Hyperlinks are tricky. When they’re included in text, you can’t immediately see where they lead, meaning a simple click could take you somewhere you don’t want to go, like an adware-infested page. Consider hovering over them with a mouse, or copying them with a press and hold contextual menu on a touchscreen and pasting them […]

As a general practice, before you publish something on the Internet, determine what value it provides and consider the implications of having the information available to the public. Identity theft is an increasing problem, and the more information an attacker can gather about you, the easier it is to pretend to be you. Behave online […]

Many services will allow you to keep the same password for years. That’s dangerous, since data breaches along the way might expose credentials that you use across multiple sites. Create strong passwords using a generator, and update them periodically, every six months or so, to ensure you’re not using anything that’s already been exposed in […]

It’s always advisable to backup your data with a solution like Total Defense Ultimate. An added benefit is that you are at less risk when you update your applications and OSes. If there’s a technical glitch during the upgrade, at least you have a backup to fall back on.

Email is based on an old set of protocols with few privacy protections. Don’t send your most sensitive information (like your Social Security number) over email if possible. Use encrypted chat or a voice call instead.

If you spend enough time on a PC or Mac, you’ll probably run across websites begging you to click a link or button to download a program. Many of these programs should be avoided. You can increase your safety by configuring your device to only run programs from the official app store for its operating […]