Security | Threat Detection | Cyberattacks | DevSecOps | Compliance

The explosive growth of TikTok in schools isn’t just a trend—it’s a cybersecurity ticking time bomb. From rampant exposure to harmful content to severe data privacy concerns, TikTok’s unchecked influence poses significant threats to the safety and well-being of students, as well as compromising the technical infrastructure and sensitive data of schools.

In a time where digital transactions and online markets predominate, purchase scams have increased frequently as scammers develop ever-more sophisticated strategies to prey on consumers. This guide sheds light on the intricacies of purchase scams, focusing on common types, providing comprehensive strategies to safeguard against them, and offering real-world examples for a better understanding, particularly on popular platforms like Facebook Marketplace and fake online shopping websites.

Maintaining an active social media presence can be a great way to improve brand visibility and generate leads, but it also opens the door to cybersecurity risks — from phishing scams and malware to identify theft and data breaches. If employees accidentally post confidential information or click dodgy links via corporate accounts, cybercriminals can launch malicious attacks that can cause lasting damage to your business (67% of data breaches result from human error).

The Met Gala, fashion's biggest night, was not just the A-list attendees who stole the spotlight—digital imposters in the form of AI-generated superstars sent social media into a frenzy. As the actual stars showcased their designer ensembles at the gala, X and other platforms were overrun with images of celebrities who were shown to be there, but they actually didn't attend. This new phenomenon has given rise to a online spectacle that is challenging the realms of reality and fantasy.

Facebook (FB) is the most popular social platform worldwide, hosting 2.9 billion monthly active users. The draw to FB comes from its social connectivity, allowing friends and family to stay connected, updated, and in each other’s lives, no matter where they are. Facebook’s success is also due, in part, to its platform services. The Facebook Marketplace is among the most used, with nearly 16% of active users (491 million people) using the platform to review the available items.

For most folks, social media has become integral to their daily lives in today's hyperconnected world. They use platforms like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to share their thoughts, experiences and personal moments with friends and family. Being online has even become a business for content creators, who share their insights and thoughts of their daily lives, from “Getting Ready With Me” (GRWM) to recording video trends of jumping over your camera to the beach or the latest dance craze.

BleepingComputer describes a phishing scam that’s been running rampant on Facebook for the past several months, in which threat actors use hacked accounts to post links to phony articles implying that someone has been killed in an accident. The Facebook posts have captions like “I can't believe he is gone,” accompanied by thumbnails of news articles involving car accidents or crime scenes.

Update: Meta appears to be coming online again. Breaking news: 3 threat actor groups (Skynet, Godzilla, and Anonymous Sudan) have claimed to attack and shut down Facebook, Threads and Instagram. Users are being automatically logged out of Meta and being shown session expired messages. Then they are unable to log back in. Instagram is showing feed errors.