“Hack Me” – OK, so maybe not such a good idea…
Kevin Roose is a technology columnist for The New York Times. His column, “The Shift”, focuses on the intersection of technology, business, and culture. Back in 2016, he went to DefCon, a big computer hacker conference in Las Vegas to see what happens when he challenges some talented people to hack into his accounts. The…
Read MoreExamining the Dangers of the “Internet of Things” (IoT)
You may, or may not, have heard of “the Internet of Things” with the acronym IoT. It refers to the many devices that are connected to the Internet. Examples abound, like security cameras, thermostats, smartphones, vending machines, smart speakers (we’re talking about you, Alexa and Siri!) and of course our computers, laptops, and notebooks. When…
Read MoreBlockchain Expert Explains One Concept in 5 Levels of Difficulty
Bittina Warburg, a blockchain expert, is tasked with explaining blockchain at five different levels, starting with a child, then a teenager, then a college student, a grad student and finally with a blockchain expert. So, if you’ve heard of it but would like a better explanation, one of these five levels is likely to speak…
Read MoreWe’ve been right all along – multi-word passwords are best!
We were pretty delighted to be listening to the news on the radio and hear that new password guidance is out that tells us that multi-word passwords are much better than hard-to-remember “complex” passwords. We’ve been advising users to choose long passwords made of multiple words, separated by spaces. Examples would be “its been a…
Read MoreCheck to see if your identity information has been lost in data breaches. Have you been pwned?
News about data breaches seem to be in the headlines all the time. Target, TJ-Max, LinkedIn, Dropbox, Anthem Healthcare, or various hotel and restaurant chains have all had big data breaches. Do you know if your identity information (login credentials) have been lost in these data breaches? You can check at Have I Been pwned? …
Read MoreAfter Receiving 65,000 Complaints, Microsoft Files Suit Against Tech Support Scammers
Technical Support Scammers – hang up on them. It’s probably happened to you, either at work or at home: A technical support scammer calls, frequently with a heavy foreign accent, says their “Steve from Microsoft” and they’ve seen a batch of problems (or virus, or malware) on your PC. This is always a scam.…
Read MoreWhat is a browser?
Recently, Scott from Google went to Times Square and asked (on camera) random people, “What is a browser?” You can see the YouTube video here: http://youtu.be/o4MwTvtyrUQ The answer is that a web browser is a piece of software that displays web pages. More accurately, it is a software program that displays HTML content, but that’s…
Read MoreDon’t get CryptoLocker virus
There’s always a bad virus out here on the Internet. Cryptolocker ransomware is a particularly good example. Here’s the short-version of this post: The anti-virus, anti-malware firm BitDefender has released a free tool to keep your computer from getting this specific bad infection. It can be downloaded from Softpedia at: http://www.softpedia.com/get/Antivirus/Removal-Tools/Bitdefender-Anti-CryptoLocker.shtml Here’s the long version…
Read More“Apple Picking” – Don’t loose your iPhone
Smartphone theft, personal safety & data security As the technology landscape changes, so does crime. A new trend in crime has picked up the catchy title of “Apple Picking,” which refers to the theft of iPhones and Smartphones, (even tablets), often right out of the hands of the user/owner. Here’s some scenarios that have happened:…
Read MoreIt Is Just An Illusion
It’s not as it appears. Sure looks real, though, doesn’t it? Optical illusions are cool. I really like it when they paint an ugly building or wall with an illusion. It fools the eye. The French call it a Trompe D’oeil (pronounced Trowmp Duh-ee). What is not cool is the illusion of your computer data…
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