Over the past decade writing these letters, I’ve made it my mission to help you navigate the digital age with confidence and resilience. If I have learned anything in that time, it is that cybersecurity is not an IT issue; it is a life skill.
✓ My aim has always been to equip you with the tools, mindset, and critical thinking skills needed to thrive in an environment where technology evolves faster than we do.
In my May 2023 CyberAdvisor letter, "AI and Fact v. Fiction," I warned about the inexorable intertwining of cybersecurity and AI. What we're witnessing now is the maturation of that convergence into what experts are calling "AI-powered autonomous attacks." With a well engineered AI prompt, these systems can research targets, craft personalized attacks, and adapt to optimize their tactics in real-time without human intervention.
The Evolution of Digital Predators: Why 2025 is Different
Until recently, many scams had a "tell"—a misspelled word, awkward grammar, or a blurry logo. AI has eliminated these tells.
Today, criminals use generative AI to:
Write flawless, convincing emails that perfectly mimic the tone of your bank or doctor’s office.
Use multiple channels to convince you the communication is legitimate; SMS text, voice calls, emails, and popups.
Clone voices to sound like your spouse, child, or financial advisor.
Spin up entire fake websites that are nearly indistinguishable from the real thing.
Create automated bots that operate 24/7, probing weaknesses and launching attacks without human oversight.
Here's a real-word case of what's taking place every day:
The 30-Minute Trap: A Real-World Vignette
Picture this: You have a medical appointment with a new clinic this afternoon. Thirty minutes before you’re due to leave, your phone rings. The caller ID appears to be the clinic. They leave an urgent voicemail, mentioning a consent form and payment that must be handled before your visit to avoid delays.
Under time pressure, you call back. The person on the line sounds professional and knows your appointment details. They email you what looks like a legitimate form and a payment link. You comply, thinking you are being responsible and saving yourself time. Minutes later, you have not only paid a fraudulent bill, but malware has been quietly installed on your computer, opening a backdoor for future, targeted attacks.
The medical appointment scenario isn't hypothetical—it represents a new class of threats that combine social engineering with artificial intelligence to create what I call "trust-based precision attacks." They succeed because they exploit our most human impulses: the desire to be responsible, punctual, and compliant with trusted institutions.
✓As I write this month’s letter, I know I may sound like a broken record—repeating the same message again and again. But the truth is, we continue to see too many people making the same mistakes and paying the price—not just financially, but with inconvenience and needless stress. Our mission is to help ensure it doesn’t happen to you.
The Human Toll
The FTC recently published their Consumer Protection Data Spotlight report;
The FTC also said 2025 trends suggest this figure will be surpassed significantly. This report is a must-read for the real-world evidence it provides. You will find it incredibly relevant to you, whether you are a senior or not.
Some highlights include:
Victims have reported emptying their bank accounts and even clearing out their 401ks.
Older adults reporting losing more than $100,000 increased nearly sevenfold since 2020.
Five Fundamental Rules That Will Save You
At TDS we bring you class enterprise-grade cybersecurity solutions. These defenses work and are enormously effective, including defending against AI-enabled threats.
✓ But, we need you to do your part too:
Never engage. If something feels off, don’t click, don’t reply, don’t speak. Step away. When you engage you are listed as low-hanging fruit with the hacker community around the world.
Initiate contact yourself. Make an outgoing call to the clinic, bank, or company to confirm. Never trust incoming calls, texts, or emails when money or personal data is involved.
Freeze your credit. It’s free at Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. Ignore the sales pitches they push along the way. A frozen credit line is one of the best defenses against identity theft, and it's free.
Use a password manager. It’s no longer optional. Think of it as your digital vault, not just for logins but for all sensitive information to protect all digital secrets—security questions, WiFi passwords, safe combinations, medical information, and financial account details.
We help folks install and learn to use 1Password via our "computer coach." I commit to you a password manager will make your life infinitely more convenient and secure.
Always, always use 2-FA/MFA authentication for site logins. And, its best to use an authenticator app, like Google Authenticator or Microsoft Authenticator versus using SMS text to receiveMFA codes.
✓ We’re so intent on our mission to protect you, we are offering 50% off our Computer Coach service to set up 1Password on your devices. Normally $175/hr, you’ll pay just half when you mention this newsletter and email at sales@totaldigitalsecurity.com to schedule your session. Offer is good until September 30th, 2025. As my mother would say, "Don't look a gift-horse in the mouth." It's time to do this!
Looking Ahead
The violence and volatility we see in the physical world are mirrored online. AI is amplifying both opportunity and risk. Just as we prepare for storms by securing our homes, we must prepare for digital disruption by securing our lives online.
We expect the battle for digital autonomy will intensify. Companies and governments will push for more centralized control and surveillance under the guise of security, while individuals who value privacy and freedom will need to actively resist these trends.
As always, my commitment is to keep you informed, prepared, and resilient. That’s why I’ve written these letters for more than a decade. If I’ve earned a reputation for being prescient, it’s because the signals are there if you know where to look. My job is to make those signals visible and useful to you.
✓ For a glimpse of the threats today and ahead, and how they manifest themselves into your daily life, please see the section below my signature line.
Finally, remember that adaptability and resilience are life skills. Stay vigilant, stay informed, and remember that your privacy and security are worth defending.
Here are several developments from just the past month that illustrate the breadth of these new risks:
AI-Powered Ransomware on the Horizon – Experts warn of autonomous attacks that operate without human intervention. CSO Online - AI Ransomware Analysis
AI-Scam Websites Targeting Seniors – A detailed look at how artificial intelligence is making fraudulent sites more convincing. Wall Street Journal - AI Scam Websites
Printers: An Overlooked Cybersecurity Risk – Why your network printer could be an open door for cybercriminals. Everyone has a printer, and that’s precisely the problem. Printers are one of the most overlooked risks in any network. They are often left with default passwords and outdated software, making them an easy entry point for criminals to access your entire home or office network. Cybersecurity Dive - Printer Risk Analysis
Fake “I Am Human” Scam – Wells Fargo recently warned of a scam that mimics the “Verify You Are Human” CAPTCHA tests. Embedded in compromised websites, these fake tests trick you into entering keyboard commands like Win + R -> CTRL + V -> Enter that silently install malware designed to steal your passwords and personal information. This attack is devious because it hijacks a behavior we've all been conditioned to perform without a second thought.
Your Doorbell Camera Is Snitching – How smart devices are sharing your personal data with insurance companies. Investigations have revealed that some smart doorbell camera companies are sharing video data with insurance firms, who can use it to make decisions about your coverage. This is a fundamental breach of autonomy, turning a device meant for security into a tool for corporate surveillance in the most intimate spaces of our lives. Gadget Review - Doorbell Privacy Report
AI-Powered Scams Targeting Seniors. The threat to our senior population is acute. The FTC reported that older adults lost a record $700 million to scammers in 2024, a figure set to be surpassed this year. AI enables criminals to research victims using public records and social media, then craft highly personalized scams that feel authentic because they incorporate real details about a person’s life, health, and family. Bleeping Computer - Senior Scam Statistics
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