Cops can be harsh art critics

from here

I can see making a fake license plate so that it's harder to identify the car as stolen, but if you're going to steal a car, maybe steal some better art supplies while you're at it.

Beer can covers

Product Page

Apparently, if you need to smuggle beer into some place, there's a product that can help with that. I may not approve of the brand, but I'm sure this works with most beers as they generally come in a fairly standard sized/shaped can.

Clumsiness and crookedness don't mix

from here (image source)

If you're robbing a place, it might be a good idea to know which exits will actually allow you to exit so you don't face plant into one of them.

These guys and their disguise

found on Me.me

I don't imagine this actually fools anyone, but I suppose as long as there's the appearance of compliance the authorities might let it slide

Mo' Data Mo' Problems

from here (image source)

Nobody wants to have the kinds of problems Facebook has - not even Facebook. I don't exactly know how how to meaningfully minimize data when you've got over 2 billion users, but oddly companies like Facebook run as fast as they can in the opposite direction, collecting not only vast amounts of data users enter into their profiles but also data about everything they do and everywhere they go. It's almost as though they can't see how their greed is hurting them.

I guess it clammed up

found on Funny Junk

To be fair they're called virus scanners not virus counters.

I think I see the problem

from here

Apparently it's not just victims who can be caught unaware of their surroundings, criminals can have bad situational awareness too.

I hacked myself today

found on Funny Junk

Forgetting your password presents you with a great opportunity to try and see what's entailed with trying to break into an account. You know pretty much everything there is to know about your target (you) so you can make educated guesses about what kind of password it might be, whether there are dictionary words involved, what kinds of numbers or symbols are likely to be used, etc.

Unfortunately, you usually only find out you've forgotten your password when you really need into the account and don't have time to mess around with all that. However, if you ever find yourself with the time, do try it and and see how well you do.

A known serial offender

from here (image source)

Of course this is in jest. Invasions of privacy are not actually treated as serious problems. The above image was apparently (according to some digging I did) a sex offender in a Santa suit.

Would we arrest the real Santa in the event we did start taking privacy more seriously? Probably not because people still want presents.

We wish you a Merry Cryptmas and a Happy New Sneer

found on Agent-X Comics

Happy holidays and I hope you all got something with more substance.

Santa the pen-tester

from here and here (image source)

Considering he wears a red suit, it really shouldn't come as a surprise. He's basically advertising the fact.

Fly the over-friendly skies

found on Freeduh

The mistletoe isn't going too far. The mistletoe is just icing on the cake of horribleness that is the TSA's invasive practices. Those practices went too far all on their own, without the festive garnish.

This appears to be a more authoritative source for this comic, so if you want to see more from this artist, that's where you should go.

Santa's little inside man

from here and here (image source)

Santa could just plant a bug if all he needed was information about how naughty or nice you were. A person in the inside, however, could open the door and even case the joint.

He sees you when you're sleeping

found on RGBros

I'm not sure if this is an overreaction to surveillance by a supernatural being or not, but I'm pretty sure arson is a good way to get on the naughty list.

By all means check out more of this artist's webcomics.

Could you spot him in a crowd?

from here and here (image source)

Someone has made it extra easy on the police by basically labeling themselves in a prominent location. I don't imagine it'll be easy to lay low and go unnoticed with that on his forehead.

The gift that keeps on giving disappointment

found on Imgur

The worst time for updates is when you're trying to turn off your computer (because you don't have time for that, you need to go). The second worst time for updates is when you start up the computer (because you don't have time for that, you're trying to do something, maybe even work). Updates wouldn't be nearly as difficult to get applied if you could find a time to do them what didn't interfere with what the user is trying to do.

It's for the ads - oops, I mean security

from here (image source)

I feel like Zuckerberg got caught telling a fib here. Like the so-called security functions the location data is supposedly used for are just an excuse to allow them to continue feeding the data into their ad machine. Like the regulatory version of plot-armour.

Keep Calm And Firewalls On hat

Product Page

Yes, there are still people who will turn off their firewall to make things work. We don't even talk about firewalls much anymore but ordinary people need to know that it's important to keep them turned on.

All your bugs are belong to us

from here

No one has perfect security, not even the security companies. What's important is how they handle it and it seems like HackerOne handled it pretty well.

WiFi Security: PostIt Note Edition

found on Know Your Meme

On the one hand old-timers like me are going to question the wisdom of writing the WiFi password on the router (like attaching password PostIt notes to your computer monitor), but on the other hand if the password is unreadable it probably doesn't matter where it's written.

Cybercriminals hate this one weird trick

from here

If you care about getting the most for your money, this approach can save you from a lot more than just ransomware. Natural disasters, hardware failure, accidental deletion, etc. -

American soldiers attacked by a Canadian aggressor

Watch on YouTube

So glad none of these poor, defenseless service members were seriously injured in this skirmish with our Canadian forces. Hopefully we can all still be friends.

