News Bites
What’s the best way to stay safe online? What should you watch out for? How can you stop cyberattackers from stealing your money and important passwords? Cyber Giraffe teams up with our news partner, Ampyx News, to show what’s happening in the digital world, how it impacts you, and what you can do to protect yourself and your family.
How cyber crooks are tricking you into picking up the phone & putting down your guard
You may have heard that you shouldn't give sensitive information to people who call you on the phone. But what if you are the one calling them? Crooks know your guard is down. Here’s how they trick you into thinking you’re the one in control.
Cyber crooks are hacking the lights and heating
Feeling a bit chilly at the office? Researchers say cyber crooks are taking over smart devices that control lights, heating, door locks, and other services in office buildings. They've hit at least 20 buildings so far.
Attackers are ganging up on you in your email
Attackers are trying a sneaky trick with group emails. They send you an email with several people cc’d. But those people are also cyber crooks! They all jump in to try to coax you into clicking on a poisonous attachment. Here’s how it works.
Sneaky attack secretly uploads poisonous videos to your YouTube account
You might want to check your YouTube account for videos you didn’t post. It could be part of a global scam to steal your money. Even corporate and government channels have fallen victim. Here’s how the scam starts and what to look for.
Ticket scammers stalk your comments on social media
Your comments on social media can send out a signal to scammers, letting them know you are vulnerable to attack. Criminals are searching online for someone they can social engineer, or manipulate, into giving them what they want. And they’ve learned that people looking for concert tickets can be easy marks.
Cyber crooks use fake security step to trip you up
You’ve seen a CAPTCHA, where you have to select all the pictures of bicycles or bridges to get into a site or account. Attackers are using fake security steps to try to trip you up. Here’s what to look for.
Attackers hiding in your email? Here's one way to check
Worried about cyber criminals hiding in your email? Here’s one way they’re trying to get in, plus how you can track them down.
Cyber trick gets you to "click" without clicking
You might know to watch out for risky links in messages. So attackers are trying a different tactic to get you to click on their poisonous links. Here's what to watch for.
Scammers steal people's video to sell fake products
Is someone using video of you for fraud? Scammers are grabbing people’s videos to turn into ads for fake products. Here’s how they’re doing it with a bogus device that claims to slash your electricity bills, supposedly endorsed by Elon Musk and Leonardo DiCaprio.
What can ransomware do to your water?
Can cyber criminals attack the water you drink by hacking the water plant with ransomware? We take a look at an attack that stirred up questions at water utilities around the globe.
Watch out for attacks from virtual people with phantom lives
Attackers can fake a face. But now it's easier and easier for them to fake an entire personality with the push of a few buttons. Here’s how they do it.
"They can torture, they can kill this person": Volunteers patrol Ukraine's cyber front during war
Volunteers are working to protect Ukraine from cyberattacks and cyber spies during Russia’s full-scale invasion. They know their work could save people from torture and death.
“I’m a man of God”: Tactics from the latest social media scam
If you get a suspicious message from a friend on social media, you might ask questions to see if it's really them. But what if the scammers have all the right answers? Now some tricksters come prepared. Here's how to be ready.
Forgot a crucial PIN code? Expert hacker digs out millions of dollars in lost money
If you forget your PIN code for a cryptocurrency wallet, your money could be gone forever. But an expert hacker is turning this memory disaster into a new passion and a new business: breaking into wallets for people who’ve lost the crucial bit of info standing between them and their crypto cash.
Four ways to detect a deepfake voice
Now, creating a deepfake voice is as easy as downloading an app on your phone or software on your laptop. What can you do to detect a voice deepfake before you lose money to audio tricksters? Here are four ways to uncover a voice fake.
Three ways to spot a deepfake video
In times of war and world conflict, you need to be able to spot deepfakes --- computer-generated people --- before they manipulate you. Here are three ways to do it.
Teams battle for victory in the Super Bowl of industrial hacking in Miami
It's a nail biter. Eleven teams of hackers from around the globe meet in Miami for what some say is the biggest industrial hacking contest in the world.
Attackers ask you for a simple screenshot in this Instagram hack
A screenshot may not sound dangerous. But Instagram hackers are using them to take over people’s accounts. Here’s how they do it.
Watch out for fake files in Microsoft Teams
Watch out for fakers on Microsoft Teams. Researchers say cyber crooks are sneaking into Teams and trying to get you to download malware that can spy on you.
Is it really your boss in that virtual meeting?
This is an appointment you DON’T want to add to your busy schedule: a fake virtual meeting run by a fake boss trying to steal money.