FaceApp: How Dangerous Is It?

FaceApp: Should I Delete It?

Updated: December 3, 2019

Screenshot From FaceApp.com

You may have seen the slew of "What would I look like as an old person" photos that have been shared to Social Media recently. You may also have seen warnings in the media that this app is "Bad News." Just how bad is it? Should you delete the app and reset your phone? Or is it really as harmful as much of the media is saying?

What is FaceApp?

FaceApp is a photo app available for Android and iPhone.  It basically allows one to apply filters to photos.  You can do things like swap genders, add makeup, add tattoos, and otherwise enhance all of your selfies. The latest app update added the ability to "age" or "de-age" selfies as well.

FaceApp is not a new app. It has been around since 2017. However, it recently became viral, thanks to its ability to age you in selfies, as well as share side-by-side photos to social media.

What Are the Concerns with FaceApp?

You DO NOT Owe for an Overdue Invoice

Billing Scams are a Common Form of Spear Phishing

Do NOT Click Through or Open the Attached File

It's time to take a look at a few of the e-mail scams that have been filling inboxes recently. Some of these were sent to me personally; others were forwarded to me by some of my customers, who wanted to know if they were legitimate or not.  These e-mails are cut and pasted from the originals. In any case an e-mail contains an inline URL, I have changed that URL so it will NOT "work" if you click on it by mistake.  I have NOT stripped out links completely, so that readers may use the "hover trick" to see that the links, in fact, do NOT lead to where you'd expect. (Remember, you can hover your mouse over ANY link, and a program will show its true destination in either the status bar or in a pop-up tooltip.)

You DO NOT Owe for an Outstanding Invoice from a Company Whose Name You Do Not Recognize

This spear-fishing e-mail claims you owe money, and tells you to click a link to settle your bill.  Clicking on the link will take you to a site where they will trick you into disclosing personal info, and most likely will plant malware on your system while doing so.

Data Breaches: What Do They Mean For You?

How to Safeguard our Information
in a World of Security Breaches

What Can We Do when Our Data Gets Out?

Yesterday, all of the tech publications were warning of another major data breach.  Another popular Facebook App exposed users' personal data, and this time, over 120 million users were possibly affected.    Who was careless with our data this time? Nametests.com, a site Techlaurels warned users about over a year ago.

In a nutshell, Nametests had this hole where if you knew the right JavaScript commands, you could potentially access any users' personal information.  A website could exploit this, or any individual who knew how to grab and use a "token."  The "good guy" who discovered this used the flaw to set up a data mining program and subsequently reported the bug to Facebook. The security hole was supposedly closed.

And of course Nametests wanted that hole closed as soon as it was discovered. Who is going to buy a candy bar if there is a bowl sitting next to the register that says "Yours for the taking."  Or to borrow from an old cliche, if you're in the business of selling cows, you don't want to be giving the milk away for free.

The Facebook Kerfuffle and What it Means For You

The Facebook Data Scandal and What it Means for You and Your Personal Information

How to Protect Your Facebook Information,
and How To Download Your Facebook Data

For the last week or so, Facebook and its data-sharing tendencies have been in the news.  "Delete Facebook" campaigns are proliferating the Web, and a lot of folks are wondering what really happened and how worried they need to be.  Today, we're going to look at the Facebook controversy, discuss how users were actually complicit in this breech, and talk a little about the ramifications. We'll also look at how to protect yourself in the future, as well as explain how you can download a copy of your Facebook profile so you can understand what the data miners really obtained.

What Happened with Facebook and My Personal Information?

In a nutshell, an individual created a rogue quiz app.  This particular quiz was a Personality Test, and of course, it encouraged you to both share your results and to invite friends to take the quiz.  Almost immediately after launching, over 10,000 Facebook users had taken the test.  After it went viral, over 270,000 people downloaded the quiz app, and even more used the web-based version.  Folks ignored the app's permission requirements, and willingly gave the app permission to access their information, as well as that of their friends.  Soon, the quiz had harvested the Facebook data of over half a million users.  Many of these folks had never accessed the quiz personally, but rather had their data mined through a "friend" giving the app permission to basically take what it wanted.

The Quiz Creator then sold all the information he had collected to a data mining firm. That firm repackaged the data and sold it to Cambridge Analytics.  Cambridge Analytics then used the data to profile people politically, and to "reach out" to folks in order to manipulate their thoughts during the last election.

Telephone Phishing: Voicemail Messages You Should NOT Return

Phishing Phone Calls:
No, There is No Warrant for your Arrest,
and the Police are NOT on Their Way

DO NOT Return a Scammer's Call

Today's world is full of people who are fraudulently trying to separate you from your hard earned money.  Phishing has become a real problem on the Internet, something we've talked a lot about on this blog in the past.  Spoofed e-mails. bad links, text message spam, and malicious Facebook Posts are common ways in which the fraudsters attack.  

But what about offline? Are you safe from phishing attacks if you do not use the Internet at all? Unfortunately, the answer to that question is no.  As people get wiser about online attack strategies, the Bad Guys have begun to attack you offline.  And one of the most prevalent methods of offline phishing uses your telephone.

Today, we're going to look at Phone Phishing.  We are also going to look at two phishing attempts, both employing voicemail.  In both cases, these are examples of voicemails you should NOT return.

Ask My Buddy and Alexa Can Summon Help in an Emergency

Alert Your Personal Emergency Network
Using Only Your Voice,
 with Alexa and Ask My Buddy

Turn Your Smart Speaker into an Emergency Alert Device

Alexa and other Smart Home technologies can make life a lot easier for people who live alone, people who have disabilities, and a lot of older people.   Smart Home technologies and Smart Speakers can automate a lot of tasks, and make physical tasks simpler for those with physical limitations.  Smart speakers and other assistive technologies can help a person continue to live independently, in his or her own home, for a longer time. But what these technologies cannot yet do is to call 911.  Wouldn't it be great if Smart Speakers, like the Amazon Echo or Google Home, could summon help when an individual needs it?  Well, now they can, thanks to a service called "AskMyBuddy.net."

I've Fallen and I Can't Get Up

Most of us have seen the commercials. A senior citizen is in distress, but s/he cannot get to a telephone to summon help.  However, the individual wears a pendant, and by pressing a button, s/he can summon assistance from a personal emergency alert network.  And although these devices are marketed to seniors, I know a few women and people with disabilities who live alone and wish they had this "yell for help" capability, but they do not want another monthly expense, especially when they figure they will not use it often. Many people in this category have Alexa or a similar Smart Speaker.    However, despite the fact Alexa has limited calling abilities, she cannot dial 911, no matter how many times you ask her to.  Wouldn't it be nice if Alexa could summon emergency help with a voice command?