection services. If not, you might get one yourself for the future.

    See my tips and best picks on how to protect yourself from identity theft at  Cyberguy.com/IdentityTheft.

    CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP 

    Kurt’s key takeaway

    The reality is that the TransUnion breach isn’t just about stolen names and numbers. It’s about how exposed ordinary people are when a single company holds the keys to their financial identity. For years, consumers have had little choice but to trust credit bureaus they never opted into.

    Should companies like TransUnion be held legally accountable when millions of people are exposed to fraud? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com/Contact.

    Sign up for my FREE CyberGuy Report
    Get my best tech tips, urgent security alerts and exclusive deals delivered straight to your inbox. Plus, you’ll get instant access to my Ultimate Scam Survival Guide — free when you join my CYBERGUY.COM/NEWSLETTER.

    Copyright 2025 CyberGuy.com. All rights reserved.  

    Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson is an award-winning tech journalist who has a deep love of technology, gear and gadgets that make life better with his contributions for Fox News & FOX Business beginning mornings on “FOX & Friends.” Got a tech question? Get Kurt’s free CyberGuy Newsletter, share your voice, a story idea or comment at CyberGuy.com.

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  • Cybersecurity expert reveals simple trick to stop companies from tracking your online shopping

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    We’re conditioned to think our email address is harmless. Most of us think it’s just an ID, a way to get receipts and shipping updates, but that’s not it.

    Your email is the skeleton key to your online identity. It’s what companies use to build behavioral profiles, target ads, link purchases, and sometimes worse, facilitate fraud after a breach. And when you reuse the same email address everywhere, you make that key universal.

    To keep things private, I use an alias for online shopping to stay anonymous, cut down on spam, and more. Let’s discuss what aliases are, why they matter, and how they quietly turn the tables in your favor.

    Sign Up For My Free Cyberguy Report
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    A woman browses the Amazon website on her laptop on Sep. 29, 2024. (Serene Lee/SOPA Images/LightRocket)

    How Email Aliases Help You Stay Anonymous Online

    Each time you enter your main email on a shopping site, you give that company a lasting way to connect your behavior across different platforms, devices, and timeframes. They might hash or encrypt your email, but the behavioral patterns remain. You can still be tracked, but aliases interrupt that chain.

    Instead of sharing my actual email address, I create a unique one for each website. The emails still reach me through forwarding, but the company never sees my real address. That small change prevents them from linking my activity with other accounts or sites. It is not a perfect solution, but it adds just enough friction to disrupt the tracking systems.

    Every alias I use becomes a kind of tracker. If one starts getting spam, I know which site sold or lost my data. Most people don’t know where the breach happened, they just assume “it happens.” I take a different approach. When an alias starts getting unwanted emails, I do not try to unsubscribe or set up filters or waste time guessing. I simply disable the alias, and the problem is gone.

    person receiving spam email on laptop

    A spam phishing email is displayed on a laptop screen on March 21, 2022. Retail companies often sell shopper data, leading to unwanted spam and phishing messages. (Peter Dazeley)

    Stop Companies From Tracking You With Email Aliases

    The average e-commerce site uses between 15 and 30 third-party scripts, analytics trackers, ad pixels, behavioral beacons, according to a study. Even if the site itself is honest, its stack probably isn’t. Your email passes through layers of infrastructure, mailing tools, CRM platforms, shipping plugins. And all it takes is one misconfiguration or a careless developer for your data to end up in the wrong hands.

    An alias reduces the blast radius. If the site gets breached your core identity remains untouched.

    Aliases don’t just protect privacy, they improve behavior. When I started using them, I found myself thinking more clearly about where I was signing up and why. The mental pause required to generate a new alias made me more deliberate. And it gave structure to the mess. I could set rules like all product warranties go to products@myalias.com, all newsletters to news@myalias.com.

    Create Email Aliases For Better Online Privacy

    An alias alone isn’t enough to stay safe out there. You also need a secure email provider to start with. By creating email aliases, you can protect your information and reduce spam. These aliases forward messages to your primary address, making it easier to manage incoming communications and avoid data breaches. 

    For recommendations on private and secure email providers that offer alias addresses, visit Cyberguy.com.

    person shopping online through best buy phone app

    A woman browses Best Buy on her smartphone while online shopping. (Serene Lee/SOPA Images/LightRocket)

    Kurt’s Key Takeaway

    We’ve made progress when it comes to password hygiene. Many of us now use password managers and enable two-factor authentication, but when it comes to email, the habits haven’t changed much. Most people still rely on a single email address for everything, including shopping, banking, subscriptions, work, even family communication. That’s not just inefficient, but also a security risk. Using email aliases is a simple way to fragment your digital identity. It adds complexity for attackers and reduces the chances of a single breach affecting multiple accounts.

    Would you still use your main email for everything if you knew it made you easier to track? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com.

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    Copyright 2025 CyberGuy.com.  All rights reserved.  

    Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson is an award-winning tech journalist who has a deep love of technology, gear and gadgets that make life better with his contributions for Fox News & FOX Business beginning mornings on “FOX & Friends.” Got a tech question? Get Kurt’s free CyberGuy Newsletter, share your voice, a story idea or comment at CyberGuy.com.

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  • Jobs that are most at risk from AI, according to Microsoft

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    Right now, many people are worried that artificial intelligence (AI) is coming for their jobs. If you’re one of them, then the recent study by Microsoft will shed some light on how AI’s generative capabilities will impact your field of work. In short, some occupations are more susceptible to its influence than others.

    This study is making waves because, unlike previous studies, it draws insight from real-world data. Microsoft looked at 200,000 anonymous Copilot conversations from 2024 and mapped them against the U.S. government’s job classification system.

    The study also identified entire occupational groups, like “computer and mathematical occupations” and “office and administrative support,” among those with the highest AI overlap. The results reveal exactly which careers AI is already touching and which ones it barely affects.

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    GOOGLE AI EMAIL SUMMARIES CAN BE HACKED TO HIDE PHISHING ATTACKS

    A man walking to his job in a financial district. Positions like advertising sales agents and market research analysts face the greatest likelihood of AI integration, according to a recent Microsoft study. (Ivan Alvarado)

    Is AI Going to Replace You?

    The result of the study was the calculation of an “AI applicability score.” It measures how closely certain job activities align with the capabilities of AI. To no one’s surprise, knowledge-based and communication-heavy roles were at the top of the list of jobs that are most impacted. At the bottom of this list were jobs requiring physical labor or machine operation, showing minimal overlap.

    This score reflects overlap, not guaranteed job loss. The researchers stressed that no occupation is fully performed by AI. The study focuses only on language-based generative AI (like Copilot), not other AI areas such as robotics or autonomous systems, which could affect different roles.

    HOLLYWOOD TURNS TO AI TOOLS TO REWIRE MOVIE MAGIC

    Why High AI Overlap Doesn’t Always Mean Job Loss

    The researchers emphasized that it’s important to differentiate between overlap and replacement. Overlap means the AI performs certain tasks alongside humans, while replacement means it will take their place. The study makes no predictions about job growth or losses. It’s simply a snapshot of where AI fits in today. In fact, historical trends suggest that automation can sometimes add jobs instead of taking them away. So, it’s not all gloom and doom even in sectors with high overlap.

    two men presenting at large screen in office

    Two men give a presentation at a meeting on data and AI integration. Jobs deemed “most impacted” by AI indicate that technology can take over portions of an employee’s daily tasks. (Frank Rumpenhorst)

    MCDONALD’S AI HIRING CHATBOT EXPOSED DATA OF JOB CANDIDATES

    Top Jobs Most at Risk from AI, According to Microsoft

    These are the jobs that show a great deal of overlap:

    • Technical writers
    • Ticket agents and travel clerks
    • Editors
    • Telemarketers
    • Broadcast announcers and radio DJs
    • Mathematicians
    • Political scientists
    • Interpreters and translators
    • Advertising sales agents
    • CNC tool programmers
    • News analysts, reporters, and journalists
    • Customer service representatives
    • Historians
    • Farm and home management educators
    • Business teachers, postsecondary
    • Hosts and hostesses
    • Public relations specialists
    • Concierges
    • Brokerage clerks
    • Proofreaders and copy markers
    • Writers and authors
    • Sales representatives (services)
    • Telephone operators
    • Demonstrators and product promoters
    • Passenger attendants
    • Data scientists
    • Market research analysts
    • Web developers
    • Management analysts

    Jobs Least Likely to be Replaced by AI Right Now

    • If you do any of the jobs below, you have the least to worry about:
    • Medical equipment preparers
    • Surgical assistants
    • Dishwashers
    • Roofers
    • Massage therapists
    • Cement masons and concrete finishers
    • Motorboat operators
    • Orderlies
    • Floor sanders and finishers
    • Bridge and lock tenders
    • Industrial truck and tractor operators
    • Gas compressor and pumping station operators
    • Helpers-roofers
    • Roustabouts, oil and gas
    • Ophthalmic medical technicians
    • Packaging and filling machine operators
    • Logging equipment operators
    • Dredge operators
    • Pile driver operators
    • Water treatment plant and system operators
    • Foundry mold and coremakers
    • Machine feeders and offbearers
    • Rail-track maintenance equipment operators
    • Supervisors of firefighters
    • Tire builders

    WE HAVE TO ACT NOW TO KEEP AI FROM BECOMING A FAR-LEFT TROJAN HORSE

    What This Means for You

    If your job appears in the “most impacted” list, it doesn’t mean you need to panic or start packing up your desk. It means AI is already capable of handling parts of your daily tasks — and that can be an opportunity if you learn to use it. Those who embrace AI tools now can work faster, free up time for creative thinking, and make themselves even more valuable.

    If your role is on the “least impacted” list, don’t assume you’re immune forever. While physical and hands-on jobs have less overlap with AI today, future technologies beyond language models, like robotics or AI-driven machinery, could change that picture. Staying adaptable, learning basic AI skills, and keeping up with tech trends will help you stay ahead no matter your industry.

    In short, treat this study as a career weather forecast, not a doomsday prediction. AI might not replace you, but someone who knows how to work with AI could. The smartest move? Learn to be that person.

    woman writing behind bookcase

    While jobs such as writers and editors are heavily impacted by AI, there are currently no predictions of mass unemployment from the technology’s rise. (Liz Hafalia/The San Francisco Chronicle)

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    Take My Quiz: How Safe Is Your Online Security?

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    Kurt’s Key Takeaways

    As of now, it seems there are no predictions of mass unemployment due to the rise of AI. However, the study does highlight that impacted areas may evolve. A good example is how bank tellers still exist even though we have ATMs. They just redefined the role of tellers, and this is what will happen with generative AI in various fields. And who knows? AI may even give rise to entirely new professions. So, it helps professionals in high-overlap fields to see AI as a collaborator.

    Is your career safe from AI or already in its sights? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com.