Sit, stay, respect my privacy

from here (image source)

Teaching your pets to respect your privacy is good for your (as it gives you practice in establishing and enforcing boundaries), it's good for them (especially if you respect their privacy in return), and obviously it can even be good for property value.

You know you're in a bad neighbourhood when...

found on Smiles TV

I guess it's true what they say about there being no honour among thieves.

I spy with your Internet-connected eye

from here

Why has our culture become so enamored with surveillance that we not only accept it when others do it to us but we even do it to ourselves? That such surveillance devices then get taken over by attackers seems like an entirely predictable conclusion. Why do we do this to ourselves?

It would certainly deter me

found on Izismile

I get a kick out of the imaginative ways people come up with to protect things. This person is not only thinking outside the box but it seems like they've also decided to monetize their inventiveness.

Unfortunately they're also advertising their willingness to facilitate a crime on Facebook for all to see. Not exactly a criminal mastermind at work here.

Better living through power tools

from here

Unfortunately it appears that the KeyWe smart lock has software vulnerabilities that can be exploited by an attacker. Even more unfortunate is the fact that the software (firmware really) can't be updated, so the mistake that makes them vulnerable can't be fixed or patched. One may argue that the only way to deal with the problem is to remove them and replace them with a traditional lock, but if they already accept a traditional key it seems like a well placed hole through some computer chips could eliminate the avenues of attack the vulnerability opens up.

Toxic Cyberpunk Hacker button

Product Page

I'm going to be honest, I never would have thought to search for such a thing. Maybe others would have but the only reason I came up with the search terms to find this is because I rolled some dice.

That's not to say I think this is a bad design, I don't. I think it's an under appreciated concept and it definitely deserves to be seen.

The Not-So-Safe-Mode

from here (source article)

It kind of violates ones expectations when Safe Mode isn't safe, and it makes one start to wonder why AV doesn't run in that mode when malware clearly does. That doesn't sound safe at all. Not even a little bit.

When hunting bugs is more useful than hunting mice

found on Weird Facts

That pair of cats definitely earned their keep that day. I wonder how the Russians felt about their plans being foiled by felines.

Why not both?

from here

The news that Avast (the anti-virus software brought to you by International Talk Like A Pirate Day) is selling the browsing data it collects to 3rd parties is definitely more than a little disappointing. One could imagine that they're trying to take out the competition; in which case one might accuse them of anti-competitive behaviour, but who wants healthy competition in that industry? It's certainly fair to say this represents a significant conflict of interest and a profound ethical lapse, however it remains to be seen if other members of the AV industry will hold them accountable since they've got such a terrible track record of doing that in the past.

Garfield's Cyber Safety Adventures: Privacy

Watch on YouTube

Better watch out for cheese_cat12 and others like him. You never know what their true intentions are.

Burnt arm in 3...2...1...

from here (image source)

Skillet grease can be quite painful. I've seen some clever solutions that problem, but this is not one of them. The part of her in the most danger of getting burned is also the part with no protection at all.

Now that's a weird threat model

found on eBaum's World

I don't know what happened in there in the past that the establishment wants to avoid repeating, but it seems like it must be one heck of a story.

Wasting those scammers' time is just an added bonus

from here

I wonder if this would demoralize catfishers. I tend to think I would be demoralized if I discovered myself in that position.

Ain't nobody got time for your social engineering

found on Reddit

We all know what's up when some alluring stranger messages us online, and we all lead busy lives, so the bots should cut out the pretense and just get down to business.

Mass Surveillance: The Home Game

from here and here (image source)

I like to imagine this is what people who flunk out of spy school do in their spare time - try to capture the glory of what could have been.

Your Password Was Too Short t-shirt

Product Page

Product Page

That's an interesting threat. If you don't fix your terrible password, I'll do it for you. This shirt will make people think you already did, and so give a sense of urgency.

So much for confidentiality

from here (image source)

People inadvertently reveal sensitive information all the time, just because they aren't thinking about what they're doing. Maybe it's shouting their banking information into a phone on a noisy bus or maybe it relieving stress with the door wide open. The point is you might want to be a little more thoughtful and a little more careful, just in case.

They're called sea LIONS for a reason

Watch on YouTube

I've often heard it said that people are terrible judges of risk, but really, show some respect for wild animals and keep your distance. They are not cuddly pets.

So they can do better crimes

from here

Not only does cryptocurrency seem like the last thing ordinary North Koreans would need or could use, but to so openly flaunt authorities when you know what you're doing is illegal? It's almost like someone wanted to get caught.

Anything can be a weapon

found on Imgur

The comparison to Florida man is both apt (because it sounds so ridiculous) but also a little unfair because the choice of weapon apparently worked, and as the saying goes if it sounds stupid but it works then it's not stupid.

Beyond private browsing

from here

Using a VPN can obscure where you're browsing from, while private browsing or incognito mode can make it more difficult to gather profiling information on you from cookies. Using them together would be even better, whether it's from browsing privates or protecting your privacy in other activities.

They hog more than just the ground

found on Izismile

If you've got apples, you better add this guy to your threat model if you want to protect them.