[Fox News] Police urge parents to turn off Apple iPhone setting dangerous to kids

In the wake of Apple’s latest software update, iOS 17, police departments across several states, including Massachusetts, Illinois and California, have issued an urgent advisory to parents. 

This cautionary message stems from the introduction of a feature called “NameDrop,” which, by default, is activated in the new update.

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How ‘NameDrop’ works

NameDrop enables the sharing of contact information when iPhones are brought close together, a functionality that, while innovative, poses significant risks if two iPhones are brought physically together head-to-head, particularly to children, according to law enforcement.

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The police departments of Dighton and Andover in Massachusetts are leading the charge in raising awareness about this feature. They’ve taken to social media to educate the public, especially parents, about the potential dangers associated with NameDrop.

Dangers of ‘NameDrop’ feature for children

Their posts clarify that upon updating to iOS 17, users will find this feature automatically turned on, a default setting that could unwittingly expose personal information.

For parents, the primary concern is the security and privacy of their children. The ease with which contact details can be exchanged merely through proximity increases the risk of this sensitive information falling into the wrong hands.

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Keep in mind, it’s highly unlikely your child’s information could be shared by simply coming near a stranger. The specific concern would be if a child is guided or tricked into putting their phone tip to the other tip of a stranger’s phone.

It’s important to note that both iPhones must be unlocked and practically touching each other to use the Name Drop feature. Once a connection is established, your phone will vibrate and glow. Then you will get a prompt to share either your phone number or email address. You can also only receive contact information without sharing your own. No information is shared without you clicking one of those options.

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How to disable NameDrop feature on iPhone

Recognizing this threat, the police have provided clear instructions on how to disable NameDrop. If you are a parent and want to err on the safe side, here’s how to turn off NameDrop.

This step is essential for safeguarding the privacy of children on their iPhones, iPads and other Apple devices.

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How NameDrop puts children at risk for predators and cybercriminals

If a stranger were to obtain a child’s contact information via NameDrop, the consequences could be severe. This unauthorized access to email addresses and phone numbers can be exploited by individuals with malicious intent, including predators and cybercriminals.

The introduction of NameDrop raises significant cybersecurity concerns. The ease of information sharing, while a testament to technological advancement, also brings forth new challenges in ensuring digital safety, especially for vulnerable groups like children.

What parents should do for all kids’ phones, tablets and computers

In addition to this privacy setting, I always recommend using parental controls on your young children’s devices and deploying strong antivirus protection to help intercept threats in today’s increasingly growing dangers. You can see my Best Antivirus Protection options and reviews here.

We reached out to Apple for a comment and were offered guidance and clarity on how NameDrop works.

Apple says, “To cancel NameDrop at any time, a user can simply swipe from the bottom of the display, lock their device or move their device away if the connection has not been established.”

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Kurt’s key takeaways

The advice from police departments and cybersecurity experts is the safest solution: Concerned parents should take proactive steps to adjust the settings on their children’s devices to mitigate the risks associated with this new feature.

Although it takes physically putting the tops of two iPhones together for NameDrop to be initiated, children could be persuaded to use the feature by a stranger. Parents should educate their kids accordingly.

Do you think kids consider their own security and safety seriously enough? What else should be done to keep children safe? Let us know by writing us at Cyberguy.com/Contact.

For more of my tech tips and security alerts, subscribe to my free CyberGuy Report Newsletter by heading to Cyberguy.com/Newsletter.

Ask Kurt a question or let us know what stories you’d like us to cover.

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[Fox News] Mysterious tar balls wash up on New Jersey beaches

Authorities in New Jersey are investigating after they were notified of mysterious tar balls peppering the beaches of the Jersey Shore.

The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, and Monmouth County officials said that tar balls of various sizes and shapes have been found along the Jersey Shore in recent weeks. 

In a press release, the USCG said that officials were first notified about the mysterious tar balls ranging in size from approximately 1–2 inches and smaller on an approximately 6-mile stretch near Seven Presidents Oceanfront Park on Tuesday morning.