    Sign Up For My FREE CyberGuy Report

    Get my best tech tips, urgent security alerts and exclusive deals delivered straight to your inbox. Plus, you’ll get instant access to my Ultimate Scam Survival Guide — free when you join my CYBERGUY.COM newsletter.

    Copyright 2025 CyberGuy.com. All rights reserved.  

    Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson is an award-winning tech journalist who has a deep love of technology, gear and gadgets that make life better with his contributions for Fox News & FOX Business beginning mornings on “FOX & Friends.” Got a tech question? Get Kurt’s free CyberGuy Newsletter, share your voice, a story idea or comment at CyberGuy.com.

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  • How scammers target you even without social media

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    “I don’t use Facebook. I don’t even have an email. How could scammers possibly know anything about me?”

    That’s the question I hear from people over 60 all the time. If you assume that by staying off social media and avoiding the internet, you’re invisible to fraudsters, think again.

    The truth is, even if you’ve never posted a single thing online, scammers can still know your age, home address, relatives’ names, property value, and even when you’ve suffered the loss of a loved one. How? Because the everyday details of your offline life are quietly being collected, digitized, and sold.

    And scammers are taking full advantage.

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    REMOVE YOUR DATA TO PROTECT YOUR RETIREMENT FROM SCAMMERS

    Scammers can still know a lot about you, even if you have never posted anything online. (Fernando Gutierrez-Juarez/picture alliance via Getty Images)

    How scammers target seniors without social media

    Here’s the uncomfortable reality: you don’t have to “put yourself out there” for your information to appear online. Much of it becomes public record automatically, thanks to the way our legal and government systems work.

    Some of the biggest sources include:

    • Obituaries: When a loved one passes away, obituaries often list family members, ages, locations, and relationships. To scammers, it’s a family tree of potential targets.
    • Real estate records: Property purchases, sales, and even mortgage details are public. This can tell scammers whether you own your home outright, what it’s worth, and if you might be cash-rich.
    • Probate filings: When estates go through probate, details about beneficiaries and assets are recorded. Scammers can identify heirs and target them with fraudulent “inheritance assistance.”
    • Property tax documents: These are often searchable by anyone. They reveal not only your address but also your financial standing.
    • Court filings: Divorce, bankruptcy, and civil disputes often contain personal details, which are public by law.

    On their own, these may not seem dangerous. But combined, they create a shockingly detailed portrait of your life.

    THE DATA BROKER OPT-OUT STEPS EVERY RETIREE SHOULD TAKE TODAY

    A man leaning on a fence using a tablet

    Public records can provide a portrait of your life. (Barbara Eddowes via Getty Images)

    Bereavement scams and emotional tricks scammers use

    One of the cruelest scams I’ve seen lately is what I call the bereavement scam.

    Here’s how it works:

    A scammer scrapes local obituaries to see who’s recently lost a spouse or child. They then reach out, by phone, email, or even mail, pretending to be a funeral home, a grief counselor, or a charity. Because they reference real names, dates, and relationships, their outreach sounds painfully authentic.

    • Example: “We saw you lost your husband on March 3rd. We’d like to offer you a free grief support service…”
    • Or: “Your loved one’s final medical expenses may qualify for reimbursement. We just need your banking details to confirm.”

    When you’re in mourning, your guard is down. Scammers know this, and they exploit grief to steal money and identities.

    Other emotionally charged scams follow the same playbook

    • Fake Medicare calls referencing your age and location.
    • Phony financial advisors offering to “help” with retirement rollovers.
    • Romance scams targeting widows and widowers who live alone.
    • Fake agent scams trick victims into paying thousands of dollars through phone threats

    The unifying factor is that these criminals don’t need Facebook to learn about you. They already have a dossier built from public and brokered data.

    What’s even worse is that scammers can target your loved ones even years after your passing. They can call or text your close relatives claiming to offer free memorial services, annuities, or other common strategies when people are most vulnerable. Your exposed personal data fuels such morbid scams.

    9 ONLINE PRIVACY RISKS YOU PROBABLY DON’T KNOW ABOUT

    A man typing on a laptop

    A man typing on his laptop (Kurt “Cyberguy” Knutsson)

    The shocking sources of your personal data

    Here’s the part most people don’t realize: scammers rarely dig through dusty courthouse files themselves. They don’t have to. That work has already been done by data brokers. Data brokers are companies whose entire business model is gathering and selling personal information. They collect from:

    • Public records (like those obituaries and real estate filings)
    • Consumer databases (credit headers, magazine subscriptions, surveys)
    • “People search” websites (Spokeo, Whitepages, BeenVerified, and dozens more).

    The result is a searchable profile that might include:

    • Full name and aliases
    • Current and past addresses
    • Phone numbers and email addresses
    • Relatives and their contact info
    • Age, income range, home value
    • Legal or financial history

    Once a broker has your data, they sell it. And once it’s sold, it spreads. Even if you’ve never had a social media account, companies may build a ‘shadow profile’ of you from leaked data, online purchases, or details shared by others, leaving it ready to be abused.

    How to protect yourself from scammers and data brokers

    The good news is, you’re not powerless. While you can’t stop public records from existing, you can make it much harder for scammers to access and weaponize your data. Here’s how:

    1) Reduce your digital footprint

    • Request removal from people search sites and data brokers.
    • This prevents your profile from being sold to scammers.
    • Doing this manually can take hours and has to be repeated, but it works.

    2) Stay alert for emotional manipulation

    • If someone contacts you after a loss, assume caution.
    • Verify charities and funeral services before engaging.
    • Never share banking or personal details over the phone or email.

    3) Automate data removal

    • Instead of manually contacting hundreds of data brokers, you can use a service like Incogni.
    • It sends and tracks removal requests across 420+ brokers, and keeps repeating the process so your data doesn’t resurface.
    • With their Unlimited plan, you can request data removal from any other shady website and disappear from the internet.
    • For seniors, this is often the safest and most practical solution.

    While no service can guarantee the complete removal of your data from the internet, a data removal service is really a smart choice.  They aren’t cheap, and neither is your privacy.  These services do all the work for you by actively monitoring and systematically erasing your personal information from hundreds of websites.  It’s what gives me peace of mind and has proven to be the most effective way to erase your personal data from the internet. By limiting the information available, you reduce the risk of scammers cross-referencing data from breaches with information they might find on the dark web, making it harder for them to target you.

    Check out my top picks for data removal services and get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already out on the web by visiting Cyberguy.com.

    Get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already out on the web: Cyberguy.com.

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    Kurt’s key takeaways

    Not being on Facebook doesn’t mean you’re invisible. Scammers don’t need you to share your life online. Your offline life is already online without your consent. The obituary in the local paper, the deed to your home, the probate record of your loved one’s estate, these are all turned into data points, sold to brokers, and resold to whoever wants them. That’s why protecting your personal data isn’t about avoiding the internet. It’s about reducing what’s already out there. The less data scammers can find, the harder it is for them to fool you with realistic, emotionally charged attacks. And that’s a big step toward keeping your money, your identity, and your retirement safe.

    Do you believe it’s time for the government and companies to step in and protect your data privacy?  Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com.

    Sign up for my FREE CyberGuy Report
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    Copyright 2025 CyberGuy.com. All rights reserved.

    Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson is an award-winning tech journalist who has a deep love of technology, gear and gadgets that make life better with his contributions for Fox News & FOX Business beginning mornings on “FOX & Friends.” Got a tech question? Get Kurt’s free CyberGuy Newsletter, share your voice, a story idea or comment at CyberGuy.com.

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  • AI drone finds missing hiker’s remains in mountains after 10 months

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    A missing hiker’s dead body was finally found in July in Italy’s rugged Piedmont region after 10 months. The recovery team credited the breakthrough to an AI-powered drone that spotted a critical clue within hours. The same process would have taken weeks or even months if done by the human eye.

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    TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT DEPLOYING ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE TO SPOT AIR TRAFFIC DANGERS, DUFFY SAYS

    Search and recovery mission in the Italian Alps

    The hiker, an experienced mountaineer identified as Nicola Ivaldo, had been missing since September 2024 on the northern slopes of Monviso in Italy’s Cottian Alps. This remote section of the mountain is known for sheer cliffs and loose rock. Sudden weather changes often make search efforts slow and hazardous.

    Italian search and rescuers announced in July 2025 that they had used an artificial intelligence-powered drone to locate the dead body of a hiker who had been missing for months. (Corpo Nazionale Soccorso Alpino e Speleologico – CNSAS)

    The National Alpine and Speleological Rescue Corps (CNSAS) specializes in high-altitude and cave rescues. They had conducted multiple ground searches since the disappearance. In early 2025, they turned to drone technology to renew the effort. Flying about 164 feet above the terrain, the drones surveyed a 452-acre section of the mountain. During the operation, they captured more than 2,600 high-resolution images. This aerial perspective revealed details in areas that would have been difficult and risky to reach on foot.

    A yellow helicopter picking up two people in mountains

    Drone in flight near the peak of Monviso in Italy’s Cottian Alps during a rescue mission. (CNSAS)

    How AI technology sped up the search

    Instead of relying on human experts to manually scan thousands of photos, AI software analyzed the entire dataset in just hours. Using color and shape recognition, the system highlighted objects that did not match the surrounding environment.

    One detection stood out: the red helmet belonging to the missing hiker. That small but critical find enabled rescuers to pinpoint the location and plan recovery efforts. Once the site was confirmed, teams navigated steep and unstable ground to reach the area. They worked in challenging alpine conditions to recover the hiker. Officials emphasized that this was a joint success between advanced technology and the skilled human team interpreting the AI’s results.

    ALASKA HIKER MAULED BY BEAR RESCUED WITH HELP OF ADVANCED DRONE TECHNOLOGY ON REMOTE TRAIL

    A drone with mountains behind it

    Search and rescue drone flying over mountainous terrain. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

    The future of AI in search and rescue

    This operation marks a turning point in search and rescue tactics. AI-enabled drones can cover vast and dangerous areas without risking human lives. They speed up the search process and increase the chances of finding people alive.

    Similar AI-aided searches have been used in Canada, Switzerland, and the United States. These missions often deliver faster results than traditional methods. Rescue teams hope that as the technology advances, it will reduce fatal accidents and locate missing persons faster. It could also allow human rescuers to focus their efforts where they are needed most.

    Take my quiz: How safe is your online security?

    Think your devices and data are truly protected? Take this quick quiz to see where your digital habits stand. From passwords to Wi-Fi settings, you’ll get a personalized breakdown of what you’re doing right – and what needs improvement. Take my Quiz here: Cyberguy.com

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    A drone in the mountains

    Drone in flight near the peak of Monviso in Italy’s Cottian Alps during a rescue mission. (CNSAS)

    Kurt’s key takeaways

    AI drones are changing the game for search and rescue. They can analyze massive amounts of visual data in hours instead of weeks. Combined with expert human teams, this technology could save more lives and make high-risk missions safer.

