Tag Archive for: improve

New industry-backed IoT security standards aim to improve device safety

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New IoT security standards could make it easier to choose devices that are hardened against some of the most common vulnerabilities.

IoT covers pretty much any physical device which can be connected to a digital network. IoT devices like digital locks, smart speakers, home surveillance systems, and routers are increasingly common, but have frequently been flagged as at-risk to threat actors.

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This ‘Wi-Fi Hoarding’ Hack Can Magically Improve Your Internet Connection: Here’s How to Do It

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In today’s tech-savvy world, open tabs and background apps can unknowingly become bandwidth hogs, affecting your internet speed. Bandwidth, the lifeline of Wi-Fi, gets shared among all users in a specific area, making it crucial to optimize its usage.

This is a common knowledge overlooked by many internet users. The speed also lies in the number of open tabs on display. 

The Culprit: Open Tabs and Hidden Bandwidth Drain

This 'Wi-Fi 'Hoarding Hack Can Magically Improve Your Internet Connection: Here's How to Do That

(Photo: Compare Fibre from Unsplash) Your browser tabs might be the culprit as to why your internet is running slow. Fortunately, you can speed up your Wi-Fi connection through this simple hack.

Unbeknownst to many, those open tabs on your PCs, laptops, and smartphones aren’t just innocently waiting for your attention; they’re actively consuming precious bandwidth. 

According to The Sun, this becomes especially problematic in households where multiple devices engage in simultaneous “tab hoarding,” depleting the available bandwidth for everyone.

Related Article: Boost Your Internet in Minutes: 10 Easy Hacks for Lightning-Fast WiFi Speeds!

Simple Solutions for PC Users: Closing Tabs for a Bandwidth Boost

For PC users, resolving this issue is straightforward. Click the ‘X’ button in the top right corner to close the browser window and all its tabs. Alternatively, selectively close unnecessary tabs. 

To ensure a clean slate, reboot your computer after the purge. This step erases any reserved memory from closed tabs, freeing up valuable space on your RAM.

iPhone Users: Streamlining Tabs on Safari and Chrome

If you’re an iPhone user, streamlining your tabs is equally essential. On Safari, tap and hold the tabs icon, then select “Close All Tabs” to declutter. For Google Chrome users, tap the box-shaped tabs button, choose “Edit,” and then “Close All Tabs.” This quick cleanup ensures efficient bandwidth utilization on your mobile device.

Optimizing Android Devices: Chrome and Samsung Browser Tips

Android users fear not; bandwidth optimization is within reach. On Chrome, tap “Switch tabs” to see open tabs, then select “More” and “Close all tabs.” Samsung owners can open the browser, tap the tabs button,…

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6 Ways to Improve Cyber Security and Internet Safety on Your Campus

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Starting with these tips below as a framework can help structure your campus’ internet safety plan and flesh it out to meet your institution’s needs.

In today’s hyper-connected world, the propagation and maintenance of internet safety knowledge and protocol is now a vital part of how institutions need to operate. The threat of cyber attacks is becoming increasingly common and can result in devastating, costly breaches that have created irreversible damage and even shut the doors for many institutions over the last few decades.

If you are responsible for the safety of a campus, it is not just physical or natural emergencies you need to deal with. Cyber security and internet safety must be included in your protocols and strategies alongside more traditional security concerns.

The cyber security statistics are grim: 623 million ransomware attacks were reported worldwide in 2021, an increase of more than 100% over the previous year. The numbers of both attacks and damages are increasing. The consequences of a cyber attack can be severe. Depending on the type of attack and how successful it is, ramifications can include:

  • Temporary or complete loss of access to computers, servers, networks, or digitally powered systems (including systems that operate keypad entries, lights, energy usage, and more)
  • Data theft, compromise, alteration, tampering, or destruction
  • Monetary (or other assets) loss due to hacking
  • Sensitive information leaked to the public

…And potentially other harmful results as well.

Though the world of cyber aggression and cyber crimes changes constantly, there are a few basic forms of cyber crime activities that have been predominantly used over the past decade to compromise both individuals and institutions:

Phishing refers to using fake emails to either extract sensitive information (like passwords or identity information) or trick readers into clicking links or downloading and installing software that is actually harmful in nature. When targeting individuals, this might be an email made to look like that person’s bank or branded to mimic an institution with which that person has an account or membership.

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K-12 schools improve protection against online attacks, but many are vulnerable to ransomware gangs

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Some K-12 public schools are racing to improve protection against the threat of online attacks

By

ALANNA DURKIN RICHER Associated Press

November 19, 2023, 9:06 AM ET

4 min read

WASHINGTON — Some K-12 public schools are racing to improve protection against the threat of online attacks, but lax cybersecurity means thousands of others are vulnerable to ransomware gangs that can steal confidential data and disrupt operations.

Since a White House conference in August on ransomware threats, dozens of school districts have signed up for free cybersecurity services, and federal officials have hosted exercises with schools to help them learn how to better secure their networks, said Anne Neuberger, the Biden’s administration’s deputy national security advisor for cyber and emerging technology.

Neuberger said more districts need to take advantage of programs available that would better guard against online attackers who are increasingly targeting schools. Their aim is to lock up computer systems, and in some cases, steal and publish sensitive personal information if a ransom is not paid.

“Compromises happens again and again, often in the same way, and there are defenses to protect against it. And here the government has really brought companies together, brought agencies together to deploy some of those,” Neuberger said in an interview. “Don’t give up. Reach out and sign up. And your kids will be a lot safer online.”

The administration announced steps over the summer to help cash-strapped schools, which have been slow to build up cybersecurity defenses. Ransomware attackers, many of whom are based in Russia, have not only forced schools to temporarily close but have exposed a wealth of students’ private information.

Last month, parents sued the Clark County School District in Nevada, alleging a ransomware attack led to the release of highly sensitive information about teachers, students and their families in the country’s fifth largest school district. In another high-profile case this year, hackers broke into the Minneapolis Public Schools system and dumped sexual assault case records and other sensitive files online after the district refused to pay a $1 million ransom.

More than 9,000…

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