Smith I.T. Consulting & Technical Support, LLC

04/27/2026

Supreme Court considers whether geofence warrants for cellphones violate 4th Amendment

LISTEN LIVE: Supreme Court hears cases on geofence warrants and cancer warnings on weedkiller labels

11/04/2025

🚨 SECURITY ALERT: WooCommerce Sites & Online Shoppers

A sophisticated malware campaign is actively targeting WordPress/WooCommerce sites. Attackers are installing fake plugins with random names (like "license-user-kit" or "jwt-log-pro") that steal credit card data during checkout.

If you run a WooCommerce site:

Scan for unknown plugins immediately. Update Wordfence or your security software NOW. Check for suspicious PNG files in your uploads

If you shop online:

Watch for unusual checkout behavior
Use PayPal or virtual cards when possible
Monitor your statements closely
Wordfence released detection signatures in September 2025, but many sites remain vulnerable.
Need help securing your site? We're here to help.
📖 Read more: https://www.wordfence.com/blog/2025/10/rogue-wordpress-plugin-conceals-multi-tiered-credit-card-skimmers-in-fake-png-files/

10/26/2025

While Large Language Models are having their moment in the public eye, the reality is that AI has the potential to disrupt industries across the board. Learning AI may be the key to staying in front of the latest trends, or at the very least, not being left behind.

With the new Google Skills online platform, you can sign up for different courses and labs to learn AI.

10/05/2025

Do You Know Where Your Chargers Are?

If you recognize that old PSA, you are showing your age (like me!) ;-)

But seriously - do you have a system for your chargers, or is it total chaos?

I have been thinking about this because charging has become so ubiquitous in daily life, yet everyone handles it differently. Dedicated charging stations. Timers to prevent overnight charging. Chargers scattered everywhere hoping for the best.

What is your approach? Got a system that works? Do you charge overnight? Multiple charging spots or one central location? I am curious what everyone does.

For me, I have a dedicated surge protector power strip in the living room for my charging station. Most of my devices end up there, although I still find random chargers sneaking their way into the bedroom or car.

What about you? Do you know where YOUR chargers are right now? ;-)

10/02/2025

I Read WordPress Security Reports So My Clients Don't Have To.

This week's Wordfence report just dropped, and there are some important updates every WordPress site owner should know about.

Two BIG ones this week:

* The Events Calendar plugin (if you use this, update NOW) - Two critical vulnerabilities discovered that could let attackers access your site without even logging in. Over 700,000 sites use this plugin. The good news? There's a fix available - version 6.15.3.

* Ninja Forms (another popular plugin) - Critical vulnerability affecting 600,000+ sites. If you're using version 3.11.0 or older, update immediately.

* WordPress Core also has a couple issues - Medium severity XSS vulnerabilities. The WordPress team is working on fixes, but these require someone to already have access to your site, so they're lower risk.

I read these reports every week so my clients don't have to worry about keeping track. It's how I know which plugins need immediate attention and which sites might be at risk.

If you manage your own WordPress site: Not sure if these affect you? That's what I'm here for. Drop me a message and I'll help you figure it out.

📢 Calling all Vulnerability Researchers and Bug Bounty Hunters! 📢 🚀 Operation: Maximum Impact Challenge! Now through November 10, 2025, earn 2X bounty rewards for all in-scope submissions in software with at least 5,000 active installs and fewer than 5 million active installs. Bounties up t...

09/27/2025

Good article from ZDNET:
How to upgrade your 'incompatible' Windows 10 PC to Windows 11 - for free today

Microsoft really doesn't want customers to upgrade older PCs, but there are workarounds for many models. Here's everything you need to know before support ends in less than three weeks.

ZDNET's key takeaways

Most PCs from the last 15 years can run Windows 11, even if they fail compatability.
PCs sold with Windows 10 can usually upgrade after a quick registry edit.
On older or unusually configured PCs, a third-party utility gets the job done.
On Oct. 14, 2025, Microsoft will stop delivering security updates to your Windows 10 PC unless you enroll that PC in the Extended Security Updates program.

If you try to upgrade to Windows 11 on a PC that's more than five or six years old, you'll probably encounter an error message telling you -- in no uncertain terms -- that your old PC doesn't qualify because its CPU isn't on the official list of compatible processors. Microsoft has stated, forcefully, that it will not revise those requirements. You will also hit roadblocks if your PC doesn't have a Trusted Platform Module (TPM) version 2.0, or if the TPM is not enabled.

That might be the official policy, but -- as with everything Windows-related -- it pays to read the fine print.

Those pesky restrictions prevent you from automatically upgrading to Windows 11 using Windows Update or the Windows 11 Installation Assistant. Yet, as hundreds of ZDNET readers have reported this year alone, there are documented workarounds for most PCs that were originally built for Windows 10.

Over the past few years, Microsoft has played a cat-and-mouse game with enthusiasts, adding occasional speed bumps that make it more difficult to bypass these compatibility checks. There are workarounds for most modern PCs, but some older devices, especially those built using AMD processors, might be out of luck.

The instructions [in this article] take all those developments into account.

Microsoft really doesn't want customers to upgrade older PCs, but there are workarounds for many models. Here's everything you need to know before support ends in less than three weeks.

06/22/2025

A Massive Security Wake-Up Call

We wanted to share this important security alert with you. If you have not already heard, researchers have just confirmed what could be the largest password leak in history - a staggering 16 billion login credentials exposed. This is not just another data breach story; this directly impacts the security of your online accounts across major platforms like Apple, Facebook, Google, and countless others....

A Massive Security Wake-Up Call We wanted to share this important security alert with you. If you have not already heard, researchers have just confirmed what could be the largest password leak in …

06/19/2025

From the article:

Update, June 19, 2025: This story, originally published on June 18, has been updated with comments from the founders of Keeper Security regarding the 16 billion leaked passwords and other login credentials across the major tech vendor landscape.

If you thought that my May 23 report, confirming the leak of login data totaling an astonishing 184 million compromised credentials, was frightening, I hope you are sitting down now. Researchers have just confirmed what is also certainly the largest data breach ever, with an almost incredulous 16 billion login credentials, including passwords, exposed. As part of an ongoing investigation that started at the beginning of the year, the researchers have postulated that the massive password leak is the work of multiple infostealers. Here’s what you need to know and do.

Is This The GOAT When It Comes To Passwords Leaking?
Password compromise is no joke; it leads to account compromise and that leads to, well, the compromise of most everything you hold dear in this technological-centric world we live in. It’s why Google is telling billions of users to replace their passwords with much secure passkeys. It’s why the FBI is warning people not to click on links in SMS messages. It’s why stolen passwords are up for sale, in their millions, on the dark web to anyone with the very little amount of cash required to purchase them. And it’s why this latest revelation is, frankly, so darn concerning for everyone.

According to Vilius Petkauskas at Cybernews, whose researchers have been investigating the leakage since the start of the year, “30 exposed datasets containing from tens of millions to over 3.5 billion records each,” have been discovered. In total, Petkauskas has confirmed, the number of compromised records has now hit 16 billion. Let that sink in for a bit. These collections of login credentials, these databases stuffed full of compromised passwords, comprise what is thought to be the largest such leak in history.

Change all your account passwords now — don’t wait: 16 billion credentials are confirmed as having been leaked.