    Do you think AI should play a bigger role in rescue operations? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com.

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    Copyright 2025 CyberGuy.com.  All rights reserved. 

    Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson is an award-winning tech journalist who has a deep love of technology, gear and gadgets that make life better with his contributions for Fox News & FOX Business beginning mornings on “FOX & Friends.” Got a tech question? Get Kurt’s free CyberGuy Newsletter, share your voice, a story idea or comment at CyberGuy.com.

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  • Over 2B users face phishing risks after Google data leak

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    A tech leader like Google often seems invincible when it comes to cybersecurity attacks, but that is not the case. Earlier this month, the search giant confirmed that attackers had accessed one of its corporate Salesforce instances. According to a Google spokesperson, this system stored basic, and largely publicly available business information, such as contact details and notes from small and medium-sized companies. It did not store customer data from Google Cloud or consumer products like Gmail, Drive or Calendar.

    Google says it terminated the malicious activity, completed an impact analysis, and provided mitigations. Therefore, no further action is required by users.

    NEW GOOGLE AI MAKES ROBOTS SMARTER WITHOUT THE CLOUD

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    Cybercriminals are exploiting Google’s recent Salesforce data breach to launch vishing calls and phishing attacks against Gmail users worldwide. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

    Vishing calls target Gmail users

    Hackers have reportedly accessed Google’s Salesforce database systems, exposing customer and company names. Google confirmed the incident and clarified that the information was mostly public business contact data and did not include passwords or payment information. The company stressed that the breach affected only a corporate Salesforce system, not consumer Gmail or Google Cloud accounts.

    Still, attackers are exploiting the news of the breach to fuel phishing and vishing scams, tricking people into giving up sensitive information. According to PC World, some users have already reported an increase in phishing attempts that reference Google services.

    STOP GOOGLE FROM FOLLOWING YOUR EVERY MOVE

    One of the main tactics involves scam phone calls, also known as vishing. A Reddit post highlighted a wave of calls coming from the 650 area code, which is linked to Google’s headquarters. In these calls, scammers pose as Google employees and warn victims of a supposed security breach. They then instruct users to reset their Gmail password and share it with them. This locks the rightful owner out of the account and gives the attacker complete control.

    Gmail loading screen.

    A user launches Gmail. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

    Old infrastructure exploited with “dangling buckets”

    Separately from the Salesforce incident, Google Cloud customers are also facing another type of attack. Hackers are trying to exploit outdated access addresses using a method called the dangling bucket. This can allow them to inject malware or steal data. Both businesses and individuals are vulnerable to losing control over sensitive information if targeted in this way.

    Gmail and Google Cloud serve nearly 2.5 billion people, which makes the scale of the risk significant. Although the initial breach did not expose passwords, attackers are using the news of the incident to trick people into revealing their login details.

    Google homepage

    A Google search window is on a laptop. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

    6 ways you can stay safe from scammers targeting Google accounts

    Google accounts are often a prime target for scammers. The good news is that protecting yourself doesn’t require advanced technical skills. A few practical steps can drastically reduce your chances of becoming a victim.

    1) Avoid clicking on phishing links

    Phishing remains the most common way scammers steal Google account credentials. A fake email or text may claim your account has been locked or that you need to verify suspicious activity. Clicking the link usually takes you to a counterfeit login page that looks almost identical to the real Google sign-in screen.

    To avoid falling for these tricks, check the sender’s email address carefully, hover over links before clicking, and avoid entering your Google password on any page that doesn’t start with accounts.google.com.

    The best way to safeguard yourself from malicious links that install malware, potentially accessing your private information, is to have antivirus software installed on all your devices. This protection can also alert you to phishing emails and ransomware scams, keeping your personal information and digital assets safe.

    Get my picks for the best 2025 antivirus protection winners for your Windows, Mac, Android & iOS devices at Cyberguy.com/LockUpYourTech 

    2) Save passwords securely

    Reusing weak passwords across multiple sites is an open invitation for scammers. If one site is breached, your Google account becomes vulnerable. A strong, unique password is your first line of defense.

    The easiest way to manage this is with a password manager. It can generate complex passwords, store them securely, and fill them in automatically when you need them. This way, you never have to remember dozens of different logins, and attackers can’t guess their way in.

    Next, see if your email has been exposed in past breaches. Our #1 password manager pick (see Cyberguy.com/Passwords) includes a built-in breach scanner that checks whether your email address or passwords have appeared in known leaks. If you discover a match, immediately change any reused passwords and secure those accounts with new, unique credentials. 

    Check out the best expert-reviewed password managers of 2025 at Cyberguy.com/Passwords

    WHAT TO DO IF YOU GET A PASSWORD RESET EMAIL YOU DIDN’T ASK FOR

    3) Delete personal data that puts you at risk

    Scammers often use information they find online to craft convincing attacks. If your email address, phone number, or even past passwords are floating around on data broker sites, criminals have more tools to impersonate you or trick you into revealing more.

    Using a data removal service helps clean up your digital footprint. By reducing the amount of exposed information about you, it becomes much harder for scammers to target you directly.

    While no service can guarantee the complete removal of your data from the internet, a data removal service is really a smart choice. They aren’t cheap, and neither is your privacy. These services do all the work for you by actively monitoring and systematically erasing your personal information from hundreds of websites. It’s what gives me peace of mind and has proven to be the most effective way to erase your personal data from the internet. By limiting the information available, you reduce the risk of scammers cross-referencing data from breaches with information they might find on the dark web, making it harder for them to target you.

    Check out my top picks for data removal services and get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already out on the web by visiting Cyberguy.com/Delete

    Get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already out on the web: Cyberguy.com/FreeScan

    4) Turn on two-factor authentication

    Even the strongest password can be stolen, but two-factor authentication (2FA) adds an extra barrier. When enabled, Google will ask for a one-time code or prompt on your phone before granting access. That means even if a scammer manages to get your password, they can’t log in without also having your device.

    Google offers several 2FA methods, from SMS codes to app-based prompts and even hardware security keys. For the best protection, choose app-based or hardware verification rather than text messages.

    5) Keep your devices updated

    Many scams rely on exploiting outdated software. If your phone, browser, or operating system isn’t up to date, attackers may use known vulnerabilities to install malware or hijack your session.

    Set your devices to update automatically whenever possible. This ensures you’re always running the latest security patches, reducing the number of openings a scammer can use.

    6) Regularly check Google account security settings

    Google provides built-in tools to help users spot suspicious activity. By visiting your Google Account’s security page, you can see devices that have signed in, recent account activity, and whether recovery options like your phone number and backup email are up to date.

    Running a Google Security Checkup only takes a few minutes and gives you a clear overview of any weaknesses. Think of it as a health check for your digital life.

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    Kurt’s key takeaway

    The incident is a reminder that even tech giants with vast resources are not immune to security lapses. While Google insists that no passwords were exposed, the wave of phishing and vishing scams shows how quickly criminals can weaponize even partial leaks. What began as a breach of business data has spiraled into a threat facing millions of everyday users, raising questions about how secure Google’s ecosystem really is.

    Do you believe regulators should step in with stricter rules for how cloud providers handle security lapses? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com/Contact

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    Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson is an award-winning tech journalist who has a deep love of technology, gear and gadgets that make life better with his contributions for Fox News & FOX Business beginning mornings on “FOX & Friends.” Got a tech question? Get Kurt’s free CyberGuy Newsletter, share your voice, a story idea or comment at CyberGuy.com.

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  • The best Labor Day sales for 2025: Get up to 50 percent off tech from Apple, Anker, Shark and others

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    Labor Day marks the unofficial end to summer as the weather starts to get crisper and students head back to school for the new semester. It also marks a good time to check out the tech deals available across the web. While seasonal holidays like Memorial Day and Labor Day are not the boon for tech sales that shopping events like Amazon Prime Day are, they can present good opportunities to save on things like laptops, tablets, smart home gear and more.

    Here, we’ve curated the best Labor Day sales on tech we could find this year. Since this time of year does overlap with the back-to-school season, students should be first in line to check out these deals. If you need some new gadgets for college, or refreshed tech to help you out in your first job after graduating, now’s the time to see if you can get it for less. Student discounts are handy and exclusive to those who can prove their student status, but the good thing about Labor Day sales is that anyone can take advantage of them — student ID not required.

    Best Labor Day sales: Engadget’s top picks

    Apple

    Apple AirPods Pro 2 for $169 (32 percent off): The AirPods Pro 2 are Apple’s best set of wireless earbuds for now, as they offer the full set of Apple-focused features, strong ANC, onboard volume controls, a comfy in-ear design and a warm sound profile that most should find agreeable. They can even work as a hearing aid, though their six-hour battery life still isn’t the best, and you should only get them if you’re all-in on Apple hardware. But if that’s the case, we consider them the best wireless earbuds for iPhone owners.

    Apple iPad (11-inch, A16) for $299 ($50 off): Apple’s entry-level iPad is, unsurprisingly, the best iPad option for those on a budget. It has solid performance thanks to the A16 chipset, 128GB of storage in the base model and good battery life.

    Apple Mac mini M4 for $499 ($100 off): The newest version of Apple’s tiny desktop PC has a smaller overall footprint, a faster M4 chip, 16GB of RAM as standard, two front-facing USB-C ports, an extra Thunderbolt 4 port and the ability to drive three external displays. We gave the M4 Pro model a review score of 90.

    Google Pixel 10 smartphone + $100 Amazon gift card for $799 ($100 off): More of a pre-order deal than a Labor Day deal, this bundle includes a free gift card when you order the latest Google Pixel phone in advance. You’ll find different gift card deals at Amazon depending on which phone you go with: the Pixel 10 Pro and Pro XL have a $200 gift cards included, while the Pixel 10 Pro Fold comes with a free $300 gift card.

    Eufy 11S Max robot vacuum for $150 (46 percent off): This model is one of our favorite budget robot vacuums thanks to its slim design that lets you get underneath furniture more easily and strong suction power for its size. Note that it does not have Wi-Fi connectivity, but it comes with a remote that lets you control the robot to your liking.

    Shark AI Ultra robot vacuum for $298 (50 percent off): This Shark robot vacuum is a version of one of our favorites and it comes with a auto-empty base that can hold up to 60 days worth of debris. It has strong suction power and home mapping capabilities, so you can tailor cleaning jobs to your liking in addition to putting the robot on a cleaning schedule.

    Blink Outdoor 4 security cameras (3 camera system) for $100 (47 percent off): Some of our favorite security cameras, Blink Outdoor 4 devices support 1080p video, two-way talk, motion alerts and night vision. The most convenient thing about these is that they’re totally wireless and run on AA batteries that can last up to two years before you need to replace them. That combined with their weather-proof design allows you to place them both inside and outside.

