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MAGIC Minutes for December 2024

by Secretary Wendy Shimada, MAGIC*

There was no meeting in December.

Note: This Software Update section of the newsletter lists the most relevant Apple updates. Not all updates are listed for all products. Additionally, I'll add other pertinent updates on occasion.

Apple just gave us a few dozen reasons to update our devices right now

by Michael Simon, macworld.com

iOS 18.2 and macOS 15.2 include loads of security updates for your Apple devices.

If you haven't yet downloaded iOS 18.2 for your iPhone, iPadOS 18.2 for your iPad, or macOS 15.2 for your Mac, you're missing out on a slew of improvements, most notably some excellent Apple Intelligence upgrades as well as other welcome features. But even If you don't have a newer iPhone or just don't care about AI, there are numerous security updates you'll want to make sure are installed.

As with all updates, Apple has outlined the security updates in each version, and there are more than a dozen for each, including some older OSes that got critical patches:

iPhone/iPad

• iOS 18.2/iPadOS 18.2: 20 security updates
• iPadOS 17.7.3: 14 security updates

Mac

• macOS Sequoia 15.2: 42 security updates
• macOS Sonoma 14.7.2: 25 security updates
• macOS Ventura 13.7.2: 23 security updates

Apple Watch

• watchOS 11.2: 15 security updates

Apple TV

• tvOS 18.2: 15 security updates

Apple Vision Pro

• visionOS 2.2: 12 security updates

None of the vulnerabilities are known to have been exploited in the wild, but several contain serious flaws affecting various parts of the system, including WebKit issues that could lead to memory corruption and unexpected crashes, and a kernel flaw that could let an app "leak sensitive kernel state." There's also a fix for the Screen Sharing Server in macOS Sonoma and Ventura that could allow a user with screen-sharing access to view another user's screen.

The most serious vulnerability appears to be a flaw in the new Passwords app. The patch, which is available for iOS/iPadOS 18.2 and macOS 15.2, involves using an unsecured HTTP protocol when sending information over a network and could allow an attacker in a privileged network position to alter network traffic. So if you've been on the fence about updating, let this be the reason to jump over quickly.

These 13 tips will help you get your new Mac set up right

by Macworld Staff, macworld

Whether your new to Apple or just getting your first Mac, here' how to get started down the path towards being a power user.

Got a new Mac? If this is the first one you've ever owned, a hearty congratulations! Your new Mac is easy to use and more powerful than it's ever been. As easy as the Mac is to use, doing some things may not be instantly obvious (especially if you are coming from Windows). You owe it to yourself to make sure you're getting the most out of your new investment.

Here are 12 things that you should do right away that will help you get started down the path toward being a Mac power user. Most of these will cost you absolutely nothing except a bit of time to set up.

We have a separate guide to how to set up your Mac, we also explain how to move everything from your old Mac to your new Mac. And if you are moving to Mac from a PC read: How to move from PC to Mac.

Continue reading long article....

Wizard Sez: You might want to print this one out if you are relatively new to Mac.

Apple's Passwords app makes it easy to replace your existing password manager

by Ryan Christoffel, 9to5mac

Apple's Passwords app debuted this fall as a new password management solution for Apple devices. It also, helpfully, makes getting started very easy thanks to a key feature in the macOS version.

Moving on from third-party password managers

There are a wide range of users Apple Passwords is targeting. Some will be brand new to password management tools, while others are already using another service like 1Password or LastPass.

It's this experienced group that Apple kept in mind with a key feature in the macOS app for Passwords.

For users who have an existing set of passwords and logins in another app, starting from scratch in Apple Passwords is a big ask that almost no one will sign up for.

That's why Apple has made it easy to move your data over.

Bringing your logins into Apple Passwords with ease

First, you'll need to export your passwords and logins from the app you're already using. This is a common feature in third-party password managers.

Go to your password manager, find the option to export your data as a CSV file, then you're ready to make the switch. When using a Mac running macOS Sequoia, follow these steps:

1. Open the Passwords app
2. In the Menu Bar, click File ⇾ Import Passwords from File
3. Select the CSV file you previously exported, and click Import

I'd recommend then deleting the CSV for security purposes.

