Lucas Ropek, Author at Gizmodo

How Apple’s New iOS 16 Safety Features Work

The newly updated mobile operating system comes with a first-of-its-kind security mode that was designed to thwart commercial spyware attacks.

Privacy & Security Lucas Ropek Sep 12

It’s Been a Minute. Guess How Much Crypto’s Been Stolen Lately?

Crypto’s cruel summer hasn’t changed the fact that fraud, theft, and financial mayhem are still going strong in the web3 world!

Cryptocurrencies Lucas Ropek Sep 9

An Influencer’s Workout App May Have Exposed Users’ Before and After Pics

Influencer Rachel Dillon denies that her Move With Us app allowed some users to see others' workout progress pics and and even nudes.

Privacy & Security Lucas Ropek Sep 8

The iPhone 14 Is Here, and So Is Satellite Emergency SOS and the Dynamic Island

Satellite Emergency SOS, dynamic island, more powerful cameras, and no mini option.

Tech News Lucas Ropek Sep 7

TikTok Is Denying It Was Hacked After a Cybercrime Gang Claimed to Leak Users’ Data

The short video app, known for sucking up a radical amount of your data, wants you to know that it didn't let hackers steal any of it.

Privacy & Security Lucas Ropek Sep 6

SNAFU: The Air Force Just Survived a Reply-All Apocalypse

Turns out it’s pretty damn easy to spam the entire Air Force using just one email address.

Tech News Lucas Ropek Sep 3

The Hackers Who Breached Neopets Were Inside Its IT Systems for 18 Months

New details about a massive data breach affecting the digital pet company shows that the hacker had long-term access to its network and user data.

Privacy & Security Lucas Ropek Sep 1

OpenSea Boots Hackers for Claiming to Mint NFTs of Belarusian Dictator’s Stolen Passport

A hacktivist group says it stole the passport information of everyone in Belarus and used it to needle Aleksandr Lukashenko.

Privacy & Security Lucas Ropek Aug 31

California Legislature OKs Landmark Bill to Protect Kids’ Privacy

The legislation, now headed to the governor's desk, would create new protections for web users under 18, including mandating age-appropriate design.

Privacy & Security Lucas Ropek Aug 30

FTC Accuses Data Broker of Letting Anyone Track Millions of Americans for Free

Agency commissioners voted 4-1 to sue a geo-location broker, alleging its product could make tracking patients and survivors very easy.

Privacy & Security Lucas Ropek Aug 29

A Massive Hacking Campaign Stole 10,000 Login Credentials From 130 Different Organizations

A phishing campaign targeted Okta users at multiple companies, successfully swiping passwords from staffers and then using them to steal company secrets.

Privacy & Security Lucas Ropek Aug 26

A Pro-U.S. Disinfo Campaign Has Been Targeting Russia, China, and Iran on Facebook and Twitter, Researchers Say

Researchers have discovered what appears to be one of the only known examples of an online U.S. influence operation.

Privacy & Security Lucas Ropek Aug 25

Massive Study Involving YouTube Finds ‘Pre-Bunking’ Inoculates People Against Misinfo

A new study conducted in collaboration with Google found that playing short videos about manipulation could help cut down on America's misinformation problem.

Privacy & Security Lucas Ropek Aug 24

What to Do if a Big Tech Company Steals Your Code

A cybersecurity professional presented research at Black Hat about how his algorithm was co-opted by at least three separate companies.

Privacy & Security Lucas Ropek Aug 11

Inside the Government’s Fight Against Quantum Hackers—Which Don’t Exist Yet

The NIST's “quantum-resistant” encryption standards, picked via contest, were designed to keep everybody one step ahead of hacking by quantum computers.

Privacy & Security Lucas Ropek Aug 10

A College Student Discovered a Bug in Cloudflare Email Routing That Let You Read Any User’s Emails

Cloudflare has patched the bug and says that it was never actually exploited, and Albert Pedersen earned $6,000.

Privacy & Security Lucas Ropek Aug 10

Supposedly Quantum-Proof Encryption Cracked by Basic-Ass PC

An encryption algorithm that was supposed to stand up to attacks from the future's most powerful computers was recently laid low by a much simpler machine.