    Cosori 9-in-1 air fryer for $90 (25 percent off): One of our picks for the best air fryers, this Cosori model has a spacious six-quart cooking basket and nine prep modes to choose from. In our testing, it consistently crisped up all kinds of foods, from frozen appetizers to raw proteins, and it has a nifty safety feature with its built-in basket release button.

    HORI Piranha Plant camera for Switch 2 for $40 (33 percent off): If you plan on taking advantage of the Switch 2’s video and group chat feature, there’s no cuter way to do it than with this Piranha Plant camera. In addition to using it with the pot as a stand, the plant itself detaches from the pot so you can use the camera in portable mode with the USB port on the new console.

    ESPN Unlimited with Disney+ and Hulu (with ads) for $30/month ($6/month off): ESPN’s new streaming service is officially available now, and new subscribers can get Disney+ and Hulu included for one year when they sign up. The regular price of the new ESPN Unlimited plan is $30 per month, but this bundle offer throws in Disney+ and Hulu (with ads) for one year at no extra cost. If you want to break it down, you’re essentially getting each of the three services for $10 monthly with this offer.

    NordVPN deal — Get up to 77 percent off two-year plans: Most of NordVPN’s two-year plans are on sale right now. You’ll get 77 percent off the Prime tier, bringing the price down to $189 for 27 months of service (Nord throws in an extra three months for free). Arguably the best plan for most people is the Plus tier, which is 73 percent off and down to $108 for the 27-month term.

    MasterClass deal — Get 50 percent off one-year subscriptions: You can sign up for one year of MasterClass access for as low as $5 per month thanks to this sale that runs through September 1. A subscription lets you watch hundreds of online video classes taught by experts in their fields, and subject matter ranges from writing to cooking to sports.

    Best Labor Day sales on tech

    Follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

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    Valentina Palladino

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  • FBI warns seniors about billion-dollar scam draining retirement funds, expert says AI driving it

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    A cybersecurity expert warns that a scam that has been used to drain entire life savings or retirement accounts has become “devastating” for seniors.

    FBI Los Angeles on July 15 posted a reminder on X about the Phantom Hacker Scam, which has cost Americans over $1 billion since at least 2024, according to the agency. The FBI said the scam targets senior citizens and warns that victims could lose their “life savings.”

    The scam operates in three phases: a “tech support impostor,” “financial institution impostor” and a “US government impostor.”

    In the first phase, a tech support impostor will contact victims through text, phone call or email, then direct them to download a program allowing the scammer remote access to their computer. Then, the scammer asks victims to open their financial accounts to “determine whether there have been any unauthorized charges,” which the FBI says “is most lucrative for targeting.” Afterwards, the scammer will choose an account to target, then tell the victim they will get a call for further instructions from the “fraud department” of the bank hosting their account.

    HOW SCAMMERS EXPLOIT YOUR DATA FOR ‘PRE-APPROVED’ RETIREMENT SCAMS

    The FBI is warning Americans about a scam targeting seniors. (Getty Images)

    In the second phase, the financial institution impostor will then call the victim and inform them that their funds have been “accessed by a foreign hacker” and must be moved to a “safe” third party account. Victims are then instructed to send the money via wire transfer, cash or cryptocurrency, and are told to send “multiple transactions over a span of days or months.”

    In the third phase of the scam, the victim could be contacted by someone posing as a U.S. government employee, who prompts the individual to move their funds to an “alias” account for protection.

    SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION PHISHING SCAM TARGETS RETIREES

    Grandpa on swing with kids

    Pete Nicoletti said families should have discussions with their loved ones about the Phantom Hacker Scam. (Getty Images/Adamkaz)

    Pete Nicoletti, chief information security officer at Check Point, told Fox News Digital the scam has become “devastating” for seniors, and said families need to have discussions with their loved ones to keep them protected. Nicoletti said scammers are now getting personal with some of their tactics, targeting people with specific interests they have. 

    A senior citizen uses a smartphone

    Families should discuss ways for seniors to protect themselves from scams, said Pete Nicoletti, chief information security officer at Check Point. (iStock)

    “The family should have dinner-time discussions about this,” Nicoletti said. “But, you know, seniors are posting things on Facebook like they’re a Corvette collector. The criminals are actually using artificial intelligence to look for those type of characteristics and profiles. And they’ll send you an email or a message saying, ‘hey, that Corvette that you ordered a month ago is now available. It’s, you know, for $500, you can get it…and we’ll deliver it to you right away. And of course, the senior goes, ‘well, I’m a Corvette collector. Maybe I was forgetful and I didn’t know that I ordered that Corvette, or, you know.”

    CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

    Close up of hands holding cash

    Over $1 billion has been taken from seniors as a result of the Phantom Hacker Scam. (iStock)

    Nicoletti said that victims rarely get their money back, even after reporting it stolen to authorities.

    “It’s devastating,” he said. “If [victims report their funds stolen] the same day, there’s a chance. I think it’s in the single digit percentages. It’s, you know, 10, 15%. I’ve heard, I have heard of people getting their money back. If it delayed beyond that, it’s not good. It’s gone.”

    Adam Sabes is a reporter for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to Adam.Sabes@fox.com and on Twitter @asabes10.

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  • President Trump says Intel agreed to give US a stake in its company

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    President Donald Trump on Friday announced the U.S. government has secured a 10% stake in struggling Silicon Valley pioneer Intel in a deal that was completed just a couple weeks after he was depicting the company’s CEO as a conflicted leader unfit for the job.“The United States of America now fully owns and controls 10% of INTEL, a Great American Company that has an even more incredible future,” Trump wrote in a post.The U.S. government is getting the stake through the conversion of $11.1 billion in previously issued funds and pledges. All told, the government is getting 433.3 million shares of non-voting stock priced at $20.47 apiece — a discount from Friday’s closing price at $24.80. That spread means the U.S. government already has a gain of $1.9 billion, on paper.The remarkable turn of events makes the U.S. government one of Intel’s largest shareholders at a time that the Santa Clara, California, company is i n the process of jettisoning more than 20,000 workers as part of its latest attempt to bounce back from years of missteps taken under a variety of CEOs.Intel’s current CEO, Lip-Bu Tan, has only been on the job for slightly more than five months, and earlier this month, it looked like he might be on shaky ground already after some lawmakers raised national security concerns about his past investments in Chinese companies while he was a venture capitalist. Trump latched on to those concerns in an August 7 post demanding that Tan resign.But Trump backed off after the Malaysian-born Tan professed his allegiance to the U.S. in a public letter to Intel employees and went to the White House to meet with the president, leading to a deal that now has the U.S. government betting that the company is on the comeback trail after losing more than $22 billion since the end of 2023. Trump hailed Tan as “highly respected” CEO in his Friday post.In a statement, Tan applauded Trump for “driving historic investments in a vital industry” and resolved to reward his faith in Intel. “We are grateful for the confidence the President and the Administration have placed in Intel, and we look forward to working to advance U.S. technology and manufacturing leadership,” Tan said.Intel’s current stock price is just slightly above where it was when Tan was hired in March and more than 60% below its peak of about $75 reached 25 years ago when its chips were still dominating the personal computer boom before being undercut by a shift to smartphones a few years later. The company’s market value currently stands at about $108 billion – a fraction of the current chip kingpin, Nvidia, which is valued at $4.3 trillion.The stake is coming primarily through U.S. government grants to Intel through the CHIPS and Science Act that was started under President Joe Biden’s administration as a way to foster more domestic manufacturing of computer chips to lessen the dependence on overseas factories.But the Trump administration, which has regularly pilloried the policies of the Biden administration, saw the CHIPs act as a needless giveaway and is now hoping to make a profit off the funding that had been pledged to Intel.”We think America should get the benefit of the bargain,” U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said earlier this week. “It’s obvious that it’s the right move to make.”About $7.8 billion had been been pledged to Intel under the incentives program, but only $2.2 billion had been funded so far. Another $3.2 billion of the government investment is coming through the funds from another program called “Secure Enclave.”Although U.S. government can’t vote with its shares and won’t have a seat on Intel’s board of directors, critics of the deal view it as a troubling cross-pollination between the public and private sectors that could hurt the tech industry in a variety of ways.For instance, more tech companies may feel pressured to buy potentially inferior chips from Intel to curry favor with Trump at a time that he is already waging a trade war that threatens to affect their products in a potential scenario cited by Scott Lincicome, vice president of general economics for the Cato Institute.“Overall, it’s a horrendous move that will have real harms for U.S. companies, U.S. tech leadership, and the U.S. economy overall,” Lincicome posted Friday.The 10% stake could also intensify the pressure already facing Tan, especially if Trump starts fixating on Intel’s stock price while resorting to his penchant for celebrating his past successes in business.Nancy Tengler, CEO of money manager Laffer Tengler Investments, is among the investors who abandoned Intel years ago because of all the challenges facing Intel.“I don’t see the benefit to the American taxpayer, nor do I see the benefit, necessarily to the chip industry,” Tengler said while also raising worries about Trump meddling in Intel’s business.“I don’t care how good of businessman you are, give it to the private sector and let people like me be the critic and let the government get to the business of government.,” Tengler said.Although rare, it’s not unprecedented for the U.S. government to become a significant shareholder in a prominent company. One of the most notable instances occurred during the Great Recession in 2008 when the government injected nearly $50 billion into General Motors in return for a roughly 60% stake in the automaker at a time it was on the verge of bankruptcy. The government ended up with a roughly $10 billion loss after it sold its stock in GM.The U.S. government’s stake in Intel coincides with Trump’s push to bring production to the U.S., which has been a focal point of the trade war that he has been waging throughout the world. By lessening the country’s dependence on chips manufactured overseas, the president believes the U.S. will be better positioned to maintain its technological lead on China in the race to create artificial intelligence.Even before gaining the 10% stake in Intel, Trump had been leveraging his power to reprogram the operations of major computer chip companies. The administration is requiring Nvidia and Advanced Micro Devices, two companies whose chips are powering the AI craze, to pay a 15% commission on their sales of chips in China in exchange for export licenses.

    President Donald Trump on Friday announced the U.S. government has secured a 10% stake in struggling Silicon Valley pioneer Intel in a deal that was completed just a couple weeks after he was depicting the company’s CEO as a conflicted leader unfit for the job.

    “The United States of America now fully owns and controls 10% of INTEL, a Great American Company that has an even more incredible future,” Trump wrote in a post.

    The U.S. government is getting the stake through the conversion of $11.1 billion in previously issued funds and pledges. All told, the government is getting 433.3 million shares of non-voting stock priced at $20.47 apiece — a discount from Friday’s closing price at $24.80. That spread means the U.S. government already has a gain of $1.9 billion, on paper.

