The broadcast range of a wireless access point can make internet connections available outside your home, even as far away as your street. Savvy computer users know this, and some have made a hobby out of driving through cities and neighborhoods with a wireless-equipped computer—sometimes with a powerful antenna— searching for unsecured wireless networks. This […]

You might have heard that deleting something from a device or hard disk drive doesn’t really erase it, and that’s true. Accordingly, be careful if you ever throw away a hard drive or resell an old PC since your old activities and files are theoretically still recoverable. It might make sense to use a deep […]

Creating passwords is both an art and a science. It should be complex enough to thwart common guessing methodologies, but easy enough to remember. One way to strike a balance is to use an abbreviated phrase interspersed with a number and a special character, if applicable. That combination will give you a long yet memorable […]

If you’re flying somewhere, you might feel compelled to post a photo or video of your boarding passes to a social network like Instagram. It’s a risky move, though, as strangers can use the information contained in its various codes to change your contact information with the airline or even alter your reservation. Handle your […]

If you ever want or need to change your phone number, be sure to check on your two-factor authentication (2FA) setups first. Many 2FA services use your phone number, meaning you might no longer get the needed texts or calls to access your accounts after changing. Use alternatives like authenticator apps or trusted devices instead […]

Automated service agents, AKA chatbots, have become increasingly important parts of customer engagement. They can be helpful, but sometimes awkward and even risky to interact with. If you get an unsolicited call asking “can you hear me?,” a voicemail saying your “warranty” (or something else you don’t even have) has expired or a chat asking […]