Anthropic just released Claude Fable 5, calling it the most powerful AI model it has ever made widely available and praising its skills in biology, among others. But the model won’t answer basic biology questions — the kind you’d expect a high schooler to handle. Instead, it hands off the query to the former flagship model, Claude Opus 4.8.
Technology
How secure is my password? Use this test to find out
The RockYou2024 leak, which exposed almost 10 billion passwords in July of last year, might seem like old news, but its impact is still felt today.
It’s considered the largest password compilation ever released. With such a vast collection of breached credentials circulating, the risk of credential stuffing, identity theft and unauthorized access to online accounts and systems remains high. For anyone still reusing passwords, the dangers are real — and growing.
That’s why password security has never been more critical, and the big question remains, how secure is my password?
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Username and password on tablet (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
Why does password strength matter?
Think of weak passwords as an open door for hackers. Recent reports show that many common passwords can be cracked in literally seconds. Simple or reused passwords are especially vulnerable to automated attacks, and once one account is breached, others are often quickly compromised.
If a company you’re signed up with experiences a data breach and your login info is leaked, attackers can try that same password on other platforms, potentially unlocking a lot more than just one account.
Strong passwords act as your first line of defense. They’re long, complex and unique, making it significantly harder for attackers to guess or force their way in. When every account has its own strong password, even if one gets leaked, the rest stay safe.
Think of it this way. A weak password is like using the same key for your house, car and office and leaving it under the doormat. A strong password? It’s like a unique, high-security key for every door in your digital life.
Illustration of username and password (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
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What are the top 5 passwords to avoid?
The most commonly used and insecure passwords are:
- 123456
- 123456789
- 12345678
- password
- Qwerty123
These passwords are extremely easy to guess and should be avoided at all costs.
Illustration of password login on laptop (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
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Password strength test: 7-point self-evaluation checklist
How secure is your password, really? It’s time to put it to the test. Grab a pen (or just keep a mental tally) and score yourself based on this 7-point password strength test. Each “yes” earns you a point. So, let’s see how your password holds up in today’s threat landscape.
1. Is your password at least 12 characters long?
Length is your first line of defense. Short passwords — think six or eight characters — can be cracked in minutes by modern hacking tools. At 12 characters or more, you’re making it exponentially harder for attacks to succeed.
2. Does it include a mix of upper and lowercase letters?
Mixing uppercase and lowercase letters strengthens your password by increasing complexity. For example, instead of using something like “t8g5k9w2,” use “T8g5K9w2” — same characters, just more variety. Mix it up.
3. Does it include numbers?
Adding numbers makes your password harder to crack. Instead of sticking to just letters — like “Trkplmsh” — try something like “Tr8k5Plm2sh.” Randomly placed numbers increase complexity and make your password much more secure.
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4. Does it include special characters?
Symbols like !, @, #, and $ add another layer of security. For example, a password like “T8g5K9w2” becomes even stronger as “T8g5#K9w2!.” Special characters increase complexity and help defend against attacks.
5. Is it unique (not reused across accounts)?
Reusing passwords is like handing hackers a master key. If one account gets breached, and you’ve reused that password elsewhere, you’re toast. One password, one purpose. No exceptions.
6. Does it avoid personal info like your birthdate?
Your name, birthday or “Fluffy1990” (your dog’s name and birth year) might feel clever, but they’re goldmines for attackers who can scrape social media or breached data. Keep it impersonal and unpredictable.
7. Have you changed it in the last 90 days?
Even good passwords can go stale. It’s a smart move to update them every 90 days, or sooner if a site you use has a security issue.
Illustration of password login on laptop (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
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How did you score?
Now, let’s take a look at your score:
- 0-2 points: Uh-oh. Your passwords are waving a welcome flag to hackers. Time for a serious upgrade.
- 3-4 points: Not terrible, but you’re still vulnerable. Patch those weak spots pronto.
- 5-6 points: Solid effort! You’re close to fortress-level security — tweak a bit more.
- 7 points: Nailed it. Your password is strong and secure — just remember to keep it updated.
This quick password strength test isn’t just a quiz, it’s a good reminder. Even one weak spot could be all it takes for someone to break in. In a world full of data leaks, a strong, unique password is one of the easiest ways to protect yourself. So, what’s your score? Think it’s time to level up?
What should I do if my password strength is low?
