Articles in Category: Security

How Do I Decrypt Files Encrypted by Ransomware?

Once your files are encrypted by ransomware, your options are few. If you're not prepared, there are a few straws to grasp at.

Grant Location Permission: Why You Should and When You Shouldn’t

Granting location permission gives apps and web sites a more accurate idea of exactly where you are. The question is: do they need or do they abuse it?

Can People Track My Email Address Location?

Email addresses can be used to locate public information, which could allow someone to track your location from your email address. Use caution when sharing it with someone you don't trust.

Is it Safe to Allow Remote Access?

It can be safe to allow remote access, but it requires absolute trust. The risks are significant, especially since scammers have become involved.

Why Is It So Important to Use Different Passwords for Everything?

Using different passwords on different sites is not only good practice, it's necessary to keep your accounts safe. I'll review why, and how best to handle a plethora of passwords.

How Do I Hack Someone’s Account? How Do I Hack My Own?

These are oversimplifications of many variations on the same basic question. People want to hack into other people's accounts, or even their own, for a variety of reasons. Some sound perfectly legitimate. Others, not so much. And others are just blatant attempts at theft, harassment, or revenge. What's really scary is that I get these requests ... Read more

Online Shopping: Just How Safe Is It?

Online shopping is ubiquitous, and yet some avoid it completely. Why are some people afraid to shop online when it's arguably safer than offline?

Yes, Your Security Software Might Slow Down Your Computer – What to Do About It

Security tools are asked to do an important, sometimes resource-hungry task. Here's how to mitigate their impact on your ability to use your computer.

How to Remove PUPs and Other Unexpected Things From Your Computer

Casually installing one download may result in several other things being installed. I'll review the steps to remove these pesky, problematic, painful, Potentially Unwanted Programs, or PUPs.

Resist Those Dancing Bunnies

Malware authors often make fantastic promises to get people to bypass their security software. It's important to remain skeptical, vigilant, and attentive.

Another Reason Your Computer Might Be Slow: Prevention, Presence, or Removal of Malware

Malware can impact your computers performance before it arrives, once infected, and even after removal.

Five Reasons Ransomware Will Be Around for a Long Time

There are several reasons ransomware will be a scourge for some time to come. Most boil down to, well, us.

How to Avoid Ransomware

Avoid ransomware the same way you avoid any malware. A full backup will save you not only from ransomware, but from a host of other problems as well.

How Do I Bypass Keyloggers? The Guaranteed Way to Avoid Having Your Keystrokes Maliciously Recorded

I hear about techniques to bypass keyloggers often. The problem is, keyloggers can log much more than keystrokes. There's really only one solution: avoid them in the first place.

Has My Computer Been Hacked? A List of Clues and Steps to Take

When you see the list of possible hacking signs, it's easy to jump to the conclusion your computer has been hacked. It's usually not the case. Regardless, prevention is always easier than recovery from an actual hack.

What If I Lose My Second Factor?

When you lose your second factor, there are two things to be concerned about: getting into your own account -- for which you should be prepared -- and someone else having access to your second factor -- which isn't as scary as it sounds.

How Do You Delete Things from the Internet?

Realistically, it's impossible to delete things from the internet. Yet in an apparent contradiction in terms, if you happen to delete something in your control, you also can't get it back.

Why Can’t Online Services Tell Me My Password?

It's for your own protection, and the result of fascinating mathematical wizardry. And if they can tell you your password? They're doing security wrong.

How to Protect Data on a Laptop

You REALLY need to protect your sensitive data if your laptop runs even the slightest risk of being stolen. It's critical that you protect it (and yourself) with these four appropriate security steps.

Are You Ready for Your Computer to be Stolen?

You might lose your hardware and any un-backed-up data on it, and possibly give a thief access to it all! I'll cover a few of the basics. A stolen computer or lost computer can open the doors to all sorts of havoc if you're not prepared.

Can My Work Spy on My Home Computer?

Using a computer at work puts you at their mercy. It's technically possible your workplace could spy on all your activities.

What’s the Difference Between Windows Defender, Windows Security, and Microsoft Security Essentials?

Windows Security is Windows Defender is Microsoft Security Essentials, by any other name. Windows Defender has also had different meanings over the years.

Who’s Trying to Change My Password?

If your account has not actually been hacked, there's little anyone can do to find out who's trying to log in as you. But there are steps you can take to protect yourself from would-be hackers and phishing scams.

Microsoft Account Recovery Code

Possession of a Microsoft account recovery code is proof you are the account owner and should be allowed in should you ever lose account access.

What’s a “Zero-Day” Attack? A Diagram of the Vulnerability Timeline

A zero-day attack is an exploitation of a software vulnerability before there's a fix for it. I'll review the timeline.

How Can I Securely Delete Everything Except the Operating System? Five Steps to Get as Close as You Can

Before giving away a machine or returning a loaner, it's important to remove personal information from it. That may be both harder and easier than you think.

Can My Workplace See What Else I Do When I Work from Home?

Working from home can be convenient, or even a necessity. Does it open up your other online activity to scrutiny by your company?

Five Steps to Better Security Working from Home

Security threats for people working from home are increasing. I'll review steps you need to take to keep yourself, your company, and your job safe.

Can Your Video Chat Be Intercepted and Recorded?

Video chat is probably not monitored, but there’s no way to prove that. If that's too vague for you, then be careful what you do on your computer.

How Do I Leave Services I Didn’t Request?

Unauthorized use of your email address is rarely anything more serious than annoyance.

Can Malware Survive If I Reset My PC?

It's possible for malware to be difficult or nearly impossible to remove. It's also extremely rare.

How Do I Choose a Good Password?

With occasional security breaches at service providers and rampant email account theft, password security has never been more important. Make sure you choose and use secure passwords.

Can the Owner of an Open WiFi Hotspot See What Files I’m Downloading?

Open WiFi hotspot downloads are available for the internet cafe owner to see. Whether or not they take the time to do it is another story!

Why Does Malware Exist?

Malware has come a long, long way since it began as a benign joke or proof-of-concept. Today, most malware boils down to someone, somewhere, making money.

How Can an Https Website Still Not Be Secure?

Surprisingly, it's possible for aspects of an https site to still not be secure, if the site is improperly designed. And it's extremely difficult to tell.

How Do I Remove Myself from a Machine?

Although there's no way to remove all traces of yourself from a machine, there certainly are ways to remove as much as you can.

What Can We Learn from Mat Honan?

Mat Honan is a reporter for Wired magazine whose digital life was effectively destroyed due to account hacks and lax security policies. There are important lessons here.

Is Wi-Fi Provided by My Landlord Safe?

Connectivity is becoming an added "perk" in some housing situations. Make sure you know the risks and alternatives when someone else provides your internet connection.

How Do I Find Who Hacked My Email Account?

It's natural to want to find out who hacked your email and why. Begin by recovering and securing your account. I'll review what steps you can take after that, and their chances of success.

Does Whole-disk Encryption Impact Computer Performance?

Whole-disk encryption has only minimal impact on the performance of modern computers and hard drives. I'll review why that's the case and outline something more important: your ability to access the data when something goes wrong.

How Do Password Vaults Enter Passwords?

Detecting and filling in sign-in forms is a password vault's most basic feature. I'll look at how that works, and what to do when it fails.

What’s the Best Anti-Malware Tool to Keep Me Safe?

Over the years, your choices when it comes to anti-malware tools have become simpler, yet frustratingly imprecise.

How to Choose Good Security Questions

Security questions are a cornerstone of much internet security. I'll look at what they are, how they fail, why you should avoid them, and what to do if you can't.

Crank Your Password Strength Up to 11!

The results are in for last year's most common passwords. The implications are depressing, but important.

How to Keep Information on a Shared Computer Private

When using a shared computer, it's too easy for others to see your data or history. If you must use a shared computer, you need to protect yourself.

What Can a Technician with Remote Access Do?

Several current scams center around gaining remote access to your computer, often in the guise of fixing problems. There's no way to know what was done, but we do know one thing: it's a trap!

Is Online Banking Safe?

You can bank online safely, as long as you know what to look for and what steps to take.

Why Do People Think a Phone is More Secure than Email?

Even though digital communications are generally safer than their old analog counterparts, many people still mistrust them.

Can My School Tell I’m Using Tor?

Your school (or whoever provides your internet connection) can see what you're connecting to. Do they? There's no way to know.