MAGIC Wizard sez: If you use pwSafe then it exports TSV files instead of CSV format files. To convert from TSV format, open it in Numbers and then export it as a CSV format file.

Exporting your data from the old password manager doesn't mean you can't still use it. That data will still be there, just as it was before.

But now, you can try out Apple's new Passwords app with all your existing logins in place.

It's an easy way to test Apple's solution, and potentially replace your third-party app with something that's free and deeply integrated with all Apple devices.

Import on Mac, then Passwords syncs your data everywhere

Unfortunately, the Mac app for Passwords is the only version that supports importing passwords.

But as long as you have a Mac, you just have to do this process once. Then, all your logins will sync to the Passwords app on every other Apple device, including your iPhone, iPad, and more.

Have you replaced your existing password manager with Apple Passwords? Why or why not? Let us know in the comments.

Click for article.

Ring in the new year by changing bad old passwords

by Ed Hardy, cultofmac

It's a brand-new year, and that's a good opportunity to do something you've probably been procrastinating on: Replace your website passwords that hackers stole because of some company's lax security. Fortunately, Apple's new Passwords app makes it easy to find out which of your passwords leaked so you can change them.

Start the year off right by fixing a potentially serious problem now, before something bad happens.

Apple's Passwords app helps you deal

If you're like me, you probably use passwords to log in to hundreds of websites and apps. I have 387, for example. The only realistic way to deal with that is to give up the whole idea that you'll remember the login details for all these accounts. And there's absolutely no reason to try.

Apple makes it easy to store and use your passwords with its new Passwords app. With it, your Apple device (iPhone, Mac, etc.) remembers passwords for you, and automatically inserts them into websites and apps. All you have to do is verify your identity with Face ID or Touch ID.

This makes it easy for you to use strong passwords and change them periodically because you never need to remember them. Your computer remembers for you. This means a strong, secure passcode is every bit as easy to use as stupid ones like "12345678" and "password 123."

Your Apple devices protect the login details they store far better than many companies do. And when one of those companies gets hacked, your information gets compromised. So if you don't ever change passwords, you're opening yourself up to a criminal using your login info to, say, buy a bunch of products on Amazon. Or simply empty your bank accounts.

How to find and change passwords compromised by data breaches

Go to the Passwords app, open the Security section, choose a recommended account, then tap Change Password.
Screenshots: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Beyond simply storing them, your Apple device also will warn you if the login info in the Passwords app has been compromised by some negligent company's data leak. It's easy to find which ones need to be updated.

This feature is available on iPhone, iPad and Mac. (I'm using iPhone for my example.) Go to the new Passwords app. You'll need to go through Face ID or Touch ID to open it. Then look for the Security section on the app's home screen. Next to this you probably will see a number indicating how many security problems iCloud Keychain found in your password list. You'll note I have 184 - I need to take my own advice and update some passwords.

Now tap on Security to show a list of websites and applications for which your passwords have problems. You are told why for each one. "Compromised password" in angry red letters is one option. Other possible labels are "Easily guessed password" and "Reused password." You have the option to tap on each website for a more detailed description of the security problems. This might include a scolding on reusing passwords. For each of these recommendations, the Passwords app gives you the option to Change Password.

An example of changing a Google password

To give you an example of how easy this is, I'll change the password for one of my Google accounts using the Passwords app. While looking at the list of recommendations in the app's Security section, I see a warning that I use the same login details for my Gmail account as another website. So I hit Change Password, which opens the Google sign-on screen. I must sign in to the Google account before I can change anything, obviously. There's no problem because the Passwords app has the user name and current password stored and fills them in.

Google then takes me to a screen to enter a new password and confirm it. The Safari browser is smart enough to figure out that I want to create a new password, and it automatically suggests a strong one.

The Passwords app then asks if I should store the new password. I tell it to do so.

And that's it. The process is very similar with other sites. Or you could just take the Password app's warning and switch over to your favorite web browser, go to the website, and update the password there.

Change passwords the easy way: You'll be glad you did

I get it - changing passwords is kind of a hassle. I'm the guy with 184 security warnings, after all. But it's worth it.

