Technology

Why Google might delete your photos, videos and more

Google, the internet search giant facing an antitrust lawsuit by the Trump administration’s Justice Department, is through handing out freebies to users of its popular email and photo-storage services.

The Mountain View, Calif.-based company said this week it will begin charging for new images and videos above specified size thresholds, a change that Google said would help it keep pace with growing usage demands but one that was greeted with dismay on tech news outlets and blogs.

Those who don’t keep their storage below the new size caps, don’t pay or fail to keep their accounts active run the risk of having Google scrub content from products including Gmail, Google Drive and Photos — such as Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, Drawings and Forms.

APPLE UNVEILS NEW MACS THAT CAN LAST ALMOST A FULL DAY

“For many, this will come as a disappointment,” David Lieb, the product lead for Google Photos, wrote on Twitter. “We know. We wrestled with this decision for a long time, but we think it’s the right one to make.”

The change will take effect after June 1, 2021.

“We will notify you multiple times before we attempt to remove any content so you have ample opportunities to take action,” Google executives said. “The simplest way to keep your account active is to periodically visit Gmail, Drive or Photos on the web or mobile, while signed in and connected to the internet.”

On Google’s support page, the company makes clear that users can also keep data active using “an official Google app.”

To manage user content, Google relies on the Inactive Account Manager, which can notify a contact if an account is inactive for between three and 18 months. The manager can be used to instruct Google to delete data after a set period has passed as well, Mashable reported Wednesday.

Google is also providing new Google Photos tools to help with reducing the size of stored data, including one that makes it easier to delete unwanted snapshots. The company is ending unlimited high-quality — 1080p resolution — photo and video storage. Any files added to Google Photos that exceed the service’s limit of 15GB of free data require a fee.

Users can reserve 100GB of storage for $1.99/month, including data from Gmail and Google Drive. The company has features that help manage storage and provide a personal estimate for how much space users have left.

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According to TechCrunch, uploads to Gmail, Photos and Google Drive total more than 4.3 million GB every day and Google says the changes are necessary to “provide everyone with a great storage experience and to keep pace with the growing demand.”

“Since so many of you rely on Google Photos as the home of your life’s memories, we believe it’s important that it’s not just a great product, but that it is able to serve you over the long haul,” Lieb explained in a tweet on Wednesday.

“To ensure this is possible not just now, but for the long term, we’ve decided to align the primary cost of providing the service (storage of your content) with the primary value users enjoy (having a universally accessible and useful record of your life),” he said.

Google, which has offered the free products in part to attract new users, is one of the world’s most lucrative companies. Its revenue jumped 14% to $46 billion in the three months through September, though expenses pared operating income to $12.6 billion.

CEO Sundar Pichai, who attributed the strength in part to the company’s YouTube video-streaming service, Google Cloud storage product and Google Play app store on a call with investors, said it’s confident that its products benefit consumers and is happy to make its case against the Justice Department’s antitrust claim.

The government complaint accused Google of locking up the “primary avenues” that internet users rely on to access search engines, in part by requiring that Google be the default engine on billions of mobile devices and computers worldwide.

The suit was filed amid growing scrutiny of Google, which has a market value of $1.2 trillion, and other Silicon Valley behemoths. Democrats have complained that the companies stifle competition, while Republicans have long accused them of suppressing conservative viewpoints, a criticism leveled often by President Trump.

New Iranian ransomware revealed by Israeli cybersecurity firm

Israeli cybersecurity company Check Point revealed Thursday a new type of ransomware that is traced back to Iran.

According to the report obtained by Fox News, the new, never-seen-before strain dubbed “Pay2Key” targeted more than a dozen Israeli companies a few weeks ago. The hackers used the Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) of employees who worked from home.

According to the investigation carried out at Check Point, four Israeli victims of the attacks have decided to pay the ransom, which enabled its experts to track the payment transfers between crypto wallets. The researchers followed the Bitcoin route and found out that they all ended up in an Iranian exchange named Excoino. The Excoino website requires an Iranian ID and other details only Iranian citizens could have.

According to Check Point’s manager of threat intelligence, Lotem Finkelstein, there’s a global surge in ransomware.

