The recent Equifax Cybersecurity Breach was an eye opener like no other. The personal information of 145 million Americans were taken, including but not limited to social security numbers, addresses, and credit card numbers. This means that some enterprising and unscrupulous individuals have access to confidential data — and were able to accomplish this with relative ease. In light of this, cybersecurity experts have put out a number of helpful tips to help you maintain your safety online.
Use special passwords:
As much as possible, avoid birthdays, chronological number sequences, literary quotes, and popular song lyrics. According to News.USF.edu, hackers have software to guess and crack passwords in seconds. Instead, use phrases or statements known only to you (“The chair is against the wall”), or the first letters of each word in those statements (“tciatw”).
Don’t use the same password more than once:
Utilizing duplicate passwords for multiple accounts make it easier for hackers to enter these accounts.
Change passwords every six months:
Though this seems tedious, switching up your passwords can make a world of difference.
Avoid clicking on links in emails and opening attachments:
Ensure first that the emails are authentic, meaning that they don’t come from trick email addresses (e.g. “lotsamoney.com”). To check if links are safe, just hover your cursor over them. Doing this will show the address. In line with this, steer clear of any ads or apps in these emails.
Be wary of apps:
If you really must download apps, do so from the app store for your operating system. And before you install them, check to see if they won’t be accessing unnecessary information (e.g. a drawing app doesn’t need to see your contacts list).
Use secure networks:
If you can, avoid using public WiFi networks. They may be convenient, but they’re not secure. Connecting to public WiFi leaves you vulnerable and exposed to any hackers keeping an eye on that particular network. (Related: Software security group demonstrates how hackers can use ransomware to harm and potentially kill hospital patients.)
Keep up to date with security measures:
Make use of antivirus software and ensure that it’s up to date, and make it a point to do the same for any security features your browser and operating system may have. This will give you a much-needed extra layer of protection whenever you’re online. In addition, choose multi-factor authorization. It’s an extra bit of work but totally worth it, since a second level of verification can notify you if and when someone is attempting to hack into your account.
Look for the lock:
Specifically, the little green padlock before the website URL in the web address bar. The padlock serves as an indication to let you know that your login and account information is encrypted and won’t fall victim to unauthorized access.
https://nexusnewsfeed.com/article/science-futures/simple-steps-for-preventing-your-online-presence-from-being-hacked/
Mozilla Launches Firefox Quantum, Poses Real Threat to Google Chrome
Mozilla unveiled the new and improved version 57 of Firefox on Tuesday, claiming that the browser is now twice as fast as before. The company also revealed a new user interface (UI) that looks decidedly minimalist.
https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/new/
3 Cloud Trends to Watch Out for in 2018
Cloud computing has dominated the business world this year, and the trend will only continue into 2018.
https://www.webpronews.com/3-cloud-trends-watch-2018-2017-11/
Web Site Builders
I hand code my emails and web sites so this is by no means an endorsement of any other product. Here is a link to a site that lists a bunch of web site builders with their cost and user rankings.
http://wave.webaim.org/report#/https://digital.com/website-builders/?flag=wave
So I Accidentally Found a Security Vulnerability in Windows 10
About six months ago, in the process of going all Linux, I was selling off an old laptop of mine with an SSD and Windows 10 to a friend. I wanted to securely remove all my data without removing the Windows install since I had lost the OEM key. I recalled seeing Windows 10 having a secure reset feature, described as being designed for easily removing all personal data from your computer before recycling or selling it. That sounded great, and so I pressed the button to start it and the ridiculousness of the last six months of my life began.
http://www.justinkterry.com/2017/09/so-i-accidentally-found-security.html
3 Ranking Factors With Big Payoff Potential
An interesting article if you have a web site…
http://www.sitepronews.com/2017/08/14/3-ranking-factors-with-big-payoff-potential/
7 Tips for Presenting Bulleted Lists in Digital Content
Summary: Bullet points help break up large blocks of text, make complex articles and blog posts easier to grasp, and make key information stand out.
https://www.nngroup.com/articles/presenting-bulleted-lists/
3 ways to protect your business from ransomware
In recent months, ransomware has been increasingly garnering headlines here and across the globe. If you’ve been keeping your head down and believe that it won’t happen to you or your business – now is a good time to think again.
http://www.mybusiness.com.au/technology/2610-3-ways-to-protect-your-business-from-ransomware
The NSA Is Hoarding Vulnerabilities
The National Security Agency is lying to us. We know that because of data stolen from an NSA server was dumped on the Internet. The agency is hoarding information about security vulnerabilities in the products you use, because it wants to use it to hack others’ computers. Those vulnerabilities aren’t being reported, and aren’t getting fixed, making your computers and networks unsafe.
https://www.schneier.com/crypto-gram/archives/2016/0915.html#1
When you can't trust your security vendor
We’ve been told “you must use an antivirus” for decades now, but what if it’s not really such great advice?
I use Norman. Not among the listed offenders and has stood me in very good stead for about 20 years.
http://www.itnews.com.au/blogentry/when-you-cant-trust-your-security-vendor-413732