Any day you discover someone has used one of your leaked passwords to steal money from you is a bad day. Changing your passwords goes a long way toward preventing that.

Need more help? Read our guide to Apple's new Passwords app or try an Apple how-to on passwords for Mac users.

Continue reading....

Apple urged to axe AI feature after false headline

by Graham Fraser - Technology reporter

A major journalism body has urged Apple to scrap its new generative AI feature after it created a misleading headline about a high-profile killing in the United States.

The BBC made a complaint to the US tech giant after Apple Intelligence, which uses artificial intelligence (AI) to summarise and group together notifications, falsely created a headline about murder suspect Luigi Mangione.

The AI-powered summary falsely made it appear that BBC News had published an article claiming Mangione, the man accused of the murder of healthcare insurance CEO Brian Thompson in New York, had shot himself. He has not.

Now, the group Reporters Without Borders has called on Apple to remove the technology. Apple has made no comment.

A zoomed-in iPhone screenshot of the misleading BBC notification

Apple Intelligence was launched in the UK last week.

Reporters Without Borders, also known as RSF, said it was was "very concerned by the risks posed to media outlets" by AI tools.

The group said the BBC incident proves "generative AI services are still too immature to produce reliable information for the public".

Vincent Berthier, the head of RSF's technology and journalism desk, added: "AIs are probability machines, and facts can't be decided by a roll of the dice.

"RSF calls on Apple to act responsibly by removing this feature. The automated production of false information attributed to a media outlet is a blow to the outlet's credibility and a danger to the public's right to reliable information on current affairs."

Apple has made no comment since the story broke last week.

When the grouped notification involving BBC News emerged, a spokesperson from the BBC said the corporation had contacted Apple "to raise this concern and fix the problem".

The notification which made a false claim about Mangione was otherwise accurate in its summaries about the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad's regime in Syria and an update on South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol.

The BBC has not yet confirmed if Apple has responded to its complaint. Mangione has now been charged with first-degree murder in the killing of Mr Thompson.

A screenshot of a group notification from the New York Times was also said to be misleading.
Ken Schwencke.

The BBC does not appear to be the only news publisher which has had headlines misrepresented by Apple's new AI tech.

On 21 November, three articles from the New York Times were grouped together in one notification - with one part reading "Netanyahu arrested", referring to the Israeli prime minister.

It was inaccurately summarising a report about the International Criminal Court issuing an arrest warrant for Netanyahu, rather than any reporting about him being arrested.

The mistake was highlighted on Bluesky by journalist Ken Schwencke with the US investigative journalism website ProPublica.

Mr Schwencke told BBC News that he took the screenshot and confirmed it was real. The New York Times has declined to comment.

What is the Apple Intelligence notification summary?

As part of its roll out of Apple Intelligence, Apple allows users to group notifications.

Apple said customers might like this to help reduce the interruptions caused by ongoing notifications.

It is only available on certain iPhones - those using the iOS 18.1 system version or later on recent devices (all iPhone 16 phones, the 15 Pro, and the 15 Pro Max). It is also available on some iPads and Macs.

The grouped notifications are marked with a specific icon, and users can report any concerns they have on a notification summary. Apple has not outlined how many reports it has received.

Apple Intelligence does not just summarise the articles of publishers, and it has been reported that the summaries of emails and text messages have occasionally not quite hit the mark.

Click for article.

WIZARD SEZ: Another incident turned up this week when Apple news reported a teen winning a darts match BEFORE he actually won.

iOS 18.2 makes Apple Photos better with these five changes

by Ryan Christoffel, 9to5mac

Apple's Photos app got a major redesign in iOS 18, and not all of the changes have been well received. Fortunately, Apple's listened to feedback and has made five key changes to Photos in iOS 18.2.

#1: Video interface changes

Photos app in iOS 18.1 (left) and iOS 18.2 (right)

One controversial change to videos in iOS 18 is that they would initially play with borders, and you had to tap to make them go full-screen.

Now in iOS 18.2, videos are automatically full-screen by default. There's no need to tap, and no weird zooming in and out effect.

You can still tap to hide interface elements and get a cleaner view, but it's essentially a lot more like how videos worked pre-iOS 18.

