Kim Komando Daily Tech Update

When it comes to cyber attacks on the United States, who is America's biggest enemy? You might be surprised. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Do you think you haven't been a direct victim of ransomware? I have bad news: you have. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Reports are coming in from all over the country about this: You suddenly notice that your home’s temperature is too hot. Has the power company commandeered your home thermostat? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

All telephone providers – AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, Comcast, Cox and all the others – have until the end of today to implement new technology that fights fraudulent calls. Here's the full story. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Six years ago, Microsoft announced that the current version, Windows 10, would be the last. Today, even Microsoft executives are surprised that Windows 11 is on the way. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

More stimulus money is coming in July and scammers are already working to rip you off. This time, they promise to help you extract the money from the IRS. Don't fall for it! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Robocalls are always annoying. But when they arrive on your smartphone, they're even more irritating because they’re using your plan’s precious minutes to sell you something you never wanted to begin with. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Here’s something to think about. If you don’t lock down your home’s Wi-Fi network, you could be charged with a crime you didn’t commit. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Senator Marco Rubio is proposing a bill that could rein in the power of Big Tech. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you fall victim to a scammer who is using a payment app, you’re out of luck. There are no rules or laws to protect you and get your money back once the money goes out of your account and into somebody else's. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The most optimistic thing you can say about Instagram these days is that it’s in a slump. But to many, Instagram is now boring. It has too many influencers — and not enough people to be influenced. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you have a Samsung smartphone, you should know about the phone's pre-installed apps that are spying on you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Texas and a few other states want customers to enroll their Nest and other smart thermostats in a program to help reduce power consumption. Texas was unprepared for this year’s record cold winter and they’re not ready for summer’s heatwave, either. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Most Windows 10 users don't know there's a way to protect their computer's files against ransomware. It's not a 100% guarantee, but it can work wonders in case of an emergency. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You always need to carry some form of ID while traveling. Luckily, you can easily set up a digital backup. Here's what to do. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Weeks ago, I told you that the Bank of England's chief said anyone who invests in cryptocurrency should be prepared to lose it all. Now, I have a startling follow-up story. Listen to this! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the commercials, people happily discover lost keys or purses thanks to their Apple AirTag. But these little devices have quickly been put to a darker use: tracking people without their knowledge. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Amazon Prime Day is now less than a week away. When shopping on Amazon, most of us check out the reviews to find out how good a product is. Unfortunately, no one can trust Amazon’s customer product reviews. Here's why. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The White House will require all cryptocurrency transfers of $10,000 or more to be reported for tax purposes. Here's the full story. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In May, I asked my listeners and readers to share their thoughts on powerful tech companies. Of over 6,000 respondents, 86% said they're fed up with Big Tech. So is Congress. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When you visit a new website, there's a good chance you’ll be asked to accept the website’s cookies. Most people say yes ... but interestingly enough, most people don’t even know what they're agreeing to. Here's how the cookie crumbles. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Whether you know it or not, your iPhone has magnets inside. But the iPhone 12 has one that's so powerful that it could affect your heart. You could be in danger and not even know it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you get an email promising to protect your company from a ransomware attack like the one that brought down the Colonial Pipeline, don't open it! It's just a Trojan Horse trying to sneak ransomware into your computer. Here's how this nasty scheme works. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Everyone's vulnerable to the dangers of ransomware. On Wednesday, we learned that 60 bipartisan members of Congress were locked out of constituent data for weeks. Here's the full story. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Many of my tech updates have focused on the exploding epidemic of ransomware attacks. And now the White House is saying exactly what I’ve been saying: It’s up to private businesses, large and small, to ramp up their own cybersecurity to protect America. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sometimes government operations are kept secret so that our adversaries don’t know our full capabilities. But yesterday, the FBI and the Department of Justice proved to the world that Bitcoin transactions are no longer guaranteed to be either untraceable or unrecoverable. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Think you’ve seen it all with Facebook’s never-ending attempts to market your personal information? Here's a brand new doozy you've got to hear about. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In April, Apple rolled out a new product: the AirTag. It's a neat little tracker that helps you keep track of your gadgets. But AirTags can do a whole lot more than just that! Here are some nifty tricks you've got to try. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Citizen is a new app that acts as a public safety network. Basically, it alerts you about crimes. It sounds promising — but let's see if it lives up to the hype. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Russian hackers have been having a field day. Not only were they responsible for the Colonial Pipeline attack, but they've also just come after the meat industry. No one's safe — not even you. Here's how to protect yourself. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you own an Amazon Echo or a Ring security camera, you’re about to share your internet connection with your neighbors ... unless you say no. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Over the Memorial Day weekend, a friend said, "I use a Mac because I know that I won't be hit with viruses and spyware." Here's what I have to say on that. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How fed up is America with Big Tech? I wanted to find out. Over 6,300 people answered my survey. Here's what they had to say. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Recognitions from the U.S. military liike medals and awards are priceless family heirlooms that can be passed down through generations. Like anything material, they can be misplaced, lost, stolen or simply begin to show their age over time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ever heard of vishing? Short for voice phishing, it's a scary new scam in which criminals impersonate a company. They especially love posing as Amazon workers. Here's what to watch out for. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The police arrested a couple in the U.K. for distributing images of child porn online. The mom lost her teaching job, the father couldn’t work and they couldn’t see their kids. But the couple didn’t do it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Microsoft president Brad Smith told a BBC interviewer that with artificial intelligence, the predictions in Orwell’s "1984" will be possible in three years – unless the government passes laws to protect us. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