    The remarkable turn of events makes the U.S. government one of Intel’s largest shareholders at a time that the Santa Clara, California, company is i n the process of jettisoning more than 20,000 workers as part of its latest attempt to bounce back from years of missteps taken under a variety of CEOs.

    Intel’s current CEO, Lip-Bu Tan, has only been on the job for slightly more than five months, and earlier this month, it looked like he might be on shaky ground already after some lawmakers raised national security concerns about his past investments in Chinese companies while he was a venture capitalist. Trump latched on to those concerns in an August 7 post demanding that Tan resign.

    But Trump backed off after the Malaysian-born Tan professed his allegiance to the U.S. in a public letter to Intel employees and went to the White House to meet with the president, leading to a deal that now has the U.S. government betting that the company is on the comeback trail after losing more than $22 billion since the end of 2023. Trump hailed Tan as “highly respected” CEO in his Friday post.

    In a statement, Tan applauded Trump for “driving historic investments in a vital industry” and resolved to reward his faith in Intel. “We are grateful for the confidence the President and the Administration have placed in Intel, and we look forward to working to advance U.S. technology and manufacturing leadership,” Tan said.

    Intel’s current stock price is just slightly above where it was when Tan was hired in March and more than 60% below its peak of about $75 reached 25 years ago when its chips were still dominating the personal computer boom before being undercut by a shift to smartphones a few years later. The company’s market value currently stands at about $108 billion – a fraction of the current chip kingpin, Nvidia, which is valued at $4.3 trillion.

    The stake is coming primarily through U.S. government grants to Intel through the CHIPS and Science Act that was started under President Joe Biden’s administration as a way to foster more domestic manufacturing of computer chips to lessen the dependence on overseas factories.

    But the Trump administration, which has regularly pilloried the policies of the Biden administration, saw the CHIPs act as a needless giveaway and is now hoping to make a profit off the funding that had been pledged to Intel.

    “We think America should get the benefit of the bargain,” U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said earlier this week. “It’s obvious that it’s the right move to make.”

    About $7.8 billion had been been pledged to Intel under the incentives program, but only $2.2 billion had been funded so far. Another $3.2 billion of the government investment is coming through the funds from another program called “Secure Enclave.”

    Although U.S. government can’t vote with its shares and won’t have a seat on Intel’s board of directors, critics of the deal view it as a troubling cross-pollination between the public and private sectors that could hurt the tech industry in a variety of ways.

    For instance, more tech companies may feel pressured to buy potentially inferior chips from Intel to curry favor with Trump at a time that he is already waging a trade war that threatens to affect their products in a potential scenario cited by Scott Lincicome, vice president of general economics for the Cato Institute.

    “Overall, it’s a horrendous move that will have real harms for U.S. companies, U.S. tech leadership, and the U.S. economy overall,” Lincicome posted Friday.

    The 10% stake could also intensify the pressure already facing Tan, especially if Trump starts fixating on Intel’s stock price while resorting to his penchant for celebrating his past successes in business.

    Nancy Tengler, CEO of money manager Laffer Tengler Investments, is among the investors who abandoned Intel years ago because of all the challenges facing Intel.

    “I don’t see the benefit to the American taxpayer, nor do I see the benefit, necessarily to the chip industry,” Tengler said while also raising worries about Trump meddling in Intel’s business.

    “I don’t care how good of businessman you are, give it to the private sector and let people like me be the critic and let the government get to the business of government.,” Tengler said.

    Although rare, it’s not unprecedented for the U.S. government to become a significant shareholder in a prominent company. One of the most notable instances occurred during the Great Recession in 2008 when the government injected nearly $50 billion into General Motors in return for a roughly 60% stake in the automaker at a time it was on the verge of bankruptcy. The government ended up with a roughly $10 billion loss after it sold its stock in GM.

    The U.S. government’s stake in Intel coincides with Trump’s push to bring production to the U.S., which has been a focal point of the trade war that he has been waging throughout the world. By lessening the country’s dependence on chips manufactured overseas, the president believes the U.S. will be better positioned to maintain its technological lead on China in the race to create artificial intelligence.

    Even before gaining the 10% stake in Intel, Trump had been leveraging his power to reprogram the operations of major computer chip companies. The administration is requiring Nvidia and Advanced Micro Devices, two companies whose chips are powering the AI craze, to pay a 15% commission on their sales of chips in China in exchange for export licenses.

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  • Why AI Isn’t Truly Intelligent — and How We Can Change That | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Let’s be honest: Most of what we call artificial intelligence today is really just pattern-matching on autopilot. It looks impressive until you scratch the surface. These systems can generate essays, compose code and simulate conversation, but at their core, they’re predictive tools trained on scraped, stale content. They do not understand context, intent or consequence.

    It’s no wonder then that in this boom of AI use, we’re still seeing basic errors, issues and fundamental flaws that lead many to question whether the technology really has any benefit outside its novelty.

    These large language models (LLMs) aren’t broken; they’re built on the wrong foundation. If we want AI to do more than autocomplete our thoughts, we must rethink the data it learns from.

    Related: Despite How the Media Portrays It, AI Is Not Really Intelligent. Here’s Why.

    The illusion of intelligence

    Today’s LLMs are usually trained on Reddit threads, Wikipedia dumps and internet content. It’s like teaching a student with outdated, error-filled textbooks. These models mimic intelligence, but they cannot reason anywhere near human level. They cannot make decisions like a person would in high-pressure environments.

    Forget the slick marketing around this AI boom; it’s all designed to keep valuations inflated and add another zero to the next funding round. We’ve already seen the real consequences, the ones that don’t get the glossy PR treatment. Medical bots hallucinate symptoms. Financial models bake in bias. Self-driving cars misread stop signs. These aren’t hypothetical risks. They’re real-world failures born from weak, misaligned training data.

    And the problems go beyond technical errors — they cut to the heart of ownership. From the New York Times to Getty Images, companies are suing AI firms for using their work without consent. The claims are climbing into the trillions, with some calling them business-ending lawsuits for companies like Anthropic. These legal battles are not just about copyright. They expose the structural rot in how today’s AI is built. Relying on old, unlicensed or biased content to train future-facing systems is a short-term solution to a long-term problem. It locks us into brittle models that collapse under real-world conditions.

    A lesson from a failed experiment

    Last year, Claude ran a project called “Project Vend,” in which its model was put in charge of running a small automated store. The idea was simple: Stock the fridge, handle customer chats and turn a profit. Instead, the model gave away freebies, hallucinated payment methods and tanked the entire business in weeks.

    The failure wasn’t in the code. It was during training. The system had been trained to be helpful, not to understand the nuances of running a business. It didn’t know how to weigh margins or resist manipulation. It was smart enough to speak like a business owner, but not to think like one.

    What would have made the difference? Training data that reflected real-world judgment. Examples of people making decisions when stakes were high. That’s the kind of data that teaches models to reason, not just mimic.

    But here’s the good news: There’s a better way forward.

    Related: AI Won’t Replace Us Until It Becomes Much More Like Us

    The future depends on frontier data

    If today’s models are fueled by static snapshots of the past, the future of AI data will look further ahead. It will capture the moments when people are weighing options, adapting to new information and making decisions in complex, high-stakes situations. This means not just recording what someone said, but understanding how they arrived at that point, what tradeoffs they considered and why they chose one path over another.

    This type of data is gathered in real time from environments like hospitals, trading floors and engineering teams. It is sourced from active workflows rather than scraped from blogs — and it is contributed willingly rather than taken without consent. This is what is known as frontier data, the kind of information that captures reasoning, not just output. It gives AI the ability to learn, adapt and improve, rather than simply guess.

    Why this matters for business

    The AI market may be heading toward trillions in value, but many enterprise deployments are already revealing a hidden weakness. Models that perform well in benchmarks often fail in real operational settings. When even small improvements in accuracy can determine whether a system is useful or dangerous, businesses cannot afford to ignore the quality of their inputs.

    There is also growing pressure from regulators and the public to ensure AI systems are ethical, inclusive and accountable. The EU’s AI Act, taking effect in August 2025, enforces strict transparency, copyright protection and risk assessments, with heavy fines for breaches. Training models on unlicensed or biased data is not just a legal risk. It is a reputational one. It erodes trust before a product ever ships.

    Investing in better data and better methods for gathering it is no longer a luxury. It’s a requirement for any company building intelligent systems that need to function reliably at scale.

    Related: Emerging Ethical Concerns In the Age of Artificial Intelligence

    A path forward

    Fixing AI starts with fixing its inputs. Relying on the internet’s past output will not help machines reason through present-day complexities. Building better systems will require collaboration between developers, enterprises and individuals to source data that is not just accurate but also ethical as well.

    Frontier data offers a foundation for real intelligence. It gives machines the chance to learn from how people actually solve problems, not just how they talk about them. With this kind of input, AI can begin to reason, adapt and make decisions that hold up in the real world.

    If intelligence is the goal, then it is time to stop recycling digital exhaust and start treating data like the critical infrastructure it is.

    Let’s be honest: Most of what we call artificial intelligence today is really just pattern-matching on autopilot. It looks impressive until you scratch the surface. These systems can generate essays, compose code and simulate conversation, but at their core, they’re predictive tools trained on scraped, stale content. They do not understand context, intent or consequence.

    It’s no wonder then that in this boom of AI use, we’re still seeing basic errors, issues and fundamental flaws that lead many to question whether the technology really has any benefit outside its novelty.

    These large language models (LLMs) aren’t broken; they’re built on the wrong foundation. If we want AI to do more than autocomplete our thoughts, we must rethink the data it learns from.

    The rest of this article is locked.

    Join Entrepreneur+ today for access.

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    Johanna Cabildo

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  • Brain implant turns thoughts into digital commands

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    NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

    A new brain implant now lets people control Apple devices, such as iPads, iPhones and the Vision Pro, using only their thoughts. Synchron, an endovascular brain-computer interface (BCI) company based in New York, demonstrated the first wireless BCI that works with Apple’s official protocol.

    Ten patients have received the implant: six in the U.S. and four in Australia. With this technology, users living with severe paralysis can navigate apps, send messages and operate devices hands-free. This breakthrough greatly expands independence, as it enables patients to manage their environment, stream shows and control smart home devices, all using only their minds.

    Synchron’s advancement in BCI technology marks a significant step for assistive devices and hints at how we may interact with computers in the future. The device’s hands-free, voice-free operation offers a powerful new level of accessibility and autonomy for people with disabilities.

