I was a guest on QR Radio Calgary yesterday. I discussed #artificialintelligence and the upcoming #election with Andrew Schultz. Can #ai generated media interfere with the election? Yes!
You can listen to the audio here:
In today’s digital age, managing multiple online subscriptions can be challenging, especially for seniors who may not be as tech-savvy. Unfortunately, some services exploit this vulnerability. One such service is Unsubby.com, which charges users to cancel their subscriptions—a process that is often straightforward and free when done directly through the service provider.
What is Unsubby.com?
Unsubby.com presents itself as a platform that assists users in canceling various subscriptions by sending cancellation letters on their behalf. For this service, they charge a fee of $19.95 per cancellation. Additionally, they offer a subscription plan called “My Unsubby” at $9.95 per month, which claims to help users manage and cancel their subscriptions without additional fees.
Why is Unsubby.com Problematic?
Several red flags suggest that Unsubby.com may not have users’ best interests at heart:
Protect Yourself
To avoid falling victim to such predatory services:
By staying informed and cautious, you can protect yourself and your loved ones from falling prey to services that seek to exploit unsuspecting consumers.
If you have any questions or want to book a free consultation, contact me on LinkedIn. It is the best place to reach me.
As digital forensics and cybersecurity professionals, we often stress the importance of data encryption in securing sensitive information. Among the options available, BitLocker stands out as one of the most robust disk encryption solutions provided by Microsoft. Historically, this feature was exclusive to Windows Professional editions, leaving many Windows Home users without built-in encryption options. However, with recent updates, Microsoft has introduced a disk encryption option for Windows Home, sparking curiosity and questions about its functionality, differences, and effectiveness.
In this blog, we’ll delve into the key differences between BitLocker for Windows Pro and the disk encryption option available for Windows Home, highlighting the pros and cons of each.
What Is BitLocker?
BitLocker is a full-disk encryption feature designed to protect data by encrypting the entire volume. It integrates seamlessly with the operating system to ensure that unauthorized users cannot access the data on your disk without proper credentials.
BitLocker’s functionality relies on:
BitLocker on Windows Pro
BitLocker’s inclusion in Windows Pro has made it a staple for businesses and power users. Here are its standout features:
Pros:
Cons:
Disk Encryption on Windows Home
With increasing awareness of cybersecurity, Microsoft has introduced a simplified disk encryption feature for Windows Home users. While not marketed explicitly as BitLocker, it provides basic encryption functionality.
How It Works:
Pros:
Cons:
Key Differences Between Windows Pro and Home Encryption
| Feature | Windows Pro (BitLocker) | Windows Home (Disk Encryption) |
| Full Disk Encryption | Yes | Yes |
| Granular Controls | Yes | No |
| Enterprise Features | Yes (e.g., Network Unlock) | No |
| External Drive Support | Yes (BitLocker To Go) | No |
| Recovery Key Options | Local/Network/Microsoft Account | Microsoft Account Only |
| Cost | Requires Pro License | Included in Windows Home |
Which Should You Choose?
The choice between BitLocker on Windows Pro and disk encryption on Windows Home boils down to your specific needs:
Conclusion
Microsoft’s decision to introduce disk encryption to Windows Home marks a significant step in democratizing data security. While the features on Windows Home are more basic, they offer an accessible option for users who might otherwise forgo encryption altogether. On the other hand, BitLocker on Windows Pro continues to lead with its robust capabilities tailored for professional and enterprise environments.
In a world where data breaches are a growing concern, encryption is no longer optional. Whether you’re using Windows Home or Pro, enabling disk encryption is a crucial step in safeguarding your digital life. As always, consider your needs carefully and ensure that your data protection strategy aligns with your risk tolerance and usage scenario.
If you have any questions or want to book a free consultation, contact me on LinkedIn. It is the best place to reach me.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/alain-filotto
Yes I finally got scammed! I wanted to. I’ve been wanting to see how these scams work and obviously wanted to make a blog about it. So I decided to answer one of those annoying text messages we all get. Below is what happened over last weekend.
First of all I get this text message, now I got a lot of crap messages, but this one was addressed to me. They knew my first name so I was curious about that. It came in on the telegram application which I don’t use a lot but as far as I knew, they can’t tell what your name is. I thought they were just sending messages to random numbers.
