Passkeys Enter Open Beta Stage

by Artie Kaye

A more secure means of logging into services is what a passkey provides. Instead of remembering passwords, or using a password manager, a support device will be required to log in, such as a phone. Unlocking the phone when prompted to enter your passkey can be a means of logging in. The technology is being used by other companies as well, also in the early stages. Currently there is little support for cross environment passkeys, so if you’re using Apple products it likely won’t function with Google logins. These shortcomings will be addressed as the tech gets more refined.

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Online Retailer Credit Card Skimming

by Artie Kaye

A web skimming campaign has been discovered by Akamai, wherein the skimming program does its best to obfuscate itself on legitimate websites and servers, spreading when it can. The exploited commerce programs include, but are not limited to, Magento, Shopify, and WordPress. The function of the malware is to steal personal identifying information, mainly financial.  In the event that you believe your information has been used by a third party without your consent or knowledge, reaching out to your financial institution is the best first step.

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Deepfake Extortion PSA

by Artie Kaye

The FBI is raising awareness of deepfake content being created that is not safe for work and then used to blackmail payment from those whose image has been falsified.  Deepfakes are images or videos made of someone specific using actual images of the person to create a realistic facsimile. The images being used to make these deepfakes come from social media, images from sources like Instagram or videos from TikTok.  If you are interested in learning more, please read the FBI’s announcement posted on their Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) website.

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