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Monday review: the hot 20 stories of the week

by Anna Brading on October 29, 2012 | Leave a comment

Here you go. All the stories we wrote in the past seven days, in case you missed anything (or just want to read them again).

Should you lie on Facebook? [VIDEO]

by Graham Cluley on October 25, 2012 | 16 Comments

A senior government official has advised users of social networks such as Facebook on how to better protect their privacy.

Don't tell social networks the truth.

Firefox 17 protects your privacy while enhancing the Facebook experience

by Chester Wisniewski on October 24, 2012 | 8 Comments

The latest beta release of Mozilla's popular Firefox browser has introduced a new social media API. Can a web browser make it easier to use social media while protecing your privacy? Mozilla hopes so.

How Hotmail lets down its users security-wise compared to Gmail and Yahoo

by Graham Cluley on October 22, 2012 | 21 Comments

Hotmail lets down its over 350 million users when it comes to security, by not giving them an easy way to tell if their account has been accessed by unauthorised third parties.

Apple resumes User Tracking with iOS 6. Here's how to disable it

by Paul Roberts on October 17, 2012 | 4 Comments

Apple was eager to promote the many new features in iOS6, but avoided mention of one: IFA - or identifier for advertisers - the company's newest device tracking technology.

Facebook to exclude phone numbers from reverse lookup - for users of two-factor authentication, anyway

by Paul Ducklin on October 16, 2012 | 3 Comments

Facebook to exclude phone numbers from reverse search - for users of two-factor SMS authentication, anyway

Facebook's SMS-based login security was a Catch-22. You had to give Facebook your phone number to improve security. But that exposed your phone number to the vagaries of the Facebook search system.

That's now changed, but apparently only temporarily, while Facebook decides what happens next.

Your phone number may not be as private on Facebook as you think - and how to fix it

by Graham Cluley on October 10, 2012 | 40 Comments

If you use Facebook, your phone number may not be as private as you think.

A way in which Facebook privacy can be abused has come to light that will shock many users, but that the social network itself seems to consider a deliberate feature.

Proof of concept Android malware creates 3D maps of your home

by Paul Roberts on October 2, 2012 | 16 Comments

Researchers have created a malicious mobile phone application that uses phone and other sensors to create 3D visual maps of the owner’s home and other spaces.

Feds snooping on email activity and social networks, without warrants - and it's on the rise

by Paul Roberts on September 28, 2012 | 4 Comments

Documents released by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) on Thursday show that law enforcement agencies in the U.S. have greatly increased surveillance of Americans’ electronic communications – often without a warrant or judicial oversight.

Companies agree to stop spying, taking secret photos on rented home computers

by Paul Roberts on September 27, 2012 | 10 Comments

The US Federal Trade Commission has reached a settlement with a remote monitoring software firm and its customers over what the agency said was flagrant computer spying on customers of the rental stores.

How to read the minds of strangers.. with a little help from Facebook [VIDEO]

by Graham Cluley on September 26, 2012 | 4 Comments

How to read the minds of strangers.. just by using Facebook [VIDEO]

Over a million people have watched a video revealing the simple secrets of how to read people's minds, and even discover specific financial information.

And it's not as hard as you might think..

Judge denies Home Depot's demand for worker's emotion-laden Facebook posts

by Lisa Vaas on September 18, 2012 | 11 Comments

A federal California judge has ruled that Home Depot can't rummage through a former worker's Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, or other social media posts and pictures to prove that she lied about emotional distress caused by her employer's alleged wrongdoing.

But some of her Facebook posts are fair game.

Google, Facebook, Microsoft join non-profit to promote internet's awesomeness [VIDEO]

by Paul Roberts on September 14, 2012 | 4 Comments

Can companies like Facebook, Microsoft and Google fix the dangers of the internet through education, or do we need more legislation involved?

Free speech advocates say UK is too harsh in policing tweets

by Paul Roberts on August 20, 2012 | 11 Comments

The UK is one of the world's leaders in tweeting, but academics and free speech advocates warn that the British government's heavy-handed response to tasteless and offensive tweets could have a chilling effect.