Paying the ransom does not guarantee you will get your files back, so it could be a waste of money. That money could then go towards illegal activities and encourage cybercriminals to continue targeting people. Instead of paying the ransom, report the incident to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), who will investigate the […]

If a password manager claims it can recover your master password if you lose it, that means the service will receive access to that information when you create the account. This approach puts your sensitive information at risk. Normally, your passwords are all encrypted, and even the password manager does not have access to your […]

OpenStreetMap is run by a nonprofit organization, and it’s updated by the very people who use it. Anyone can create an account and add pictures or other information to make location details more accurate. You do not need to log into your account to use the app, and there are no ads. Some limited data […]

If you appreciate Google for its accuracy in finding relevant information while you’re searching, but don’t appreciate the added tracking and clickable ads, Startpage might be a great alternative for you. This privacy-focused search engine pays Google for the right to use its search algorithm, so you get results that are just as helpful, but […]

Epic Privacy Browser is secure because it uses a virtual private network (VPN) with servers in eight countries and provides free VPN access. It blocks ads, trackers, fingerprinting, cryptomining and ultrasound signaling, and it can stop over 600 tracking attempts every browsing session. Epic Privacy Browser is available for Apple, Windows and Android devices. To […]

It’s a bad idea to keep all of your important photos, videos, documents and apps that you would never want to lose track of on one local system that hasn’t been backed up. Best practice is to maintain multiple copies across different locations, using online backup and/or external hard drive solutions as needed.