World news – 12 simple things you can do to be safer online

Are you concerned that the IRS will reveal the personal information you submitted when filing taxes online, or that the DMV will leak all of your personal information? It’s not paranoid. it is rational High level violations can and do happen and nothing you can do to prevent them. However, other attacks on your security and privacy are closer to where you live. One day, when you sit down to work on your novel, you may find all of the existing chapters that are encrypted with ransomware. You can also log into your online banking system and see a high fat zero balance as a data stealing Trojan has captured your credentials. On the plus side, you can build your own defense against these local issues.

It doesn’t take much effort to keep your devices, online identity, and activities more secure. In fact, some of our tips on what you can do to be more secure online are limited to little more than common sense. These tips for making your life safer online will help keep you safer.

We call this type of software antivirus, but fighting actual computer viruses is only a small part of what they do. Ransomware encrypts your files and requires payment to restore them. Trojan horse programs seem like valid programs, but behind the scenes they steal your private information. Bots turn your computer into a soldier in a zombie army, ready to carry out a denial of service attack, spit out spam, or whatever the bot herder orders. An effective antivirus program protects against these and many other types of malware.

In theory, you can set and forget about your antivirus, let it hum in the background, download updates, and so on. In practice, you should check it every now and then. Most antivirus utilities will display a green banner or icon when everything is fine. If you open the utility and see yellow or red, follow the instructions to get things going again.

You might be thinking, wait, isn’t Windows antivirus built into? Microsoft Windows Defender Security Center is not only built into the operating system, it automatically takes over protection when no other virus protection program is detected, and also automatically steps aside when you install third-party protection. The thing is, this built-in antivirus just doesn’t compare to the best third-party solutions. Even the best free ones are way better than Windows Defender. Do not rely on it; you can do better than that.

Whether you’ve opted for a basic antivirus or a full security suite, you’ll need to renew it every year. The best thing to do is to sign up for automatic renewal. This enables a malware-free guarantee for some security products. You can always unsubscribe later if you feel the need to switch to a different product.

One more thing. If your antivirus or security suite doesn’t offer ransomware protection, consider adding a separate layer of protection. Many ransomware-specific utilities are completely free. So there is no reason not to try some of these out and choose the one that works best for you.

Many great apps and settings keep your devices and identity safe. However, they are only valuable if you know how to use them properly. To get the maximum protection from these tools, you need to know their functions and settings. For example, your smartphone almost certainly includes an option to find it if it’s lost, and you might even have it turned on. But have you actively tried it so you know how to use it when you need it?

Most antivirus tools can ward off Potentially Unwanted Applications (PUAs), problematic apps that aren’t exactly malware but do nothing useful . But not all enable PUA detection by default. Check the detection settings and make sure your settings are configured to block these glitches. Your security suite may also contain components that do not become active until you activate them. Whenever you’re installing a new security product, flip through all the pages of the main window and at least take a look at the settings.

To make sure your antivirus is configured and working properly, you can check the security check page on the Go to the AMTSO (Anti-Malware Testing Standards Organization) website. If your antivirus doesn’t work, contact tech support to find out why.

One of the easiest ways hackers can steal information is to get a number of username and password combinations from one source and to try these combinations elsewhere. Suppose hackers obtained your username and password by hacking an email provider. You may be trying to log into banking sites or major online stores with the same username and password combination. The best way to prevent a data breach from having a domino effect is to use a strong, unique password for every single online account you have.

Creating a unique and strong password for each Account is not a job for a human. That’s why you use a password manager. Some very good password managers are free and it won’t take long to start using one. However, For-Pay password managers generally offer more functionality.

When using a password manager, all you need to do is remember the master password, which the password manager itself locks. Once unlocked, the password manager will automatically log you into your online accounts. This not only helps to make you safer, but also increases your efficiency and productivity. You no longer spend time entering your logins or dealing with the time-consuming frustration of resetting a forgotten password.