If your score didn’t quite hit that seven out of seven mark, no worries. The good news? You’ve already taken the first step by identifying the weak spots. Now, you’ve got two options:
Build a better password yourself
To keep your passwords secure, use ones that are at least 12 characters long with a mix of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers and special characters. Avoid using personal information or common patterns. Always use a different password for each account, and enable two-factor authentication whenever it’s available.
While you can build a strong password on your own, let’s be real, it’s not always easy. Coming up with something that’s at least 12 characters long, includes uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, special symbols and isn’t based on anything personal? That’s a tall order. And even if you do manage to craft the perfect one, you’ve still got to remember it, especially if you’re using a different strong password for every account (which you absolutely should be).
Let a password generator do the heavy lifting
This is the easier, faster and frankly smarter route. A password generator creates long, complex, completely random passwords for you — no guesswork or mental gymnastics required. These tools are designed to pump out passwords that check all the boxes, making them far harder to crack. If you want an easy and secure option, many password managers include built-in password generators that follow best practices for maximum strength.
Either way, the key takeaway is this: Don’t settle for weak or recycled passwords. Whether you go DIY or use a tool, upgrading your password strength is one of the simplest ways to protect yourself online.
Illustration of online banking login on laptop (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
What is the best password manager?
Password security can seem like a tough thing to maintain manually. The good news is that password managers take the hassle out of it by generating, storing and autofilling strong, unique passwords for you.
We recommend a password manager that is secure, user-friendly and includes features like a password health tool, data breach monitoring and a built-in password generator to help you create strong, unique passwords. Essentially, they are a digital safe designed to encrypt and store your login credentials, passkeys, credit card details, personal information and even sensitive files. It remembers everything for you, organizes your credentials neatly and fills in login forms with a single click. When you sign up for a new site, it autosaves the password with no effort required.
The best part? A password manager puts an end to password reuse. Instead of leaning on that tired old “Fluffy1990” for every account, it generates strong, unique passwords tailored to each site, boosting security for both your personal and professional life. So, with a password manager, you’ll no longer have to ask yourself, how secure is my password?
Get more details about my best expert-reviewed Password Managers of 2025 here.
Kurt’s key takeaways
With data breaches becoming increasingly common, it’s clear that password security isn’t a “set it and forget it” task. It’s an ongoing process. By prioritizing strong passwords and using tools to help you manage them effectively, you can significantly reduce your risk and enjoy greater peace of mind online.
Do you feel that the companies you interact with online are doing enough to protect your data and passwords? What more could they be doing? Let us know by writing us at Cyberguy.com/Contact
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Copyright 2025 CyberGuy.com. All rights reserved.
Bluesky will be getting “communities,” which will function as smaller spaces where you can “go deeper and hang out with people who care about the same stuff” sometime this year, according to head of product Alex Benzer. They will be built on the decentralized AT Protocol that underpins Bluesky, with Benzer saying that “it’s a new structure for everyone” that’s part of the “Atmosphere” (a shorthand for the AT Protocol ecosystem).
Benzer listed out a “few ideas we have in mind so far” in a thread. “On Bluesky, you’ll be able to create communities, join them, post in them, and get updates,” Benzer says. “The core features on Bluesky stay simple. The magic comes from communities also existing on the open web. This means you can truly customize them and add features with other Atmospheric apps and tools.”
Communities will get a handle that “doubles as a URL,” and if you go to that URL, you’ll “land on a custom homepage for the community,” according to Benzer. “Builders can also host a completely custom experience there instead.” There will be three privacy levels for communities: public, invite-only, and private. And each community would have its own feed, Benzer says.
Benzer’s thread follows Bluesky COO Rose Wang saying last week that the company wanted to move away from being a “public square” and that it was “very inspired by companies like Reddit.” Meta’s Threads is currently testing a communities feature, while X announced in April that it would be shutting down its own take on communities.
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Amazon is getting ready for Prime Day, and you can bet scammers are, too. In fact, I received a fake Amazon email that looked like an account recovery warning. It claimed there was unusual activity on my account and pushed me to “Sign In to Verify.”
That kind of message can make anyone uneasy. It certainly did for me. After all, who wants to lose access to an account right before a major sale? Then came the part that really stood out: the email said I might need to upload a document to confirm my account.
That was the giveaway. A real deal can save you money. A fake Amazon email can cost you your login, your payment details and even your identity.
Here’s how this scam works, the red flags that exposed it and the steps you should take before clicking any Amazon account warning.
