Cyber Security for your Home PC

August 11, 2019 covertadmin Cyber Security Comments Off on Cyber Security for your Home PC

In this article we’re going to talk about cyber security essentials for your home PC (or Mac).

Unfortunately, there are more threats than ever to your home computer.

And this goes double if it’s a shared PC used by multiple family members.

We’re going to give you the info on essential best practices and security tips.

Tip #1: Use Common Sense

The most important security tool is located between your ears – use your brain.

You have to think twice before you click a link in a suspicious email – or open a shady website.

Everyone with an email inbox is bombarded with phishing emails and other security threats every day – and some of them are very convincing.

But, if in doubt – delete it – don’t read it.

Here’s an example. The IRS will not contact you via email for any reason – so ignore any sort of emails like that.

Tip #2: Use a Malware Scanner

Nearly everyone is familiar with anti-virus programs.

And quite frankly, Windows 10 has a pretty good anti-virus program built right in – Windows Defender.

But there’s a new class of software known as malware – it’s not as damaging as a computer virus – but it’s not good either.

Malware includes all those unwanted programs that can hijack your browser and show you extra ads, or otherwise spy on your privacy.

Rannsomware is a serious threat to home computers users (as well as businesses.)
Ransomware Attack Malware Hacker Around The World Background

We recommend MalwareBytes – there’s a free version – and it works great.

For Mac, there’s Sophos Home – which also has a free version.

Tip #3: Stop Running Obsolete Versions of Windows (or Mac)

If you haven’t yet made the leap to Windows 10 – now is the time. Windows 7 will no longer be supported after January 2020.

And Windows 7 may work fine for your needs – but Microsoft will no longer provide security patches after that date.

And that means more and more problems for people using Windows 7.

Therefore we recommend all home users move on to Windows 10 (a recent version), or a recent version of MacOS, for those using Apple.

And secondly, you’ve got to install all the patches and security dates.

It’s a pain, but it’s necessary.

That’s how the vendors distribute security fixes for their product. And you should install them as quickly as possible.

Tip #4: Don’t Use the Same Password Everywhere

If there’s one thing I’d recommend beyond keeping your software patched, it is – STOP USING THE SAME PASSWORD EVERYWHERE.

Here’s the problem with re-used passwords: You can bet that one or more of your passwords has already been breached and is available on the internet in a password dump.

Passwords are a pain - but a good password that you don't reuse across services is a security essential.
Passwords are a pain – but a good password that you don’t reuse across services is a security essential.

And hackers will simply brute force your email/username and password against other services.

And if you’ve reused passwords – they’ll be in.

Don’t believe me?

Try this:

Go to the https://haveibeenpwned.com/ website.

Enter your email address (it’s safe – we promise – the person that runs this site is one of the Internet good guys.)

It will then report back where one or more of your logins have been compromised.

And, if you’ve been using the Internet for any amount of time – I’ll be there’s at least 5 breaches -and maybe more…

Tip #5: Use a Different Password For Each Service – With A Password Manager

OK, so you’re convinced – you shouldn’t use the same password everywhere.

But how can you possibly remember 10, 20, or 30 or more passwords?

You don’t – use a good password manager software instead.

We recommend LastPass – it’s got a free version, it integrates with your web browser for convenience – and they have a good track record of security.

Tip #6: Don’t Install Software You Don’t Know – and Don’t Use Pirated Software

Be careful what software you install.

When you install software – you are giving it access to everything on your computer.

Pirated software may include malware and other spyware embedded within it.
Pirated software may include malware and other spyware embedded within it.

So, be careful what you download from the Internet and install.

And – DO NOT install or use pirated software.

Pirated games and applications may have spyware, malware, and other bad software within it.

It’s not worth the security risk – so go legitimate.

Tip #7: You Might Be Safe – But What Is Everyone Else Doing On Your Computer?

Family computer?

You can bet it’s going to have problems.

Because kids (or your spouse) don’t know about all these sorts of things.

