On December 19, 2025, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) published an Alert warning the public that it has data from as far back as 2023 that “malicious actors have impersonated senior U.S. state government, White House, and Cabinet level officials, as well as members of Congress to target individuals, including officials’ family members and
WhatsApp Patches Vulnerability That Facilitates Remote Code Execution
WhatsApp users should update the application for vulnerability CVE-2025-30401, which Meta recently patched when WhatsApp was released for Windows version 2.2450.6.
Meta cautions Windows users to update to the latest version due to the vulnerability that it is calling a “spoofing” issue that could allow attackers to execute malicious code on devices. The attackers…
Ireland Fines Instagram €405 Million for Children’s Data Violations
Ireland’s Data Privacy Commissioner will reportedly fine Instagram for its handling of children’s data. According to an investigation that began in 2020, Instagram published emails and phone numbers for children ages 13 to 17 who operated business accounts. Business accounts typically post this information by default. Meta, Instagram’s parent, plans to appeal the €405 million…
Irish DPA Hits WhatsApp with $266M Fine for Alleged GDPR Violations
When GDPR became effective three years ago, companies took notice of the fines and penalties attached to violations of the stringent privacy law—4 percent of global annual sales. The fines have been racking up, including the most recent one by the Irish Data Protection Commission against WhatsApp—$266 million. WhatsApp is owned by Facebook.
The fine…
Privacy Tip #273 – What’s with WhatsApp’s New Privacy Policy?
WhatsApp started notifying its 2 billion users last month about an update to its privacy policy. Most of its users probably didn’t look at the details, and simply clicked “I agree” when the notice popped up on their phones. (To use the app, one must click “I agree.”) There has been a backlash from privacy…
Privacy Tip #211 – WhatsApp Users: Update Your App to Patch Vulnerability
WhatsApp has announced that it has patched a vulnerability that would have allowed hackers to access with malware the chat history of users. Android 8.1 and 9 could have been susceptible to the attack. However, WhatsApp is urging all users to update their app.
Although WhatsApp says it has patched the vulnerability and does not…
The WhatsApp Hack – Practice Good Phone Hygiene and Update Your Apps
WhatsApp, the popular instant messaging app announced a hack and the exposure of a security flaw this week. The flaw injected malware onto users’ phones, potentially exposing their otherwise encrypted data and messages. WhatsApp allows users to instant message and make phone calls throughout the world. The app features described on its website include simple,…
Millions of Sensitive Records Leaked by Another Spyware Maker
We reported last week that a spyware maker compromised users’ and victims’ sensitive information [view related post]. Since that time, another spyware maker, mSpy, which holds itself out as having over a million users employing its product to “spy” on their partners and children, has reportedly leaked the passwords, call logs, text messages, location…
iPhone Users Targeted by New Malware Campaign
Cisco Talos has discovered a new menace to iPhone users—a sophisticated malware campaign targeting iPhones to trick users into downloading an open-source Mobile Device Management (MDM) solution that gives the hackers control of the phone. It is reported that Cisco and Apple are working together to combat the threat.
According to reports, once the MDM…
Privacy Tip #130 – Smartphones Targeted by Dark Caracal Attack
There is a global malware campaign that is targeting mobile devices across the world. It is called Dark Caracal, which is believed to be sourced in Beirut by the Lebanese General Security Directorate. According to security researchers, attacks on mobile devices are on the rise because people are using their smartphones more than they are…