Voices of Privacy

13/11/2024

🎬Coming soon...Introducing 'VOP Shorts'! Get all the insights you need, now in quicker, easy-to-watch videos. Stay tuned for a fresh new way to experience VOP!

07/11/2024

Stay alert, Hokies!🚨

The Virginia Tech Police Department (VTPD) has recently received multiple reports regarding phishing scams occuring on the Blacksburg campus. Scammers are attempting to impersonate law enforcement officers through misleading phone calls and under cover of fake phone numbers. 📞❌

Remember: Real law enforcement will never ask for payment over the phone or threaten arrest. Don’t share personal or financial info with anyone demanding immediate payment, and always verify the claim by going directly to the official agency. 🔐

Be safe and stay secure! Read the full article here: https://news.vt.edu/articles/2024/10/police_situationalawarenss_scams.html

23/10/2024

It's voting season! 🗳️

With the election right around the corner, it's time to discuss potential voting scams, and more importantly how to protect your personal information during this time. From your social security number to your email, there is a lot of personal info associated with casting your ballot. Here are a couple of important takeways:

📧Next time you receive a campaign email or text message, be sure to double check the sender's email- a legitimate source will usually have a .gov address.
🔒Check informational sites to ensure that they are secure! Most official pages will be secure and will have been created prior to 2024.
✉️If you are requesting an absentee ballot, always go through the official website or to your local office- be weary of links encouraging you to register.

Watch our full news segment on WDBJ7's website for more information: https://www.wdbj7.com/2024/10/17/voices-privacy-how-protect-your-personal-information-during-election-season/ Happy voting!

21/10/2024

🚨 A recent Gmail security alert has been issued due to a now-confirmed AI hack affecting more than 2.5 billion users. Despite Google's advanced security measures, hackers are evolving and succeeding in more and more AI-driven scams.

Even to the most tech-savvy users, some of today's elaborate phishing scams may seem completely legitimate. One big takeaway from the article below is to always double-check the source of contact- even if you receive a call that gives you all the right information, ask the caller for a confirmation email and check their email address too. The more ways you investigate before sharing your personal information the better. 🔐 Read the Forbes article here for the full story: https://www.forbes.com/sites/daveywinder/2024/10/13/new-gmail-security-alert-for-billions-as-7-day-ai-hack-confirmed/

Protecting your Gmail account is critical as this dangerous new AI-driven attack sets out to test even the most careful users. Here’s what you need to do to stay safe.

18/10/2024

VOP is turning 3!🥳🧁

3 years ago, the idea to produce a podcast for those seeking to enhance their information privacy knowledge was born. Our hosts are personally and professionally passionate about bringing awareness to data security, because an informed society is a successful one! Since its ideation Voices of Privacy has attended conferences and university talks, appeared on the local news, and built our collection of insights and how-to’s for our audience. Thank you to our current and future listeners- we couldn’t do it without you!

02/10/2024

Happy Cyber Security Awareness Month!🔐 Our hosts are not only passionate about this topic, but passionate about sharing their knowledge with others. Here's what they have to say about the importance of cybersecurity education:

"We are at a critical point in our online privacy and understanding how much data is out there. We cannot have privacy without security. It's essential to take 60 seconds and review your profile settings and who can access." - Donna Wertalik

"Three years ago, Donna Wertalik and I met to discuss a crazy idea - make a difference in society by empowering everyone to better understand and take charge of their information privacy. Hence was born Voices of Privacy, our initiative to provide privacy education and training tools accessible to everyone. Today, with privacy being more important than ever and in many people’s mind, we are glad to have overcome the challenges and growing pain of taking a new idea to fruition." - France Belanger

25/09/2024

Do you know what to do if your phone is stolen?👤🔓9% of phone thefts to lead to identify theft…but luckily there are several preventative measures you can take to secure your data!

Last week, co-hosts Donna Wertalik and France Belanger joined WDBJ7 to discuss the important steps you can take both before and after your phone is lost📱

Watch the full interview here: https://www.wdbj7.com/2024/09/19/voices-privacy-what-do-if-you-lose-your-smartphone/?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAaZApMTC_5zFDC3f5daady1rZkKElX97ECI9k5_rdpyBkwoaMsbY0CCQrRM_aem_N10WyGQiohmEdS4ul1c2KA

12/09/2024

Today, 23% of customer service companies use AI-driven chatbots💬 While these tools are effective at providing quicker response times to customers, there are also some concerns about their data collection and interpretation capabilities.

Have you ever stopped to wonder how your conversations with chatbots are being stored? Or if it's safe to share sensitive information during these chats?🔐Hosts Donna Wertalik and France Belanger take a deep dive into this topic in our latest Webisode!

Find the link to Webisode 13 here for a full overview of chatbot technology🔗: https://youtu.be/GVzBUY3Tm4E

09/09/2024

Dick's Sporting Goods was recently hit by a cyberattack that targeted their confidential information systems👾In good news, DSG has a strong cybersecurity response plan that they were able to employ in a timely manner.

