Sitemap - 2020 - The Red Tape Chronicles

SolarWinds hack: What we know, and don't know, so far

Life with Covid: Sometimes, there is a monster around every corner

Google down, government hacked, FireEye raided, Amazon outage -- it's been a rough patch

Former top U.S. cybersecurity official sues Trump campaign after tsunami of death threats

Virtual learning faces another hurdle: ransomware

Is Apple's big bet on privacy working?

As bitcoin soars, so do ransomware attacks. Is it time to 'stop the madness?'

Facebook needs a corrections policy, viral circuit breakers, and much more

Report: Nation's top cybersecurity official out after contradicting Trump

Covid is 'the great reset' -- a chance for real progress on diversity and inclusion

Will vote counting really take that long? My hour-by-hour sanity guide for tonight

An election night misinformation guide: Stop, drop and roll

Many Americans *with* health insurance skip care over cost fears; open enrollment starts today

U.S. government sues Google, Big Tech officially on notice

Millions of ballots not counted!

Misinformation isn't that bad! (Or maybe I just want you to believe that)

Fairness -- yes, fairness -- is essential to capitalism, business, and economics

Georgia voting machines get 11th-hour software fix; security experts cry foul in crucial state

Podcast: 'It's very cheap to be a bad faith actor' -- why disinformation is an 'infinite game'

I was asked to help both the defense and the prosecution at Father of ID theft's sentencing

Yes, you are the product, and other reasons you shouldn't believe Facebook

'Deterrence' - 3.5 million Black voters labeled as targets for digital voter suppression effort

FBI warns about election night results hacking chaos; then election software firm says it's been hacked

What's it really like to negotiate with ransomware gangs?

Covid scam complaints pass 200,000, too. Here's how you can complain

Caught with your pants down on Zoom, technochauvinism, Covid's privacy creep, ghost stories, and swing states

Dirty digital politics: 'Brainwashing' and a virus attacking democracy

NYT's Kashmir Hill, and learning to live with facial recognition

The Four-Income Trap, Labor Day edition; voting ghost stories; and will your face predict you'll be late with rent?

Laptop shortages, Facebook loudmouths, fake accounts, and 'what inflation?'

Last-minute must-have gadgets for back-to-school when you aren't going back to school

Dangerous permissions, 'legitimizing surveillance' -- and a personal announcement

Mail-in voting: Is it really safe? All you ever wanted to know, FAQ style

Lies and manipulation are lapping the truth right now. She predicted it early.

Zoom outage hits schools hard; what's the backup plan for the backup plan?

Tracking the Covid tracker apps -- dangerous permissions and 'legitimizing surveillance'

Podcast: Why aren't housing prices going down? Bargain hunters, beware

Is smartphone contact tracing doomed to be a privacy killer? Or can tech really help?

Some Bank of America customers alarmed by $0 balance glitch; firm says it's a display issue

As Facebook wrestles with Covid 'censorship' complaints, criminals step into the confusion

Ripoffs, cybercrime, corporate misbehavior, 21st century headaches

New book - He should have started on opening day at Yankee Stadium, but ... I lost that court case

When fear takes hold, everything is a threat. And that's really scary. The dark side of 'attentional bias'

As Facebook wrestles with Covid 'censorship' complaints, criminals step into the confusion

Some Bank of America customers alarmed by $0 balance glitch; firm says it's a display issue

The cognitive bias collection

Podcast: Why aren't housing prices going down? Bargain hunters, beware

Podcast: The birth of CNN and 24-hour news, with author Lisa Napoli

Loss aversion: Why we hate losing more than we like winning, and why that's a trap

Is smartphone contact tracing doomed to be a privacy killer? Or can tech really help?

The S&P 500 turned positive for 2020: Here’s what that means for you

Time's running out! You'd better read this -- the scary power of scarcity

Living a fragile, paycheck-to-paycheck life? New 'FICO Resilience Index' will tell on you

Podcast: How to Lose the Information War (Hint: Start playing Whack-A-Troll)

Yoga app developer says Apple forces him to 'steal' from users through auto-payment gotcha

Illusory Superiority: Everyone can't be above-average. Where are your blind spots?