#2: Disable auto-looping videos

Not a fan of having your videos automatically loop? Apple now provides a choice.

Inside Settings ⇾ Photos there's a new toggle: Loop Videos.

It's still on by default, but if you hate the looping behavior, a quick flip of the switch will change that.

#3: Swipe to go back

When navigating the various Collections offered by iOS 18's Photos app, you previously had to hit the back button in the top-left corner to go back. This was especially a pain on larger iPhones.

In iOS 18.2, a swipe gesture has been added for navigating out of a Collection view. This works just like in every other Apple app, where you swipe right from the left side of the screen to go back to your previous view.

#4: Frame-by-frame video scrubbing

Sometimes you want to go super granular with a video, and now you can in iOS 18.2.

Support for frame-by-frame scrubbing has been added, accompanied by a new millisecond reading for the timestamp as you scrub.

#5: Clearing history

The number of Utilities in the Photos app has gotten long in iOS 18, and there are a couple options you might not be aware of:

• Recently Viewed
• Recently Shared

Both of these albums provide a recent history of your activity. They let you quickly see what you've recently viewed and also items you've shared with others.

In iOS 18.2, for the first time you can clear the history in both of these albums.

To remove an individual item, you can long-press it and remove it from the pop-up menu. Or, there's also a 'Remove All' option from the album's three-dot menu in the top-right corner.

iOS 18.2 Photos changes: wrap-up

iOS 18 was a major redesign for one of Apple's most popular apps, so it's unsurprising that users have had trouble adapting to some changes. It's good to see Apple respond to users' feedback and implement some quality-of-life upgrades in iOS 18.2 that make Photos work better than before.

Click for article.

iOS 18.2 can ghostwrite all your emails, essays, and more with Apple Intelligence

by Ryan Christoffel, 9to5mac

The first Apple Intelligence features in iOS 18.1 included a variety of tools to aid your writing. But iOS 18.2, iPadOS 18.2, and macOS Sequoia 15.2 expanded those tools in two key ways, including one powerful upgrade that can do all your writing for you—absolutely free.

Compose text with ChatGPT via Apple Intelligence

In iOS 18.2, users get to benefit from Apple's new partnership with OpenAI in two ways:

• ChatGPT is now baked into Siri
• there's also a brand new Compose feature

Compose is a powerful addition to the existing Apple Intelligence writing tools, which provide systemwide assistance in virtually any app you're using.

Certain Apple apps like Notes and Mail have dedicated toolbar buttons to access the writing tools. But even if you're using a different app, you can find them in the copy/paste menu. Just tap anywhere in a text field to access that menu.

You'll find Compose at the bottom of the writing tools panel. It enables ChatGPT to draft original text for you based on your instructions.

Previously, Apple's writing tools could only rewrite, proofread, or format existing text. But now thanks to the ChatGPT integration, it can ghostwrite original text almost entirely from scratch.

Just tap the Compose button, tell ChatGPT what you need, and it will get to work crafting original text to match your request.

After ChatGPT provides its first draft, you can give instructions to refine the draft, or ask for a full rewrite. ChatGPT even provides suggestions for changes that can be made.

You can, optionally, upgrade to ChatGPT Plus to get access to more advanced models, but it's entirely unnecessary.

Whether you're drafting an email, text message, or even an essay, Apple Intelligence's new Compose tool is available wherever you need it.

Describe the rewrite changes you need

There's one other writing tools upgrade in iOS 18.2: the ability to 'Describe your change' for a custom AI rewrite.

In iOS 18.1, Apple Intelligence can perform a standard rewrite on your existing text, where it seeks to retain your existing writing style. It can also rewrite in one of three default styles:

• Friendly
• Professional
• Concise

But if none of these options are getting the results you want, iOS 18.2 adds a helpful new option.

Available at the top of the writing tools panel, there's a 'Describe your change' box where you can type specific instructions for the rewrite you want. Apple Intelligence then gets to work crafting revisions that hopefully do the trick.

iOS 18.2 writing upgrades: wrap-up

Apple's original set of writing tools in iOS 18.1 was nice, but these 18.2 upgrades expand AI's usefulness significantly. For a lot of people, a blank screen with a flashing cursor is extremely intimidating, making the Compose tool a true asset. And I've had mixed experiences with rewrites before now, so the ability to describe specific changes is a solid upgrade.