“Pay2Key is sophisticated and far more rapid compared to other ransomware strains,” he said. “The recent Pay2Key ransomware attacks indicate a new threat actor has joined the trend of targeted ransomware attacks”

RANSOMWARE GANG IS RAKING IN TENS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS

Finkelstein added that the actors implemented a rapid propagation mechanism, leaving significant parts of the victims’ network encrypted, along with a ransom note, threatening to leak stolen corporate data unless the ransom is paid. “So far, the Pay2Key threat actors have lived up to their threats. We strongly urge organizations to be cautious, as we expect their targeting to expand into other regions in the world,” he said.

(Thomas Trutschel/Photothek via Getty Images)

The hackers also implemented a double extortion method, where they’ve not only asked for money for removing the encryption caused by the ransomware but also asked for more money or else they would leak the data they have obtained.

Earlier this week, Iranian cleric Rahim Mahdavipour said in a sermon that the Islamic Republic carried out at least two cyberattacks against Israel this year, the latest one successfully targeting Israel’s power plants. The sermon was delivered on Nov. 6 in Bojnurd, Iran, and was aired on Iranian Khorasan Shomali TV. It was translated into English by the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) and released Wednesday.

On Oct. 30, the Israel Electric Corporation confirmed that there was a power outage in many areas across the country but stressed it was not caused by a cyberattack. The Israeli cyber authority refused to comment.

HOSPITALS INCREASINGLY TARGETED BY RANSOMWARE ATTACKS, REPORT SAYS

These recent reports link to a few other suspected mutual cyberattacks from both sides in the past year.

Diagram showing the flow of Bitcoin transactions between the victims and the target exchange.
(Check Point Ltd.)

On Oct. 16 the Iranian government admitted that two government institutions were attacked, among them the electronic infrastructure of the country’s ports.

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On May 9, the Bandar Abbas port terminal in the south of Iran was crippled and shipping traffic was suspended for days. According to a Washington Post report, Israel was behind the attack.

Iran targeted Israeli water infrastructures back in June 2020, and according to a Fox News report, the Iranians used American servers to launch their attacks.

Twitter rival Parler is in the post-election spotlight: Here’s why

Our 2020 presidential Election proved one thing: America is split half conservative, half liberal. The conservative half is fed up with Twitter and moving on. These users are tired of Twitter’s algorithms and corporate management regulating speech on its platform.

A 2-year-old Twitter–Facebook alternative has suddenly exploded to become America’s No. 1 downloaded news app. Parler, which is French for “to talk,” was set up to be a nonbiased, free speech-driven platform. While it’s supposed to be pronounced “par-lay,” the world has settled on “par-lour.”

Is Parler pro-conservative?

On its site, Parler says, “Parler is for the curious, creative, and objective individual. We are here for everyone that wants to have a dialogue from all sides.” While Parler was not established as a conservative-only platform, most users are right wing.

Big names are on board with accounts. While Donald Trump is not yet a member, Donald Trump Jr. and his brother Eric are. So is Rudolph Giuliani and other heavyweight conservatives such as Sean Hannity, Ted Cruz and Mark Levin. News organizations including Breitbart, The Daily Caller and The Epoch Times are active on the site, too.

Facebook’s algorithm: Have a love-hate relationship with Facebook? Take more control over your feed. Tap or click for ways to ditch the algorithm and see what you want to.

How Parler is like Twitter

Functionally, Parler is almost identical to Twitter. If you have used Twitter, jumping into Parler is nothing. There are merely new icons and action words.

Instead of tweets, you have “parlays.” Instead of retweets, you have “echoes.” You “upvote” a post to show you liked it.

You can post GIFs, photos and memes as well as follow accounts and use hashtags. Parler posts are almost triple the size limit as Twitter, or up to 1,000 characters. You can block or mute other users, too.

Much like other social media platforms, you create a profile when you sign up. Your photo, background image and a short bio are available for other members to view.

There is the option to “Get Verified” that provides Parler Citizen status. This step requires you to use your webcam to take a photo of an ID card’s front and back, say your driver’s license. Then, you submit a selfie taken with your webcam.

Once approved, your profile will show a red Parler badge telling other users that you are a real person and not a bot. At this point, you no longer have to display your name publicly. A gold badge identifies public personalities.

Like other social media sites, you have to be at least 13 years old to sign up and a phone number is required to verify accounts and users. At no time are you asked your political affiliation.