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A fake Amazon account recovery email is targeting shoppers ahead of Prime Day, using urgency and document requests to steal sensitive information. (Photographer: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Fake Amazon email warning before Prime Day
The timing made this phishing email more convincing. With Prime Day coming up, many people are already watching for Amazon emails. They may be checking delivery updates, deal alerts and order confirmations. That creates the perfect opening for a fake account warning.
The email used the same tricks you see in many phishing scams. It claimed there was account trouble, used urgent language and pushed me toward a sign-in button. That is exactly what scammers want.
Screenshot of scam fake Amazon email (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
They want you to react before you inspect the message. They want you to sign in before you think through the request. And in this case, they wanted me to believe a document upload was part of a normal Amazon account check.
Amazon phishing scam red flags
This fake Amazon email had several warning signs. First, it landed in my junk folder. That alone does not prove fraud, but it should make you cautious.
Second, the subject line sounded awkward. It said, “Account Recovery: Sign-in and Verify your Amazon account.” That wording felt stiff and a little off.
Third, the greeting was generic. The email said “Dear Customer” even though it claimed to be about my Amazon account. That alone does not prove the email is fake, but it adds to the concern.
Fourth, the message created urgency. It claimed the account was on hold and that orders or subscriptions had already been canceled.
Fifth, the sender display name said “Amazon,” while the address appeared as account_update@amazon.com. That may look official at first. Still, scammers can spoof sender names or make email addresses look convincing.
Under the yellow “Sign In to Verify” button, the email also says, “Don’t share it with others.” That may sound protective, but in this context, it felt like another attempt to make the fake warning seem official.
The biggest warning sign came from the document request. The email said I would have the option to upload a document with the required information to verify the account.
That should stop you cold. Scammers may be after more than your Amazon password. They may also want your driver’s license, passport, address, phone number or payment details.
Screenshot of fake Amazon email sender address (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
Why fake Amazon account emails fool shoppers
This scam works because it hits a very real fear. Most people do not want to lose access to an online shopping account. That concern grows when a big sale is about to start. If you are planning to buy something on Prime Day, an account warning can feel urgent.
The email also borrowed Amazon’s familiar look. It used the Amazon name, a logo area and a yellow sign-in button. It also included a footer that appeared to show an Amazon.com link. That can make the message feel safer than it really is.
Here is the problem. The visible link text in an email can mislead you. A link can appear to point to Amazon while sending you somewhere else. It can also pass through tracking links, redirects or look-alike pages. That is why you should avoid signing in through any account warning email.
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Scammers are impersonating Amazon with convincing account alerts designed to capture login credentials, payment details and personal documents. (Photographer: Michael Nagle/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
What happens if you click a fake Amazon link
If you click the link, you may land on a fake Amazon sign-in page. It may look close enough to fool you. Once you enter your email and password, scammers can try to access your real Amazon account. They may check your saved payment methods, shipping addresses and order history.
They may also try that same password on other websites. That becomes a bigger risk if you reuse passwords.
The document request adds another layer of danger. If a fake page asks for your ID, scammers could use that information for identity theft, account takeovers or other fraud. That is why one quick click can turn into a much bigger mess.
Ways to stay safe from fake Amazon emails
A fake Amazon email can look convincing at first, so the best move is to slow down and use these simple checks before you click, sign in or share anything.
1) Do not click the sign-in button
Skip buttons like “Sign In to Verify,” “View details” or “Restore access.” Open the Amazon app or type Amazon.com into your browser yourself.
2) Check Amazon’s Message Center
After signing in directly, go to Your Account > Message Center. If the alert is real, you should see a matching message there.
3) Watch for pressure language
Scammers often say your account is locked, your orders were canceled, or you must act right away. That pressure is designed to make you click before thinking.
4) Never upload ID through an email link
If an email asks for a passport, driver’s license or other document, stop. Contact Amazon through the app or website before sending anything.
5) Use a password manager
A password manager can help you spot fake login pages. If the page is fake, your saved Amazon password usually will not autofill. Check out the best expert-reviewed password managers of 2026 at CyberGuy.com.
6) Turn on two-step verification
7) Use strong antivirus software
Install strong antivirus software on your computer, phone and tablet. Good security software can help detect malicious links, phishing pages, malware and other threats before they do damage. This is especially important if you clicked a suspicious link or downloaded anything from a fake email. Security software should back up your smart habits, not replace them. Get my picks for the best 2026 antivirus protection winners for your Windows, Mac, Android and iOS devices at CyberGuy.com.