Have you used any of the new writing tools in iOS 18.2? How have they worked for you? Let us know in the comments.

Click for article.

WIZARD SEZ: ChatGPT is NOT foolproof. Be sure to check its output before using.

What to expect from iPad, iPad Pro and iPad Air in 2025

by Ed Hardy, cultofmac

2025 will finally bring the much-anticipated 11th-generation iPad, a version of the budget tablet with a faster processor capable of accessing the latest Apple Intelligence features.

In addition, expect faster iPad Pro and iPad Air models in 2025 — one sooner than might be expected.

Continue reading long article and see video....

Best iPhone for seniors

by Karen Haslam, macworld

Does an elderly relative or friend need an iPhone? Are you an older person looking for an iPhone that fits your needs? Here are our recommendations.

The old trope that old people are hopelessly illiterate when it comes to technology is somewhat unwarranted. The home computer revolution is decades old at this point, and smartphones have been around for over 15 years. Seniors may not operate their smartphones as adroitly as their grandkids, but they aren't just sitting around pining for the days of rotary dial phones. Social media has, in particular, provided a way for seniors to more easily keep in touch with family and connect with friends, and smartphones help make it all possible. It's also an increasingly important part of healthcare services.

Seniors need iPhones, too, but they may have unique needs. They're often on fixed incomes and may have difficulty reading small text, or suffer from arthritis or have other accessibility needs. The best iPhone for seniors is one that won't cost an arm and a leg and will continue to be updated for at least a few years. Beyond that, we're going to make two recommendations: a small iPhone for seniors who find large phones difficult to carry and manipulate, and a large iPhone for those who need larger text and images.

Right now buying an iPhone for an older person is a little less simple than usual. We would normally recommend the iPhone SE for the elderly because it has a Home button, which simplifies the iPhone interface for the less techie, and is cheaper. However, Apple is likely to update the iPhone SE in the spring of 2025, so our advice is to wait to see what the replacement for the iPhone SE will bring. However, if you want the Home button the new iPhone SE may not feature that, in which case we recommend buying one while you still can.

Speaking of being able to buy an iPhone SE that phone has already been removed from sale in the EU as it charges via Lightning instead of USB-C. And it's not the only iPhone that has been removed from sale in the EU: the iPhone 14 and 14 Plus are also no longer sold in the EU. These are also iPhones that we tend to recommend for the elderly, due to their lower price.

Another complication is the fact that the only iPhones currently sold by Apple that support Apple Intelligence features are the iPhone 16, 16 Plus, 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max. If you want Apple Intelligence features only these phones support them, but the new iPhone SE replacement is likely to support Apple Intelligence when it launches.

Continue reading....

Five new iPhones are launching this year, here's what's coming

by Ryan Christoffel, 9to5mac

Apple has a lot of successful products, but its biggest by far is the iPhone. This year, Apple has five new iPhone models coming, here's what to expect from each one.

Click for article.

Mail Categories in iOS 18.2

by Robert Y Elphick, MAGIC

In December 2024 Apple released iOS 18.2 which included several Apple AI features. One of them was to give incoming emails categories and display them in a new way.

MAIL inbox with Primary category selected.

The four new categories are:

	Primary	Messages that matter the most
	Transactions	Receipts, Orders, and Deliveries
	Updates	News, Subscriptions, and Social
	Promotions	Special offers, deals, and more

The categories are listed in the inbox in that order.

MAIL inbox with Promotions category selected.

Removing Categories

If you prefer to see you emails without these categories you can turn them off. In the email app, go to the inbox and then click on the ellipses: and then select the List View instead of the Categories.

Choose Categories or List.

Click for article in the Tricks and Tips section of the MAGIC website.

Here's everything Apple TV+ has coming in January

by Ryan Christoffel, 9to5mac

Apple TV+ had a strong year of original content in 2024, and it's starting the new year with some big returning series and more. New seasons of Severance and Mythic Quest are clear highlights, but the conspiracy thriller Prime Target looks intriguing too. Here's everything coming to Apple TV+ in January to kick off 2025.

