Independent security journalism for the open web
When attackers compromise the software update pipeline itself, every customer who does the responsible thing — installing the patch — becomes a vector for the attack. A look at landmark supply-chain incidents and what they reveal about the trust Americans place in everyday software.
Millions of Americans enable two-factor authentication, then store the keys to bypass it in their camera roll. We examine how self-sabotaged backups defeat even the strongest login defenses, and what a safer recovery routine actually looks like.
Authorized penetration testers who break into American companies for a living say the unlocked conference room and the helpful front desk open more doors than any zero-day exploit. Their verdict: the weakest link in most offices isn't the firewall — it's the culture around it.
Under pressure to renew a lease or file a tax return, millions of Americans reach for the same tired password they promised themselves they'd stop using. Behavioral research explains why the worst credentials show up at the worst moments — and what actually changes the pattern.
Illicit marketplaces promise anonymity, but court records and researcher reporting reveal a strange truth: the people shopping there get scammed constantly. Exit schemes, counterfeit listings, and fake vendors have turned the hidden web into a hall of mirrors — and the irony carries a lesson for everyone online.
Researchers who buy used hard drives, routers, and laptops at flea markets and estate sales keep recovering tax returns, saved passwords, and Wi-Fi credentials from devices their owners thought were clean. Here's what the data-residue studies actually found — and how to retire your own hardware without leaving your digital life behind on it.
That craft-supply account from 2016 and the newsletter email you abandoned in college are still holding your data — and your payment card. Forgotten accounts are the quietest attack surface in American digital life. An hour of spring cleaning can close them for good.
Hollywood has convinced a generation of Americans that a laptop-wielding stranger can peel their passwords out of the air at Starbucks. The real story of public Wi-Fi risk is quieter — and far more fixable. Here's what actually matters before you connect on the road.
The popular narrative says Americans have stopped caring about privacy. The evidence suggests otherwise: people care deeply — they've simply delegated their data to brokers, ad networks, and unread permission screens. Reclaiming it is possible, and it starts with a checklist.
Phishing has matured into a seasonal, data-driven industry that borrows from retail, payroll, and even the IRS calendar. This field guide maps the bait patterns most likely to reach US inboxes in 2025 — and the psychological hooks each one pulls.
Major US platforms are moving beyond passwords toward cryptographic passkeys. Cipher Sentinel breaks down what that means for your everyday logins, where the new system stumbles, and how to prepare before you commit.
From Silk Road to Hydra, landmark law-enforcement operations have repeatedly pulled back the curtain on hidden online marketplaces. These five case studies show how investigators built their cases — and why American buyers should never confuse anonymity with immunity.