As you can tell, I am obsessed with Verizon’s Data Breach Investigations Report. It is worthy of full immersion, and I am picking it apart with precision (here and here). I always spend a lot of time delving into it as it informs and confirms strategies to assist others with prevention and resilience.
Privacy Tip
Privacy Tip #492 – FTC Enforcing the Take It Down Act
By Linn Foster Freedman on
Posted in Privacy Tips
On May 19, 2026, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced that it will begin enforcing the Take It Down Act (TIDA) immediately. TIDA was made law in May 2025 and requires platforms to remove non-consensual intimate imagery within 48 hours of being notified. It provides criminal penalties for the publication of non-consensual intimate imagery and…
Privacy Tip #490 – Dating App Hijacks + Repurposes College Student’s TikTok Video
By Linn Foster Freedman on
Posted in Privacy Tips
In the category of how technology can be fun, yet dangerous, a 19 year old college student alleges that the dating app Meete took a video she innocently posted on TikTok of her high school graduation, then “overlayed it with graphics advertising the app, and added a voiceover to make it appear she was saying…
Privacy Tip #488 – Account Change Phishing Alerts from “Apple” Are Tricking Users
By Linn Foster Freedman on
Posted in Privacy Tips
A new, yet old, scheme has been quite successful and users should beware. If you get an account change message from Apple, be on high alert that it is fake and malicious.
According to Bleeping Computer, the scheme involves a threat actor using an Apple support email (e.g., appleid@id.apple.com) to send phishing emails to…
Privacy Tip #485 – Preventing Identity Theft
By Linn Foster Freedman on
Posted in Privacy Tips
According to Security.org, “every 4.9 seconds, someone becomes a victim of identity theft in the United States” and the Federal Trade Commission receives over 6.4 million reports of identity theft and fraud every year.
Identity theft incidents continue to climb, with the average amount lost reaching $400 per person. The highest number of cases are…
Privacy Tip #484 – What is Loyalty Fraud + How Do You Prevent It?
By Linn Foster Freedman on
Posted in Privacy Tips
While a good friend of mine was recently traveling, his flight was cancelled and he was booked on a new flight the next day. He travels a lot and he decided to use some of his hotel loyalty points to stay over at the hotel adjacent to the airport. Checking in, he discovered that more…
Privacy Tip #482 – ShinyHunters Hits Wynn Resorts
By Linn Foster Freedman on
Posted in Privacy Tips
ShinyHunters continues to wreak havoc against well-known brands; most recently, Wynn Resorts. Wynn Resorts has confirmed that “an unauthorized third party acquired certain employee data.” It is believed that the threat actor was ShinyHunters. Fortunately for Wynn, the incident is not affecting its operations, and its resorts remain fully functional.
ShinyHunters announced it was the…
Privacy Tip #480 – Android Devices Running Android 12 or Less Face Security Risk
By Linn Foster Freedman on
Posted in Privacy Tips
If you are among the one billion individuals who own an Android device running on Android 12, or a previous iteration of the operating system, now is the time to consider upgrading your device. According to Forbes, this represents approximately 40% of all Android devices in the market.
Google has issued a warning that any…
Privacy Tip #479 – Federal Judge Says ICE Prohibited from Using IRS Data for Enforcement
By Linn Foster Freedman on
Posted in Privacy Tips
On February 5, 2026, a Massachusetts federal judge issued an order staying information-sharing between the IRS and ICE, as well as a preliminary injunction prohibiting Kristi Noem, Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, ICE, acting-Director Todd Lyons, and any DHS and ICE agent from “inspecting, viewing, using, copying, distributing, relying on, or otherwise acting…
Privacy Tip #478 – Intrigued With Using AI to Help with Your Tax Return? Please Think Again
By Linn Foster Freedman on
Posted in Privacy Tips
It’s that time of the year when W2s and 1099s pile up in preparation for that dreaded tax return filing deadline. Now that everyone is using AI tools to assist with complicated tasks, as they seem to make any task, even the most dreaded, more efficient, it is tempting to use one to assist with…