No one can logically defend Facebook’s overall impact on humanity. Overwhelmingly negative is an understatement. It’s no wonder that Facebook is being deluged with angry demands to scrap its plans to develop Instagram For Kids. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Facebook and others have had a field day closing the accounts of anyone who doesn’t share their political philosophy. But one law allows Floridians the ability to sue if their accounts are shut down based on their opinions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you’re wondering whether electric vehicles cause fewer greenhouse gasses, the answer is a resounding "Probably." If you live in an area where most electricity is generated with fossil fuel, overall carbon emissions become a toss-up. Here's the full story. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’ve all seen this. Products are added to your cart automatically. Boxes are pre-checked when you’re setting new tech up. Apps and websites trick you. It's called Dark Patterns, and here's what you need to know. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You’d think that with the pandemic ending, scammers would move on. Nope. Here are three clever COVID scams spreading online. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s common knowledge that there’s always the best time and the worst time of the year to buy televisions, laptops or any other electronic device. But this year, the common knowledge is wrong. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If the ransomware attack on the Colonial Pipeline wasn't bad enough, the owners just made matters worse. Their actions could have rippling effects that hurt us all. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In April, Bitcoin was riding an incredible wave, valued at more than $66,000 each. But over five weeks, Bitcoin has lost over half its value. Here's your opportunity. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ransomware doesn't make the news unless it’s a national threat like the Colonial Pipeline attack. But regardless of how big an attack is, there’s only one way to protect yourself and your organization. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When a public figure gets in trouble for an ill-advised tweet, the first thing they do is delete the post ... but as we all know, that doesn't fix the problem. Twitter thinks it may have a solution — and they're charging $3 a month for it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Amazon and Apple are each working towards one goal: A large-scale wireless network that doesn’t need Wi-Fi or cellular. We will spend money on their phones, cameras, trackers and more to create the network for them. It’s genius. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Paging Dr. Google! Do you suffer from cyberchondria? It’s the ailment best described as when you have any aches or pains, you immediately turn to Google for a diagnosis. New research is going to surprise you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As a part of the $2 trillion COVID aid plan, Congress has allocated $3.2 billion in tax money to pay the monthly internet bills of Americans who lost income during the pandemic. Do you qualify? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices