The IT Nerd

June is Internet Safety Month, and with family travel set to boom this summer, TikTok is encouraging families to have the “summertime safety and security talk.” 

As part of TikTok’s ongoing efforts to inspire the global community on ways to #BeCyberSmart, today they launched a dedicated Summertime safety tips in-app Discover page sharing basic safety tools and security tips from popular TikTok creators and leading organizations. Their goal is to help ensure that families have a safe, fun, and secure online experience — no matter where their summer travels or adventures may take them! 

More details are available via TikTok’s Newsroom.

At TikTok, we’re always looking for ways to uplift our global community to #BeCyberSmart. Last year, the IRS identified over $10 billion in losses from tax fraud and financial crimes. With Tax Day around the corner, cybercriminals may be primed to unleash a range of nefarious tactics — whether on a connected device or a landline — to trick people into unwittingly handing out sensitive information. 

Some TikTok creators are taking their expertise to #TaxTok to help others stay ahead of fraudsters that continually evolve their tactics. These Certified Public Accountants, lawyers, and fraud fighters are spotlighting ways to avoid falling victim to scams. Drawing from the IRS, along with leading experts like the Identity Theft Resource Center (@idtheftcenter__) and National Cybersecurity Alliance (@natlcybersecalliance), we’re spotlighting some of our favorite tips to #BeCyberSmart this tax season.

• Ignore imposters – Phishing and smishing are the most common tactics used to steal personal data. The IRS will not call, text, email, or visit your home. They will not accept payment in gift cards, prepaid debit cards, wire transfers, or cryptocurrency. Don’t open links or attachments from suspicious senders. Scams related to COVID-19, Economic Impact Payments, and other tax law changes are increasingly common this year. 
• Verify what you see – Fake IRS sites are scattered all over the online world. The official site is IRS.gov, and all IRS.gov web page addresses begin with http://www.irs.gov/. Beyond tax tips, if you’re on e-commerce sites, ensure the web address begins with“https” – the “s” is for secure communications over the computer network. Also check for the “padlock” icon in the browser’s address bar meaning there’s a secure connection between the browser and the server where the website is hosted.
• Use secure Wi-Fi, VPN, and 2-step verification – Don’t trust unsecured public Wi-Fi, especially in airplanes, airports, malls, or public transit. Use a virtual private network (VPN) whether on the go or at home, and secure home Wi-Fi networks with a strong password. This is essential as wireless printers, door locks, and refrigerators create new access points for people with bad intentions. Enable 2-step verification for an added layer of security.
• Have a back-up plan – Use a secure cloud service or external hard drive to copy important information, like photos and files on computers and mobile devices, as a lifeline to recover financial or other tax data if lost.
• Protect with a PIN – Taxpayers who can validate their identities can obtain an Identity Protection PIN, a six-digit code that prevents an identity thief from filing a fraudulent tax return using your Social Security number.

Reporting potential scams helps prevent future attempts and protect others. Report IRS, Treasury, or other scam attempts to the FTC, IRS, Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, or Identity Theft Resource Center. If you encounter suspicious activity in-app, report it to TikTok’s Safety Center, and follow @TikTokTips for more ways to #BeCyberSmart.

“Whether or not you are ready for tax season, the identity criminals are, so it’s a good time to remind friends and family to stay vigilant and #BeCyberSmart,” said Eva Velasquez, CEO of the Identity Theft Resource Center (@idtheftcenter_). “File your taxes as early as possible, do your research before handing information over to a tax preparer, and use a secure internet connection to file online or mail it directly from the post office if you don’t.”

“What’s scarier than the IRS? Someone pretending to be from the IRS,” said PJ Rohall, Co-Founder of About-Fraud. “Tax scammers will milk you for more money and cause more emotional damage than a lifetime of filing tax returns or interacting with legitimate IRS agents.”

“Tax season is a haven for identity theft, so it’s critical to do your due diligence before handing over personal information,” said Gabriel Friedlander, founder of Wizer – Free Security Awareness Training (@wizersecurity). “When it comes to tax preparation services, it’s best to work with a reputable professional that comes recommended by a friend or family member.”

“Bad actors look for any chance to accomplish their agenda of nefarious schemes, and tax season can leave the most vulnerable at risk,” said Ian Mitchell(@ian.t.mitchell_), founder of The Knoble. “TikTok’s #BeCyberSmart initiative is a powerful step to fight back by raising awareness to prevent cybercriminals from targeting unsuspecting victims.”

“We know how stressful tax season can be, and we’re proud to partner with the IRS to share tips on how to stay safe when filing taxes this year,” said Lisa Plaggemier, Executive Director of the National Cybersecurity Alliance (@natlcybersecalliance). “It’s critical for the TikTok community and everyone online to do research, report potential scams, and secure their online accounts.” 