Will savers soon have to pay their banks interest? The perils of low interest rates

Why 'getting attached' costs you real money -- the Endowment Effect

Podcast: How to detect fake anything in a zero trust world - my conversation with Avivah Litan

Podcast: How blockchain, and the 'Internet of Value,' can fight exploitation and racism

Hate and misinformation are a feature, not a bug -- 'ban targeted ads' movement gains traction

Hyperbolic discounting: It's now vs. the future, and it's not a fair fight

Where is my puppy??!! As online shopping surges during Covid, so does online fraud

Photo essay -- Hoboken Black Lives Matter protest

Program that funnels surplus military equipment to local cops under scrutiny again

If we're going to talk about Section 230, let's get it right

Groupthink and false consensus were already dangerous; then Facebook showed up

PODCAST: Inside a cybercrime gang that's stealing millions from U.S. unemployment benefits

Maybe I'm getting soft, but Covid-19 fees really aren't that bad

After 40 years, What's CNN good for? The Lisa Napoli 'Up All Night' interview

Podcast: 'This is heartbreaking' - unemployment ID theft victims in red tape nightmare

The Dunning-Kruger effect: It's not what you think

Podcast: Will someone -- or some country -- steal the Covid-19 vaccine?

VIDEO: This is All I Got -- the Lauren Sandler interview

A quarter of Americans are late on rent, mortgage payments; teleworkers fare better than most

Podcast: A booby-trapped infection map, fake cures, sick kids -- a conversation about 'golden age of scams'

No Place to Hide podcast ep. 1: When privacy is a matter of life and death

'Mistakes were made' -- how did we get privacy so wrong? Place to Hide podcast, Ep. 2

'A system that can .. change the way you think and the way you feel' - No Place to Hide podcast, ep. 3

Venmo adds 'paying for a purchase' feature; 3% fee pays for 'refund support'

Erin and Noah on the run, why Americans carry tracking devices everywhere now - No Place to Hide, Ep. 4

A billion cameras watching us; and now Baltimore cops watch from airplanes above the city -- No Place to Hide podcast, ep. 5

Who's funding the Covid-19 cure gold rush? You are...or you did

Is Covid-19 the end of privacy? It doesn't have to be (and, the No Place to Hide podast finale, ep. 6)

As Covid-19 baffles ER doctors and traditional treatments, it leaves hints for better care

There is no Red or Blue Covid-19 cure; here's a primer on what might work

Use behavioral economics to stay sane while working from home

Are mail-in ballots a recipe for fraud? No, says the man who first hacked voting machines

U.S. small businesses drown in red tape awaiting lifeline; in Europe, many already have Covid cash

Daily podcast: How technology is helping people cope with covid-19 (all 13 episodes on one page!)

Postscript: Closing the loop on the data broker project

VIDEO: Behind the scenes of HBO 'Kill Chain' documentary with Harri Hursti

As Zoom use explodes, so do Zoom problems. Here's my security checklist

We got your back, CFPB seems to say to credit bureaus; consumer group cries foul as late bills pile up

OK, we're stuck until June. What can you do with 60 days? A lot. Take the two-month challenge

Trapped at home by the virus, fears over domestic violence grow -- here's immediate help

Affect Heuristic: Tell the truth. You just like (or hate) Trump, don't you? That's life ... a bunch of likes

Podcast: Coronavirus is coming for your credit, and Congress didn't help much

For gig workers, Uncle Sam's virus relief legislation might help a lot. Or not at all

America's invisible heroes stay at their posts; let's not replace them with robots

A $1 trillion....errr $2 trillion...err $6 trillion bailout? Guess where the money is going

From $9.50 an hour to VP of cybersecurity -- thanks to free school in the Bronx

Podcast: Small businesses might look to SBA loans for a lifeline. It might not work. Get in line anyway

Kids studying at home now? Five survival tips to try

Anxious? Who isn't? Here are few things that might help

Listen carefully for survivor bias as you hear coronavirus advice

Coronavirus could be a tipping point (finally) for telecommuting

Nursing home outbreak spotlights coronavirus risk in elder care facilities

On Wall Street, what goes up, comes down ... a heck of lot faster. But, it'll be ok

'Radiological hazard' warning was fake -- but it's still a warning

Thieves target ride-sharing apps like Getaround, D.C. attorney general says

U.S. says Chinese military behind massive Equifax hack

My sneaky, mystery $2.50 Postmates/Google fee, and what it says about our economy

The Gotcha Capitalism conversation with radio legend Bob Edwards

January goals fizzled? Try 'temptation bundling'

Plastic surgeon's patients extorted by hackers, as ransomware gangs ramp up dual-threat hacks

Popular beauty/selfie apps from China 'spy' on users; Grindr, Tindr, dating apps accusing of privacy violations

Travelex crippling hack hints at new combined ransomware/data breach attacks

Lucky Vacation Spots: Louisville, Kentucky

Iran-U.S. cyberwar has a long history - what you should do now to protect yourself