Continue reading....

Apple's new 'HomePad' will offer three reasons to put it in every room of your house

by Ryan Chritoffel, 9to5mac

Apple is planning a big smart home push in 2025 that will come with at least three product launches. One of those devices is a brand new smart display product I've been calling the 'HomePad.' Here are three reasons you may want to put HomePad in every room of your house.

Apple Photos slideshows

Mark Gurman writes that the HomePad "can turn into a slideshow display for [users'] photos."

Digital photo frames are nothing new, but they've always come with a key barrier that kept me from investing: the requirement to manually send photos to the frame.

Users of third-party services like Google Photos can get around this, but as an Apple Photos user, there's never been an effortless way to get my photos on to a digital frame.

HomePad will be the first product that can do that.

My wife and I would love to have more photos represented in our home, but aren't great about getting photos printed and framed. Putting a HomePad in every room will provide the benefit of different surprise and delight moments as the device surfaces special memories from the past.

Siri with Apple Intelligence

Siri Apple Intelligence iOS 18.4 actions

Here's Gurman again:
[Apple] expects most people to use their voice to interact with the device, relying on the Siri digital assistant and Apple Intelligence. The hardware was designed around App Intents, a system that lets AI precisely control applications and tasks, which is set to debut in the coming months.

Apple's existing HomePod hardware doesn't support Apple Intelligence, so it's stuck with the legacy version of Siri (at least for now).

Siri's transition to the Apple Intelligence era has been messy, but this spring's iOS 18.4 update will bring big changes.

The forthcoming App Intents system will give Siri access to hundreds of new in-app actions, so it can do things it never could before. Where Siri often fell short of user expectations previously, with iOS 18.4, the promise is that it will be the truly intelligent assistant we always wanted.

Putting HomePads in every room will provide access to this powerful new Siri from wherever you are. And the more that Siri can do, the more likely users are to grow dependent on the assistant.

Budget-friendly price tag

Apple Card promo

Apple seems to have learned from its mistake with the first HomePod, whose premium price tag made widespread home adoption a hard sell.

Reportedly the HomePad's cost will "[approach] the cost of competitors' products."

Likely that puts the price tag in the $150-200 range. Not inexpensive, but definitely on the low end for an Apple product.

One main compromise to hit a lower price is that the screen may be smaller than desired, with a roughly 6-inch square display. But that smaller form factor should make the price point easier to hit, and provide another reason to buy multiple HomePads.

HomePad wrap-up

Apple's new smart home push will create a unique opportunity for the company to sell multiple units of the same product to users.

That was true with HomePod and HomePod mini, and to a lesser extent the Apple TV 4K. But with the HomePad, and future Apple security camera and doorbell products, it will be even more of a trend.

Continue reading ....

How to set up your new AirTag the right way

by Rajesh Pandey, cultofmac

The Apple AirTag is arguably among the company's most useful product releases in recent years. Once you set up an AirTag, it gives you powerful options for locating it (and whatever you attach it to). Put one of Apple's tracking tags on an item like a keychain or luggage, and you can easily track its location from your iPhone, Mac or iPad.

Since AirTag's launch, numerous reports have detailed how the tracking tag helped owners find lost items. If you recently acquired an AirTag, here's how you can set it up the right way and use it properly.

How to set up AirTag

Setting up a new AirTag is easy.
Photo: Rajesh

Like any other Apple device, setting up an AirTag is straightforward.

1. Bring the tracking tag near your iPhone.
2. If it is a new AirTag, remove the battery pull tab.
3. A dialog box prompting you to Connect the AirTag to your iPhone should automatically appear.
4. Proceed to assign a name to the AirTag. You can select one from the list or enter one yourself.