In partnership with our fraud awareness champions, we developed a Bingo card as another fun way for people to brush up on their cybersecurity skills. Good luck, and remember to always #BeCyberSmart! 

Today, TikTok is releasing its 2nd Annual TikTok Music Report, highlighting top music trends on the app this year. The app is now a fundamental part of the music industry, and with the 2021 Music Report, we have the data to prove it.

TikTok remained the top source of music discovery for fans of all backgrounds, paving the way for the next generation of music stars, and helping usher in artists as diverse as Olivia Rodrigo, PinkPantheress, and Måneskin to stardom.

So, which Canadian artists made the list?

• Drake dominated even the TikTok charts and Justin Bieber gained the most followers in 2021!
• Top tracks from Canadians include music from ElyOtto, Justin Bieber, Mother Mother Music and Tesher. 
• Canadians bbno$ and RealestK used TikTok to raise their profiles in a major way this year
• Canadian singer-songwriter JESSIA got a record deal from posting on TikTok and is now signed to Republic Records
• Canadian artists with the most new followers include The Weeknd, Shawn Mendes, Lubalin and Avril Lavigne

And let’s crunch some numbers:

• Over 175 songs trended on TikTok in 2021 also charted on the Billboard Hot 100, twice as many as last year.
• Approximately 430 songs surpassed 1 billion video views as TikTok sounds in 2021 – a threefold increase over 2020.
• The most popular of these songs approach, and even exceed, 20 billion views on videos they soundtrack.

You can find the full report here.

Today, TikTok is kicking off Fraud Awareness Week as a continuation of their #BeCyberSmart campaign with the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA).

TikTok is joining with industry experts including The Knoble’s Ian Mitchell, Frank McKenna (AKA, Frank on Fraud), Identity Theft Resource Center’s Eva Velasquez, Fraudology podcast host Karisse Hendrick, and the “Original Internet Godfather” Brett Johnson. Their goal is to spotlight ways to identify scams, verify suspicious activity, and report potential bad actors to the appropriate authorities.

Also, tonight at 5pm PT / 8pm ET, TikTok is hosting a special #LearnOnTikTok LIVE stream with comedian @Alex_Falcone in conversation with tech creator @mryeester for an insider’s perspective on how to avoid falling victim to fraud.

Cybersecurity Awareness Month may be over, but TikTok is celebrating the 1-year anniversary of their global bug bounty program with HackerOne and continue celebrating ways to #BeCyberSmart.

They published a “thank you” video from their team to the ethical hacker community in app (@TikTokNewsroom), and more details are available via their Newsroom here: https://newsroom.tiktok.com/en-us/celebrating-the-ethical-hacker-community and the video is below:

TikTok just launched a campaign to encourage our global community of 1 billion to #BeCyberSmart, a campaign championed by the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA) and industry-leading experts on how we can all create a culture of cybersecurity.

The campaign will feature a @TikTokTips video series on ways to spot and defend against common cyberthreats with TikTok creators and employees, including TikTok Chief Security Officer Roland Cloutier and touring comedian @alex_falcone (Los Angeles-based), telling tales of cyber crimes and how to #BeCyberSmart. We’re also excited to formally welcome NCSA to the platform (@natlcybersecalliance), and tomorrow is the first US Cyber Team Draft Day. The US Cyber Team will be unveiled via live-stream from the HyperX Esports Arena in Las Vegas on TikTok LIVE.

Full details on the news can be found here: https://newsroom.tiktok.com/en-us/becybersmart-cybersecurity-awareness-champions

Finally, a call to action from TikTok Chief Security Officer Roland Cloutier can be found on LinkedIn.

Today, TikTok has launched auto captions to help the platform’s deaf and hard of hearing users better use and enjoy the platform.

This new feature, first launched in the U.S. and is now available in Canada, Australia, New Zealand and UK, allowing creators to enable auto-generated subtitles based on the audio from their videos as well as edit captions. TikTok builds its platform with inclusivity in mind to support its diverse creator and viewer community.

Current accessibility work on the platform include:

• An animated thumbnail that replaces animated thumbnails with static images.
• A creator warning that notifies creators when they produce videos with effects that could trigger photosensitive epilepsy.
• A photosensitivity feature allows users to skip photosensitive content, which can be harmful for people with epilepsy.
• A text-to-speech feature which converts text to voice.

You can read the full announcement here. 

TikTok, has officially hit one billion users today according to the company.

An app that first gained popularity during the initial lockdown has now taken the world by storm and become one of the fastest growing social media apps since its launch five years ago.

More than one billion people around the world now come to TikTok every month to be entertained as they learn, laugh, or discover something new. It has become a home for an immensely diverse community of families, small businesses, and creators who transform into stars.