Privacy & Security Lucas Ropek Aug 2

The Notorious Hacker Who’s Trying to Fix Social Media

Over the past two decades, social media has taken over the world and become a menace to democracy. Can a pseudonymous hacktivist get it back on the right track?

Tech News Lucas Ropek Aug 2

Judge Greenlights Suit Accusing Visa of Profiting off Kids on Pornhub

"The Court can comfortably infer that Visa intended to help MindGeek monetize child porn," a judge wrote.

Tech News Lucas Ropek Aug 1

Hundreds of Nuclear Radiation Monitors Were Allegedly Hacked by Former Repairmen

Spanish police say the men were behind a series of cyberattacks that interfered with the nation's ability to monitor for dangerous levels of radioactivity.

Privacy & Security Lucas Ropek Jul 29

Lucas Ropek

How Apple’s New iOS 16 Safety Features Work

It’s Been a Minute. Guess How Much Crypto’s Been Stolen Lately?

An Influencer’s Workout App May Have Exposed Users’ Before and After Pics

The iPhone 14 Is Here, and So Is Satellite Emergency SOS and the Dynamic Island

TikTok Is Denying It Was Hacked After a Cybercrime Gang Claimed to Leak Users’ Data

SNAFU: The Air Force Just Survived a Reply-All Apocalypse

The Hackers Who Breached Neopets Were Inside Its IT Systems for 18 Months

OpenSea Boots Hackers for Claiming to Mint NFTs of Belarusian Dictator’s Stolen Passport

California Legislature OKs Landmark Bill to Protect Kids’ Privacy

FTC Accuses Data Broker of Letting Anyone Track Millions of Americans for Free

A Massive Hacking Campaign Stole 10,000 Login Credentials From 130 Different Organizations

A Pro-U.S. Disinfo Campaign Has Been Targeting Russia, China, and Iran on Facebook and Twitter, Researchers Say

Massive Study Involving YouTube Finds ‘Pre-Bunking’ Inoculates People Against Misinfo

What to Do if a Big Tech Company Steals Your Code

Inside the Government’s Fight Against Quantum Hackers—Which Don’t Exist Yet

A College Student Discovered a Bug in Cloudflare Email Routing That Let You Read Any User’s Emails

Supposedly Quantum-Proof Encryption Cracked by Basic-Ass PC

The Notorious Hacker Who’s Trying to Fix Social Media

Judge Greenlights Suit Accusing Visa of Profiting off Kids on Pornhub

Hundreds of Nuclear Radiation Monitors Were Allegedly Hacked by Former Repairmen

First Statewide Data Center Ban Passed by Maine Legislature

FCC Exempts Netgear from Foreign-Made Router Ban for Some Reason

Jamie Dornan Is Your New Aragorn in ‘The Hunt for Gollum’

Trump’s Fed Pick Is Knee Deep in Tech and Crypto Investments

The First Trailer for ‘Godzilla Minus Zero’ Takes Terror Stateside

The Trump Phone Still Looks Like Total Trash

‘Masters of the Universe’ Really, Really Wants to Be the Next ‘Barbie’

Samsung’s Micro RGB TVs Provide So Much Color It May Be Too Much

The Crypto Bros Want to Get Their Hands on Anthropic’s ‘Super Dangerous’ Model

This Is What a Music Industry ‘Plant’ Looks Like in 2026

Sony Inzone H6 Air Review: A Perfect Case for Open-Back Gaming Headsets

Anker’s EufyMake E1 Finally Brings Printers Out of the Dark Ages

The Soundboks Mix Is Going to Make You the Most Popular Guy at the Park

Asus Zenbook A16 Review: Start Considering Snapdragon on PC, for Real

Aqara Thermostat Hub W200 Review: Almost Better than My Ecobee

HP Omen Max 45L Review: 4K60 Gaming Has Never Been So Easy

Ecovacs Winbot W3 Omni Review: Window Cleaning Robots Have a Long Way to Go

AirPods Max 2 vs. Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen): Which ANC Headphones Win?

The Best Gadgets of March 2026

AirPods Max 2 Review: Still Ridiculously Expensive and Ridiculously Nice