Tag Archive for: You’re

5 dumb tech security mistakes you’re making

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You might think you have a solid cybersecurity plan. You use strong passwords and defensive measures like VPNs and firewalls. But even the strongest shield gets dented from time to time.

It’s hard to remember all the settings you’ve adjusted and the passwords you’ve made over the years. Let this be your reminder to go in and make a few quick changes to protect yourself. 

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YOUR SMART ASSISTANT IS LISTENING, BUT DOES THAT IMPACT THE ADS YOU SEE?

1. Using the same PIN for your phone lock screen as your bank

You don’t want to remember a bunch of codes. They’re easy to forget, so you keep it simple and reuse the same PIN.

Don’t give in to temptation! It could lead you to financial ruin. Say you’re relaxing in the coffee shop, and you open your phone. Someone standing behind you could notice your code, write it down and start using it to access your bank account within minutes.

To protect yourself, use different PINs. If you’re struggling to remember them all, consider a password manager. 

A mobile phone passcode security screen

A mobile phone passcode security screen is seen in this photo illustration. (Photo by STR/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

2. You keep Bluetooth on 24/7

Bluetooth is a short-range wireless radio technology that works similarly to Wi-Fi and cellular networks but performs simpler tasks at shorter ranges. You don’t need a cellular signal or network connection to use Bluetooth, and it doesn’t use data.

As with a Wi-Fi network or other connection, Bluetooth has vulnerabilities. Hackers and scammers must be close to you to use Bluetooth to hijack your phone — but in just about any public space, you’re arm’s length from strangers.

There are a couple of ways to disable Bluetooth on your iPhone. Go to Settings > Bluetooth and switch it off. You can also swipe down from the top right of your screen to open the Control Center and tap the Bluetooth icon.

TO DO: CHANGE YOUR SMART SPEAKER SETTINGS BEFORE THE HOLIDAYS

The same steps work for Android phones: Go to Settings > Connected Devices >…

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Billions of Android owners urged to turn on three hidden safety locks – you’re living on the edge without them

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THESE three quick tricks will keep upgrade your phone’s security.

You might be tempted to download a security subscription service to keep your Android safe from hackers or thieves.

There are three life-saving tips that will padlock your phone shutCredit: GETTY

But there are free, ready-to-go safety tricks hidden on your phone — you simply need to know where to look.

Here are three life-saving tips that will padlock your phone shut, according to Computer World.

1. Safe Browsing

Chrome‘s Safe Browsing mode is enabled by default, but there is a newer and more effective version.

It’s called “Enhanced Safe Browsing” and will operate “in the background to provide faster, proactive protection against dangerous websites, downloads, and extensions,” according to Google’s website.

Here’s how you access it:

  • Open Chrome on your Android.
  • Select the three-dot menu icon in the app’s upper-right corner.
  • Select Settings > Privacy and Security > Safe Browsing. Tap the dot next to “Enhanced protection.”

An extra helpful tip: Return to Chrome’s Settings menu and select “Safety check.”

This will open a useful one-tap tool for scanning browser settings and saved passwords, and will let you know of any possible breaches or weak spots in your security.

Most read in Phones & Gadgets

2. Smart Lock

Android’s Smart Lock feature is designed to make security simpler, by pausing the extra protections when it’s in your hands.

It will automatically allow you to keep your phone unlocked whenever you’re in a trusted place like your home or office, or when you’re connected to a commonly-used Bluetooth device, like your earbuds.

Here’s how depending on your device type:

  • For Android 12 and later, Android settings > Security > Advanced Settings.
  • For earlier Android versions, open Android settings > Security > Screen Lock.
  • For Samsung devices, Settings > Lock Screen.

3. Lockdown Mode

No, not that kind of lockdown.

The handy Android setting called “Lockdown Mode” provides you with an easy way to temporarily lockdown your phone.

In this mode, only a pattern, PIN, or password can get a person past your lock screen and into your device.

It temporarily shuts down your phone from all biometric and Smart Lock…

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How to Make Sure You’re Not Accidentally Sharing Your Location

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Your devices and apps really, really want to know where you are—whether it’s to tell you the weather, recommend some restaurants you might like, or better target advertising at you. Managing what you’re sharing and what you’re not sharing, and when, can quickly get confusing.

It’s also possible that you have inconsistencies in the various location histories logged by your devices: Times when you thought you’d switched off and blocked location sharing but you’re still being tracked, or vice versa.

Here we’ll cover everything you need to consider when it comes to location tracking, and hopefully simplify it along the way. Whether you want to give out access to your current location or not, you should be in control of these settings, and not be caught unawares by additional options that you missed.

How Location Tracking Gets Confusing

Google via David Nield

You can turn off Google Location History—but it’s just the start.

What happens if you distinctly remember turning location tracking off on a device, yet your position is still popping up on a map? Or maybe you thought you’d left the feature on, yet you’re seeing gaps in your location history? There are a few explanations, but essentially you need to remember all the different ways your location can be logged: by your devices, by your apps, and by websites you visit.

For example, you might have disabled location tracking on a phone but left it enabled on a tablet. Alternatively, you might have a laptop that’s tracking where you are in the background, even though you thought you’d disabled the feature in the apps you use. If you want location tracking completely enabled or disabled, you need to factor in all these different ways of keeping tabs on where you are.

If you have a Google account, this is a good illustration. Head to your account settings on the web, then choose Data and Privacy and Location History. Select Devices on This Account, which may reveal some phones, tablets, and laptops that you’d forgotten about—any device with a check next to it in this list is saving your movements to your Google account for future reference.

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You can click Turn Off to disable this, but note the caveats that are listed in the…

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What the Tech? Malware Can Strike Your WiFi Router If You’re Not Careful

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Posted:

by
Alabama News Network Staff

The home WiFi router is one of those things we don’t think about until it stops working.

It’s responsible for making sure all of those devices in our homes can connect to the internet. You could even argue it’s the single most important device in your home.

The bad guys apparently think so, because they’re making WiFi routers their favorite target.

Cyber Security analysts at Black Lotus Lab discovered malware in routers used in small homes and home offices. Here’s how they say it works:

The malware is deployed, most often, when someone opens an email attachment or visits a rogue website. The malware gains access not just to the computer but to the network’s WiFi router.

If you never changed the default username and password, hackers can easily find the login information online and have access to the router’s administrator settings. Once logged on as an administrator they can upload and download files to any device that’s connected to your WiFi router.

Phones, computers, web cameras, TVs, doorbells, and locks. Everything.

The Black Lotus Lab analysts say so far this malware has primarily stolen personal information, financial information, and secure business info, but add, it’s very sophisticated and there’s no limit to the damage it can do.

How do you know if your router is compromised? If the computer is sluggish, not loading pages or running programs like before. Of you get unusual pop-ups on the screen or get taken to strange or spoofed websites.

To protect your router and everything connected to it, turn the router off, wait about 20 seconds and turn it on again. This will reset the router and install any updates, this will delete the malware from running on the WiFi network. Change the username and password in the router’s settings.

If your router is 5 years old or older and it hasn’t been updated, you’ll want to re-set the router soon. You may also want to get a new WiFi router. They’re much faster and more secure than they were 5 years ago.

 

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