Tag

Data Security

All articles tagged with #data security

technology15 days ago•4 min saved

Wipe, Overwrite, or Destroy: Safe Ways to Handle Old USB Drives

Deleting files from old USB drives isn’t enough; you should fully format the drive to overwrite existing data, and for extra assurance you can use third‑party tools that perform overwrite passes. If you’re discarding drives with highly sensitive data, physical destruction is the safest option. Cornell IT security recommends three overwrites for recycling and physical destruction for disposal. Windows and Mac both offer built‑in formatting tools, and there are additional tips for securely wiping drives before recycling or disposal.

via Engadget|

#data-security #data-wipe #e-waste

technology24 days ago•33 min saved

SCREEN Act Could Erase Online Anonymity Across the Web

The SCREEN Act would require nearly any online service that hosts even a single piece of sexually explicit content to verify users’ ages via real-identity processes, threatening widespread loss of anonymity and privacy. It would affect platforms beyond adult sites—including streaming and social networks—by mandating age checks tied to personal data, while weakening protections on how long such data can be kept. The bill also targets VPNs by requiring verification based on IP addresses, potentially chilling legitimate privacy protections and journalists’ and activists’ security. The piece argues these provisions create a privacy and security nightmare and urges opposition to safeguard lawful speech and user privacy.

via Electronic Frontier Foundation|

#age-verification #data-security #digital-rights

technology26 days ago•5 min saved

CR Names the Best Password Managers to Safeguard Your Accounts

Consumer Reports ranks top password managers, led by 1Password Families (tied with Dashlane Premium and Keeper Unlimited) and including Bitwarden Families/Free among its top picks; free built‑in options from Apple, Google and Samsung are available, while premium plans add features like shared vaults, VPNs, scam protection, and real-time security alerts across Windows, Mac, Android and iOS. Prices vary by plan and family size, roughly from about $1.65 to $6 per month.

via bgr.com|

#consumer-reports #data-security #digital-privacy

technology26 days ago•11 min saved

Should You Upload Your Medical Data to AI Health Tools? Privacy, Accuracy, and Practical Advice

AI health tools now let users upload medical records and wearables to get personalized health insights and track changes, but privacy and accuracy concerns persist, with no comprehensive US privacy law and varying promises from companies. Experts warn about biases and misdiagnoses, while clinicians advocate cautious use: limit data retention, frame questions clearly, start new chats, verify with a doctor, and seek emergency care if symptoms suggest it.

via CNN|

#ai-healthcare #chatgpt #data-security

technology1 month ago•4 min saved

China’s Kimi K3 and the Open-Source AI Dilemma: Who Guards the Gates?

An opinion piece argues that the risk of Chinese open AI models like Kimi K3 hinges less on the country of origin than on who hosts and operates the model’s servers. Open weights can be downloaded and run domestically or via third‑party providers, so data risk depends on hosting location and infrastructure resilience; content restrictions differ by hosting—US infrastructure may allow questions blocked in China, while Chinese hosting could still encounter government access under legal regimes. The lack of a comprehensive US strategy for safeguarding critical infrastructure from AI-enabled attacks is a real concern, though open models’ transparency could aid security when properly managed. The piece calls for nuanced security protocols that transcend national borders rather than framing AI as a pure geopolitical arms race.

via Financial Times|

#artificial-intelligence #china #cybersecurity

technology1 month ago•3 min saved

BioShocking prompts AI browsers into data theft

LayerX’s BioShocking reveals a prompt-injection technique that can mislead AI-powered browsers into treating real-world risky actions as fictional, bypassing safety guardrails. In a PoC, six agentic browsers (ChatGPT Atlas, Comet, Fellou, Genspark Browser, Sigma Browser, Claude Chrome plugin) were shown a final task that instructed them to visit a GitHub repo and copy sensitive data (including passwords), after which they failed to identify it as a threat. OpenAI reportedly patched the issue in ChatGPT Atlas; Anthropic’s Chrome plugin fix was ineffective; Perplexity AI did not fix the problem. The researchers urge explicit user confirmations for sensitive actions, stronger context checks, and tighter session scope, while users should restrict AI browser access to sensitive services.

via BleepingComputer|

#ai-browsers #ai-safety #cybersecurity

ai2 months ago•45 min saved

Vibe Coding: The Security Nightmare in DIY AI Apps

Vibe coding—building private AI-powered apps—presents serious security risks, from hidden vulnerabilities and data leakage to weak authentication when apps move from local to cloud. The Verge urges upfront security prompts, regular code reviews, and guardrails to prevent exposing sensitive information as the DIY software movement grows.

