Amer Owaida

Amer Owaida

Security Writer


Education M.A. in translation and interpreting.

Highlights of your career Working as a copywriter and freelancing as a translator while thinking in the correct language.

Position and history at ESET Joined in the fall of 2019 as security writer.

What malware do you hate the most? Adware, annoying the living daylight out of me since forever.

Favorite activities Drinking coffee while reading a book, exploring new places, trying new things..

Golden rule for cyberspace Don’t trust and always verify, always use a Gandalf level adblocker.

When did you get your first computer and what kind was it? A Pentium 3 powered pc with a GeForce card lacking a pixel shader, around the year 2000 so dial up modems were still a thing.

Favorite computer game/activity Assassin’s Creed or God of War spinning myths and history in fun alternative ways.


340 articles by Amer Owaida

Social Media

WhatsApp announces end-to-end encrypted backups

WhatsApp announces end-to-end encrypted backups

Social Media

WhatsApp announces end-to-end encrypted backups

The Facebook-owned messaging service plans to roll out the feature to both iOS and Android users in the coming weeks.

Amer Owaida14 Sep 20212 min. read


Scams

Beware of these 5 common scams you can encounter on Instagram

Beware of these 5 common scams you can encounter on Instagram

Scams

Beware of these 5 common scams you can encounter on Instagram

From cybercriminal evergreens like phishing to the verification badge scam, we look at the most common tactics fraudsters use to trick their victims

Amer Owaida13 Sep 20217 min. read


Cybercrime

Victims duped out of US$1.8 million by BEC and romance scam ring

Victims duped out of US$1.8 million by BEC and romance scam ring

Cybercrime

Victims duped out of US$1.8 million by BEC and romance scam ring

Elderly men and women were the main targets of the romance scams operated by the fraudsters.

Amer Owaida10 Sep 20212 min. read


Digital Security

Howard University suffers cyberattack, suspends online classes in aftermath

Howard University suffers cyberattack, suspends online classes in aftermath

Digital Security

Howard University suffers cyberattack, suspends online classes in aftermath

The university suffered a ransomware attack; however, there is no evidence so far of data being accessed or stolen.

Amer Owaida09 Sep 20212 min. read


Privacy

ProtonMail forced to log user’s IP address after order from Swiss authorities

ProtonMail forced to log user’s IP address after order from Swiss authorities

Privacy

ProtonMail forced to log user’s IP address after order from Swiss authorities

Following the incident the company has updated its website and privacy policy to clarify its legal obligations to users

Amer Owaida07 Sep 20212 min. read


Less Technical

A parent’s guide to smartphone security

A parent’s guide to smartphone security

Less Technical

A parent’s guide to smartphone security

Smartphones are kids’ trusty companions both in- and outside the classroom, and as they return to their desks, we’ve prepared some handy tips on how to keep their devices secure.

Amer Owaida03 Sep 20215 min. read


Social Media

Twitter introduces new feature to automatically block abusive behavior

Twitter introduces new feature to automatically block abusive behavior

Social Media

Twitter introduces new feature to automatically block abusive behavior

Dubbed Safety Mode, the feature will temporarily block authors of offensive tweets from being able to contact or follow users.

Amer Owaida02 Sep 20212 min. read


Less Technical

Don’t use single-factor authentication, warns CISA

Don’t use single-factor authentication, warns CISA

Less Technical

Don’t use single-factor authentication, warns CISA

The federal agency urges organizations to ditch the bad practice and instead use multi-factor authentication methods

Amer Owaida31 Aug 20212 min. read


Cybercrime

Man impersonates Apple support, steals 620,000 photos from iCloud accounts

Man impersonates Apple support, steals 620,000 photos from iCloud accounts

Cybercrime

Man impersonates Apple support, steals 620,000 photos from iCloud accounts

The man was after sexually explicit photos and videos that he would then share online or store in his own collection

Amer Owaida26 Aug 20213 min. read