Clean up your digital life: The more accounts you make, the more openings for cybercriminals. You need to delete the ones you aren’t using anymore. Tap or click for a site that shortcuts the process. It’ll save you a ton of time.

How Parler is different

Unlike Twitter, which regulates content shared on the platform using internal company policies, Parler bases its user guidelines on the FCC’s obscenity definitions. Strictly put, this asks whether a post “is sexual in nature,” “is offensive,” and “Whether the work, taken as a whole, lacks serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value.”

Parler relies on its users to report inappropriate content and posts that violate its guidelines. They don’t have any employees or third parties fact-checking posts. Verification is strictly community-driven.

Compared to other social media sites, Parler’s six-page PDF privacy policy is straightforward and easy to understand. They spell out clearly what they plan on doing with the information they collect about users.

I bet it won’t surprise you to hear social media apps are among the most greedy when it comes to profiting from your data. Tap or click to see which ones vacuum up and sell the most of your personal information.

There is no advertising on Parler, yet. But its privacy policy states your data collection can be used, “For marketing and advertising purposes, such as developing and providing promotional and advertising materials that may be relevant, valuable or otherwise of interest to you.”

I joined Parler last June to learn more about the site. I’m probably not the perfect user, as I don’t feel a compelling need to interact or even visit Parler.

I’ve been purposefully limiting my time across all social media and finding the break incredibly refreshing. It’s something we all need to do from time to time. Try it!

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Learn about all the latest technology on The Kim Komando Show, the nation’s largest weekend radio talk show. Kim takes calls and dispenses advice on today’s digital lifestyle, from smartphones and tablets to online privacy and data hacks. For her daily tips, free newsletters and more, visit her website at Komando.com.

Ransomware gang is raking in tens of millions of dollars

A ransomware organization has raked in tens of millions of dollars, according to a report.

The organization, identified as group “One,” walked away with 2,200 Bitcoin, according to a report by Vitali Kremez, CEO at Advanced Intelligence, a cybersecurity firm. That’s more than $33 million based on the current Bitcoin exchange rate.

The report was first cited by cybersecurity news site Bleeping Computer.

In a textbook ransomware attack, the attacker locks critical files and then provides instructions on how to unlock the files — provided that the victim pays. Recently, in some cases, criminals also threaten to expose sensitive files.

TEXTING SCAMS ARE ON THE RISE: REPORT

According to Kremez’s profile of the organization, the Ryuk “one” group reaps an average payment of 48 Bitcoin or close to $740,000 per attack and has pulled in over $150 million since 2018 at current Bitcoin exchange rates.

The profile also says the group is a “tough negotiator” and shows “rare leniency” and originates from Russian-speaking Eastern Europe, targeting technology, healthcare, energy and financial services.

The group’s multi-stage attack in this case involved finding available hosts on the network, stealing credentials, then deploying Ryuk ransomware, according to Bleeping Computer.

US TREASURY WARNS RANSOMWARE ATTACK PAYMENTS COULD TRIGGER INVESTIGATION

The Ryuk strain of ransomware has been on a tear, attacking 20 organizations per week, an October report from security specialist Check Point says.

There has been an almost twofold increase in the percentage of healthcare organizations affected by ransomware globally from the second quarter of this year to the third quarter, Check Point said, adding that the healthcare industry is the number one target in the U.S.

Recently reported Ryuk ransomware attacks on the healthcare industry include Universal Health Services and hospitals in Brooklyn, N.Y., and Vermont.

“The current pandemic has forced organizations to make rapid changes to their business structures, often leaving gaps in their IT systems. These gaps have given cybercriminals the opportunity to exploit security flaws and infiltrate an organization’s network,” Check Point said in its report.

Hackers often lock up hundreds of thousands of files, taking whole networks hostage.

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“In some cases, organizations simply prefer to pay the price instead of dealing with encrypted files and recovering their IT systems. This creates a vicious cycle – the more these types of attacks succeed the more frequently they occur,” Check Point said.

Bill Gates congratulates Biden, Harris, looks forward to getting ‘surging pandemic under control’

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates tweeted his congratulations to President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris on winning the 2020 U.S. presidential election, adding he looks forward to getting the “surging pandemic under control.”

