Technology

How to protect yourself from streaming hacks

Published

2 years ago

January 31, 2024

How to protect yourself from streaming hacks

You thought the only struggle with your streaming service might be fighting with family members over bandwidth and access, but unfortunately, hackers can also be a part of the equation if you’re not careful.

UNLOCK EXCLUSIVE INSIGHTS: JOIN KURT’S CYBERGUY NEWSLETTER FOR FREE

It’s not account access that is the worst offense that a hacker can inflict. If they do hack, it is usually through your network, and that means they can get access to most of your devices, which can spell big trouble for your privacy and security. That’s why we are grateful to Art from Florida for asking this question that we can address:

“Can a hacker get into my computer through a streaming box? I don’t care if they get into the box, but I don’t want them in my network.” — Art, Bradenton, Florida

Art, your concerns are valid. It isn’t the streaming box itself being hacked that should be your biggest concern. Yes, hackers can “get into” your streaming box, but worse, your network.

CLICK HERE FOR FREE ACCESS TO KURT’S CYBERGUY NEWSLETTER: YOUR SOURCE FOR TECH TRENDS, SECURITY, PRIVACY AND QUICK TIPS

Roku Express 4K+ (Roku) (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

How do hackers exploit your streaming devices and more?

The bad news is that your streaming box can be hacked like most devices that are linked up to the internet. There are limits to the damage they can do with that access. Their damage would be limited by the mechanics of the streaming box: for instance, if your Roku has no camera but a microphone, they can listen to your conversation, but they won’t be able to watch you. They may have access to what you’ve been watching or some account information.

Chromecast with Google TV (Google) (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

The even scarier part, however, is that hackers usually have to infiltrate your network in order to have access to your streaming box, which means they’ll have access to most devices that are part of that network. Those other devices are usually fully equipped with the ability to spy on you and hold valuable data. The best approach is to protect and secure your network to prevent hacking of your network in the first place. First, as an example, let’s check your Roku to make sure no one uninvited is connecting to it.

MORE: BEST STREAMING DEVICES OF 2024

Someone else is controlling my Roku

We often hear of people wondering how someone else nearby can get access to their Roku device. Channels may change unexpectedly, content can be cast onto the Roku, or the previously viewed shows may not be recognizable. If this happens, in addition to locking down your wireless home network and following the advice in the next section, check your Roku settings for anything unusual. Here’s how.

On the Roku remote, press the home button to go to the main screen. Select “Settings,” then System, find Screen Mirroring, and make sure “none” is selected for others having permission to stream content to your Roku.
Next, do the same for Remotes by selecting Remotes & devices from the Settings menu. Unless you have permitted others, you should not see any other remote control devices connected except yours.
Now check the Guest Mode by clicking Guest Mode from the Settings menu. Make sure no other people are shown – who may have access to your Roku in Guest Mode.
Finally, from the Settings menu, select System, then Advanced System Settings. Click Control by mobile apps and make sure you see either “default” or “disabled” selected so that no one else is using a mobile app to control your Roku.

Woman with remote control watching streaming content (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

MORE: HOW TO LOWER MONTHLY VIDEO STREAMING COSTS

10 ways to protect and secure your network

Since prevention is the best approach to keeping hackers out of your network in the first place, below are several actions you can take to ramp up security.

1) Create a strong password: Make sure your Wi-Fi network is password-protected and that you are using a strong password with upper and lower case letters, numbers, as well as symbols. It should be unique for the network and not easy to guess. Hackers often exploit the weak or default passwords that come with the devices. So, again, use strong and unique passwords for each device and change them regularly. Consider using a password manager to generate and store complex passwords.

2) Turn on encryption: Most modern routers offer WPA2 and WPA3 encryption or better to prevent unauthorized access to your network. Check out our list of top routers for best security 2024 by clicking here.

3) Update your firmware and software: Wi-Fi and cable routers, like most smart devices, need to have their firmware occasionally updated in response to known attacks by the manufacturer. It’s important to keep your device firmware & software updated to prevent any exploitation from known vulnerabilities. This includes your streaming boxes, browsers, and operating systems such as Windows and Apple’s iOS. Both Apple and Android issue updates regularly, so check for and install them often. Also, check the manufacturer’s website or app for the latest firmware versions and how to install them, but you should also enable automatic updates whenever possible.

4) Use a Firewall: A firewall protects the devices you have connected to your network from intruders on the internet. Just like a security fence protects your house from intruders, a firewall keeps cybercriminals and hackers from breaching your computer. It can take the form of software, such as a security program, or hardware, such as a router. Both perform the same function. They effectively act as a one-way digital barrier by blocking access to your network from devices on the internet while simultaneously allowing devices on your network to connect to devices on the internet.

Most routers come with network firewalls enabled. To check if your router has a firewall enabled, you can follow these steps:

Connect your computer to your router using an Ethernet cable or Wi-Fi.
Open a web browser and type the IP address of your router in the address bar. You can find the IP address on the label of your router or in the user manual. It is usually something like 192.168.0.1 or 192.168.1.1.
Enter the username and password to log in to your router’s web interface. The default username and password are often admin and admin, but you should change those if you haven’t done so yet.
Look for a section called Firewall, Security, or Advanced in the web interface. There you can see if your router has a firewall enabled or disabled. You can also change the firewall settings according to your preferences.

If your router doesn’t have a firewall, you can install a good home firewall solution on your system to prevent router attacks.

5) Be careful of downloading apps: Because malicious codes can be gained through apps from third-party sources, it is important to only download apps through authorized places such as the Apple Store or Google Play. Even when downloading from those authorized sources, check the ratings and read the reviews to make sure that apps are reputable.

6) Install good antivirus software: Having good antivirus running on your devices will alert you of any malware in your system and alert you against clicking on any malicious links that may install malware on your devices, allowing hackers to gain access to your personal information. The best way to protect yourself from these kinds of cyberthreats or having your data breached is to have antivirus protection installed on all your devices. Get my picks for the best 2024 antivirus protection winners for your Windows, Mac, Android & iOS devices.

7) Use a VPN: (virtual private network) to encrypt your internet traffic and hide your online activity from hackers. A VPN creates a secure tunnel between your device and the internet, preventing hackers from intercepting or modifying your data. You can use a VPN on your streaming devices, your router, your smartphone, or your computer. See my expert review of the best VPNs for browsing the web privately on your Windows, Mac, Android & iOS devices.

8) Segment your network: By creating a separate network or a guest network for your streaming devices. This way, even if your streaming devices are compromised, hackers won’t be able to access your other devices that contain sensitive or personal information. You can segment your network using your router’s settings or a third-party app.

9) Disable remote access: Turn off remote access to your streaming devices and your router. Remote access allows you to control your devices from anywhere, but it also exposes them to hackers who can exploit the open ports and protocols. Unless you need remote access, turn it off in the settings of your devices and your router.

10) Turn it off: While it is easier to keep all your devices on, you can limit their time connected to the network or access to hacking by turning off and unplugging your streaming device when it is not in use.

MORE: HACKERS LATEST TRICK LOOKS LIKE FREE STREAMING MOVIES

Kurt’s key takeaways

Streaming devices pose some security risks but are unlikely to be the source of a hack into your life. Hackers can use any unprotected device connected to your network to infiltrate and compromise your security. This sort of trouble can lead to identity theft, data loss, or privacy invasion. To protect yourself and your network, you need to take some preventive measures, such as changing your passwords, updating your firmware, using a VPN, disabling remote access, and segmenting your network. By following these tips, you can enjoy your streaming services without worrying about hackers.

Have you ever experienced a security issue with your streaming devices? When was the last time you checked your privacy and security settings on your streaming device? Let us know by writing us at Cyberguy.com/Contact.