Every time you connect to the internet on a Wi-Fi network that you don’t own use a virtual private network or VPN. For example, let’s say you go to a coffee shop and connect to a free WiFi network. They don’t know anything about the security of this connection. It is possible that someone else on this network, without your knowing it, could begin browsing or stealing the files and data sent by your laptop or mobile device. The hotspot owner could be a crook sniffing out secrets from all Wi-Fi connections. A VPN encrypts your internet traffic and forwards it through a server of the VPN company. This means that no one, not even the owner of the free Wi-Fi network, can eavesdrop on your data.

Using a VPN also hides your IP address. Advertisers and trackers who want to identify or locate you using this IP address will instead see the address of the VPN company. If you fake your location using a VPN server in another country, you can also unblock content that is not available in your region. Seriously, journalists and activists in repressive countries have long used VPN technology to communicate securely.

The result is that you really need a VPN when you connect over WiFi – whether on a laptop , Phone or tablet. If you’ve never used one before, or the technology goes a little beyond your internet know-how, don’t worry, we’ve covered our feature of setting up and using a VPN.

Two-factor authentication can painful but makes your accounts completely safer. Two-factor authentication means that you have to pass a different level of authentication, not just a username and password, in order to get into your accounts. If the data or personal information in an account is sensitive or valuable, and the account offers two-factor authentication, you should enable it. Gmail, Evernote, and Dropbox are some examples of online services that offer two-factor authentication.

Two-factor authentication verifies your identity using at least two different forms of authentication: something that you are, something that You have or something you know. What you do know is of course the password. Something that you are can mean fingerprint authentication or facial recognition. Something you have could be your cell phone. You may be asked to enter a text-sent code or tap a confirmation button on a mobile app. Something you have could also be a physical security key. Google and Microsoft have announced a move towards this type of authentication.

If you only use one password to authenticate, anyone who learns that password owns your account. When two-factor authentication is enabled, the password alone is unusable. Most password managers support two-factor systems, but some only need it if they detect a connection from a new device. Enabling two-factor authentication for your password manager is a must.

Our feature of who has two-factor authentication and how to set it up can help you get started.

Contact one Passcode lock if available, even if it is optional. Think of all the personal data and connections on your smartphone. Doing without a passcode lock is unthinkable.

Many smartphones offer a four-digit PIN as standard. Don’t be satisfied with that. Use biometric authentication when available and set a strong passcode, not a silly four-digit PIN. Remember that you can authenticate with the passcode even if you are using Touch ID or an equivalent product. So it has to be strong.

Modern iOS devices offer a six-digit option. ignore it. Go to Settings> tap ID & Passcode and select Change Passcode (or Add Passcode if you don’t have one). Enter your old passcode if necessary. On the screen to enter the new code, select Custom Alphanumeric Code. Enter a strong password and write it down as a secure note in your password manager.

Different Android devices offer different ways to set a strong passcode. Find the lock screen settings on your device, enter your old PIN and select Password (if available). As with the iOS device, add a strong password and write it down as a secure note.

The credit card usage system is out of date and not very secure at all. It’s not your fault, but you can do something about it. Instead of pulling out that old credit card, use Apple Pay or an Android equivalent wherever you can. There are tons of options when it comes to apps. In fact, we have a whole collection of mobile payment apps.

Setting up your smartphone as a payment device is usually a straightforward process. It usually starts with taking a picture of the credit card that you use to secure your app-based payments. And the setup pretty much ends there; you are ready.

POS terminals that support smartphone-based payment usually indicate this with an icon, from an image of a hand holding a smartphone to a stylized representation of a radio wave. Simply place your device on the terminal, authenticate yourself with a fingerprint and you’ve paid.

What’s better than using the credit card itself? The app generates a one-time authentication code that is only valid for the current transaction. Even if someone were to filter this code, it would be of no use to them. Paying with a smartphone app eliminates the possibility of data theft by a credit card skimmer.

With some smartphone payment apps, you can pay online with a similar one-time code. If this is not the case for you, contact your credit card provider. You will usually be given a temporary number to use in place of your real credit card and the fees will go to your regular account. The temporary card number will no longer work after it has expired. The next time your credit card company or bank calls you to sell upgrades, ask for single-use card numbers.