“Congratulations to President-Elect Biden and Vice President-Elect Harris,” Gates tweeted. “Thank you to the election officials and campaign workers who worked tirelessly to ensure a record number of Americans could cast a ballot and have it counted during such an challenging time for our country.”

He continued: “I look forward to working with the new administration and leaders on both sides in Congress on getting the surging pandemic under control, engaging partners around the world on issues like poverty and climate change, and addressing issues of inequality and opportunity at home.”

BILL GATES PARTLY BLAMES FACEBOOK, TWITTER FOR CORONAVIRUS SPREAD

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates – file photo. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, File)

Gates, 65, has been at odds with President Trump over his administration’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic, which has infected more than 9.7 million Americans and resulted in over 236,000 deaths, according to the latest data from Johns Hopkins University.

In May, Gates told The Wall Street Journal that he warned President-elect Trump in December 2016 about the risks of a pandemic in the country, urging all of the candidates to make it a national priority.

“I wish I had done more to call attention to the danger,” the Microsoft co-founder said in the interview. “I feel terrible,” he added. “The whole point of talking about it was that we could take action and minimize the damage.”

Separately in May, his wife Melinda Gates said the U.S. is “lacking leadership at the federal level,” which she said is “costing people their lives.”

BILL GATES: I WARNED TRUMP DURING PRESIDENTIAL TRANSITION ABOUT PANDEMIC RISK

Gates, who is worth nearly $118 billion, according to Forbes, has focused almost all of his energy on public health responses since he announced in March he was stepping down from the board of directors of Microsoft and Berkshire Hathaway to focus on philanthropy.

In late April, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation announced it would give an additional $150 million to fight COVID-19, bringing its total contribution to $250 million. Some of the funds will go toward the World Health Organization, a frequent target of Trump for its response during the coronavirus pandemic.

After President Trump’s decision to halt funding to the WHO earlier this year, Gates slammed the move, saying it “is as dangerous as it sounds.”

Gates also recently laid out a plan on how to reopen the U.S. economy, citing concerns the virus will cost the global economy “tens of trillions of dollars.”

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On election night, Google searches for ‘liquor store near me’ were at an all-time high

Election night can be nerve-wracking.

Google searches for “liquor store near me” and “fries near me” were at an all-time high on Tuesday night, according to the search giant.

On Tuesday evening, “Chinese food near me” was also one of the top trends in U.S. search, according to Google Trends.

BIDEN, TRUMP CAMPAIGNS DIG IN FOR LEGAL FIGHT WITH KEY BATTLEGROUNDS UNDECLARED

President Trump and Joe Biden on Monday as they made their final pitches to voters (Getty Images)

Underlining global interest in the race to the White House, Google also noted late Tuesday that “election” was the most searched term globally in the prior 24 hours.

Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden has been the most searched candidate in the U.S. over the past day, according to Google, noting that the former vice president has accounted for 51% of candidate searches. President Trump has accounted for 42% of searches, while Libertarian Party nominee Jo Jorgensen and Green Party nominee Howie Hawkins have accounted for 6% and 1%, respectively.

Google notes that search data is an indication of curiosity in the subject or candidate. “It should not be considered an indication of voter intent,” the search giant explains on its website.

The U.S. election remains undecided as of Wednesday morning, with pivotal battleground states still hanging in the balance.

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Follow James Rogers on Twitter @jamesjrogers.

Voters should be wary of ‘meme warfare’

Voters should be wary of deceptive memes that may claim false victories or foreign interference in the 2020 presidential election, a cybersecurity firm said.

In the wake of the defacing of President Trump’s website last week, Check Point said “pithy and shareable units of culture,” aka memes, can mislead voters into believing false narratives on Election Day, according to a research note sent to Fox News.

Memes are often used to deface websites, Check Point added.

President Trump and Joe Biden on Monday as they made their final pitches to voters (Getty Images)

RUSSIAN HACKERS ARE GOING AFTER EVERYTHING, FROM ELECTIONS TO INDUSTRIAL SYSTEMS

While memes are popular because they succinctly convey beliefs, they also allow bad actors to influence voters “on a mass scale,” according to Check Point.

Two prominent examples include:

False victory: Memes that falsely claim a candidate has won a state or the presidential election. “Misinformation like this can dissuade voters from going to the polls if they learn a certain candidate is projected to win,” Check Point said.
False claims of foreign interference. Examples might include bogus memes that claim Russia or Iran interfered on Election Day.