For more of my tech tips & security alerts, subscribe to my free CyberGuy Report Newsletter by heading to Cyberguy.com/Newsletter.

Ask Kurt a question or let us know what stories you’d like us to cover.

Answers to the most asked CyberGuy questions:

Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson is an award-winning tech journalist who has a deep love of technology, gear and gadgets that make life better with his contributions for Fox News & FOX Business beginning mornings on “FOX & Friends.” Got a tech question? Get Kurt’s CyberGuy Newsletter, share your voice, a story idea or comment at CyberGuy.com.

Technology

I’ve been waiting years for Animal Crossing’s best new features

Published

9 hours ago

December 16, 2025

Press Room

I’ve been waiting years for Animal Crossing’s best new features

I never felt done with my Animal Crossing: New Horizons island. Despite playing every day for two years, and racking up 1,700 hours of playtime, I somehow never finished decorating. I had plenty of ideas for my island, sure, but actually implementing them was another story: The decorating and terraforming systems that helped make New Horizons a huge success are also slow, manual, and cumbersome, and my patience for decorating and redecorating had finally worn thin.

Fast-forward a few years, and a very much unexpected update is coming to finally fix some of those pain points. Update 3.0 is launching on January 15th, 2026, alongside the Switch 2 Edition of New Horizons. And while the paid Switch 2 upgrade has some nice-to-haves (like Joy-Con 2 mouse controls for indoor decorating), it’s the free update that brings all the key new features.

I recently attended a virtual preview for the New Horizons upgrade and update, and there are two caveats: I have not yet played either the Switch 2 version or the new free content myself, and it’s hard to gauge the quality of the Switch 2 version’s visual and performance improvements over a Zoom call. (I still have some unanswered questions about the biggest performance issues on the original Switch, like the choppy frame rate on more densely decorated islands.) But seeing the 3.0 additions in action, it was easy to imagine myself finishing my island — or at least an island.

As shown in the October announcement trailer, update 3.0 makes much-needed quality-of-life fixes. You’ll finally be able to craft multiple items at once, and crafting will pull materials from your overall storage instead of your pockets, meaning you won’t have to do a bunch of inventory management just to craft some decor. Then there’s Resetti’s Reset Service, which can help you clean up entire sections of your island instantly so you don’t have to pick everything up individually in order to redecorate. Some players also noticed a very subtle but potentially impactful change to movement while terraforming that should hopefully make it a smoother process. And then, as if to show off those decorating improvements, Nintendo also added Slumber Islands.

Not to be confused with dreams, New Horizons’ online island-sharing feature, Slumber Islands are extra sandboxes for you to decorate and play with, where you can set the time of day and the weather and magically conjure up any item you have in your in-game catalog to decorate with, similar to the Happy Home Paradise DLC. You can build bridges and inclines instantly by talking to Lloid, rather than going through Tom Nook and waiting (or time traveling) a day. And while it seems like terraforming works the same on Slumber Islands, the apparent addition of strafing while terraforming — instead of having to constantly reorient yourself manually — should help at least a little bit. (It’s the first thing I’m going to test on January 15th, that’s for sure.)

For me, the worst part of decorating in New Horizons was having an idea, ordering all the furniture I’d need for it over the course of days, testing out the design, realizing it did not look the way I envisioned, and facing the tedious process of breaking it all down and starting over again brick by brick — or, at the very least, having to push and pull objects around for a while to see if I could make it work. The design process I saw on Nintendo’s Slumber Island during the preview, meanwhile, seemed quicker and smoother. Trying out an idea or aesthetic in that environment doesn’t sound like such a tall order.