8) Use a data removal service
Scammers often build more convincing attacks with information they find about you online. That can include your name, address, phone number, relatives, old usernames and other personal details from people-search sites and data brokers. A data removal service can help remove your personal information from many of those sites. That makes it harder for scammers to personalize phishing emails and identity theft attempts. Check out my top picks for data removal services and get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already out on the web by visiting CyberGuy.com.
9) Report the suspicious email
Forward suspicious Amazon emails to reportascam@amazon.com. Then delete the message from your inbox or junk folder.
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Cybersecurity experts warn consumers to avoid clicking links in Amazon account warning emails and verify alerts directly through Amazon. (David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Kurt’s key takeaways
Prime Day is a great time to find real deals, but it is also a busy season for fake Amazon emails. Scammers know shoppers are checking delivery updates, watching for discounts and hoping nothing gets in the way of a good buy. That is what made this email so sneaky. It used a familiar fear at the perfect moment: losing access to your account right before a major sale. The safest move is to slow down before you click. Do not trust the button. Do not trust the sender name alone. Open the Amazon app or type Amazon.com into your browser and check your account yourself.
Have you ever received an email that looked official enough to make you click, and what finally made you stop? Let us know by writing to us at CyberGuy.com.
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HOW TO DETECT FAKE AMAZON EMAILS AND AVOID IMPERSONATION SCAMS
Copyright 2026 CyberGuy.com. All rights reserved.
It isn’t because Fable doesn’t know the answers. It’s because Anthropic won’t let it, by design.
Fable is a public-facing, Mythos-class model, a family so capable at cybersecurity tasks Anthropic said it was too dangerous to release publicly. But while Anthropic has spent much of the extended Mythos rollout warning about cybersecurity, it is biology where Fable’s guardrails are the most obvious — and most limiting.
When I tried the model, it refused to answer a range of basic biology questions, many that felt about as far away from any plausible safety risk as any question could be. It would not respond to “tell me about cell membranes” or answer “what are mitochondria,” that famous powerhouse of the cell. It refused to explain “what is a prion,” the proteinaceous particles behind mad cow disease, or “how mRNA vaccines work.”
“We made this tradeoff so customers could benefit from the model’s capabilities sooner without the risks.”
The restrictions applied to ordinary and objectively rather harmless medical queries too. Fable would not answer “what causes hay fever,” explain how asthma medicine works, explain how antibiotic resistance arises, or tell me what Ebola is and how it spreads. Some of my basic queries occasionally got through, with Fable answering questions like “what is cancer” and “what is DNA.” When Fable refused, Opus 4.8 generally answered perfectly well.
Anthropic says the broad biology filters are an intentional choice and are deliberately conservative, with bioweapons the primary concern. “With the launch of Claude Fable 5, our first Mythos-class model, we believe models now have a greater ability to accomplish real-world scientific tasks and for malicious actors to potentially use our models for highly risky biological research,” spokesperson Paruul Maheshwary told The Verge. “We have always used classifiers to block our models from helping with bioweapons-related requests. To deploy Fable 5 safely, we believe it was necessary to be overly conservative with our safeguards so they block most queries tied to biology work.”
Anthropic has previously highlighted four key areas where it would throttle Fable’s responses for safety: chemistry, biology, cybersecurity, and distillation, a technique for training smaller AIs using the outputs of larger ones. The company has accused Chinese rivals like DeepSeek of using distillation on its models on an “industrial” scale.
While I could not meaningfully test distillation, Fable seemed more willing to answer questions about chemistry and cybersecurity. For example, it gave a basic overview of the explosive TNT, though withheld synthesis instructions “for obvious reasons.” It readily answered questions on the use of chlorine gas as a chemical weapon, common password threats, and nuclear fusion and fission, as well as explaining how to secure an iPhone from hackers. It still limits: Fable deferred to Opus when I asked it about sarin gas, a highly toxic nerve agent. Fable and Opus both refused the prompt “how to make anthrax,” and Claude paused the chat entirely. That made sense. The mitochondria prompt refusal seems like a false positive.
“We made this tradeoff so customers could benefit from the model’s capabilities sooner without the risks,” Maheshwary explained, adding that Anthropic is working hard to improve its detection and reduce the false positives. “We intend to make Mythos-class models available without these safeguards to the broader biology and life sciences community so these capabilities can be used to accelerate biomedical research and drug discovery.”
Anthropic did not answer questions about whether this kind of restricted release will become the new norm for future models.
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