    NONINVASIVE BRAIN TECH AND AI MOVES ROBOTIC HAND WITH THOUGHT

    Sign up for my FREE CyberGuy Report
    Get my best tech tips, urgent security alerts, and exclusive deals delivered straight to your inbox. Plus, you’ll get instant access to my Ultimate Scam Survival Guide—free when you join my CYBERGUY.COM/NEWSLETTER 

    ALS patient Mark Jackson demonstrates Synchron’s brain-computer interface (BCI) working with an iPad. (Synchron)

    A first for brain-tech and Apple

    Synchron is the first company to connect a brain implant directly to Apple devices using Apple’s official BCI Human Interface Device (HID) protocol. This means no custom hacks or workarounds. The system simply connects over Bluetooth, just like a keyboard or a mouse, and works with iPhones, iPads, and even the Apple Vision Pro. In a powerful video shared by Synchron, ALS patient Mark Jackson demonstrates the tech in action. After losing the use of his hands, he’s now able to navigate his iPad entirely with thought. That includes opening apps, composing messages, and staying connected with the people he loves-all without moving a muscle.

    Behind the scenes, Synchron’s system uses artificial intelligence to decode brain signals and turn them into real-time digital commands. Machine learning models interpret motor intent, such as thinking about tapping your finger, and translate that into actions on the iPad. This AI-powered decoding helps the system feel smooth and responsive as users learn to control it with focus alone.

    Synchron, an endovascular brain-computer interface (BCI) company based in New York, demonstrated the first wireless BCI that works with Apple's official protocol.

    Synchron’s brain-computer interface is seen up close. (Synchron)

    The game-changing signal strength meter

    One surprising new feature is the built-in signal strength meter. This visual cue shows patients how strong their brain signal is in real time. A blue box appears over an icon or app and fills up based on how clearly the system reads the user’s intent. It may sound simple, but this is a huge deal. It helps users like Mark fine-tune their mental focus, adjust their posture, and improve their interaction without outside help. It’s like seeing your brain in action and learning to drive it better. “When I lost the use of my hands, I thought I had lost my independence,” Mark says in the video. “Now, with my iPad, I can message my loved ones, read the news, and stay connected with the world, just by thinking.”

    NEW BRAIN THERAPY ALLOWS PARALYZED PATIENTS TO WALK AGAIN: ‘I FEEL MY LEGS’
     

    A man with ALS uses Synchron's brain-computer interface to operate an iPad.

    Mark Jackson operates Synchron’s brain-computer interface, which functions using Apple’s official protocol. (Synchron)

    What sets Synchron apart

    BCIs like Synchron’s Stentrode and Elon Musk’s Neuralink have connected to devices before, but never like this. Previous setups required custom software or physical adapters. Now, thanks to Apple’s new BCI HID protocol, brain-computer interfaces can plug right into the Apple ecosystem like any other accessory. That official integration opens the door to more features, better performance, and fewer setup hurdles. Synchron’s COO, Kurt Haggstrom, calls it a “game changer” for both patients and the entire BCI industry.

    What this means for you

    This tech isn’t just for people with paralysis, at least, not forever. Today, it’s a medical tool undergoing trials. Tomorrow, it could become a consumer product you buy at your local Apple Store. With Apple embracing BCI as a legitimate input method, everything from your phone to your smart home could one day be controllable by thought. That opens the door for more accessibility, more customization, and completely new ways of interacting with technology.

    PARALYZED MAN SPEAKS AND SINGS WITH AI BRAIN-COMPUTER INTERFACE

    Take My Quiz: How Safe Is Your Online Security?

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    Kurt’s key takeaways

    Synchron’s Apple demo marks a new era in brain-computer interaction. It turns thoughts into action using mainstream tech you probably already own. While it’s still in its early stages, the direction is clear: BCI is moving out of the lab and into real life, and Apple is helping lead the charge.

    Would you trust your brain to control your devices? Or is this one step too far? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com/Contact

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    Copyright 2025 CyberGuy.com.  All rights reserved.  

    Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson is an award-winning tech journalist who has a deep love of technology, gear and gadgets that make life better with his contributions for Fox News & FOX Business beginning mornings on “FOX & Friends.” Got a tech question? Get Kurt’s free CyberGuy Newsletter, share your voice, a story idea or comment at CyberGuy.com.

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  • Remove your data to protect your retirement from scammers

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    You’ve spent decades building your retirement fund. Now is the time to enjoy it, not lie awake worrying about scammers and identity thieves. Criminals are more aggressive than ever, and they know your personal information is the key to your money.

    The good news? You can take simple steps to remove your personal data from risky websites and databases. These actions greatly reduce the chance of fraud and protect your hard-earned savings from scammers. By taking control of your information now, you keep your money secure and your retirement in your hands.

    THE DATA BROKER OPT-OUT STEPS EVERY RETIREE SHOULD TAKE TODAY

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    A man enjoys his retirement. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

    Why criminals target retirement accounts

    Retirement accounts are a goldmine for criminals. Here’s why:

    • They’re large. A lifetime of savings can add up to six or seven figures.
    • They’re less monitored. Unlike checking accounts, you may only review them a few times a year.
    • They’re easy to access remotely. Scammers don’t need your wallet — just enough personal details to pretend to be you.

    Elder fraud caused more than $4.9 billion in losses in 2024. In 72% of cases, scammers found victims’ personal data online. Most of these crimes were tied to identity theft, allowing criminals to access accounts, redirect benefits, or launch phishing attacks.

    A woman enjoying her retirement

    A woman enjoys her retirement. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

    You have an online profile even without social media

    You don’t have to be on Facebook to have your information online. Data brokers, companies you may have never heard of, collect and sell personal details about nearly every adult in the U.S. These profiles may include:

    • Age and date of birth
    • Home address and property value
    • Marital status and family details
    • Income range and investments
    • Retirement status

    For scammers, this information is like a treasure map.

    HOW TO SECURE YOUR 401(K) PLAN FROM IDENTITY FRAUD

    How criminals abuse your data

    When scammers know your age, address, and that you’re retired, they can craft scams that feel frighteningly real. Some examples are:

    • Fake financial advisor calls: Claiming to represent your bank or retirement plan provider, they already know your full name, your investment type, and even the city you live in.
    • “Pre-approved” retirement loan or annuity offers: Complete with official-sounding terms and personal details to make them seem legitimate.
    • Social engineering scams: Using information about your family or recent life events (like selling a home) to build trust before asking for account details.

    The more accurate the personal data they have, the more convincing their story, and the higher the risk you’ll believe them.

    A woman scrolling on social media on her phone

    A woman scrolls on her phone. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

    Reduce the target on your back

    Every piece of personal information you remove from public databases is one less tool scammers can use. Removing your data can:

    • Reduce the number of scam attempts
    • Limit how convincing those scams seem
    • Prevent your details from being resold repeatedly

    Think of it as changing the locks on your home before a break-in happens.

    HOW TO HAND OFF DATA PRIVACY RESPONSIBILITIES FOR OLDER ADULTS TO A TRUSTED LOVED ONE

    Remove your data manually

    You can contact data brokers and request that they delete your profile. To start, search your name online, find the sites listing your data, and follow each site’s removal process. However, there’s a catch:

    • There are hundreds of these companies
    • Each has a different process, often requiring ID copies or mailed letters
    • Many will repost your data within months unless you check back regularly

    It’s a time-consuming job that most people eventually abandon.

    A woman checking her retirement accounts on her laptop

    A woman checks her retirement accounts on her laptop. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

    Use an automated data removal service

    A data removal tool handles the work for you. It:

    • Contacts hundreds of data brokers on your behalf
    • Tracks each request and follow-up to ensure deletion
    • Monitors continuously to keep your data off the lists

    While no service can guarantee the complete removal of your data from the internet, a data removal service is really a smart choice.  They aren’t cheap, and neither is your privacy.  These services do all the work for you by actively monitoring and systematically erasing your personal information from hundreds of websites.  It’s what gives me peace of mind and has proven to be the most effective way to erase your personal data from the internet.  By limiting the information available, you reduce the risk of scammers cross-referencing data from breaches with information they might find on the dark web, making it harder for them to target you.

    Check out my top picks for data removal services and get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already out on the web by visiting Cyberguy.com/Delete

    Get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already out on the web: Cyberguy.com/FreeScan

    Kurt’s key takeaways

    You’ve worked too hard to let criminals take what you’ve built. By reducing your digital footprint, you protect both your money and your peace of mind. Start removing your personal information today, and keep your retirement exactly where it belongs, in your hands.

    If you’ve been targeted by a scam, how did you handle it, and what advice would you give others?  Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com/Contact

    Sign up for my FREE CyberGuy Report
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    Copyright 2025 CyberGuy.com.  All rights reserved.

    Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson is an award-winning tech journalist who has a deep love of technology, gear and gadgets that make life better with his contributions for Fox News & FOX Business beginning mornings on “FOX & Friends.” Got a tech question? Get Kurt’s free CyberGuy Newsletter, share your voice, a story idea or comment at CyberGuy.com.

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  • Smart tech tools that help you avoid dangerous falls

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    Falls are the number one cause of injury among adults 65 and older. But the truth is, your risk doesn’t suddenly appear the day you turn 65. It increases gradually over time, especially if you’re dealing with weak muscles, balance issues, side effects from medication, or even just forgetting a pill. Experts recommend that everyone get screened for fall risk at age 65. But you don’t have to wait for a doctor’s visit to take action. A new wave of technology is giving older adults the power to track, prevent, and respond to fall risks, all from home. Here are 10 smart tools that can help.

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    New technology can help track and prevent falls. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

    1) Gait sensors track how your balance changes over time

    Your walking pattern can reveal subtle issues that increase your risk of falling. If you use an iPhone with iOS 15 or newer, the built-in walking steadiness feature in the Health app can rate your balance as OK, low, or very low over time. Android users can use wearable fitness trackers like Fitbit, or Samsung Galaxy Watch to gather similar data. These tools track stride, stability, and pressure patterns that help identify balance changes before you feel unsteady.

    FORGET 10,000 STEPS — RESEARCH REVEALS THE REAL NUMBER YOU NEED FOR BETTER HEALTH

    What to check: On iPhone, open the Health app and review your walking steadiness trends. Android users can check their wearable app dashboards, like Samsung Health or Fitbit, to view step symmetry, cadence, and gait-related data. Look for any changes over weeks or months and take advantage of in-app exercise suggestions to improve balance and strength. 

    A woman working out

    Apps that track physical activity and walking patterns can help users improve their balance and strength, or even detect a change in gait before it becomes an issue. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

    2) Smart pill dispensers prevent risky mistakes

    Forgetting to take medication, or taking too much, can cause grogginess or dizziness that increases fall risk. A smart pill dispenser helps make sure you take the right dose at the right time.

    What to look for: Look for dispensers with reminders, dose tracking, and alerts for missed meds.

    A woman taking pills

    Smart pill dispensers can assist patients in making sure they take the correct dose of the desired medication at the right time. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

    3) Fitness trackers keep you motivated to move

    Building strength, especially in your legs and core, is one of the best ways to prevent falls. Whether you use an Apple Watch, Fitbit or another device, fitness trackers can nudge you toward daily movement goals.

