From Roblox To Botnets: Hijacked Gadgets and more
Wed Jan 21 2026
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What if your living room was quietly working for someone else? This week we trace how low-cost Android TV boxes get roped into botnets, why that tanks your IP reputation, and the simple network hygiene that keeps your bank logins out of harm’s way. We keep it calm and practical: isolate smart gadgets on guest Wi‑Fi, kill debug modes you don’t need, and retire end‑of‑life routers before they become a liability.
We also unpack a busy Patch Tuesday where Microsoft fixed over a hundred vulnerabilities, including one already exploited. Updates remain your best defense, even when they cause side effects. We share a realistic update routine—save, schedule, reboot, verify—so you stay protected without bricking your morning meeting. Then we shift to AI safety: new research shows how assistant sessions can be hijacked or steered. The rule of thumb stands—don’t paste secrets, recovery codes, or private work into chatbots; if you wouldn’t post it publicly, don’t share it with a model.
Parents will want to hear the Roblox segment. Age verification promises safer spaces for kids, but account reselling and friction raise new risks. We lay out concrete steps: use platform parental controls, coach kids not to buy “verified” accounts, and treat age gates as helpful but imperfect. In our “weird but real” research corner, we hit laser-based eavesdropping on windows, gaming mice acting like microphones, ultrasonic cross-device tracking, and smart TV viewing analytics—plus quick privacy toggles that actually make a difference.
Stick around for a surprise: a preview of our free Account Finder that scans 500+ platforms to surface profiles connected to your email, built with hashing and without storing your data. Try it early by pinging us on social media, and tell us what security fix you’re making first. If this helped, follow, share with a friend who needs a home network tune-up, and leave a quick review—your feedback keeps the show sharp.
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Send us a text What if your living room was quietly working for someone else? This week we trace how low-cost Android TV boxes get roped into botnets, why that tanks your IP reputation, and the simple network hygiene that keeps your bank logins out of harm’s way. We keep it calm and practical: isolate smart gadgets on guest Wi‑Fi, kill debug modes you don’t need, and retire end‑of‑life routers before they become a liability. We also unpack a busy Patch Tuesday where Microsoft fixed over a hundred vulnerabilities, including one already exploited. Updates remain your best defense, even when they cause side effects. We share a realistic update routine—save, schedule, reboot, verify—so you stay protected without bricking your morning meeting. Then we shift to AI safety: new research shows how assistant sessions can be hijacked or steered. The rule of thumb stands—don’t paste secrets, recovery codes, or private work into chatbots; if you wouldn’t post it publicly, don’t share it with a model. Parents will want to hear the Roblox segment. Age verification promises safer spaces for kids, but account reselling and friction raise new risks. We lay out concrete steps: use platform parental controls, coach kids not to buy “verified” accounts, and treat age gates as helpful but imperfect. In our “weird but real” research corner, we hit laser-based eavesdropping on windows, gaming mice acting like microphones, ultrasonic cross-device tracking, and smart TV viewing analytics—plus quick privacy toggles that actually make a difference. Stick around for a surprise: a preview of our free Account Finder that scans 500+ platforms to surface profiles connected to your email, built with hashing and without storing your data. Try it early by pinging us on social media, and tell us what security fix you’re making first. If this helped, follow, share with a friend who needs a home network tune-up, and leave a quick review—your feedback keeps the show sharp. Support the show