They’ll click on strange links.

They’ll open bogus emails.

They’ll download and install random games, and pirated software.

What can you do?

You can give them non-administrator access – that should help.

But you probably should know what they are doing on the computer – and for more reasons than just cyber security.

So, take a moment and make sure they are applying all these cyber security tips as well.

Cyber Security For Your Home PC – In Summary

There are more threats than ever to your home computer.

But, many of them are the same old stuff.

And there are some simple steps you can take to avoid being one of the victims.

We hope you enjoyed this article, and we’ll provide more tips on cyber security soon.

Cyber Security for your Home PC
Whether you use PC or Mac – knowing cyber security essentials is important for your home computer.

Related Articles

A VPN, or Virtual Private Network, is an important tool to use to protect your privacy and to enhance your security.
Privacy

Why use a VPN?

September 27, 2019 covertadmin Privacy Comments Off on Why use a VPN?

Why use a VPN or Virtual Private Network? That’s what we’ll discuss in this article. You may have heard about some of the things people do with VPNs – some people use them for work, some use them to access streaming services they otherwise couldn’t, and some people use them to stop others from snooping on their privacy. We’ll talk about all those things here, and give you an understanding of why you might want to use a VPN for security and privacy. What is a VPN or Virtual Private Network? A VPN is a Virtual Private Network. It’s a way to create a secure, encrypted tunnel between your laptop, computer, or smartphone and the VPN provider. It allows you to surf the web, and access other Internet services, with better security and privacy. (But, it’s not fool proof, as we’ll discuss soon.) How does a VPN provide this improved security? By way of encryption. Computer encryption is a mathematical concept that lets two computer devices communicate without letting any “middle men” in on the message. The process uses the [Read More…]

Passwords are a pain - but a good password that you don't reuse across services is a security essential.
Cyber Security

Ten Tips for Keeping Your Laptop Secure

August 11, 2019 covertadmin Cyber Security Comments Off on Ten Tips for Keeping Your Laptop Secure

Let’s talk about keeping your laptop (or notebook computer) secure. Why is this important? There are a couple of reasons – but in a nutshell laptops are more prone to theft, loss, and damage. Why? Because they are portable, unlike a desktop computer. That means they are much, much more likely to be stolen (like at the airport, cafe, or from your vehicle. They are more prone to be dropped and damaged – because you move them around a lot. Lastly, I can’t say I’ve never lost a computer before – but it’s at least theoretically possible with some of the very small notebook computers available now. Tip #1: You Must Use A Strong Login Password Some computers operating systems, such as MacOS, allow you to have an “automatic login”. And in some cases people pick really weak, easy to guess passwords. Anyone out there using “password”? Yes, people really do that – you know who you are. The problem with this is that your laptop when unattended can easily be accessed by someone else. And from there, they can [Read More…]

ProtonMail offers end to end encrypted email, with a privacy first focus
Privacy

Using Encrypted Email for Privacy

September 27, 2019 covertadmin Privacy Comments Off on Using Encrypted Email for Privacy

Do you use gmail for your email address? Google has very lax privacy rules about the contents of your email. Basically, your personal emails in Google are a treasure trove for advertisers, and Google. For true email privacy, we recommend ProtonMail instead. Why ProtonMail? That’s what we’ll discuss here. By the way, ProtonMail is the secure email that international journalists use to foil Russian security and intelligence agencies. Swiss Privacy – Data Security and Neutrality ProtonMail is incorporated in Switzerland and all their servers are located in Switzerland. This means all user data is protected by strict Swiss privacy laws. From their website: “ProtonMail is outside of US and EU jurisdiction, only a court order from the Cantonal Court of Geneva or the Swiss Federal Supreme Court can compel us to release the extremely limited user information we have.” Having said that, ProtonMail is subject to the rules of law and order in Switzerland – and the Swiss do cooperate with international law enforcement agencies, as you would expect. End to End Encryption – Automatic Email Security In Protonmail, all [Read More…]