Continue reading long article....

by Penny Holland, MAGIC*

FBI warns Americans to keep their text messages secure: What to know

Heard on All Things Considered - by Bill Chappell

A smartphone's screen shows messaging apps including WhatsApp, Signal and Telegram.
The FBI and other agencies are encouraging people to use end-to-end encryption, citing what they say is a sustained hacking operation linked to China. In this 2021 photo, a smartphone's screen shows messaging apps including WhatsApp, Signal and Telegram.
Damien Meyer/AFP via Getty Images

It's not often that a piece of FBI advice triggers a Snopes fact check. But the agency's urgent message this month to Americans, often summarized as "stop texting," surprised many consumers.

The warning from the FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) highlighted vulnerabilities in text messaging systems that millions of Americans use every day.

Your Technology Is Tracking You. Take These Steps For Better Online Privacy LIFE KIT Your Technology Is Tracking You. Take These Steps For Better Online Privacy The U.S. believes hackers affiliated with China's government, dubbed Salt Typhoon, are waging a "broad and significant cyber-espionage campaign" to infiltrate commercial telecoms and steal users' data — and in isolated cases, to record phone calls, a senior FBI official who spoke to reporters on condition of anonymity said during a Dec. 3 briefing call.

The new guidance may have surprised consumers — but not security experts.

"People have been talking about things like this for years in the computer security community," Jason Hong, a professor at Carnegie Mellon University's School of Computer Science, told NPR. "You should not rely on these kinds of unencrypted communications because of this exact reason: There could be snoopers in lots of infrastructure."

So what should you do to keep your messages private?

"Encryption is your friend" for texts and phone calls, Jeff Greene, CISA's executive assistant director for cybersecurity, said on the briefing call. "Even if the adversary is able to intercept the data, if it is encrypted, it will make it impossible, if not really hard, for them to detect it. So our advice is to try to avoid using plain text."

In full end-to-end encryption, tech companies make a message decipherable only by its sender and receiver — not by anyone else, including the company. It has been the default on WhatsApp, for instance, since 2016. Along with a promise of greater security, it makes companies "warrant-proof" from surveillance efforts.

The good news for people who use Apple phones is that iMessage and FaceTime are also already end-to-end encrypted, says Hong. For Android phones, encryption is available in Google Messages if the senders and recipients all have the feature turned on.

But messages sent between iPhones and Android phones are less secure. The simplest way to ensure your messages are safe from snooping is to use an end-to-end encrypted app like Signal or WhatsApp, says Eva Galperin, director of cybersecurity at the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF). With these apps, "your communications are end-to-end encrypted every single time," she says.

Galperin highlights another danger: A hacker who has managed to get your ID and password for a website can monitor your text messages to intercept a one-time passcode that's used in two-factor authentication (2FA).

"This is a really serious security risk," Galperin says. She recommends getting 2FA messages through an app like Google Authenticator or Authy or by using a physical security key to verify access.

The FBI and CISA also advise users to set their phones to update operating systems automatically.

"Most compromises of systems do not involve taking advantage of vulnerabilities that no one else knows about," Galperin says, adding that "often, the maker of the product has in fact figured out what the vulnerability is, fixed it and pushed out a patch in the form of a security update."

How at risk are you?

You should be aware of your own "threat model" — a core concept in computer security.

Hong says it boils down to three questions: What are you trying to protect? How important is it to you? And what steps do you need to take to protect it?

If the most valuable items on your phone are family photos, he says, you probably shouldn't worry about foreign hackers targeting you. But what if you occasionally text about national or corporate secrets or politically sensitive data?

"If you are in business, if you are a journalist, if you are somebody in contact with democracy protesters in Hong Kong or Shenzhen or Tibet, then you might want to assume that your phone calls and text messages are not safe from the Chinese government," Galperin of the EFF says.

Bad actors such as cybercriminals might have different objectives, Hong says, "but if you just do a few relatively simple things, you can actually protect yourself from the vast majority of those kinds of threats."

What are the hackers doing?

The FBI and CISA raised the alarm two months after The Wall Street Journal reported that hackers linked to the Chinese government have broken into systems that enable U.S. law enforcement agencies to conduct electronic surveillance operations under the Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act (CALEA).

"These are for legitimate wiretaps that have been authorized by the courts," Hong says. But in hackers' hands, he says, the tools could potentially be used "to surveil communications and metadata for lots of people. And it seems like the [hackers'] focus is primarily Washington, D.C."