Recently, Facebook took down a network of foreign-based fake accounts for violating its policy against foreign interference. In an Oct. 27 post describing its efforts, Facebook added that “this network …was in the early stages of building an audience … [which] primarily targeted the US.”

“We saw it ahead of the 2018 midterm elections … We saw it again with one of the networks we took action on last week where the Iranian operators emailed people with unsubstantiated claims that they hacked into voting systems in the US – they also tried to spread this claim using an account on Facebook,” the social media giant continued.

Activities like this could “cast doubt on the integrity of the election process,” said Check Point spokesperson Ekram Ahmed.

Other Election Day risks include hacking. Recently, the National Security Agency published a list of the top 25 publicly known vulnerabilities often targeted by state-sponsored attackers linked to China.

The NSA said these vulnerabilities can impact “computer networks …that hold sensitive intellectual property, economic, political and military information.”

“If left unpatched, each of the outlined vulnerabilities has the potential to compromise the upcoming election, as they touch many of the day-to-day technologies people use, such as technologies made by Microsoft and Oracle,” Check Point said.

FBI, DHS SAY HACKERS HAVE GAINED ACCESS TO ELECTION SYSTEMS

Censorship is also a concern. Though not part of the Check Point research note, Twitter’s freezing of the New York Post’s account due to the publishing of controversial articles about Hunter Biden infuriated prominent Republicans such as Sen. Ted Cruz, who denounced Twitter’s action in a scathing rebuke to CEO Jack Dorsey during a Senate hearing.

That freeze was finally lifted on Friday.

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Google’s top election searches show the issues Americans are concerned about

As America heads to the polls, these are the top election search topics on Google.

Google Trends data reveal the key political issues Americans are searching for.

As of Tuesday morning, unemployment ranked highest in highly searched political topics over the past seven days, followed by crime, health care, wages and Supreme Court.

VOTERS HEAD TO POLLS TUESDAY WITH MORE THAN 98M BALLOTS ALREADY CAST

Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden has been the most searched candidate in the U.S. over the past day, according to Google, noting that the former vice president has accounted for 49% of candidate searches. President Trump has accounted for 45% of searches, while Libertarian Party nominee Jo Jorgensen and Green Party nominee Howie Hawkins have accounted for 5% and 1%, respectively.

Google notes that search data is an indication of curiosity in the subject or candidate. “It should not be considered an indication of voter intent,” the search giant explains on its website.

Donald Trump ranked higher in Google search than his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton on the eve of the 2016 presidential election.

Four years ago, Google data showed that Trump accounted for 55% of search views between Nov. 6 and Election Day, after regularly dominating his Democratic rival in search during the final weeks of the campaign.

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Follow James Rogers on Twitter @jamesjrogers.

Have an Echo? 5 security settings to check now

Amazon’s Echo devices are a runaway success. There’s the Echo, Echo Dot, Echo Auto, Echo Studio, Echo Show, Echo Glow, Echo Flex, Echo Buds, Echo Frames, Echo Loop, and more.

Confused? Let me help. Tap or click here for a features comparison lineup of the various Amazon Echo devices [2020 Chart].

If you already own an Echo, prepare to be shocked. Several of my conversations Alexa recorded had nothing to do with playing music, getting news, or ordering items on Amazon. I talked about a real estate transaction, college courses online, and when the pandemic might end.

Tap or click here for easy steps to quickly review and erase what the Echo recorded in your home.

To take advantage of your Echo, you really need to have an Amazon Prime membership. You can shows, music and even free photo storage. Here are Amazon Prime discounts and perks you’ll use time and time again [Updated].

Before you welcome Alexa into your life, consider these important security settings.

1. Learn to turn off the mic quickly

Alexa is the Echo’s wake word to trigger the microphone to respond to a command. But it can make mistakes. Say “election,” “a letter,” or “unacceptable,” and the mic will likely turn on and start recording, too.

When you want to be sure that your conversation is genuinely private, turn the device’s mic off. Simply press the microphone off/on button on top of the Echo. When the button is red, the mic is off. To reactivate it, press the button again.