Without any hands-on time, I can’t say if it will actually be noticeably easier to design and decorate with the 3.0 update. But I’m excited by the idea that I can go to my Slumber Island scratch pad and try out my designs before committing to them (and the cost in bells to get it all done) on my main island. And maybe, if I really like how it feels to decorate, I’ll make an entire Halloween-themed Slumber Island — the kind of island I’ve wanted to make for years but never did on my main island, where the seasons continue to change and actively ruin the vibe.

Technology

Password manager fined after major data breach

Published

9 hours ago

December 16, 2025

Press Room

Password manager fined after major data breach

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

Any data breach affecting 1.6 million people is serious. It draws even more attention when it involves a company trusted to guard passwords. That is exactly what happened to LastPass.

The UK Information Commissioner’s Office has fined LastPass about $1.6 million for security failures tied to its 2022 breach. Regulators say those failures allowed a hacker to access a backup database and put users at risk.

Sign up for my FREE CyberGuy Report
Get my best tech tips, urgent security alerts and exclusive deals delivered straight to your inbox. Plus, you’ll get instant access to my Ultimate Scam Survival Guide — free when you join my CYBERGUY.COM newsletter.

CHECK IF YOUR PASSWORDS WERE STOLEN IN HUGE LEAK

Why the LastPass breach still matters

LastPass is one of the most widely used password managers in the world. It serves more than 20 million individual users and around 100,000 businesses. That popularity also makes it an attractive target for cybercriminals.

The UK Information Commissioner’s Office fined LastPass for security failures tied to its 2022 breach. (LaylaBird/Getty Images)

In 2022, LastPass confirmed that an unauthorized party accessed parts of its customer information through a third-party cloud storage service. While the incident initially raised alarms, the long-term impact has taken time to fully surface.

The ICO now says the breach affected about 1.6 million UK users alone. That scope played a major role in the size of the fine.

What regulators say went wrong

According to the ICO, LastPass failed to put strong enough technical and security controls in place. Those gaps made it possible for attackers to reach a backup database that should have been better protected.

The regulator added that LastPass promises to help people improve security, but failed to meet that expectation. As a result, users were left exposed even if their passwords were not directly cracked.

Were passwords exposed or decrypted?

There is still no evidence that attackers decrypted customer passwords. That point matters.

Despite the breach, security experts continue to recommend password managers for most people. Storing unique, strong passwords in an encrypted vault is still far safer than reusing weak passwords across accounts.

As one expert noted, modern breaches often succeed after identity access rather than password cracking alone. Once attackers get a foothold, the damage can spread quickly.

Although attackers accessed a backup database, there is no evidence that customer passwords were decrypted. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

Why the LastPass fine is a wake-up call for cybersecurity

The ICO called the LastPass fine a turning point. It reinforces the idea that security is about governance, staff training and supplier risk as much as software.

Users have a right to expect that companies handling sensitive data take every reasonable step to protect it.

Breaches may be inevitable, but weak safeguards are not.

LastPass on the UK data breach

We reached out to LastPass for comment on the UK fine, and a spokesperson provided CyberGuy with the following statement:

“We have been cooperating with the UK ICO since we first reported this incident to them back in 2022. While we are disappointed with the outcome, we are pleased to see that the ICO’s decision has recognized many of the efforts we have already taken to further strengthen our platform and enhance our data security measures. Our focus remains on delivering the best possible service to the 100,000 businesses and millions of individual consumers who continue to rely on LastPass.”

MASSIVE DATA BREACH EXPOSES 184 MILLION PASSWORDS AND LOGINS

How to protect yourself after a password manager breach

Breaches like this are a reminder that security requires layers. No single tool can protect everything on its own.

1) Use a strong password manager correctly

Keep using a reputable password manager. Set a long, unique master password and enable two-factor authentication. Avoid reusing your master password anywhere else.

Next, see if your email has been exposed in past breaches. Our No. 1 password manager pick includes a built-in breach scanner that checks whether your email address or passwords have appeared in known leaks. If you discover a match, immediately change any reused passwords and secure those accounts with new, unique credentials.