The state Department of Environmental Protection, the U.S. Coast Guard and Monmouth County officials dispatched personnel to identify the source of pollution.

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Investigators conducted a fly-over on Tuesday, but were unable to identify any oil on the surface of the water, the USCG said.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, tar balls are created when crude oil on the surface of the ocean gets formed into balls by wind and waves. The balls are sometimes created by oil spills, but can also result from natural oil seeps from the ocean floor.

The USCG said that crews are continuing to investigate the source of the tar balls and are beginning clean-up efforts along the popular beaches of the Jersey Shore.

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The Coast Guard has opened the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund in order to swiftly initiate response actions, and an oil spill removal organization (OSRO) has begun shoreline assessment and clean up.

Authorities said that cleanup crews are working to assess the shoreline and waterway impacts from Sea Bright, New Jersey to Long Branch Beach, New Jersey.

“Beach goers and mariners are advised to avoid contact with the tar balls,” Coast Guard officials said. “Anyone who notices any tar balls or oil sheen in the area should contact the National Response Center at 1-800-424-8802.”

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[Fox News] Join 900,000 others who are sending names into space on NASA spacecraft to Jupiter’s moon, Europa

Have you ever dreamed of going to space? 

Well, now part of you can, through NASA’s Message in a Bottle campaign.

Since June 1, 2023, NASA has been collecting names to send up to space on the Europa Clipper spacecraft. 

Ever since the campaign kicked off, there have been more than 900,000 names collected from submissions from all around the world.

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The Europa Clipper spacecraft is set to take off from the Kennedy Space Center in October 2024. 

After its launch, the spacecraft will begin a 1.8 billion-mile journey to explore Jupiter’s moon, Europa.

Europa is known as an “ocean world that may support life,” according to NASA’s website. 

The spacecraft will spend many years orbiting the moon to gather more information about the oceans that are believed to be under the moon’s icy surface. By 2030, the spacecraft is to enter orbit around Jupiter and conduct dozens of Europa flybys in the years that follow, according to NASA. 

The spacecraft is expected to gather measurements that will help determine if the moon is suitable for life.

The Message in a Bottle campaign is a special collaboration between NASA, the Library of Congress and U.S. poet laureate Ada Limón. 

On the spacecraft there will be a poem written by Limón called “In Praise of Mystery: A Poem from Europa.” Along with the poem will be all the names submitted by those from around the world. Each line of names will be 75 nanometers. 

For comparison, that is 1/1000 the width of a human hair, according to NASA. These names will be stenciled into microchips that will be part of the spacecraft.

Submitting your name to be sent into space is a very easy process. All you have to do is visit NASA’s web page dedicated to this campaign. You’ll be asked to enter your first and last name, email, country, state and zip code.

Why have more than 900,000 people jumped on board this campaign? 

After all, there is no one to receive the message up in space and the names are each sketched so tiny. Plus, the spacecraft isn’t landing anywhere.

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With all these points holding true, the simplest reason could be that they’ll be able to say a piece of them is up in space, 1.8 billion miles away. 

Even though no one that we know of will receive the message, and even though humans won’t be traveling to this destination themselves, having your name on the spacecraft could provide an exciting experience for the hundreds of thousands who are participating.

“Even if my name doesn’t have a concrete presence in reality, and should therefore be able to ‘travel’ across light-years and perhaps transcend dimensions, I am not sure it can ‘be’ somewhere unless there’s someone in that place to think of it,” wrote Monisha Ravisetti, an astronomy editor for Space.com, about her experience in submitting her name to the campaign. 

“And there’s no one on Europa (I suppose, to the best of our knowledge) to think of it. Or to think of yours. So maybe NASA is offering us the next best thing, allowing our names to take residence somewhere besides the neighborhood of Earth, the only neighborhood in which they’ve been thought of.”

This campaign doesn’t mark the first time messages have been sent beyond Earth. In 1977, there were unique gold-plated phonograph records that were filled with sounds and images from life on Earth that were sent on NASA’s Voyager 1 and 2 spacecraft. 

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This was “intended to communicate a story of our world to extraterrestrials,” according to NASA.