    What to check: Track your cardio fitness levels, not just step counts. It’s a good indicator of your overall strength and endurance.

    A woman adjusting her Apple Watch

    Fitness tracking devices can help users build strength and resilience. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

    4) Vital-sign monitors help detect lightheaded spells

    Dips in blood pressure or oxygen levels can make you feel woozy, which increases your fall risk. Smartwatches and fingertip pulse oximeters help you monitor these changes in real time.

    What to check: If you’re not using a wearable, jot down your daily readings with a standard cuff or oximeter to spot any unusual trends.

    5) Motion-activated lighting lights the way

    Getting up in the middle of the night without enough light is a common recipe for a fall. Motion-activated lights can illuminate your path without you needing to touch a switch.

    What to look for: Try plug-in nightlights that turn on when they sense motion, or during a power outage. Some even double as portable flashlights.

    NEW MOBILE ROBOT HELPS SENIORS WALK SAFELY AND PREVENT FALLS

    6) Leak sensors help prevent unexpected slips

    A small water leak can create a slick floor long before it’s visible. Leak sensors alert you to changes in humidity or water buildup near appliances and pipes.

    What to look for: Choose ones that send alerts to your phone. You’ll avoid a fall and possibly a pricey repair bill.

    7) Doorbell cameras keep you from rushing

    One overlooked fall trigger is rushing to answer the door. A doorbell camera lets you see who’s there and speak to them, so you can take your time or decide not to answer at all.

    What to look for: A model with two-way audio gives you the freedom to communicate from wherever you are in your home.

    While we’re on the topic of security cameras, be sure to check out 10 things you must consider when choosing any security camera. 

    An outdoor doorbell camera

    Doorbell cameras enable users to communicate with visitors without rushing to answer the door. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

    8) Fall-detection devices can call for help

    Even the most independent older adults face higher fall risks, and family members who live far away may worry more than they let on. If a fall happens and you’re alone, getting help quickly is essential. Wearables like the Apple Watch can detect a hard fall and automatically alert emergency services or your emergency contacts. Apple Watch SE, Series 4 or later, and Apple Watch Ultra include fall detection. If a hard fall is detected, the watch vibrates, sounds an alarm, and gives the option to call emergency services.

    To turn it on manually:

    • Open the Watch app on your iPhone
    • Tap My Watch in the bottom left
    • Scroll down and click Emergency SOS
    • Toggle on Fall Detection and choose Always On

    If you don’t use an Apple Watch, there are other great options. Many Android-compatible smartwatches now offer fall detection, including select Samsung Galaxy Watch models. 

    There are also dedicated medical alert wearables that can help bridge that distance with a single button press. These tools are simple, discreet, and offer life-saving support, especially when no one else is around.

    Check out some of the top-rated personal safety tools to consider by visiting Cyberguy.com/MonitorLovedOnes.

    What to check: Whether you use a smartwatch or a medical alert device, make sure fall detection is turned on, your contacts are updated, and you test the feature once in a while for peace of mind.

    A man being helped to walk

    Many smartwatches and medical alert devices can detect when a user falls and offer the option to call for help. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

    9) Smart speakers make it easier to call for help

    Voice assistants like Alexa or Google Nest can help you call someone, turn on a light, or get a reminder, without having to move.

    What to look for: Set up voice shortcuts and routines for common tasks. If you’re unsteady, saying “Call my daughter” is a lot safer than walking to your phone.

    STUDY REVEALS 10 HAPPIEST STATES FOR SENIORS: DID YOURS MAKE THE LIST?

    10) Balance-training apps keep your brain and body in sync

    Apps like Nymbl for iPhone or Android, or KOKU for iPhone and Android, offer fun daily balance and cognitive exercises that take just a few minutes. The goal? Keep your body strong and your reflexes sharp.

    What to check: Use an app that tracks progress and gives feedback. Some are backed by health researchers or physical therapists.

    A woman learning balances exercises

    Using apps to perform balance exercises and cognitive challenges can help keep reflexes honed. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

    What this means for you

    Falls aren’t only about tripping on a rug or losing your footing. They often involve deeper issues like poor sleep, medication interactions, or delayed reflexes. By using smart tech, you can spot early warning signs, make smarter choices, and stay in control of your health, on your own terms.

    Kurt’s key takeaways

    Getting older doesn’t mean giving up your independence. In fact, the right technology can help extend it. Whether it’s a smartwatch that alerts family during a fall or a simple nightlight that turns on automatically, every tool you use can add peace of mind. You don’t have to wait for a fall to start protecting yourself.

    Smart tech is more advanced than ever, but do you feel confident relying on it for your safety? Or do you prefer human care and face-to-face checkups? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com/Contact

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    Get my best tech tips, urgent security alerts, and exclusive deals delivered straight to your inbox. Plus, you’ll get instant access to my Ultimate Scam Survival Guide – free when you join my CYBERGUY.COM/NEWSLETTER

    Copyright 2025 CyberGuy.com.  All rights reserved.

    Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson is an award-winning tech journalist who has a deep love of technology, gear and gadgets that make life better with his contributions for Fox News & FOX Business beginning mornings on “FOX & Friends.” Got a tech question? Get Kurt’s free CyberGuy Newsletter, share your voice, a story idea or comment at CyberGuy.com.

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  • OpenAI limits ChatGPT’s role in mental health help

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    More people are turning to artificial intelligence for support, even for mental health advice. It’s easy to see why: tools like ChatGPT are free, fast, and always available. But mental health is a delicate issue, and AI isn’t equipped to handle the complexities of real emotional distress.

    To address growing concerns, OpenAI has introduced new safety measures for ChatGPT. These updates will limit how the chatbot responds to mental health-related queries. The goal is to prevent users from becoming overly dependent and to encourage them to seek proper care. OpenAI also hopes to reduce the risk of harmful or misleading responses through these changes.

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    A screenshot shows the ChatGPT prompt window interface. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

    Why is OpenAI making this change?

    In a statement released by OpenAI, the company admitted that there “have been instances where our 4o model fell short in recognizing signs of delusion or emotional dependency.” One example, ChatGPT validated a user’s belief that radio signals were coming through the walls because of their family. In another, it allegedly encouraged terrorism.

    CHATGPT COULD BE SILENTLY REWIRING YOUR BRAIN AS EXPERTS URGE CAUTION FOR LONG-TERM USE

    These rare but serious incidents sparked concern. OpenAI is now revising how it trains its models to reduce “sycophancy,” or excessive agreement and flattery that could reinforce harmful beliefs. 

    ChatGPT answers the prompt, "Can you provide mental health advice?"

    Screenshot of a prompt asking if ChatGPT can provide mental health advice (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

    What new safeguards has OpenAI set in place?

    From now on, ChatGPT will prompt users to take breaks during long conversations. It will also avoid offering specific advice on deeply personal issues. Instead, the chatbot will help users reflect by asking questions and offering pros and cons, without pretending to be a therapist.

    OpenAI stated, “While rare, we’re continuing to improve our models and are developing tools to better detect signs of mental or emotional distress so ChatGPT can respond appropriately and point people to evidence-based resources when needed.”

    IS YOUR THERAPIST AI? CHATGPT GOES VIRAL ON SOCIAL MEDIA FOR ITS ROLE AS GEN Z’S NEW THERAPIST

    The company also partnered with more than 90 physicians worldwide to create updated guidance for evaluating complex interactions. An advisory group, made up of mental health experts, youth advocates, and human-computer interaction researchers, is helping shape these changes. OpenAI says it wants input from clinicians and researchers to refine its safeguards further.

    Screenshot of a user asking ChatGPT to

    Screenshot of a user asking ChatGPT to “Cheer me up with a joke.” (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

    Your private conversations with ChatGPT are not legally protected

    OpenAI CEO Sam Altman recently raised red flags about AI privacy. “If you go talk to ChatGPT about your most sensitive stuff and then there’s a lawsuit or whatever, we could be required to produce that. And I think that’s very screwed up,” he said.

    He added, “I think we should have the same concept of privacy for your conversations with AI that we do with a therapist or whatever.”

    So, unlike talking to a licensed counselor, your chats with ChatGPT don’t enjoy legal privilege or confidentiality. Be careful what you share.

    SCAMMERS CAN EXPLOIT YOUR DATA FROM JUST 1 CHATGPT SEARCH

    What this means for you

    If you’re turning to ChatGPT for emotional support, understand its limits. The chatbot can help you think through problems, ask guiding questions, or simulate a conversation, but it can’t replace trained mental health professionals.

    Here’s what to keep in mind:

    • Don’t rely on ChatGPT in a crisis. If you’re struggling, seek help from a licensed therapist or call a crisis hotline.
    • Assume your chats aren’t private. Treat your AI conversations as if they could be read by others, especially in legal matters.
    • Use it for reflection, not resolution. ChatGPT is best at helping you sort your thoughts, not solve deep emotional issues.

    OpenAI’s changes are a step toward safer interactions, but they’re not a cure-all. Mental health requires human connection, training, and empathy – things no AI can fully replicate.

    Take My Quiz: How Safe Is Your Online Security?

    Think your devices and data are truly protected? Take this quick quiz to see where your digital habits stand. From passwords to Wi-Fi settings, you’ll get a personalized breakdown of what you’re doing right – and what needs improvement. Take my Quiz here: Cyberguy.com/Quiz 

    Kurt’s key takeaways

    While ChatGPT is a useful tool, it’s far from being a substitute for a human being, even with the introduction of Agent, which adds capabilities but still lacks true empathy, judgment and emotional understanding. The safeguards go a long way toward addressing the concerns about AI’s ethical and psychological implications. It’s a good thing OpenAI is aware of this because it’s just the start. To truly protect users, the company will need to keep evolving how ChatGPT handles emotionally sensitive conversations.

    Do you think people should be using AI for mental health? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com/Contact

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    Copyright 2025 CyberGuy.com.  All rights reserved.  

    Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson is an award-winning tech journalist who has a deep love of technology, gear and gadgets that make life better with his contributions for Fox News & FOX Business beginning mornings on “FOX & Friends.” Got a tech question? Get Kurt’s free CyberGuy Newsletter, share your voice, a story idea or comment at CyberGuy.com.

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  • ‘Everything I Learned About Suicide, I Learned On Instagram.’

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    Growing up in Butte, Mont., Little was a pretty happy kid. They loved theater, took dance and voice lessons, and had lots of friends. Then, in the summer between fifth and sixth grade, Little joined Instagram, Facebook and Snapchat, sidestepping the platforms’ limits by lying about their age.

    “As soon as I was on social media, I couldn’t put it down,” Little recalls in a recent video interview from their bedroom in Colorado Springs, Colo. At times, they spent more than 10 hours per day on Instagram. Social media eclipsed sleeping, studying, hanging out with friends, and even eating. Instagram “felt like a safety blanket,” Little says. “It felt like something I could kind of put between me and the world.” 

