A Case for Multiple Email Accounts
As the web of our digital life expands, so does our risk of getting hacked. For various reasons and by various means, our email addresses are scattered around the Internet. Because of this exposure any one of us can become a target, even the kindly grandmother who rarely does much online. All it takes to get invaded is to click one poisoned weblink in an email.
Sometimes the poisoned weblink infects only the browser (browser hijacking); sometimes it infects the whole computer (a ransomware attack). Sometimes though, the hack is a more focused attempt to breach an email account.
Tempting Targets
Email accounts are rich targets. If someone can gain unauthorized access to an email account s/he can view our contacts and our email database - the content of all the emails we keep, even the "deleted" stuff!
Don't Mix Business with Pleasure
For years I have been recommending that my commercial clients do not use business email accounts for personal use. It's best to use the company email for commercial contacts only. In my experience, hacks are more likely to occur through personal emails, as they're linked to social networking and a whole variety of people who may not be as security-conscious as corporate email systems tend to be.
Three's Company
For personal email accounts, I'd recommend three email accounts: one for family and close friends; another for finance and banking; and a third for everything else, such as subscriptions, online shopping, social networks, etc.
For the first email, you can choose something personal, like part of your name for the address; for the second, be a little vaguer; for the third, be very vague - don't use any part of your name or personal info.
Damage Control
Now just because you have three email accounts this doesn't mean you're bulletproof online. But if someone hacks the third account, they won't gain access to the content of the first or second. The last thing you want is someone gaining access to ALL your email contacts when they hack your account. That's a nightmare for everyone.
A Vote for Gmail
As much as I like to support the "little guy and gal" in business, I think Gmail is the best bet for personal email. It has good spam filtering, good 2-step authentication, and other security features. Of course, when using Gmail, you must put up with ads and whatever online tracking Google is currently implementing. But it is free, so we can't expect to get something for nothing.
Best Practices to Keep Safe
Whichever email service you use, and whatever strategy you use to keep some segregation between email accounts, it's best to use unique passwords for each email account, set strict spam controls, and be very careful when clicking any links in email messages. When in doubt, delete. And never transmit personally identifying information (PII) like social security numbers, etc. by email.
Email is a wonderful tool for personal and business communications. Just keep your guard up while using it, because it's a portal to so much about you, and you have rights as to what is disclosed.
Thanks for reading!
-Sam
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If you haven't already, you can subscribe to our email tips by visiting www.kokuadigital.com and entering your name, email, and "add to email list" in the request form, then click Send.
Sunday, April 15, 2018
Thursday, March 15, 2018
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless IT Equipment
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless IT Equipment
If it’s gettin' old, it’s gonna fail, or at least some part of it will.
Just like bodies and cars and power tools, our digital devices have their healthy life spans. Problem is, we don’t like to believe this. When one of our devices is chugging along, maybe not as well as in the past, but still tolerable, we hope the state will last.
Wishful Thinking
Even though I’m an IT guy, dealing with hardware and software failures day in a day out, believe me, I don’t want my stuff to fail. (And I’m always secretly hoping I won't have to deal with the problems my clients have!) It’s a classic mental state called wishful thinking.
Glitches, noises, sputtering, etc… we like to shake ‘em away, re-adjust, power cycle, or say some kind words (or not so kind ones!). Hope springs eternal!
Anthropomorphism
Just like every other object we encounter, animate or inanimate, we like to project our feelings and our relationship expectations onto our devices. So in our heads, the essence of the message is: "Hey machine, my friend, I treat you a certain way, please treat me the same."
But when things don't go well, you know the drill, something like this comes out: “Come on printer, I just installed new ink! I’ve cleaned you out with compressed air. I’ve power cycled you and put in clean paper. Can’t you just print these two pages I need right now? Just one more print job is all I need…”
Rant at the Machine
Then if our expectations aren’t met, the rant begins… “You p.o.s.! I’m never buying this brand again! I’m never buying from “Store A” again! I’ve only had it for 3 years, shouldn’t it last for like 4 or 5 (or 10)! My husband must have bought that damn refilled ink from that site online.” Yada, yada.
I’m not getting on my high horse here. Trust me, I’ve been there. Problem is, stuff happens. Problem is, we are short tempered when it comes to our electronics these days because we are so spoiled.
What We Lack is Appreciation...
The made-in-China electronics mill churns out stuff that’s gonna break before our expected device lifecycle. Guaranteed. Actually, it’s pretty amazing how well things do work, like our powerhouse phones, most of the time, for all we put them through. My daughter dropped her phone in the toilet recently, then quickly put it in a bag of rice to dry out, and voila, it still works!
...And Resilience
The thing is, we really need to work on being more resilient. It would help our mental state if we could do these things: 1)be more grateful for devices that do work pretty reliably most of the time; 2)be more flexible about asking for help, such as leaning on a friend at times when a device is not working – maybe asking to use their printer, for example; 3)be able to step away from a failed device, and get some space, some perspective, to consider our options, to see the pointlessness of ranting at a piece of equipment.
Karmic Payback
And who knows, maybe inanimate objects have feelings too. If they do, maybe a device fails because of the way we treat it (like rarely doing maintenance or ignoring the warning signs of glitches). On second thought, that’s not about feelings, just basic karma in the physical world.
Here’s to wishing all of us more patience and compassion and wisdom when our precious yet under-appreciated digital devices fail.
Thanks for reading!
-Sam
---
If you haven't already, you can subscribe to our email tips by visiting www.kokuadigital.com and entering your name, email, and "add to email list" in the request form, then click Send.
If it’s gettin' old, it’s gonna fail, or at least some part of it will.
Just like bodies and cars and power tools, our digital devices have their healthy life spans. Problem is, we don’t like to believe this. When one of our devices is chugging along, maybe not as well as in the past, but still tolerable, we hope the state will last.
Wishful Thinking
Even though I’m an IT guy, dealing with hardware and software failures day in a day out, believe me, I don’t want my stuff to fail. (And I’m always secretly hoping I won't have to deal with the problems my clients have!) It’s a classic mental state called wishful thinking.
Glitches, noises, sputtering, etc… we like to shake ‘em away, re-adjust, power cycle, or say some kind words (or not so kind ones!). Hope springs eternal!
Anthropomorphism
Just like every other object we encounter, animate or inanimate, we like to project our feelings and our relationship expectations onto our devices. So in our heads, the essence of the message is: "Hey machine, my friend, I treat you a certain way, please treat me the same."
But when things don't go well, you know the drill, something like this comes out: “Come on printer, I just installed new ink! I’ve cleaned you out with compressed air. I’ve power cycled you and put in clean paper. Can’t you just print these two pages I need right now? Just one more print job is all I need…”
Rant at the Machine
Then if our expectations aren’t met, the rant begins… “You p.o.s.! I’m never buying this brand again! I’m never buying from “Store A” again! I’ve only had it for 3 years, shouldn’t it last for like 4 or 5 (or 10)! My husband must have bought that damn refilled ink from that site online.” Yada, yada.
I’m not getting on my high horse here. Trust me, I’ve been there. Problem is, stuff happens. Problem is, we are short tempered when it comes to our electronics these days because we are so spoiled.
What We Lack is Appreciation...
The made-in-China electronics mill churns out stuff that’s gonna break before our expected device lifecycle. Guaranteed. Actually, it’s pretty amazing how well things do work, like our powerhouse phones, most of the time, for all we put them through. My daughter dropped her phone in the toilet recently, then quickly put it in a bag of rice to dry out, and voila, it still works!
...And Resilience
The thing is, we really need to work on being more resilient. It would help our mental state if we could do these things: 1)be more grateful for devices that do work pretty reliably most of the time; 2)be more flexible about asking for help, such as leaning on a friend at times when a device is not working – maybe asking to use their printer, for example; 3)be able to step away from a failed device, and get some space, some perspective, to consider our options, to see the pointlessness of ranting at a piece of equipment.
Karmic Payback
And who knows, maybe inanimate objects have feelings too. If they do, maybe a device fails because of the way we treat it (like rarely doing maintenance or ignoring the warning signs of glitches). On second thought, that’s not about feelings, just basic karma in the physical world.
Here’s to wishing all of us more patience and compassion and wisdom when our precious yet under-appreciated digital devices fail.
Thanks for reading!
-Sam
---
If you haven't already, you can subscribe to our email tips by visiting www.kokuadigital.com and entering your name, email, and "add to email list" in the request form, then click Send.
Thursday, February 15, 2018
Update Your Router To Boost Security
Update Your Router To Boost Security
You know those movies depicting the days of yore when the royals lived in a castle? Such a flick wouldn't seem authentic without a scene of people passing through the castle gates, complete with a drawbridge and a moat. Given such castles were built of solid, high walls, it's implied there was no way in or out except through the gate.
Your modem is the castle gate
In the kingdom of the Internet, as far as homes and small businesses are concerned, there's only one way in and out, only one castle gate: the modem. On Hawaii Island, the modems are provided by Hawaiian Telcom, Spectrum, satellite internet providers, or cell providers like AT&T and Verizon.
So the modem is THE conduit to the Internet. No modem, no Internet. (Here I'm limiting the scope to not include connecting on a cell phone to the Internet via a cellular data plan.)
Modem/router
Some of these modems are actually a modem/router combo. The router component is what allows multiple users to connect through one modem via a wired or wireless connection. Some folks have a modem from the telco provider and a router they bought off the shelf, like a Linksys or Netgear brand.
Castle gate, but no protection
Now here my catle gate analogy breaks down a little, becuase a modem by itself affords virtually no protection against Internet crooks. It's actually the router that provides gate keeping. The basic protection a router affords is a firewall, but there are other security features like WiFi encryption, etc.
I highly recommend not connecting a computer to the Internet directly via a modem, even if you have only one computer. Install a router between your computer and the modem.
Hacking Targets
Given that we depend on our routers for security, it's very important to know they are regularly the target of hacking. Cybercrooks are constantly on the lookout for router vulnerabilities. The cheaper and older a router is, the less likely the manufacturer is to "patch" it, which means to keep the software up-to-date against known threats.
How to secure your router
What can you do to keep your router as secure as possible? There are several things, but one of the most important and oft-neglected is to update the firmware (the router software). The most common way to do this is login to your router via the router's IP address in a web browser, then locate the update option. Note: Only do this when you can afford for the router to be shut down, because the firmware update will reboot the device. You can check for specific firmware instructions on the vendor's site for your router, such as linksys.com or netgear.com, etc.
Additionally, if your router is older than two years, I suggest replacing it. A router's performance decreases over time; and as mentioned, security can be compromised if vendors don't keep patching the defects.
Get some help
Be sure to get some help configuring a new router, because out of the box it's not optimally secure. If the router is provided by your telco, they will upgrade you to the latest model for free.
Here's another article with more info and tips on this subject:
https://www.lifewire.com/how-to-upgrade-your-wireless-routers-firmware-2487671
Thanks for reading!
-Sam
You know those movies depicting the days of yore when the royals lived in a castle? Such a flick wouldn't seem authentic without a scene of people passing through the castle gates, complete with a drawbridge and a moat. Given such castles were built of solid, high walls, it's implied there was no way in or out except through the gate.
Your modem is the castle gate
In the kingdom of the Internet, as far as homes and small businesses are concerned, there's only one way in and out, only one castle gate: the modem. On Hawaii Island, the modems are provided by Hawaiian Telcom, Spectrum, satellite internet providers, or cell providers like AT&T and Verizon.
So the modem is THE conduit to the Internet. No modem, no Internet. (Here I'm limiting the scope to not include connecting on a cell phone to the Internet via a cellular data plan.)
Modem/router
Some of these modems are actually a modem/router combo. The router component is what allows multiple users to connect through one modem via a wired or wireless connection. Some folks have a modem from the telco provider and a router they bought off the shelf, like a Linksys or Netgear brand.
Castle gate, but no protection
Now here my catle gate analogy breaks down a little, becuase a modem by itself affords virtually no protection against Internet crooks. It's actually the router that provides gate keeping. The basic protection a router affords is a firewall, but there are other security features like WiFi encryption, etc.
I highly recommend not connecting a computer to the Internet directly via a modem, even if you have only one computer. Install a router between your computer and the modem.
Hacking Targets
Given that we depend on our routers for security, it's very important to know they are regularly the target of hacking. Cybercrooks are constantly on the lookout for router vulnerabilities. The cheaper and older a router is, the less likely the manufacturer is to "patch" it, which means to keep the software up-to-date against known threats.
How to secure your router
What can you do to keep your router as secure as possible? There are several things, but one of the most important and oft-neglected is to update the firmware (the router software). The most common way to do this is login to your router via the router's IP address in a web browser, then locate the update option. Note: Only do this when you can afford for the router to be shut down, because the firmware update will reboot the device. You can check for specific firmware instructions on the vendor's site for your router, such as linksys.com or netgear.com, etc.
Additionally, if your router is older than two years, I suggest replacing it. A router's performance decreases over time; and as mentioned, security can be compromised if vendors don't keep patching the defects.
Get some help
Be sure to get some help configuring a new router, because out of the box it's not optimally secure. If the router is provided by your telco, they will upgrade you to the latest model for free.
Here's another article with more info and tips on this subject:
https://www.lifewire.com/how-to-upgrade-your-wireless-routers-firmware-2487671
Thanks for reading!
-Sam
---
If you haven't already, you can subscribe to our email tips by visiting www.kokuadigital.com and entering your name, email, and "add to email list" in the request form, then click Send.
Monday, January 15, 2018
Hey Mac Users: Get Your Guard Up!
Hey Mac Users: Get Your Guard Up!
There was a recent news article about a 28-year-old man who allegedly hacked into thousands of computers. Federal prosecutors say he created malware that enabled him to remotely access and turn on the cameras and microphones of the computers.
His malware program is named Fruitfly. It was found in both PCs and Macs. The article reported that many cybersecurity researchers were surprised it was on so many Macs. Why surprised? Because there are far more Windows PCs in the world, so most hackers don't target Macs.
However, as I and my other tech colleagues on island well know, there is plenty of malware out there aimed at Macs. We've seen it and removed it.
The cited article reports a 270 percent increase last year in new strains of malware for Macs.
So what can Mac users do to better protect their systems? Here are some suggestions, most of which pertain to Windows PCs too.
Sam
Article referenced above
https://www.npr.org/sections/alltechconsidered/2018/01/12/577761143/ohio-man-charged-with-putting-spyware-on-thousands-of-computers?sc=tw
Here's another article about Mac vulnerabilties to malware infections:
https://www.malwarebytes.com/mac-antivirus/?utm_source=double-opt-in&utm_medium=email-internal-b2c&utm_campaign=EM-B2C-2018-May-newsletter&utm_content=macbookT
There was a recent news article about a 28-year-old man who allegedly hacked into thousands of computers. Federal prosecutors say he created malware that enabled him to remotely access and turn on the cameras and microphones of the computers.
His malware program is named Fruitfly. It was found in both PCs and Macs. The article reported that many cybersecurity researchers were surprised it was on so many Macs. Why surprised? Because there are far more Windows PCs in the world, so most hackers don't target Macs.
However, as I and my other tech colleagues on island well know, there is plenty of malware out there aimed at Macs. We've seen it and removed it.
The cited article reports a 270 percent increase last year in new strains of malware for Macs.
So what can Mac users do to better protect their systems? Here are some suggestions, most of which pertain to Windows PCs too.
- The primary shield is you. Be careful which sites you visit, which links you click, who you let on your computer, which programs you install, etc.
- Back up all important data frequently, preferably online. For local backup to external hard drive you can use Time Machine. For online backup I recommend Mozy.com (it's free for up to 2 GB backup).
- Make sure to install all Apple updates when they're issued.
- Create an admin account, password protect it, and demote your usual account to standard user level, and password protect it.
- Install anti-malware software. A good free program is Bitdefender, or Malwarebytes. For a paid program, I recommend ESET Cyber Security. If you suspect you're already infected, you can run a scan with the free Malwarebytes program, then download, install, and scan with Bitdefender or ESET as well. [disclosure: I'm reseller of ESET]
- Make sure you are behind a hardware firewall on your network and update it. (This usually means your router.)
- Enable the Mac OS X firewall.
- If you have children using a Mac, enable Parental Controls.
- If you're a mobile professional (using a MacBook) I suggest enabling FileVault, which encrypts your files. And enable Find My Mac.
- Keep up with Mac-specific security news.
Sam
Article referenced above
https://www.npr.org/sections/alltechconsidered/2018/01/12/577761143/ohio-man-charged-with-putting-spyware-on-thousands-of-computers?sc=tw
Here's another article about Mac vulnerabilties to malware infections:
https://www.malwarebytes.com/mac-antivirus/?utm_source=double-opt-in&utm_medium=email-internal-b2c&utm_campaign=EM-B2C-2018-May-newsletter&utm_content=macbookT
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If you haven't already, you can subscribe to our email tips by visiting www.kokuadigital.com and entering your name, email, and "add to email list" in the request form, then click Send.
Friday, December 15, 2017
Is It the End of the Internet As We Know It?
Is It the End of the Internet As We Know It?
On the cusp of 2018, the REM song, “It’s the End of the World as We Know It,” comes to mind.
The world is not ending, but the world as we know it sure is, especially the world of the Internet. How so?
FCC Ends Net Neutrality
The Federal Communications Commission voted in early December to repeal Obama-era net neutrality rules, which required Internet service providers to offer equal access to all web content, without charging consumers for higher-quality delivery or giving preferential treatment to certain websites.
Online Caste System?
Doing away with net neutrality rules provides opportunity for Internet providers to charge for bandwidth use based on content accessed. Translation, the more you can afford to pay, the more bandwidth and therefore more resources that will available to you. So the wealthier among us may well enjoy the full flavor of the Internet’s offerings, and the wealthiest companies will be able to cater to those tastes.
As for the rest of us, “Let them eat cake,” Marie Antoinette famously exclaimed.
This is alarmist, I admit. Time will tell. But you can bet rights activists, hackers, and the younger generation won’t take these controls on open Internet access lying down.
Dying a Slow Death
From a larger vantage point one could argue, as Farhad Manjoo of the New York Times has, that net neutrality won’t change the Internet much, because it’s already been dying a slow death. Per Manjoo, “American Internet companies — Amazon, Apple, Facebook, Google and Microsoft — “control much of the online infrastructure, from app stores to operating systems to cloud storage to nearly all of the online ad business.”
You Can Take Action
If you are concerned about keeping the Internet open and equally accessible by all, please consider contacting your congressional representatives, Tulsi Gabbard and Mazie Hirono. As of the date this article was written, Senator Ed Markey of Massachusetts introduced a Congressional Review Act resolution to undo the FCC’s repeal of net neutrality rules.
Giving is Good
Also if you’re feeling generous - in the spirit of the season - please consider donating to organizations which fight for an open Internet: Mozilla and the Electronic Frontier Foundation.
https://donate.mozilla.org/en-US/
https://supporters.eff.org/donate/
As this is a security and privacy blog, I will note one privacy concern going forward could be that Internet consumers will be cajoled to give up more personal information in order to get better Internet bandwidth deals.
Happy New Year!
Sam
On the cusp of 2018, the REM song, “It’s the End of the World as We Know It,” comes to mind.
The world is not ending, but the world as we know it sure is, especially the world of the Internet. How so?
FCC Ends Net Neutrality
The Federal Communications Commission voted in early December to repeal Obama-era net neutrality rules, which required Internet service providers to offer equal access to all web content, without charging consumers for higher-quality delivery or giving preferential treatment to certain websites.
Online Caste System?
Doing away with net neutrality rules provides opportunity for Internet providers to charge for bandwidth use based on content accessed. Translation, the more you can afford to pay, the more bandwidth and therefore more resources that will available to you. So the wealthier among us may well enjoy the full flavor of the Internet’s offerings, and the wealthiest companies will be able to cater to those tastes.
As for the rest of us, “Let them eat cake,” Marie Antoinette famously exclaimed.
This is alarmist, I admit. Time will tell. But you can bet rights activists, hackers, and the younger generation won’t take these controls on open Internet access lying down.
From a larger vantage point one could argue, as Farhad Manjoo of the New York Times has, that net neutrality won’t change the Internet much, because it’s already been dying a slow death. Per Manjoo, “American Internet companies — Amazon, Apple, Facebook, Google and Microsoft — “control much of the online infrastructure, from app stores to operating systems to cloud storage to nearly all of the online ad business.”
You Can Take Action
If you are concerned about keeping the Internet open and equally accessible by all, please consider contacting your congressional representatives, Tulsi Gabbard and Mazie Hirono. As of the date this article was written, Senator Ed Markey of Massachusetts introduced a Congressional Review Act resolution to undo the FCC’s repeal of net neutrality rules.
Giving is Good
Also if you’re feeling generous - in the spirit of the season - please consider donating to organizations which fight for an open Internet: Mozilla and the Electronic Frontier Foundation.
https://donate.mozilla.org/en-US/
https://supporters.eff.org/donate/
As this is a security and privacy blog, I will note one privacy concern going forward could be that Internet consumers will be cajoled to give up more personal information in order to get better Internet bandwidth deals.
Happy New Year!
Sam
---
If you haven't already, you can subscribe to our email tips by visiting www.kokuadigital.com and entering your name, email, and "add to email list" in the request form, then click Send.
Wednesday, November 15, 2017
The Troubles with Kasperksy
The Troubles with Kaspersky
Some of my clients have expressed
concern about using Kaspersky software due to news reports depicting Kaspersky
in a bad light.
I believe to this day Kaspersky's
software products offer good security against hacking and malware.
However, there is some concern about
Kaspersky's collusion with the Russian government and being overly intrusive
on customers' computers.
If you're interested in moving away
from Kaspersky or need to install better security software to replace what you
have now, here are some options.
Other options
If you’re willing to pay for security
software, I’m currently recommending ESET. (Disclosure: I’m a reseller for
their products.) As for free software, I’d recommend BitDefender for Mac and
Avira for Windows. The free Malwarebytes is decent too; their paid version even
better.
Note: Be careful about installing too
many security software products. I’d recommend no more than two, because more than that can cause conflicts and bugger up your computer.
First line of security is you!
The frontline of security is actually
you, the user. So educate yourself on best practices for keeping safe online.
Here’s a good site to check out on
that topic, whether you’re a senior or not: https://safeandsecureonline.org/seniors
Happy Thanksgiving!
Sam
---
If you haven't already, you can subscribe to our email tips by visiting www.kokuadigital.com and entering your name, email, and "add to email list" in the request form, then click Send.
Sunday, October 15, 2017
Are You Over Exposed?
Are You Over Exposed?
I'm not referring to what you do or don't wear in public. Here I'm talking about what personal data you expose online.
Take stock of your exposure
How many email accounts do you have? How many social networking accounts? How many media outlets do you subscribe to? These are things to take stock of.
Your risk of getting hacked
Why is this? Because it’s a numbers game – sooner or later one of the services you run or access will be hacked. Depending on what information you gave them, you may become a target on hacked data black market.
How to reduce your exposure?
My suggestions are as follows:
1. Give careful thought to whom you give your email and contact info. Imagine what would happen if they got hacked. What data would the hacker have of yours?
2. Uninstall any software on your computer you no longer use. Software programs are reaching more than ever out to servers for updates and other communication. These programs can be a beachhead into your computer if compromised.
3. Close online accounts of any sort that you no longer use. If you have an old email that you might occasionally need to reference, then at least suspend the service so no new mail comes in.
4. Use a strong spam filter for your email, and unsubscribe to any services you no longer use that show up on your spam list. (You can label anything that comes in as spam and sort it out when convenient.)
5. Use a unique password for EVERY SINGLE ONLINE ACCOUNT. If you share passwords between accounts and one account gets hacked, the bad guys and gals will try that password on any other accounts linked to you that they can locate. (You may like to read my July blog post about passwords.)
6. Pay attention to news reports related to any accounts you have—email, banking, social networking, etc.—and act promptly if their system has been compromised. Usually the most critical action to take is changing your password. Then start monitoring the account for unusual activity.
One last note: Parents, be nosy about what your kids are doing on their devices, and teach them about safety and security. They rely on us for such things in the offline world; we should help protect them online as well.
Thanks for reading!
I'm not referring to what you do or don't wear in public. Here I'm talking about what personal data you expose online.
Take stock of your exposure
How many email accounts do you have? How many social networking accounts? How many media outlets do you subscribe to? These are things to take stock of.
Your risk of getting hacked
The more software services you have running on your computer (programs you have installed) that connect to the Internet, and the more accounts you have with various online entities, the greater your risk of getting hacked or exploited.
Why is this? Because it’s a numbers game – sooner or later one of the services you run or access will be hacked. Depending on what information you gave them, you may become a target on hacked data black market.
How to reduce your exposure?
My suggestions are as follows:
1. Give careful thought to whom you give your email and contact info. Imagine what would happen if they got hacked. What data would the hacker have of yours?
2. Uninstall any software on your computer you no longer use. Software programs are reaching more than ever out to servers for updates and other communication. These programs can be a beachhead into your computer if compromised.
3. Close online accounts of any sort that you no longer use. If you have an old email that you might occasionally need to reference, then at least suspend the service so no new mail comes in.
4. Use a strong spam filter for your email, and unsubscribe to any services you no longer use that show up on your spam list. (You can label anything that comes in as spam and sort it out when convenient.)
5. Use a unique password for EVERY SINGLE ONLINE ACCOUNT. If you share passwords between accounts and one account gets hacked, the bad guys and gals will try that password on any other accounts linked to you that they can locate. (You may like to read my July blog post about passwords.)
6. Pay attention to news reports related to any accounts you have—email, banking, social networking, etc.—and act promptly if their system has been compromised. Usually the most critical action to take is changing your password. Then start monitoring the account for unusual activity.
One last note: Parents, be nosy about what your kids are doing on their devices, and teach them about safety and security. They rely on us for such things in the offline world; we should help protect them online as well.
Thanks for reading!
Sam
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