Security

Code Words

Signal Finally Rolls Out Usernames, So You Can Keep Your Phone Number Private

We tested the end-to-end encrypted messenger’s new feature aimed at addressing critics’ most persistent complaint. Here’s how it works.

Andy Greenberg

Busted

A Global Police Operation Just Took Down the Notorious LockBit Ransomware Gang

Matt Burgess

Buried Issues

The Danger Lurking Just Below Ukraine's Surface

Justin Ling

Cyberattacks and Hacks

How to Not Get Scammed Out of $50,000

Plus: State-backed hackers test out generative AI, the US takes down a major Russian military botnet, and 100 hospitals in Romania go offline amid a major ransomware attack.

Andrew Couts

The Hidden Injustice of Cyberattacks

Cyberattacks and criminal scams can impact anyone. But communities of color and other marginalized groups are often disproportionately impacted and lack the support to better protect themselves.

Nicole Tisdale

How 3 Million ‘Hacked’ Toothbrushes Became a Cyber Urban Legend

Plus: China’s Volt Typhoon hackers lurked in US systems for years, the Biden administration’s crackdown on spyware vendors ramps up, and a new pro-Beijing disinformation campaign gets exposed.

Andy Greenberg and Dhruv Mehrotra

I Stopped Using Passwords. It’s Great—and a Total Mess

Passkeys are here to replace passwords. When they work, it’s a seamless vision of the future. But don’t ditch your old logins just yet.

Matt Burgess

Privacy

Leak of Russian ‘Threat’ Part of a Bid to Kill US Surveillance Reform, Sources Say

A surprise disclosure of a national security threat by the House Intelligence chair was part of an effort to block legislation that aimed to limit cops and spies from buying Americans' private data.

Dell Cameron

Surveillance Fight Pits the White House Opposite Reproductive Rights

Prominent advocates for the rights of pregnant people are urging members of Congress to support legislation that would ban warrantless access to sensitive data as the White House fights against it.

Dell Cameron and Andrew Couts

‘AI Girlfriends’ Are a Privacy Nightmare

Romantic chatbots collect huge amounts of data, provide vague information about how they use it, use weak password protections, and aren’t transparent, new research from Mozilla says.

Matt Burgess

A Backroom Deal Looms Over a High-Stakes US Surveillance Fight

Top congressional lawmakers are meeting in private to discuss the future of a widely unpopular surveillance program, worrying members devoted to reforming Section 702.

Dell Cameron

Security Advice

Apple and Google Just Patched Their First Zero-Day Flaws of the Year

Plus: Google fixes dozens of Android bugs, Microsoft rolls out nearly 50 patches, Mozilla squashes 15 Firefox flaws, and more.

Kate O'Flaherty

You Need to Turn on Apple’s New Stolen iPhone Tool

Apple’s iOS 17.3 introduces Stolen Device Protection to iPhones, which could stop phone thieves from taking over your accounts. Here’s how to enable it right now.

Matt Burgess

Comcast’s Xfinity Stores Your Sensitive Data. You Can Kind of Opt Out

One of America’s largest internet providers may collect data about your political beliefs, race, and sexual orientation to serve personalized ads.

Reece Rogers

How to Stop Your X Account From Getting Hacked Like the SEC’s

The US Securities and Exchange Commission and security firm Mandiant both had their X accounts breached, possibly due to changes to X’s two-factor authentication settings. Here’s how to fix yours.

Lily Hay Newman

Security News

SpaceX Launched Military Satellites Designed to Track Hypersonic Missiles

The prototype satellites hitched a ride on a Falcon 9 rocket.

Stephen Clark, Ars Technica

Elon Musk’s X Gave Check Marks to Terrorist Group Leaders, Report Says

A new report cited 28 “verified” accounts on X that appear to be tied to sanctioned groups or individuals.

Jon Brodkin, Ars Technica

Satellite Images Point to Indiscriminate Israeli Attacks on Gaza’s Health Care Facilities

New research finds that Israel’s attacks on Gaza damaged hospitals and other medical facilities at the same rate as other buildings, potentially in violation of international law.

Vittoria Elliott

2054, Part VI: Standoff at Arlington

“This eruption of violence had been brewing for years, through successive economic collapses, pandemics, and the utter dysfunction that had become American life.” An exclusive excerpt from 2054: A Novel.

Elliot Ackerman and Admiral James Stavridis