You can also get single-use credit card number protection using third-party apps. For example, Abine Blur Premium can mask credit card numbers, email addresses and phone numbers. You shop and communicate as usual, but the retailer doesn’t get your actual information.

People who are both organized and methodical about their security often use different email addresses for different purposes keep the online identities associated with them separate. If a phishing email claiming to be from your bank gets into the account you only use for social media, you know it is a fake.

Consider keep an email address dedicated to signing in to apps that you want to try, but that may have questionable security or that may spam you with commercial messages. After you’ve reviewed a service or app, sign in with one of your permanent email accounts. If the dedicated account gets spam, close it and create a new one. This is a do-it-yourself version of the masked emails you get from Abine Blur and other available email account services.

Many websites equate your email address with your username, however, some allow you to choose your own username. Consider using a different username each time – hey, your password manager will remember that! Now anyone trying to get into your account will have to guess both the username and password.

Never underestimate how much your browser’s cache knows about you. Saved cookies, saved searches and the web log can refer to home address, family information and other personal data.

To better protect this information, which may lurk in your web log, you must delete browser cookies and clear your browser log regularly. It’s easy. In Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Internet Explorer, or Opera, just press the Ctrl-Shift key to bring up a dialog box where you can choose which items of browsing data you want to delete.

Clearing cookies may be possible on some websites lead to problems. You may lose the personalization you have applied. Most browsers allow you to list favorite websites whose cookies should not be thrown.

For full instructions on how to get started, check out our feature to clear your cache in any browser.

Speaking of what your browser may be know about you. Most browsers come with a built-in password management solution. However, we at PCMag do not recommend them. We think it’s best to leave password protection to the experts who create password managers.

Think about it. When installing a third-party password manager, they will usually offer to import your password from the browser’s memory. If the password manager can do the same, you can rest assured that some malicious software can do the same thing. Plus, if you keep your passwords in a single central password manager, you can use them across all browsers and devices.

Part of securing your online life is being smart about what you click. Click baits aren’t just about cat compilation videos and catchy headlines. It can also contain links in email, messaging apps, and on Facebook. Phishing links masquerade as safe websites in hopes of tricking you into giving them your credentials. Drive-by download sites can cause malware to automatically download and infect your device.

Don’t click links in email or text messages unless they come from a source you trust. Even then, be careful; Your trusted source may have been compromised, or the message may be fake. The same goes for links on social media websites, including in posts that appear to be from your friends. If a post isn’t your social media friend’s style, it could be a hack.

There’s a common saying: if you don’t pay for a service, you are not a customer. You are the product. Social media sites make it easy to share your thoughts and pictures with friends, but it’s easy to share too much.

You can download your Facebook data to see what the social media giant is doing know about you. This can be an eye opener, especially if you’re the type of person who routinely clicks on quizzes that require access to your social media account. Really, you don’t need to know which Disney princess or breed of dog you are.

You can drastically reduce the amount of data sent to Facebook by completely disabling the sharing platform. Once you do this, your friends will no longer be able to lose your personal information. You can’t lose data to apps because you can’t use apps. And you can’t use your Facebook credentials to log into other websites (which was always a bad idea).

Of course, other social media sites also need attention. Google probably knows more about you than Facebook does. So, take steps to manage your Google privacy as well. Make sure you have configured every social media site so that your posts are not public (all but Twitter). Think twice before revealing too much in a post as your friends may share it with others. Care can be taken to maintain your privacy without losing the entertainment and connections of social media.

Neil Rubenking was vice president and president of the San Francisco PC User Group for three years when the IBM PC was brand new. He was present at the formation of the Association of Shareware Professionals and a member of the Board of Directors. In 1986, PC Magazine brought Neil on board to process the stream of Turbo Pascal tips submitted by readers. Until 1990 he was technical editor for PC Magazine and coast-to-coast teleworker. His user-to-user column gave readers tips and solutions on how to use DOS and Windows, and his technical columns covered the intricacies of programming and operating systems, as well as his utility articles (over forty of …

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