For the Message in a Bottle campaign, names can be submitted up until 11:59 p.m. on Dec. 31, 2023.

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[Fox News] 5 ways to securely access Wi-Fi on your phone while traveling

Have you ever wondered how to use your iPhone when you travel abroad? Do you know if your Wi-Fi is secure when you switch to 5G? Do you need to worry about hackers or identity thieves when you connect to public Wi-Fi networks?

These are some of the questions that many people have, including Debbie from Wilmington, North Carolina.

“When my Wi-Fi goes to 5G, is it protected on my iPhone? I will be going to Italy… for 16 days of vacation using a travel pass with Verizon. What is the best way to use the phone, using hotel Wi-Fi or my phone only?” — Debbie, Wilmington, NC

If you are traveling to a foreign country and want to stay connected with your loved ones or share your amazing experiences on social media, you should be aware of the best practices to protect your privacy and data online. Different countries have different laws and regulations for internet safety, which may affect your access and security.

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Am I still protected when I use 5G on my smartphone?

The safest way to use your smartphone is always to use a private Wi-Fi network. However, these are often not accessible to us when we’re traveling abroad or in a public space. When you’re not connected to Wi-Fi, your smartphone will typically switch over to a 5G network, which is a type of cellular network technology that allows your smartphone to continue surfing the web when you need to.

The issue is that 5G networks are not always the safest. If the network is using an older security protocol, such as WPA2 Personal, then your iPhone may be more vulnerable to an attack.

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So, what is the safest way to use my smartphone while I’m abroad?

There are a few steps that you can take when you go abroad that will protect your safety more than a 5G network might be able to. Here are my top 5 tips.

1. Use a VPN to stay private

A Virtual Private Network (VPN) helps protect your privacy and anonymity online. It does so by encrypting your internet traffic and routing it through a secure server. This means that advertisers and other third parties will find it much harder to track your website visits. It also hides your IP address, making it difficult for snoops to identify you while you’re browsing the internet. 

See my expert review of the best VPNs for browsing the web privately on your Windows, Mac, Android & iOS devices.

2. Use hotel Wi-Fi

If the hotel you’re staying in has a private and secure Wi-Fi network, then you’re better off using that than using your phone’s 5G network. If the hotel only has a public Wi-Fi network, then I would stay away from those public Wi-Fi options, as they are typically the most vulnerable to hackers. However, there are plenty of hotels around the world that have private networks that are only accessible to guests. Make sure you call your hotel ahead of time or ask about the Wi-Fi policy at the front desk once you get there.

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3. Use a SIM card

You could also consider purchasing a local SIM card or using an international roaming plan from your carrier. 

Verizon offers a TravelPass option that allows you to use your existing plan while traveling internationally. Before you choose this option, make sure you read the pricing and terms carefully to prevent any surprises on your bill.

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4. Keep your software up to date

Make sure that the software on your smartphone is up to date before you travel abroad. Software updates often include security and bug fixes that will protect your device against malware, so you must have whatever the latest update is at all times.

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How to check for software updates on an iPhone

How to check for software updates on an Android

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Settings may vary depending on your Android phone’s manufacturer.

5. Have good antivirus software on your device

If you’re abroad and your phone does get infected with malware, antivirus software will be able to detect it and warn you. Having antivirus software on your devices will make sure you are stopped from clicking on any potential malicious links that may install malware on your devices, allowing hackers to gain access to your personal information. 

See my expert review of the best antivirus protection for your Windows, Mac, Android & iOS devices.

Kurt’s key takeaways

Ultimately, the best way to use your phone while traveling will depend on your specific needs and preferences. It’s important to consider factors such as cost, convenience, and security when deciding on a plan of action.

What other types of protection do you wish were available for your devices while traveling abroad? Let us know by writing us at Cyberguy.com/Contact.

For more of my tech tips and security alerts, subscribe to my free CyberGuy Report Newsletter by heading to Cyberguy.com/Newsletter.

Ask Kurt a question or let us know what stories you’d like us to cover

Answers to the most asked CyberGuy questions:

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