Moving forward, the company will be working to identify flaws in their security system and working to strengthen their digital barriers- which is a good reminder for all corporations to invest time into their data privacy🔐 Fox Business shared a great article on this topic, take a read for more information! https://www.foxbusiness.com/lifestyle/dicks-sporting-goods-hit-cyberattack.amp

Dick's Sporting Goods on Wednesday said that an unauthorized third-party gained access to its information systems on Aug. 21, the same day Halliburton was hit with a cyberattack.

06/09/2024

In a recent Social Security data breach, nearly 272 million SSN’s were accessed and being floated around hacker forums. Following the news of this hack, fear-mongering headlines were being shared and spread across the country. In fact, there are a few simple steps you can take to protect your identity and data!💪

Vox shares a plethora of helpful suggestions and info in the article linked below, we highly recommend it. A situation like this is a good reminder to stay educated, informed, and in-the-know when it comes to data privacy concerns!🔐 https://www.vox.com/technology/367986/freeze-credit-equifax-experian-transunion-ssn-breach

The social security data breach highlights the risk of identity theft.

04/09/2024

In just the past year, we have seen several U.S. courts fall victim to cyberattacks. With these threats growing more sophisticated and frequent, we are forced to wonder how we can better protect our judicial systems🧑‍⚖️Not only do cyberattacks disrupt court operations, but they put sensitive data in a vulnerable position🔓

Situations like these are why it is so important to consider data privacy and cybersecurity, in any industry or business. Take a read over this Forbes article where they outline a few instances of this issue and share several great insights🔎: https://www.forbes.com/sites/alonzomartinez/2024/08/30/cyberattacks-on-us-courts-vulnerabilities-impacts-and-response-strategies/

Discover how rising cyberattacks expose vulnerabilities in U.S. courts, affecting background checks and judicial operations. Learn about response strategies and the need for cybersecurity improvements.

29/08/2024

In today’s digital world, much of our childrens’ education takes place online💻With school back in session, now is the time to consider how to protect their data.

Last week, VOP hosts Donna Wertalik and France Belanger sat down with WDBJ7 to discuss ways to protect your children’s online identity and access 👥🔐

For more information, you can find the segment here: https://www.wdbj7.com/video/2024/08/22/voices-privacy-back-to-school-privacy-parents-children/

22/08/2024

season is finally here, which means now is the perfect time for parents and guardians to think about their child’s online safety! 📚📝

Kids are spending more time online than ever before, and it is important to consider where their data is being stored and how it is being shared. We love this article from Allstate, which outlines where to look for and how to take measures to ensure protection over your childrens’ personal information.🔒Check it out here:

With digital learning tools becoming commonplace, schools are collecting (and sometimes sharing) student data. Learn how to help protect your child’s data privacy.

14/08/2024

At the end of July, the Senate passed two bills that tackle the issue of how minors interact with the internet. These bills are taking action to specifically address the responsibility on tech companies to protect children from the harms of social media. 🤳

The KOSA and COPPA 2.0 bills are the first legislative step toward safer social media protocol for minors in some time. Among other things, they are targeting inappropriate advertising, messaging systems, and time restriction features on social media apps.📲 As these bills, and us, await the decision of the House, more tech companies are continuing to weigh in. Take a read of this article from Morning Brew for more information:

And opposition intensifies.

31/07/2024

When we choose to post online, we are inviting people into our lives. Whether you have a large or small network, it is important to be cognizant of who can access your content!🔐

A huge aspect of privacy on vacation is limiting what information you post, such as your whereabouts and travel dates.🗓️Today on host Donna Wertalik shares a few best practices when it comes to posting about your vacation online. For a deeper read into this subject, we love this article from Verizon, take a look: https://www.verizon.com/about/blog/how-to-stay-safe-on-social-media-while-traveling #:~:text=Don%27t%20overshare,you%20intend%20to%20be%20there.

26/06/2024

Have you watched our most recent news segment on WDBJ7?🎙️

Now that summer vacation is in full swing, it is important to know how to protect your personal data when you’re away from home. In addition to the tips our hosts discussed, check out this informative article from IDX on digital travel safety🔐

https://www.idx.us/knowledge-center/a-digital-safety-checklist-for-summer-travel

Summary : While summer vacations are an opportunity to forget about day-to-day cares, they’re also an occasion for bad actors to try and ruin your trip…

19/06/2024

Are you busy planning your summer vacations?🧳🏝️

This past week, our hosts Donna Wertalik and France Belanger went on WDBJ7 to discuss the potential privacy concerns that come with traveling. If you plan on taking any trips this summer, make sure you know how to protect yourself and your data.

Take a listen to learn more about rental home safety, smart-posting on social media, and more! 📲

https://ow.ly/9LAb50SlX5O

Tips for people getting ready to travel who want their information protected.

15/11/2023

Due to the rise of Artificially Intelligent technology advances, phishing attacks unfortunately just got upgraded to a whole new level. 💻

It is important to be able to recognize the differences between AI generated messages, and human generated messages.

Read this article below to learn more about GPT-3, and how you can avoid being the next AI phishing scam victim. 🔐

https://www.csoonline.com/article/574323/study-shows-attackers-can-use-chatgpt-to-significantly-enhance-phishing-and-bec-scams.html

Follow on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Youtube to learn more about digital privacy!

Researchers demonstrate how attackers can use the GPT-3 natural language model to launch more effective, harder-to-detect phishing and business email compromise campaigns.