Checklist 449 - Background Improvements and a Meta Warning
Release Date: 11/14/2025
Checklist 450 - Weak Passwords and Deepfake Celebrities 2025
The Checklist by SecureMac
It is that time of year. Time to reflect… to look back… to realize how little we’ve learned, and shake our heads in sadness. 123456 is still the most used password according to a new study - and people still think that Taylor Swift is trying to sell them stuff on social media. We’re looking at weak passwords and deepfake celebrities for 2025 on this edition of The Checklist, brought to you by SecureMac. Check out our show notes: And get in touch with us:
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Checklist 449 - Background Improvements and a Meta Warning
The Checklist by SecureMac
Apple’s brought back an old safety feature. We’ll look at Background Security Improvements, what happened to the thing it replaced, and who should have it turned on. Plus - reasons to avoid shopping on Meta platforms on this edition of The Checklist, brought to you by SecureMac. Check out our show notes: And get in touch with us:
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Checklist 448 - OS Updates and App Store Accountability
The Checklist by SecureMac
We’re looking at a child safety feature and the over 400 security fixes in this week’s 26.1 OS updates from Apple. Plus - Texas is exerting control over smartphone parental controls. We’ll talk about Apple and the Texas App Store Accountability Act on this edition of The Checklist, brought to you by SecureMac. Check out our show notes: And get in touch with us:
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Checklist 447 - iPhone Protections and Ghost Accounts
The Checklist by SecureMac
It’s Halloween! There’s a guy with an axe who wants to get into your iPhone! We’ll talk about keeping him out. Plus - ghosts may not be real, but ghost accounts are. We’ll tell you how to be a ghost account buster on this edition of The Checklist, brought to you by SecureMac. Check out our show notes: And get in touch with us:
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Checklist 446 - Meta Warnings and Merit Badges
The Checklist by SecureMac
Meta’s WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger are taking proactive steps to warn users of scammers on those services. We’ll tell you more. Plus - Scouting America has new merit badges for A.I. and cybersecurity. We’ll talk about those on this edition of The Checklist, brought to you by SecureMac. Check out our show notes: And get in touch with us:
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Checklist 445 - Ransomware Revisited and a Bigger Bug Bounty
The Checklist by SecureMac
Apple is increasing bug bounties for good guys, in theory. We’ll talk about how much white hats might be able to get outta Cupertino. First though, Japan’s beer bungle was a ransomware attack. An update on that and the changing state of cyberattacks on this edition of The Checklist, brought to you by SecureMac. Check out our show notes: And get in touch with us:
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Checklist 444 - Spoofing the FBI and Doctors without Manners
The Checklist by SecureMac
A bit of a boo-hiss story about a medical imaging group losing personally identifiable information on tens of thousands of patients. That’s not the boo-hiss part. We’ll tell you what is. First though - the FBI says someone’s impersonating the FBI. And you know it’s true because… it came from the FBI? Good advice from the Federal Bureau of Investigation on this edition of The Checklist, brought to you by SecureMac. Check out our show notes: And get in touch with us:
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Checklist 443 - Why Anti-Phishing Training Isn’t Working
The Checklist by SecureMac
We’re doing the ransomware thing again - checking on the folks at Jaguar Land Rover, plus what may be a ransomware attack at Japanese brewery Asahi. Then - why isn’t the anti-phishing training at your work working? UC San Diego has some thoughts. All of that plus tiny updates from Apple on this edition of The Checklist, brought to you by SecureMac. Check out our show notes: And get in touch with us:
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Checklist 442 - Ransomware Rodeo
The Checklist by SecureMac
Whether trying to hit the road or soar through the skies - ransomware is providing speed bumps and delays. We’ll talk about a couple of huge ongoing ransomware attacks. Plus - how does ransomware happen, and how are organizations dealing? Believe it or not there’s some survey data that’s kind of encouraging. We’ll hit that on this edition of The Checklist, brought to you by SecureMac. Check out our show notes: And get in touch with us:
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Checklist 441 - Privacy and Security in macOS Tahoe 26
The Checklist by SecureMac
We’re highlighting privacy and security features in macOS Tahoe 26 this week, including changes for consumers and changes for developers. Plus - tons of security fixes across a range of Apple operating systems on this edition of The Checklist, brought to you by SecureMac. Check out our show notes: And get in touch with us:
info_outlineApple’s brought back an old safety feature. We’ll look at Background Security Improvements, what happened to the thing it replaced, and who should have it turned on. Plus - reasons to avoid shopping on Meta platforms on this edition of The Checklist, brought to you by SecureMac.
Check out our show notes:
And get in touch with us: