Q: How can I be safe in my computer without using an antivirus?
A: Antivirus is only a very small piece of the security and privacy puzzle - it doesn’t specifically protect against hackers. It protects against malware. Some of that malware may be under the control of hackers, some not. With or without antivirus, you still have...
Q: Do websites hold onto your login password information?
A: Yes, otherwise they would not be able to authenticate your password on the next visit. A quality site will store your password in an encrypted format, so if the site is compromised and the password database accessed, it is if no use. Unfortunately, this is by no...
Q: Why should it bother me that companies store data about me from the internet?
The “news” that you see on the internet has been tailored to your existing perspective, and continuously pushes further to the extreme of your perspectives. For example, if it is determined that you have a slight leaning toward the Republican party, you will see more...
Vote as if your life depended on it
Every single day my staff and I battle criminals, enemy agents, malware, and wackadoodle ex's from compromising your security and privacy. I think we do an excellent job of it. There is, however, a limit as to how much we can do. One of those limits just hit you and...
Q: Why are encrypted laptops not for sale on the Internet?
A: Perhaps first we need to define what you mean by “encrypted laptop”. By my definition, that means the storage device on which all data is contained is encrypted. But there are other items that may be encrypted as well. FULL DISK ENCRYPTION If this is what you are...
Q: I’ve lost my USB stick, which has personal info. What do I do?
A. That is water under the bridge. If the stick wasn’t encrypted, it is likely that information will be seen by whoever finds the stick. If you don’t have a backup, the data is lost to you. Going forward you can protect yourself should this happen again: Backup....
Q: What is the solution for ransomware attack?
A: In order to recover from a ransomware attack: Maintain a full on-site backup, continuously updated. Maintain a full off-site (internet-based) backup of your data, continuously updated. Install a quality anti-malware on your computer. Log in to your computer with...
Q: Can I have 2 anti-virus at the same time that won’t interfere with each other?
A: I don’t know if any independently tested, quality antivirus that doesn’t recommend against doing this. For good reason… When a file/application opens, it is the job of the antivirus app to scan it before anything else (like the system or another antivirus app) gets...
Q: How do you remember different passwords for different sites?
A: You don’t! Use a password manager (I personally use LastPass). Have the password manager create the passwords, store the passwords, and auto-enter the passwords for you. Now you only have to remember: Your computer login password. The master password to the...
Q: How can I be safe if someone has access to my 1Password account?
A: The only way someone gets access to a password manager account is if you are not following basic security & privacy protocols. By doing so, you simply do not have any expectation of either. Steps to take (immediately): Change the password to your password...
Phones vulnerable to old Hayes AT commands
Smartphones from 11 OEMs are found vulnerable to attacks via hidden AT commands. In massive and groundbreaking research, a team of eleven scientists from the University of Florida, Stony Brook University, and Samsung Research America, have looked into what types of AT...
Q: How do I find the owners of IP addresses trying to login to my home security system?
A: You, personally, do not have either the tools or the legal footing to do so. That said, law enforcement does have the tools (at least the tools to get your ISP to assist with linking IP address with individual computers). It is still required to get the legal...
Q: Why should we trust a VPN with internet privacy?
A: There is very little reason you should trust a VPN provider with your internet privacy. The vast majority of VPN providers are operating on the other side of ethics, or are outright criminal organizations. On the other hand, why should you trust anyone (priests...
Q: How can we balance law enforcement’s needs to investigate crimes with the need for stronger cyber security?
A: That balance already exists. Any weakening of cybersecurity for anyone, weakens cybersecurity for everyone. You cannot put the genie back in the bottle and eliminate AES 256 and all other end-to-end encryption. So, it remains the eternal cat and mouse game....
Q: Is it important to change security passwords occasionally?
A: There are conflicting opinions regarding this within the IT security field. Here is my recommendation: Use strong passwords. Defined as 15 or more characters. Use a different password for each site or service. For your computer, enable full disc encryption...