This privacy digest highlights critical data breaches, including a significant incident at the University of Pennsylvania, and supply chain attacks via Open VSX. We also cover the arrest of an alleged Jabber Zeus coder and explore the manipulation of AI summarization tools. Finally, we provide essential guidance on protecting personal data and avoiding scams, emphasizing user consent and data minimization.
Top 5 Critical Privacy Alerts
- Penn hacker claims 1.2 million donor data breach; A hacker claims responsibility for the University of Pennsylvania data breach, exposing 1.2 million donor records. Read more
- Open VSX rotates access tokens after supply-chain malware attack; Open VSX rotated access tokens after a leak allowed attackers to publish malicious extensions. Read more
- Alleged Jabber Zeus Coder ‘MrICQ’ in U.S. Custody: Yuriy Igorevich Rybtsov, aka MrICQ, a developer for the Jabber Zeus cybercrime group, is now in U.S. custody. Read more
- AI Summarization Optimization: Meeting attendees may manipulate AI notetakers by using specific language to be captured in summaries. Read more
- Microsoft: Windows Task Manager won’t quit after KB5067036 update: A known issue prevents users from quitting Windows 11 Task Manager after installing the October 2025 update. Read more
Data Minimization & User Consent
- Get a credit freeze to stop identity thieves: Freezing your credit is a great way to protect yourself from identity theft; here’s what to know. Read more
- How to help protect foster youth from identity theft: Foster youth are at greater risk of identity theft; learn how to help protect them. Read more
- No, that’s not an FTC commissioner on the phone: Scammers pretend to be FTC officials to get your money; the FTC will never ask you to move your money. Read more
- Before you donate, find out where the money is going: The FTC says Kars-R-Us.com lied about how vehicle donations would be spent on a breast cancer charity. Read more
- How to spot a job scam: Learn how to identify phony business opportunities, work-at-home scams, and shady employment agencies. Read more
- How to prepare yourself to deal with an emergency and avoid disaster-related scams: Have a plan and know how to spot disaster-related scams to protect yourself during emergencies. Read more
- This Medicare Open Enrollment season, learn how to protect yourself from scams: Scammers become more active during Medicare Open Enrollment; learn how to spot and avoid them. Read more
- Thinking about selling your timeshare? Key steps to avoid scams: Be cautious when selling your timeshare; learn how to avoid scams. Read more
- Who’s eligible for a refund from Amazon?: Amazon agreed to pay $2.5 billion for enrolling people in Prime without consent; $1.5 billion will go back to consumers. Read more
- When sharing your info online leads to unwanted and unlawful telemarketing calls: Companies trick you into sharing info, then sell it to telemarketers; learn how to cut down on unwanted calls. Read more