Of course, this step renders the Echo useless as a personal assistant. The always-on, always-listening nature of a smart virtual assistant speaker is what makes them compelling gadgets. At the same time, it can feel like there’s a spy in your midst.

NOT JUST THE WEATHER: Get up to speed on the basics and beyond. I rounded up 20 smart ways to get the most out of your Alexa-enabled device.

2. Control voice command purchases

Last year, 4-year-old Aryssa and 6-year-old Cam of Detroit told Alexa to deliver more than $700 worth of toys using their Mom’s Echo. The kids ordered a Barbie Dream house, LOL dolls, and PJ Masks figurines. Fortunately, they also ordered enough batteries to power everything.

You can turn off Alexa’s ability to order items on Amazon. To disable this feature, open the Alexa app on your phone, tap Settings > Account Settings > Voice Purchasing, then toggle Voice Purchasing to Off.

If you still want the convenience (along with the cool sci-fi vibe) of Echo voice purchasing, take one easy step to protect your account. Set a PIN code to avoid unauthorized purchases.

To set a PIN, open the Alexa app on your phone, tap Settings > Account Settings > Voice Purchasing, then toggle Voice Purchasing to On. Tap Purchase Confirmation > Voice Code. You will need to enter a four-digit PIN.

You must speak your four-digit to complete a purchase on your Echo. Of course, anyone can listen in and reuse your code so having a voice purchasing PIN is not exactly fool-proof.

LISTEN UP: Alexa may be listening at home, but there are a lot more ways your phone keeps track of what you say. Here’s how you can stop yours from eavesdropping.

3. Check your Drop In settings

One of the greatest features of the Echo is Drop In. It connects you to an Echo speaker or display for an instant conversation. “Alexa, drop in on the kid’s Echo Dot.” If you have multiple Echo devices in your home, you can use it to make an announcement. “Alexa, drop in on all devices.”

Remember that Echo speaker or display goes both ways. It also lets someone immediately listen in or watch what’s going on in the room, after 10 seconds. It’s best to control these options unless you don’t mind someone hearing or watching what you’re going.

Take a look at which contacts you’ve approved for Drop In. Open the Alexa app on your phone. Tap Communicate at the bottom of the screen, then tap the contacts icon in the top right corner. Scroll through your contacts and make sure Allow Drop In is toggled on for only the right people.

Next, set permissions to enable or disable for a specific device. Open the Alexa app on your phone. Choose Devices from the bottom menu and select Echo & Alexa or All Devices. From there, choose the Echo you want, and scroll down to Communication. Toggle Calling & Messaging on.

Next, tap Drop In, then choose whether to turn it on for permitted contacts only or only devices in your household.

If you’d like to disable Drop In altogether, open the Alexa app and follow the above steps for each device. When you get to the Drop In page for each device, select Off. That’s it.

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4. Turn off the camera

Not all Echo devices have a screen and camera. The Echo Show does and brings more than a virtual assistant to the room. You can see step-by-step recipes and watch TV shows, movies, or the news. Ask Alexa to show you security camera footage or use photos on the home screen.

By far, the most useful feature of the Echo Show is connecting with family and friends with video calling and messaging. You can call someone who has the Alexa app, an Echo device with a screen or Skype.

Say, “Alexa, video call [contact name].” You may need to confirm the person’s contact information before the call is initiated.

Video calling is an exciting tool, but many people find the camera to be as anxiety-inducing as microphones. What does the camera see? Is it watching all day and night? How do you know if it’s been hacked? Many people put tape over the webcams on their laptops and they may feel compelled to do the same with their Echo Shows.

Luckily, the device’s camera is straightforward to turn off. There’s a physical camera shutter over the camera lens. You can still use the touchscreen without a hitch.

Want to make sure you’re looking good before you turn on your video? I’ve got five simple tips, thanks to years of broadcasting. Hint: Start with good lighting and find your angles!

STAY IN THE TECH KNOW. Catch my national radio show on over 400 stations across the USA. Find your local station now.

5. Change the wake command

It’s a good idea not to place your Echo near a window or a place where the neighbors and anyone else can wreak havoc. But, it can be fun.

My husband was recently showing a Broadway producer friend how Alexa can play all kinds of music. As he told Alexa to play “Oklahoma,” I was around the corner in the dining room on the Alexa app and immediately changed the music to Justin Bieber. I don’t know how many times he asked for a show tune and I changed it a pop song until I just couldn’t contain my laughter any longer as he cursed at “that damn thing.”

