Daily tips to create awareness of cyber threats and empower Total Defense users to be safer and more secure online with our security tips and resources..
For the greatest level of security, you should set your web browser security as high as possible. This may prevent some web pages from loading or functioning correctly. To overcome this, it is recommended to maintain the highest security setting and only enable features when necessary. If you decide that a website is trustworthy, you can temporarily enable the needed features and then revert the security settings to the high level once you have finished visiting the site.
Many apps and websites will attempt to access your location, but it’s usually not required to use the service. Don’t share your location with just anyone, and disable location data entirely if you’re especially concerned.
Because VPNs encrypt data on both ends of a data transfer, there’s virtually no risk of the data being intercepted and read. If you’re working with especially sensitive information, use a VPN for peace of mind.
If you’re taking a plane ride somewhere, you might feel like bragging about it on Instagram by posting a pic of your boarding passes. That’s too risky, though. People who see it can use the codes on it to mess with your airline reservation, or even change your contact information with said airline. Best to handle your boarding passes with the same care you use for a credit card if you want to stay safe.
Ads are annoying, but they can also be dangerous. When you click on a malicious ad that leads to malware, it will instantly start downloading it. Ad blockers can prevent those malicious ads from showing up in the first place. However, some pages don’t work properly with ad blockers on, so turn it off if it’s a site you trust. To ensure maximum safety, be sure to scan any links you click on with anti-malware software before you open them. This will help to protect your device from malicious content, and ensure you stay safe while browsing the web.
Whether you use Edge, Firefox, Chrome or something else, it’s highly likely you’ll run into a website that just won’t load properly on your main browser. Keep one or two other browsers handy in case this happens and try the same site on those. In addition, you should also try a different device or an incognito window as a last resort. This may give you a different result that could help you resolve the issue.
Securing your sensitive transactions online is of utmost importance. For any tasks that require your Social Security number such as managing an online bank account, buying something or performing some task, ensure that access of these activities is limited to devices you own, connected to secure networks such as your home Wi-Fi, cellular connection or a virtual private network.
Bluetooth transfers can contain sensitive information that’s unsecured similar to a public Wi-Fi network. Not only that, having Bluetooth on all the time can significantly drain your device’s battery. Turn it off when you’re not using it.
Whether for a social get-together or to make a transaction, if you don’t know the person well, make sure at least one other person knows about your trip. Set a hard rule for check-ins: If they don’t hear from you by a certain agreed-upon time, call the police. Also, this can’t be stated strongly enough: ALWAYS meet in a public place, NEVER someone’s home or an isolated area.
There are plenty of instances when sensational but false news spreads as if it’s real, even if it isn’t. If you’re ever suspicious of information, you have a few ways to check. You can look at a well-known and reputable fact-check site such as FactCheck.org. If you can’t find it there, there’s a simple rule to follow: Don’t trust sources you don’t recognize or are known to be untrustworthy. Try to corroborate the story with a reputable, major news source.
You’re probably familiar with security questions as a way to recover an account online. They’re often questions like, “What is your mother’s maiden name?” or “What is the name of the street you grew up on?” True answers are less secure than fake ones, as anyone with that information could potentially access your account. For these questions, write whatever you want and make a note of the fake answers somewhere secure.
When choosing which third-party applications to enable, it’s important to be cautious. Stay away from applications that seem suspicious and take the time to modify your settings to ensure that they are only able to access the bare minimum of information required. Doing so can help protect your data from potential malicious activity.
Those who frequent dumpster sites can find metaphorical gold if someone throws out an old computer, even if it’s no longer functioning. This is because the hard drive is often intact, with all your personal data on it. Erasing the data ahead of time is generally insufficient, as all data can easily be recovered with the right tools. The only truly safe way to dispose of an old computer is to take out the hard drive first.
If you don’t want anyone stealing your personal info, make sure to encrypt your online submission. SSL and https are two encryption methods. You can usually spot them when you see a lock icon on the bottom right corner of the window. Most times, sites will also let you know if your data is encrypted when stored. But even if the data is encrypted during transit, if it’s stored without encryption, a hacker can get at it if they gain access to the site’s system.
There’s a lot of information stored in your browser that will probably stay there permanently if you don’t do anything about it. All of it can also potentially be seen by unwanted parties. If it doesn’t matter to you either way, you can safely clean out *everything* when clearing your browser history, whether in the browser itself or through a third-party application. However, some information is more sensitive than others. For example, while you definitely want to clean out your browser history now and then, your cache doesn’t contain any sensitive information, as it’s just website data to make pages load faster the more you frequent them.
The “s” in “https” stands for “secure.” If you’re ever submitting information on a web page that merely has the prefix “http” and doesn’t have the “s,” that means whatever data you put out there can be easily viewed by the other party. Don’t enter sensitive information into a web page unless it starts with “https” in the hyperlink bar. Your information can be accessed by third-parties and hackers if the website does not have a secure protocol. Always look for websites with the “https” prefix to be sure your data is secure. If you’re unsure, it’s always best to research the website first to check for security protocols before submitting any confidential information.
