Online Safety

AI Adoption Outpaces Privacy Protections, New Survey Shows — What You Need to Know If you’ve used a chatbot, image generator, or voice assistant recently, you may have wondered what happens to the information you share. A new global survey from TrustArc, a privacy management company, suggests that concern is well founded: privacy safeguards across many organizations are not keeping up with how fast they are adopting artificial intelligence tools. ...

What Is Shadow AI and How to Protect Your Privacy From It You open a new browser tab, paste a draft report into a free AI chatbot, and ask it to rewrite the conclusion. It saves you twenty minutes. No one in your IT department knows you did it. That’s Shadow AI—the use of artificial intelligence tools without official approval or oversight. And it’s spreading faster than most organizations can track. ...

Is That Chrome Extension Spying on You? How to Spot a Backdoor ‘Productivity Tool’ Browser extensions are one of the easiest ways to add functionality to Chrome—a grammar checker here, a coupon finder there, a note-taking sidebar. They promise to save time and streamline work. But that convenience comes with a catch: an extension that can read every page you visit can also steal your passwords, session cookies, or private data. Over the past year, security researchers have documented a rise in malicious Chrome extensions that masquerade as legitimate productivity tools, then siphon credentials or inject ads. For remote workers and small business owners, the risk is especially high because a single compromised browser can lead to a full account takeover—including work email, cloud storage, and financial dashboards. ...

Is Your Browser Extension a Security Risk? Here’s How to Check You probably installed a Chrome extension to save time—maybe a grammar checker, a coupon finder, or a note-taking tool. These “productivity helpers” often ask for broad access to your browser because that’s how they work. But recent reports show that some of these extensions are being turned into silent backdoors, capable of stealing passwords, reading emails, and even infiltrating corporate networks. ...

How to Spot and Avoid Online Shopping Scams Online shopping is a routine part of modern life. The convenience of ordering with a few clicks, however, also attracts fraudsters who constantly refine their tactics. Official guidance from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA News) regularly highlights the risks and offers practical advice that applies to anyone shopping online. This article covers the most common scams, why they matter, and concrete steps you can take to protect yourself. ...

Is That Chrome Extension Safe? How Productivity Tools Hide Malware and What to Do About It If you use Chrome, you probably have a handful of extensions installed. Maybe a grammar checker, a note-taking tool, a password manager, or something that saves screenshots. They make life easier—until they don’t. ...

Your Productivity Tools Might Be Spying on You: How to Spot Rogue Chrome Extensions The appeal of a browser extension that promises to save time is easy to understand. A one-click grammar checker, a password manager that fills in forms automatically, or a coupon finder that works while you shop. These tools feel harmless and often deliver real convenience. But a growing number of attackers have learned that the same permissions that make extensions useful also make them dangerous. Recent reports, including an investigation by the FBI into a sophisticated hacking campaign linked to compromised surveillance systems, have renewed attention on how malicious Chrome extensions disguised as productivity tools are being used to steal credentials, inject advertising, and monitor user activity. ...

How to Spot and Avoid Online Shopping Scams: Practical Advice With online shopping now a daily habit for millions of people, scammers have become more aggressive and creative. Government agencies, including the Department of Veterans Affairs, have issued repeated warnings about the growing threat. A recent VA News article titled “Watch out for scams and stay safe while online shopping” reminds consumers that fraud doesn’t take a holiday—and that taking a few minutes to verify a deal can save you from losing money or having your identity stolen. ...

How to Spot a Malicious Chrome Extension: 5 Red Flags for Everyday Users If you use Google Chrome, chances are you have a handful of extensions installed. A grammar checker here, a password manager there, maybe a tab organizer or a coupon finder. They promise to save time and effort, and often they deliver. But in recent years, security researchers have documented a growing problem: extensions that look like legitimate productivity tools but hide backdoors that can steal credentials, track browsing habits, or act as a foothold for larger attacks. ...

Shoppers’ Top AI Fear? Their Data Privacy — Here’s How to Protect Yourself Introduction If you’ve used a shopping assistant that suggests products, a chatbot that helps you compare prices, or a visual search tool that finds items from a photo, you’ve already stepped into the world of AI-powered shopping. These tools are convenient, but a recent study from eMarketer confirms what many consumers already suspect: data privacy is shoppers’ biggest fear when it comes to AI shopping, by a wide margin. The report found that privacy concerns far outrank other worries such as accuracy, cost, or even job displacement. For everyday shoppers, the question isn’t whether to use these tools—it’s how to use them without giving away more personal information than necessary. ...