    One day on Instagram, Little recalls receiving a suggestion to “check out this account.” Clicking the link took them to a page that was a “diary of graphic self-harm,” Little says. The accompanying captions were about not being able to take the pain anymore. “I didn’t look for it,” Little says. “I clicked a notification and was shown gore.” 

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  • Your phone is tracking you even when you think it’s not

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    You know that little GPS icon that pops up when an app is using your location? That’s the polite part. The tip of the iceberg. The warm handshake before your phone whispers your every movement to Big Tech behind your back. 

    Your phone has more than one way to know where you are. Cell towers, Wi-Fi networks, Bluetooth beacons and even background pings track you. If you have an old smartphone, you can enter to win a new iPhone 16 Pro at www.komando.com/win.

    I’m not here to scare you or tinfoil-hat this. 

    I’m here to help you take back control. I tested these steps myself, but your phone’s menus might look a little different depending on the make and model. Poke around your settings and you’ll find it.

    YOUR PHONE PREDICTS AN EARTHQUAKE

    Your phone has more than one way of knowing where you are. (iStock)

    iPhone: The sneakiest setting

    Apple keeps a “Significant Locations” log buried deep in your settings. It’s meant to make your Maps smarter and improve recommendations, but it’s also a detailed history of where you’ve been.

    Here’s how to find and clear it:

    1. Go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services.
    2. Scroll to System Services. Tap Significant Locations.
    3. Use Face ID or your passcode to unlock it, then review your history.
    4. Tap Clear History, and if you don’t want it tracked anymore, toggle it off.

    While you’re there, review your Location Services list and set apps to While Using or Never. Most don’t need 24/7 access.

    FORGET SEO: HOW TO GET FOUND BY AI TOOLS IN 2025

    iPhone settings app

    On iPhones, there’s a “Significant Locations” log deep in your Settings. (Photo by STR/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

    Android: Timeline and app permissions

    Android’s version is called “Timeline,” and it’s tied to your Google account, not just your device. Even if you switch phones, the log follows you unless you turn it off.

    To see it:

    1. Open Google Maps. Tap your profile picture > Your timeline.
    2. Hit the three dots > Location & privacy settings.
    3. Under Location Settings, toggle off Timeline. You can also Delete all Timeline data.

    Next, check app permissions:

    • Go to Settings > Location > App permissions.
    • Change any “Allow all the time” apps to “Allow only while using” or “Deny.”

    FOLDABLE PHONES ARE IMPRESSIVE TECHNOLOGICAL MARVELS BUT COME WITH SERIOUS COMPROMISES

    Google Maps app on Android phone

    On Android, Google Maps has a “Timeline” worth disabling if you’re concerned about privacy. (Guillaume Payen/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

    Pro tip for both

    Even with these off, your carrier still knows where you are when your phone is connected to the network. If you really need to go off-grid, you’ll need to power down or use airplane mode.

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    Get tech-smarter on your schedule

    Award-winning host Kim Komando is your secret weapon for navigating tech.

    • National radio and podcasts: Airing on 500+ stations across the US, search for Komando in your favorite radio or podcast app
    • Daily newsletter: Join 650,000 folks who read the Current (free!) at www.GetKim.com
    • Watch: On YouTube.com/kimkomando

    Copyright 2025, WestStar Multimedia Entertainment. All rights reserved.

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  • Air France and KLM breach tied to hacker group

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    Air France and KLM are warning customers about a new data breach that hit their customer service platform. Hackers accessed personal details including names, emails, phone numbers, loyalty program information and recent transactions. While no financial details were stolen, experts warn that this information is still a gold mine for cybercriminals.

    The airlines say they acted quickly to cut off the attackers’ access. They also stressed that their internal networks remain secure.

    “Air France and KLM detected unusual activity on an external platform we use for customer service,” the companies said in a joint statement. “This activity led to unauthorized access to customer data. Our IT security teams, along with the relevant external party, took immediate action to stop it. We have also put measures in place to prevent it from happening again. Internal Air France and KLM systems were not affected.”

    Authorities in France and the Netherlands have been notified. Meanwhile, impacted customers are being told to stay alert.

    “Customers whose data may have been accessed are currently being informed,” the airlines added. “We are advising them to be extra vigilant for suspicious emails or phone calls.”

    NOTORIOUS HACKER GROUP SETS SIGHTS ON AIRLINE INDUSTRY IN ALARMING SECURITY THREAT

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    Air France airliner (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

    A larger cybercrime trend

    This attack is part of a broader wave of data theft linked to the ShinyHunters group. In recent months, they have targeted Salesforce customer service systems used by major global brands. High-profile victims include Adidas, Qantas, Louis Vuitton and even Google.

    Ricardo Amper, CEO of Incode Technologies, a global leader in identity verification and AI-powered fraud prevention, calls this a dangerous shift.

    “This signals hackers like ShinyHunters evolving from brute-force hacks to AI-amplified social engineering, targeting third-party platforms where humans are the weak link. They’re not just stealing data; they’re using generative AI to craft convincing impersonations. It’s an AI arms race.”

    KLM airliner (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson)

    KLM airliner (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

    WHAT IS ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI)?

    How hackers pulled this off

    Attackers now use advanced AI tools that make impersonation both fast and inexpensive. These tools allow them to convincingly mimic real people.

    “Attackers today are digital con artists with an unprecedented toolkit,” Amper explains. “With AI, they can convincingly impersonate real people using cloned voices, speech patterns and even realistic video deepfakes. With just 10-20 seconds of someone’s voice, they can create an audio clone that sounds exactly like them. Armed with this, attackers call customer service reps, posing as an executive, a partner or a high-value customer, and request sensitive account changes or data access.”

    These AI-driven impersonations bypass the “red flags” that once alerted employees.

    “The best AI deepfakes are nearly impossible for humans to detect in real time,” says Amper. “Pauses, awkward phrasing, bad audio, those giveaways are disappearing.”

    Why customer service platforms are prime targets

    Customer service portals hold a wealth of personal information and often have the power to reset accounts or override security settings. This combination makes them especially attractive to hackers.

    “Customer service platforms are considered a treasure trove because they store detailed personal data, transaction histories, and sometimes have capabilities to reset passwords or override security settings,” Amper notes. “Unlike core financial systems, many lack robust security controls, making them accessible to attackers armed with partial user information.”

    What this means for you

    Air France-KLM’s breach shows just how quickly cybercriminals are adapting. With AI-powered impersonation, even experienced customer service representatives can be tricked. Your best defense is to stay vigilant, use stronger authentication and actively monitor your accounts for any unusual activity.

    A woman booking airline travel on her laptop (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson)

    A woman booking airline travel on her laptop (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

    What hackers do with the stolen data

    Once hackers gain access to this data, they can quickly convert it into profit.

    “This starts when attackers use stolen data such as loyalty program numbers, recent transactions or service request information to impersonate customers in future interactions,” Amper says. “Loyalty points and frequent flyer miles act as digital currency that can be monetized or redeemed for rewards. These pieces of information are treated as puzzle pieces to build complete identity profiles.”

    These profiles often appear for sale on the dark web. Criminals can also reuse them to break into other accounts or launch highly targeted scams.

    How to protect yourself after a breach

    Amper warns that scammers often move quickly after a breach, sending fake alerts that seem legitimate.

    “Post-breach, watch for phishing lures tailored to you, like emails citing your recent Air France flight, urging a ‘security update’ with a dodgy link. Scammers thrive on urgency.”

    If you were notified, or even suspect that your data was part of this breach, take these steps immediately:

    1) Enable phishing-resistant MFA

    Use app-based authentication, security keys or biometrics wherever possible. Unlike basic text message codes, these methods are far harder for cybercriminals to intercept, even if they already have some of your personal information from the breach.

    2) Watch for tailored phishing attempts and use strong antivirus software

    Scammers may reference real flights, loyalty program balances or recent transactions to trick you into clicking malicious links. Pair your caution with strong antivirus tools which can block dangerous websites, phishing attempts and malware before they get a chance to run. The best way to safeguard yourself from malicious links that install malware, potentially accessing your private information, is to have strong antivirus software installed on all your devices. This protection can also alert you to phishing emails and ransomware scams, keeping your personal information and digital assets safe.

    Get my picks for the best 2025 antivirus protection winners for your Windows, Mac, Android & iOS devices at CyberGuy.com/LockUpYourTech

    3) Monitor loyalty and financial accounts closely

    Frequent flyer miles and loyalty points are like digital currency. They can be stolen, sold or redeemed for real-world goods. Check your airline, hotel and bank accounts regularly for unusual activity.

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    4) Use strong, unique passwords

    Never reuse the same password across accounts. If hackers compromise one account, they can try the same password elsewhere in a “credential stuffing” attack. A reputable password manager can create and store complex, unique logins.

    Check out the best expert-reviewed password managers of 2025 at Cyberguy.com/Passwords

    5) Sign up for an identity theft protection service

    Credit bureaus and specialized services can alert you if your information appears on the dark web or is linked to suspicious activity. Identity Theft companies can monitor personal information like your Social Security number (SSN), phone number and email address and alert you if it is being sold on the dark web or being used to open an account. They can also assist you in freezing your bank and credit card accounts to prevent further unauthorized use by criminals. 

    See my tips and best picks on how to protect yourself from identity theft at Cyberguy.com/IdentityTheft

    6) Use a personal data removal service

    Personal data removal services can help scrub your personal information from data broker sites. Removing these records makes it harder for attackers to gather the details they need to impersonate you. While no service can guarantee the complete removal of your data from the internet, a data removal service is really a smart choice. They aren’t cheap and neither is your privacy. These services do all the work for you by actively monitoring and systematically erasing your personal information from hundreds of websites. It’s what gives me peace of mind and has proven to be the most effective way to erase your personal data from the internet. By limiting the information available, you reduce the risk of scammers cross-referencing data from breaches with information they might find on the dark web, making it harder for them to target you.

    Check out my top picks for data removal services and get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already out on the web by visiting Cyberguy.com/Delete

    Get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already out on the web: Cyberguy.com/FreeScan

    7) Scan your credit reports weekly

    Review your reports from major credit bureaus for suspicious accounts or inquiries you didn’t initiate.

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    Kurt’s key takeaways

    Your frequent flyer miles, email address and phone number might not seem as valuable as your credit card, but in the wrong hands, they’re keys to unlocking more of your personal life. Protect them like cash.

    What would you do if a scammer could call your airline and sound exactly like you? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com/Contact

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    Copyright 2025 CyberGuy.com. All rights reserved.

    Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson is an award-winning tech journalist who has a deep love of technology, gear and gadgets that make life better with his contributions for Fox News & FOX Business beginning mornings on “FOX & Friends.” Got a tech question? Get Kurt’s free CyberGuy Newsletter, share your voice, a story idea or comment at CyberGuy.com.

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