Creating secure passwords is a must if you want to protect your accounts from cybercriminals. When creating passwords, it is essential to find a balance between complexity and memorability. A strong password should contain an abbreviated phrase interspersed with a number and a special character, if possible. This combination will provide you with a long yet easy-to-remember password that will keep your accounts secure from common guessing techniques.
LinkedIn is used almost exclusively for professional connections. This means it has a very different purpose than other social media platforms such as Facebook, which are more for casual interactions between friends and family. When communicating on LinkedIn, you should keep your interactions professional and don’t comment on anything you shouldn’t. It is best to avoid topics that are too personal, political, or controversial as these can ruin your reputation. Additionally, avoid posting anything that could be deemed offensive or insensitive since the wrong audience could see it and cause you to lose potential connections. Always remember to be professional and maintain a respectable presence on LinkedIn.
Normally, by default, anything you post on social media is viewable to the public. If you don’t want everything you say and do to be made publicly viewable, adjust your privacy settings. You can, for example, make your posts only viewable to people you have listed as your friend. You can set some posts to be private, so you’re the only person who can see them, or you can make certain personal information, such as your birthday or employer, private. Check your privacy settings on all your social media accounts once in a while to ensure you’re not sharing more than you mean to.
The anonymity available on the internet can cause bullying to be more severe and harder to trace the source. People are often more hostile when they don’t have to face the consequences of their actions. Sadly, the reach of the internet and email makes it easier for mean behavior to spread more quickly to a wider audience and do more damage. Also, it’s easier for bullies to target their victims due to the vast amount of information available online.
Your motherboard’s functions are determined by its Basic Input Output System, or BIOS. It’s common for BIOS firmware to receive updates via the motherboard manufacturer’s website to enable support for new components, especially CPUs. Before you install any component into your motherboard, ensure that the two pieces of hardware are compatible. If not, you may need to update the BIOS.
However, you shouldn’t attempt this unless it’s necessary. Keep in mind that updating the BIOS is a risky procedure. If something interrupts a BIOS update, it can irrevocably damage your motherboard.
Public hotspots are often left unsecured and their data transmission is unprotected, which makes your sensitive info vulnerable. If a hacker gets hold of your traffic, they could use sniffing tools to gain access to your passwords and credit card numbers. Don’t risk it – always make sure a connection uses WPA2 encryption when connecting to public access points.
Most people know the importance of keeping their OS updated, but drivers are seldom automatically updated. Some examples of drivers you should keep updated are motherboard chipsets, video cards, sound cards, and networking equipment such as Wi-Fi connectors. You can do this manually by searching out new drivers online or investing in software that searches for recent ones automatically.
They say that deleting something from a computer or hard drive doesn’t really get rid of it, and unfortunately, it’s true. If you get rid of a hard drive or give away an old PC, you should be careful – people could recover your past activities and files. Using a deep deletion utility first, or at least taking out the hard drive and storing it safely, is a good idea so none of your sensitive data falls into the wrong hands. If you can, use a data shredder or degausser to completely destroy the hard drive, too. Taking extra precautions like these can make sure your data stays protected.
Desktop computer CPUs stay cool with fans installed on top of them. These fans are carefully attached to the CPU with thermal paste, which enables effective cooling. However, because thermal paste degrades over time, it’s a good idea to replace it every two to three years.
To do this, you’ll need to remove the fan and then use an alcohol wipe to clean the thermal paste off the CPU. Once it’s cleaned, you can apply a new layer of thermal paste and reattach the fan. This will ensure that your CPU stays cool and your computer runs smoothly.
All smartphones have a limited period of time until they’ll stop releasing security updates for the device. Look up how long those periods are for your model. Most devices have three-year cycles, but some have up to five years. Once your security patches run out, you’ll be vulnerable to new threats.
It’s best practice to set your web browser security settings to the highest possible level. This may mean a few websites can’t load or work properly. A smart approach is to stick to the highest level of online security and only enable extra features if they’re absolutely necessary. If you’re confident a site is trustworthy, you can unlock the features temporarily and then switch them off afterwards.
It is essential to ensure that your data is properly protected, but sometimes it can be difficult to make the time to back it up. With Total Defense Ultimate Internet Security, however, the process of backing up your data is made incredibly simple. This solution will automatically save your important files and you can easily restore them with just one click of a button, making the task of safeguarding your data effortless.
It’s a good habit to change your passwords occasionally to keep them from being cracked. However, if your new password is similar to your old one, it will be easier to guess than if you use something completely different. Don’t just change a few numbers or letters or add one or two symbols if the rest of the password is reused: This doesn’t make your password much more difficult to guess than the one you originally had.
Cybercrime is a constantly-evolving threat that is always finding new ways to breach your privacy. For example, phishing attacks develop new tactics to make them look legitimate, malware developers discover new ways to install them onto your device, and data breaches at companies that store private consumer information happen at alarming rates. To help protect yourself, it’s vital that you remain aware of the most recent types of threats by following internet security blogs such as our threats and risks blog.
Microtransactions are a consistent feature in many video games on all platforms, whether they’re on a smartphone, a Nintendo Switch, a PC or any other gaming device. To prevent your children from spending large amounts of money in video games, use the platform’s built-in parental controls. With these, you can disable the ability to spend money without first requiring extra credentials.
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