via The Verge|

#ai #data-security #personal-software

environment-energy2 months ago•10 min saved

Stuck in the Drawer: The surprising reasons we keep old gadgets and how to recycle them

A NSF-backed study of 4,000 Americans finds that the most common fate for finished devices is storage in a drawer (about 39%), not recycling or resale; data-security fears and not knowing where to recycle drive hoarding. The research shows recycling and reselling are feasible options, emphasizes wiping data and removing accounts before disposal, and highlights information nudges to help people give old electronics a second life.

via The Conversation|

#consumer-behavior #data-security #e-waste

politics2 months ago•7 min saved

Nevada primary day briefly sidetracked by SOS data slip before polls close

Nevada’s primary day proceeds with mostly mail voting and in-person turnout, but the secretary of state’s office briefly exposed testing results to The Nevada Independent’s server before polls closed. Officials say it was a secure testing environment and that results won’t be released until after the last voter in line at 7 p.m., as reporters continue to track turnout and issues across counties.

via The Nevada Independent|

#data-security #elections #nevada

technology5 months ago•22 min saved

Google expands personal-data scrubber in search results to curb identity theft

Google has expanded its 'Results about you' privacy tool to let users remove more sensitive data—such as passport numbers, driver’s license numbers and Social Security numbers—from search results, in addition to already removable phone numbers, emails and home addresses. The rollout is rolling out for US English users 18+, and removals now require a reason with a faster process for deleting non-consensual explicit images. The move aims to reduce identity theft, a risk highlighted by FTC fraud data showing billions lost to scams.

via New York Post|

#data-security #google #identity-theft

technology5 months ago•4 min saved

ChatGPT Library Debuts Cloud Storage for Personal Files

OpenAI launches ChatGPT Library, a feature that automatically saves uploaded and created files to a dedicated, secure cloud location for easy access in future chats. Available to Plus, Pro, and Business users worldwide except the EEA, UK, and Switzerland, Library holds files until you delete them, with OpenAI purging deleted items within 30 days. Images generated stay in the Images tab.

via BleepingComputer|

#chatgpt #cloud-storage #data-security

technology6 months ago•5 min saved

Intuit and Anthropic Unite to Deliver Custom AI Agents for Mid-Market Finances

Intuit and Anthropic unveiled a multi-year plan to let mid-market businesses build secure, industry-specific AI agents on the Intuit platform using Claude Agent SDK, blending Claude’s capabilities with Intuit’s tax/finance data; these agents will work across workflows, with rollouts beginning spring 2026 and Claude Code deployment to speed engineering, all with strong data privacy and compliance.

via Intuit|

#claude-agent-sdk #data-security #industry-specific-ai

technology6 months ago•4 min saved

Moltbot security flaws trigger data-leak warnings for enterprises

Security researchers warn that Moltbot, an open-source AI assistant designed to run locally, can expose API keys, OAuth tokens, conversation history, and credentials when misconfigured or exposed via reverse proxies; enterprise deployments risk credential theft, data leakage, and prompt-injection, with mitigation focusing on VM isolation and strict firewall/network controls.

via BleepingComputer|

#credential-leak #data-security #local-hosted

technology7 months ago•8 min saved

Trump-TikTok Deal Cleared, But National Security Scrutiny Persists

The US finalizes a TikTok deal creating a US-based joint venture with ByteDance holding 19.9% and investors including Oracle, Silver Lake, and MGX; Americans gain majority board control and US data will be retrained and housed in a US cloud, but critics warn the arrangement may not fully separate ByteDance from TikTok’s algorithm, leaving ongoing security concerns and potential MAGA-driven content decisions under congressional scrutiny.

via Ars Technica|

#algorithm #bytedance #data-security

technology7 months ago•8 min saved

Health chatbots spark privacy and safety concerns

Hundreds of millions seek health guidance from AI chatbots, but consumer tools like OpenAI's ChatGPT Health aren’t medical devices and carry limited legal protections; even with enterprise versions promising HIPAA-aligned safeguards, terms can change and misinformation remains possible, so guard your diagnoses, lab results, and other private data when chatting with these tools.

via The Verge|

#data-security #health-ai #hipaa