While you’re looking at your Echo’s settings, many people don’t know that you can change Alexa’s wake word. This tip is especially helpful for anyone named Alexa, Alexis, or Star Trek fans.

Open the Alexa app on your phone. Tap Devices > All Devices. Select your Echo on the list. Scroll down to Wake Word. Here, you can change your wake word to Amazon, Echo, or Computer!

NEED TECH HELP? Post your tech questions for concrete answers from me and other tech pros. Visit my Q&A Forum and get tech help now.

Election meddling by Iran, Russia, China to amp up prior to presidential election

In the wake of the Treasury Department citing “brazen attempts to sow discord” in the U.S. election process by Iran, other nation-state actors are ratcheting up activity in the final week before the election.

Based on recent activity, the three biggest threats are coming from Iran, Russia, and China, according to a new report by cybersecurity firm Digital Shadows.

IRANIAN ‘COMPONENTS’

Last week, the U.S. Treasury Department warned about “components” of the Iranian Government, disguised as media outlets, attempting to subvert U.S. democratic processes and influence the election.

FOREIGN HACKERS WHO TARGETED TRUMP, BIDEN CAMPAIGNS ARE TURNING TO MALWARE, GOOGLE SAYS

In early October, the Department of Justice said Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps used fake web domains, masquerading as legitimate news outlets, to influence U.S. domestic and foreign policy.

One of the domains published pseudo articles on President Trump, the Black Lives Matter movement, and police brutality, among other topics, according to Austin Merritt, a Cyber Threat Intelligence Analyst at Digital Shadows.

Four of the domain names, “newsstand7.com,” “usjournal.net,” “usjournal.us,” and “twtoday.net,” were seized pursuant to the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), according to the Justice Department.

RUSSIA’S ‘HACK AND LEAK’

Russia is using a variety of tactics, including state-owned traditional media, bots, “hack and leak” operations and cooperation between organized crime groups and Russian government agencies, according to Digital Shadows.

“It’s an orchestrated operation that seems to operate without boundaries, and its lead-conspirators revel in attempts at subverting American democracy,” Merritt wrote.

Operations can be linked to Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) and the Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation (GRU) but “it’s the well-trained, sophisticated cybercriminals operating on their behalf that push disinformation we might encounter in our social media feeds,” Merritt added.

FBI, DHS SAY HACKERS HAVE GAINED ACCESS TO ELECTION SYSTEMS

CHINA’S SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGNS

Earlier this year, cybersecurity teams at Twitter and Google spotted a campaign from Chinese cybercriminals that spanned several social media platforms, including Twitter and YouTube, Digital Shadows pointed out.

On Twitter, the compromised accounts spread geopolitical narratives favorable to the Communist Party of China (CCP) and on YouTube, nation-state cybercriminal organizations acquired or hijacked existing accounts, focusing, for example, on divisive topics such as protests and COVID-19.

In response, Twitter removed more than 170,000 accounts tied to pro-China propaganda.

“The campaign demonstrated how sophisticated foreign actors might take an unconventional approach…by hijacking seemingly legitimate accounts instead of creating their own,” Digital Shadows said.

In another case, Facebook removed over 150 accounts for violating its policy against foreign or government interference.

The Chinese campaign in this case included activity directed toward the U.S. 2020 elections.

RANSOMWARE NEXT?

There is concern that some of these same cybercriminal organizations may use ransomware to target networks and machines critical in running U.S. elections, according to Merritt.

“Nation-state attackers have already conducted surveillance operations on infrastructure that could impact the day of the U.S. election,” he said, adding that attacks can hold voter information and election results hostage.

“A ransomware attack could deny access to voter registration data, election results, and other sensitive information. It could also inhibit access to essential election systems during critical operational periods, such as the date of the election, November 3rd,” according to Merritt.

Another report from research firm Netenrich said cybercriminals will possibly use the election as an opportunity for monetary gain via ransomware attacks. “These may be used in conjunction with big game hunting (BGH) activities targeting the Presidential candidates.”

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Technology

2. Control voice command purchases

3. Check your Drop In settings

4. Turn off the camera

5. Change the wake command

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