Now obviously there’s a problem with this account because “Claire Wilson” says her name is Zelmira… there’s your first clue that it’s a scam. Let’s continue…
She says she got my name from my profile but I’m not sure that’s true. Actually my name and phone number are all over my website so there’s probably some tools that they have which made the connection. Whatever. She continues by basically saying that if I follow certain Instagram pages they will pay me. I’ve heard that this actually is possible so I wasn’t 100% sure it was a scam at that point. I’ve had people contact me asking me if I want to pay to promote my business and have people follow my Instagram page. So it is possible. She asks me to follow Tim Hortons on Instagram. I can’t imagine Tim Hortons would pay people to have them follow their account but let’s see where this goes.
I follow TH and that makes her happy! Then she puts me in touch with someone else, the “receptionist”.
The receptionist named “Safira” asks me to follow another page and send her a screenshot, which I do.
Then she asks me to create an account with “Newton Crypto Wallet”. I have never heard of them so I looked it up and it’s a real online wallet. Now I’m really curious how they’re gonna scam me!
She says they’re going to send me $15 U.S. dollars for following 2 pages. I was quite certain it was bullshit and there’s no way they’re gonna send me money. But they did! $20 Canadian. I really was surprised. But considering how much money they make from scams, that is a small amount for them.
So long story short they send me an invite to a group chat where they will post “missions” every day. You have to do 25 missions and you have to do them in order to get your money. If you do all the missions you will get $500 US everyday which is not bad for following Instagram pages. Well that’s what I thought it was. Obviously there’s a scam there otherwise i wouldn’t be writing a blog about it! So on the next day I start with the first mission which is to follow a page on Instagram. Easy enough. Now the second mission is more complicated…
I was kinda glad that the scam starts at mission 2 because I was worried about having to follow a bunch of pages all day. I mean if there’s 25 missions in 12 hours that means you have to check the group chat every half hour or so. Booooring! Again long story short, they want me to send money to “prop up” the crypto market and then I will make money back with a Commission. Basically if I send $80 they will send me $120 back and I make $40. As a side-note, manipulating markets is illegal. So they are asking me to break the law.
There’s no way I’m sending any money but I figured I could send them the $15 they sent me and then I don’t lose anything. But of course the minimum is 80… And finally, the scam is revealed! It’s possible they would have sent me the $120 with commission to keep me interested. And later get me to send more money. I say some people in the chat sending $500 or more. Those were probably all in on the scam. After I told her who I really was and that I was planning to write a blog about the scam she removed me from the group chat. LOL
In the end I was happy with myself. I got $15 from the scammers! But… the final kick in the pants is that I tried to transfer the $15 US they sent me to my Coinsquare account (where I do have some crypto). They wanted to charge me $12 to transfer! I would only get $3… WTF? Anyway I did learn a lot and I am sharing. Be careful out there and do not trust anyone who randomly contacts you. Remember, there is no easy money on the internet.
Auto theft is up 30-50% in 2023 depending on where you live. Why is this happening? This report features the legendary Samy Kamkar. He is one of the original “white hat” hackers. In his words, “all cars use the same wireless technology and are essentially computers on wheels”. Thieves have figures out how to “hack” these computers. Did you know you can put your car keys in an “RF Faraday bag” when you get home? I use these to transport mobile devices and secure them against outside interference. Check out these for sale on Amazon:
Article here: https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/marketplace-electronic-car-theft-1.3515106
Video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ARrlhlQiFzM&t=682s
Why do this? Thieves can use a “relay” close to your front door and unlock your car in the driveway using your key fob in your house!
If you have any questions or want to book a free consultation, contact me on LinkedIn. It is the best place to reach me.
This is a great story and they were able to interview an actual romantic #scam fraudster! Spoiler alert, he’s in Nigeria. I found it very interesting to hear about his reasoning. One thing I learned in my years of policing is that everyone has an excuse for the crimes they commit, everyone… even murderers. #fraud
The article is here: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/go-public-romance-scams-1.7088334
And the video is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5C5CCJ26a9E
If you have any questions or want to book a free consultation, contact me on LinkedIn. It is the best place to reach me.