(It’s been a while since I’ve written a full blog post. I’ve been putting most of my efforts into my weekly newsletter – be sure to subscribe to get weekly tips and news on cyber security and online privacy.) Headline Hyperbole This week, we saw the following headline from The Guardian: “WhatsApp vulnerability allows snooping
I’ve been a Yahoo Mail user for 19 years. My Yahoo user ID has only 4 characters in it. It’s been my public (read spam) email address since 1997. I’m sure it’s the longest actively-used email account I’ve ever had. But now it’s time for me to move on. You should, too. Here’s why, and
Check out my guest blog post on DigitalCitizen, discussing some new technologies that claim to be ‘password killers’ – and why we should avoid them at all costs.
[Updated Jan 2022] When most people think of protecting their computers, they think of antivirus software. Viruses are a real problem, of course, but how well do antivirus (AV) apps protect you? And are there any downsides to using AV software? Let’s review the pros and cons of antivirus software. The Case for Antivirus Software
I happen to be a rather political person, but I try to keep my politics out of my work in the security and privacy arena because these issues must transcend politics. Our democracy in many ways depends on some basic level of computer security and personal privacy. In no place is this more obvious than
I’ve been waiting to comment on this because more information seems to be coming out every day. Also, there has been so much written about this already that I wasn’t sure what I would have to add. But I’m not being hyperbolic when I say that this is a pivotal moment in our democracy, so
As the saying goes, if you’re not paying for the product, then you are the product. The business model for most of the Internet revolves around advertising – which in and of itself is not a bad thing. It may be an annoying thing, but passive advertising isn’t actually harmful. Passive advertising is placing ads
LastPass is the password manager I recommend in my book and to anyone who asks. While there are a handful of good products like it, to me LastPass has a rock-solid security story and all the features anyone could want. You may have heard last week about a threat to LastPass called “LostPass” on the
[Updated: Sept 2021] Identity theft is arguably one of the worst things that can happen to a person, financially. When someone steals your identity, they can basically do anything you can do – including obtaining loans or credit cards in your name. And when the spending spree is over, you are left holding the bag.
If you use a Windows computer at all, you’ve probably seen that annoying little pop-up message that keeps reminding you that Windows 10 is coming. Windows 10 is a free upgrade for most people and Microsoft is clearly banking on most people taking the Trojan horse free software. Microsoft is also counting on most people