The FBI says that the attack was far broader than the CALEA system and that the hackers are still accessing telecom networks. The U.S. has been working since late spring to determine the extent of their activities. This month, the Biden administration said at least eight telecommunications infrastructure companies in the U.S., and possibly more, had been broken into by Chinese hackers.

The hackers stole a large amount of metadata, the FBI and CISA said. In far fewer cases, they said, the actual content of calls and texts was targeted.

As agencies work to oust the hackers, the FBI called for Americans to embrace tight encryption — an about-face, Galperin says, after years of insisting that law enforcement agencies need a "back door" to access communications.

The agencies also want companies to bolster their security practices and work with the government to make their networks harder to compromise.

"The adversaries we face are tenacious and sophisticated, and working together is the best way to ensure eviction," the senior FBI official said during the news briefing.

As for the risk to everyday consumers, security experts like Hong and Galperin say that with vast amounts of information traveling between our phones, they want to see people get more help in protecting themselves.

"I think it's really incumbent on software developers and these companies to have much better privacy and security by default," Hong says. "That way you don't need a Ph.D. to really understand all the options and to be secure."

Click for article.

Malware Examples *

by Ron Sharp and Robert Elphick, MAGIC *

Here are some tips if you do respond to a scam email. Call your bank. Put a stop payment on your charge card if it is involved. Change your account password for whatever accounts are involved. If it's a PayPal account, log into that account and change the password. If you use a bank account online change that password. You can also set up email "rules" to block email from the sender if their email address shows. If you use Apples Mail app you'll find the "Rules" options in the Mail app Settings. You should also change the password to your email account that the scam email came to.

USPS do not send messages like this
It came from a country code of the Philippines where there are known bad actors pulling this kind of scam.

Another SCAM pretending to be from WhidbeyTel.
DO NOT CLICK.

I wish!!!

Internet Crime

Any one bothered by internet criminal activity should report it to the Federal Bureau of Investigation Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) at this web page. This includes phishing, malware, spoofing, any demand for money.

Email Settings *

by Ron Sharp, MAGIC

Most of you reading this will happily not be experiencing any email issue. But with my previous month of helping with email I'm finding there are more and more issues with email connecting. It seems, what I assume is due to more security, email connectivity has become more difficult with email apps. There is more security in the operating systems, more security in the email programs and more security in the email servers. Much of it is attempting to eliminate all the email scamming.

So with all the email settings, with or without specific security, with or without specific port settings, email host name settings, and passwords in two or three places, you would think you had it handled. But no, then you have to log into some host email server sites, find the settings there, and then find the specific setting to "Allow third Party Apps." and even then you might still have a connection issue.

Then you find when you go back to the email settings in your Mac Mail app that some have changed on their own! But still an issue may exist.

And with most email servers, ie gmail and Comcast Xfinity and others, it's a miracle if you can actually talk to someone for help. WhidbeyTel is pretty good with tech support and not difficult to get someone to help, but they have raised their prices so much ( at least with web hosting) that I have changed my website hosts.

Is this going to help you with an email issue, probably not. But at least you know you're not alone! 🤣

Holiday FaceTime *

by Ron Sharp, MAGIC

I hope you all had wonderful seasonal holidays with some family and friends. This was a year that I wasn't able to visit any family directly. So it was really pleasing to connect to a family group with FaceTime. It worked well and some of the grandkids and nieces and nephews and spouses even got in the picture. One of my brothers was missing, presumably because of no internet where he was in Thailand. If I had organized the FaceTime sooner he may have been able to be in a location to make it work. Overall a fun experience.

How was your FaceTiming this season?

Fun or Informative Videos *

by Ron Sharp, MAGIC

Bobby McFerrin Demonstrates the Power of the Pentatonic Scale

Rowan Atkinson Live - Award Ceremony Bad Loser

MAGIC, the Macintosh Appreciation Group of Island County, serves people who use Macintosh computers, software and peripherals. Our goal is to share information and get answers to questions to make us more productive with our use of technology. Our monthly meetings give us a chance to discuss computer problems and share ideas with other Mac users, feature speakers on specific topics, and to keep apprised of Apple news.