Check out the best expert-reviewed password managers of 2025 at Cyberguy.com.

2) Rotate sensitive passwords

Change passwords for financial accounts, email accounts and work logins. Focus on services that could cause real damage if compromised.

3) Lock down your email

Your email account is the key to password resets. Use a strong password, two-factor authentication and recovery options you control.

4) Reduce your exposed personal data

Data brokers collect and sell personal information that criminals use for targeting. A data removal service can help reduce what is publicly available about you. While no service can guarantee the complete removal of your data from the internet, a data removal service is really a smart choice. They aren’t cheap, and neither is your privacy. These services do all the work for you by actively monitoring and systematically erasing your personal information from hundreds of websites. It’s what gives me peace of mind and has proven to be the most effective way to erase your personal data from the internet. By limiting the information available, you reduce the risk of scammers cross-referencing data from breaches with information they might find on the dark web, making it harder for them to target you.

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.

Get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already out on the web: Cyberguy.com.

The fine sends a warning to the entire cybersecurity industry. Companies that handle sensitive data must protect it with strong safeguards and oversight. (REUTERS/Andrew Kelly)

5) Watch for phishing attempts and use strong antivirus software

After major breaches, scammers follow. Be cautious of emails claiming urgent account problems or asking for verification details. The best way to safeguard yourself from malicious links that install malware, potentially accessing your private information, is to have strong antivirus software installed on all your devices. This protection can also alert you to phishing emails and ransomware scams, keeping your personal information and digital assets safe.

Get my picks for the best 2025 antivirus protection winners for your Windows, Mac, Android and iOS devices at Cyberguy.com.

6) Keep devices updated

Install updates for your operating system, browser and security tools. Many attacks rely on known vulnerabilities that updates already fix.

Kurt’s key takeaways

The fine against LastPass is about more than one company. It highlights how much trust we place in tools that manage our digital lives. Password managers remain a smart security choice. Still, this case shows why you should stay alert even when using trusted brands. Strong settings, regular reviews and layered protection matter more than ever. In the end, security works best when companies and we share the responsibility. Tools help, but habits and awareness finish the job.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Do you believe companies are doing enough to protect user data, or should regulators step in more often? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com.

Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson is an award-winning tech journalist who has a deep love of technology, gear and gadgets that make life better with his contributions for Fox News & FOX Business beginning mornings on “FOX & Friends.” Got a tech question? Get Kurt’s free CyberGuy Newsletter, share your voice, a story idea or comment at CyberGuy.com.

Technology

Silksong is getting a free expansion next year

Published

21 hours ago

December 15, 2025

Press Room

Silksong is getting a free expansion next year

It’s still hard to believe that Hollow Knight: Silksong actually came out this year, but now, we all have a new thing to wait for: the game is getting a free expansion in 2026, titled Sea of Sorrow. Team Cherry calls it the game’s “first big expansion.”

“New areas, bosses, tools, and more!” Team Cherry says in a blog post. “Hornet’s adventures continue in our nautically themed expansion, coming free for all players next year. We’ll keep further details a secret for now, but expect additional info shortly before Hollow Knight: Silksong – Sea of Sorrow releases.”

More than 7 million people bought Silksong, according to Team Cherry, and “millions more” played on Xbox Game Pass.

The original Hollow Knight is getting updated, too. Team Cherry is working on a Nintendo Switch 2 Edition of the game that “incorporates all the updates and enhancements that Silksong received on the platform: High frame-rate modes, higher resolutions, and many additional graphical effects.” Players who own the Switch version of the game will get the Nintendo Switch 2 Edition as a free update when it’s available in 2026.

Ahead of that launch, Team Cherry says it will be “updating all versions of the original game for current platforms, adding features and fixing bugs.” Those changes include “full 16:10 and 21:9 aspect ratio support for those of you with Steam Decks or ultrawide monitors,” and PC players can try the new updates in public beta.