# Online Safety **URL:** https://sameboat.com/c/online-safety/40.md [Latest](https://sameboat.com/latest.md) · [Categories](https://sameboat.com/categories.md) · [Tags](https://sameboat.com/tags.md) --- ## [About the Online Safety category](https://sameboat.com/t/about-the-online-safety-category/45)
**Author:** [@sameboatadmin](https://sameboat.com/u/sameboatadmin)\ **Replies:** 0\ **Last updated:** [May 23, 2026, 2:42am UTC](https://sameboat.com/t/about-the-online-safety-category/45 "2026-05-23T02:42:05Z")
Practical tips for staying safe online — scams, phishing, passwords, privacy and protecting your family. Led by a cybersecurity expert, in plain English. This category is a place to learn how to protect yourself, your f… --- ## [Passkeys, explained simply: what they are, what they stop, and what still needs you](https://sameboat.com/t/passkeys-explained-simply-what-they-are-what-they-stop-and-what-still-needs-you/230)
**Author:** [@Mono](https://sameboat.com/u/Mono)\ **Replies:** 1\ **Last updated:** [September 28, 2026, 9:54pm UTC](https://sameboat.com/t/passkeys-explained-simply-what-they-are-what-they-stop-and-what-still-needs-you/230 "2026-09-28T21:54:54Z")
You have probably seen the message by now. Google, Apple, Microsoft, your bank or your favourite shopping site asking: “Would you like to create a passkey?” Most people tap “Not now” because nobody has explained what it … --- ## [If you use Gmail, here's what's actually going on with the "Smart features" setting](https://sameboat.com/t/if-you-use-gmail-heres-whats-actually-going-on-with-the-smart-features-setting/211)
**Author:** [@Mono](https://sameboat.com/u/Mono)\ **Replies:** 0\ **Last updated:** [September 2, 2026, 10:06am UTC](https://sameboat.com/t/if-you-use-gmail-heres-whats-actually-going-on-with-the-smart-features-setting/211 "2026-09-02T10:06:45Z")
You may have seen posts claiming Google is now scanning your Gmail, including bank statements, medical letters, and tax documents, and that a lawsuit proves it. The real story is a bit more complicated than that, and wor… --- ## [The Fake ABC Scam and the Global "Sapphire Network"](https://sameboat.com/t/the-fake-abc-scam-and-the-global-sapphire-network/201)
**Author:** [@Mono](https://sameboat.com/u/Mono)\ **Replies:** 1\ **Last updated:** [September 2, 2026, 8:58am UTC](https://sameboat.com/t/the-fake-abc-scam-and-the-global-sapphire-network/201 "2026-09-02T08:58:23Z")
An Australian Broadcasting Corporation investigation published in August 2026 exposed a sophisticated international fraud operation that used near-perfect clones of ABC News websites to lure victims into fake investment … --- ## [How to turn on Anonymous mode](https://sameboat.com/t/how-to-turn-on-anonymous-mode/141)
**Author:** [@Mono](https://sameboat.com/u/Mono)\ **Replies:** 1\ **Last updated:** [August 25, 2026, 10:14am UTC](https://sameboat.com/t/how-to-turn-on-anonymous-mode/141 "2026-08-25T10:14:25Z")
Protecting your privacy online is important. For that reason, we recommend choosing a username that does not reveal your real identity. For added privacy, you can also comment, like, and message in Anonymous Mode, which … --- ## [Your AI Chatbot Might Be Leaving Fingerprints on Everything It Writes](https://sameboat.com/t/your-ai-chatbot-might-be-leaving-fingerprints-on-everything-it-writes/196)
**Author:** [@Mono](https://sameboat.com/u/Mono)\ **Replies:** 1\ **Last updated:** [August 25, 2026, 9:28am UTC](https://sameboat.com/t/your-ai-chatbot-might-be-leaving-fingerprints-on-everything-it-writes/196 "2026-08-25T09:28:48Z")
If you’ve used Claude, ChatGPT, or any other AI assistant recently, there’s a decent chance some of what it wrote you now carries an invisible signature, one you can’t see, but that a computer can check for later. Anthr… --- ## [Post-Quantum Cryptography: What It Actually Means For You](https://sameboat.com/t/post-quantum-cryptography-what-it-actually-means-for-you/147)
