I noticed around the web that we have three community members celebrating birthdays today! Traci Toguchi, Frank Eliason and Drew Olanoff will all be blowing out candles today. Now, normally I’d say a simple “Happy Birthday!” and be done with it. However, realizing today is Drew’s birthday gave me pause, and made me think…
You’ve seen us repeatedly say to back up your files. When someone has computer problems, one of the first questions that we ask is whether there is a backup of the important files. You would be surprised at how many people do not have a backup. And there is no reason for that lapse in security.
Read more on Backup Security and Synchronizing (even for Macs!)…
It is not good enough simply to say that you have a firewall. Not all firewalls are the same. Qualities – and functions – differ.
In very simple terms, you want a firewall that protects your computer in two directions. You want to stop unwanted traffic from reaching your computer. In addition, you want to stop some traffic leaving your computer if your security has been breached. And a security breach may happen. All it takes is an errant click. Further, there is no security program on the market that gives you a hundred percent protection. It is a cat-and-mouse game with criminals/hackers. Sometimes, the hackers are a step ahead of the security people.
There are items in the news every day about identity theft. The obvious consequence is an unexpected financial disaster. However, it can be worse. There can be crimes committed under a stolen identity and warrants issued for the person who has had his/her identity used. And yet, it can be worse.
I had to chuckle a little while ago when someone in our live chat room stated that Google’s new operating system will be 100% invulnerable to malware attacks. That’s an awful hefty claim for Google to make, if they in fact did. The truth is that nothing is impossible in this day and age of malware. Criminals, hackers and malware writers will indeed figure out a way to get inside of whatever Google comes up with. Sadly, it’s par for the course. It’s rumors like these that make people who don’t know any better think that they don’t need any type of security software.
It always makes me cringe when someone in my live chat room boasts that they are smart enough to not need any protection software on their computer. I shudder when they claim they couldn’t possibly get infected because they watch what they download. Seriously, folks… in this day and age, do you honestly think that’s all there is to it? Have you not listened to anything we’ve been trying to tell you?!
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I took several live calls earlier tonight to talk to people in the community about Windows 7. I wanted to get their honest reactions – find out what they love and hate. One of the calls was with my assistant, Kat. She’s been a Microsoft MVP in the area of Windows Security for over four years now, and has been considered an Expert in the malware removal community for about seven years. We talked a bit about the security side of Windows 7, and her take on the new operating system in general.
Identity theft has been tagged as being the fastest growing crime in America. Your private information is a commodity that some criminals harvest and resell. It is a whole subculture. The people stealing the personal information may not bother with committing the actual identity theft, but there are buyers for your personal information.
There are some things that you want to keep private. It may be financial information, sensitive data like your passwords, proprietary information, or other such confidential material. You simply don’t want friends, colleagues, roommates, family, or repair people to have access to that information. Not only is that information private, but you want to secure that sensitive data from identity theft. And sadly, sometimes identity theft is perpetrated by someone you know.
One of the absurdities that is circulating the Internet is that even hackers are suffering in this economy. With the tough economic situation, supposedly hackers are having more competition. This is just one of the theories to explain why there is a steady increase in malware and criminal activity such as phishing and identity theft.
It’s that time of year again… the time when my dogs like to play dress-up. I have to sit around looking like a normal dude, handing out candy and entertaining the masses on the live stream. Meanwhile, Wicket and Pixie get to have all the fun! How is that even right?
The number of malware sites are increasing. IBM has reported an increased sophistication with attempts to infect computers. The frightening thing is that some malware is being pushed unknowingly by legitimate sites.
Read more on Know When Something is Being Installed on Your Machine…
Students returning to school at colleges and universities need to be concerned about their security online. However, the same security measures should apply to ALL Internet users. For students, they will be using new Web sites, and setting up new accounts via the school. As such, they are prime targets for hackers and criminals who phish and steal identities. College students make such nice sitting ducks because there is a high probability that they do not have criminal records, nor high financial debt.
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How do you keep things safe when you are traveling? I’m sure you make use of the safe in the hotel room. However, things like your laptop just won’t fit inside there. You can pick up a cheap alarm for around ten dollars at any supermarket or convenience store. Let me tell you – these things are LOUD.
Read more on How to Keep Your Valuables Safe When You Travel…
For some of our readers, the new year starts very soon – it’s school time again. And with school, in spite of the economy, there will be purchases of new laptops and desktops. On those laptops and desktops will go some very important files – like lectures, papers, music, pictures and other personal “stuff” – including financial information. You want to have that personal information protected. Keeping that information secure is paramount, and we’ve been able to come up with a way to help.
Read more on Prepare for the New School Year by Protecting Your Information…
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