**Author:** [@Mono](https://sameboat.com/u/Mono)\ **Replies:** 1\ **Last updated:** [August 19, 2026, 11:01am UTC](https://sameboat.com/t/post-quantum-cryptography-what-it-actually-means-for-you/147 "2026-08-19T11:01:52Z")
You’ve probably seen “quantum computing” mentioned in tech news alongside words like “unbreakable encryption” and “internet-ending threat.” Most of it is written for engineers. This article isn’t. This is the plain-Engli… --- ## [What is Qubes OS, and why does it matter if you care about privacy?](https://sameboat.com/t/what-is-qubes-os-and-why-does-it-matter-if-you-care-about-privacy/172)
**Author:** [@Mono](https://sameboat.com/u/Mono)\ **Replies:** 1\ **Last updated:** [August 19, 2026, 10:59am UTC](https://sameboat.com/t/what-is-qubes-os-and-why-does-it-matter-if-you-care-about-privacy/172 "2026-08-19T10:59:10Z")
Most operating systems ask you to trust that every app, every browser tab, and every email attachment behaves itself. If one of them doesn’t, the damage usually isn’t contained to that one thing. It can spread to everyth… --- ## [When your data leaks: what to do, what to watch, what to change](https://sameboat.com/t/when-your-data-leaks-what-to-do-what-to-watch-what-to-change/94)
**Author:** [@Mono](https://sameboat.com/u/Mono)\ **Replies:** 1\ **Last updated:** [August 19, 2026, 9:44am UTC](https://sameboat.com/t/when-your-data-leaks-what-to-do-what-to-watch-what-to-change/94 "2026-08-19T09:44:55Z")
If you’re an Origin Energy customer, you’ve probably seen the headlines this week. Origin has confirmed it’s investigating a potential security incident that may involve unauthorised access to customer data. The company … --- ## [The 5 scam red flags that catch almost everyone](https://sameboat.com/t/the-5-scam-red-flags-that-catch-almost-everyone/84)
**Author:** [@Mono](https://sameboat.com/u/Mono)\ **Replies:** 1\ **Last updated:** [August 19, 2026, 9:42am UTC](https://sameboat.com/t/the-5-scam-red-flags-that-catch-almost-everyone/84 "2026-08-19T09:42:58Z")
Scammers are good at their job. They don’t rely on you being careless — they rely on you being human: busy, trusting, and caught at a bad moment. The good news is that almost every scam, no matter how sophisticated, lean… --- ## [Staying safe when you share your story online](https://sameboat.com/t/staying-safe-when-you-share-your-story-online/47)
**Author:** [@Mono](https://sameboat.com/u/Mono)\ **Replies:** 1\ **Last updated:** [August 18, 2026, 9:44pm UTC](https://sameboat.com/t/staying-safe-when-you-share-your-story-online/47 "2026-08-18T21:44:11Z")
One of the best things about a community like this is being able to talk openly with people who get it. But because we share real, personal stuff here, it’s worth taking a moment to think about how to do that safely. A f… --- ## [What to Know Before Buying a Streaming Device](https://sameboat.com/t/what-to-know-before-buying-a-streaming-device/143)
**Author:** [@Mono](https://sameboat.com/u/Mono)\ **Replies:** 1\ **Last updated:** [August 17, 2026, 10:15pm UTC](https://sameboat.com/t/what-to-know-before-buying-a-streaming-device/143 "2026-08-17T22:15:30Z")
This post was inspired by an article Read This Before You Buy That TV Streaming Stick published on KrebsOnSecurity. Brian Krebs, the cybersecurity researcher behind KrebsOnSecurity, has spent years tracking the hidden r… --- ## [First hour after you've been scammed](https://sameboat.com/t/first-hour-after-youve-been-scammed/85)
**Author:** [@Mono](https://sameboat.com/u/Mono)\ **Replies:** 1\ **Last updated:** [August 17, 2026, 10:07pm UTC](https://sameboat.com/t/first-hour-after-youve-been-scammed/85 "2026-08-17T22:07:29Z")
First, take a breath. If you’ve just realised you’ve been scammed, your heart is probably racing, and your head is full of “how did I let this happen?” Put that aside for now — being scammed doesn’t mean you were foolish… --- ## [All about phishing](https://sameboat.com/t/all-about-phishing/149)
**Author:** [@Mono](https://sameboat.com/u/Mono)\ **Replies:** 1\ **Last updated:** [August 17, 2026, 10:01pm UTC](https://sameboat.com/t/all-about-phishing/149 "2026-08-17T22:01:38Z")
Where the name came from, how it evolved, and what happens when passwords disappear Phishing is the oldest trick on the internet that still works. It has outlived dial-up, floppy disks, Internet Explorer and the fax mach…