Privacy Tips
May 4th, 2022
Seeing is no longer believing. Welcome to the world of deepfakes.
Video-editing software has advanced to the point that it’s no longer just the movie studios who can make the impossible seem real (think Luke Skywalker’s recent Mandalorian cameos).
Made with equipment available to the general public, deepfakes can appear to the casual observer to be an actual recording of a real person and event. In truth, it’s a manipulated—or, in…... Continue reading >
April 28th, 2022
Citing security concerns, Google is encouraging everyone who uses the company’s Chrome browser to upgrade to the latest version of the software. The new version addresses some 30 security fixes. That’s important. If you’re a Chrome user, upgrade now. For more information, read here and here.
... Continue reading >
April 26th, 2022
You know those dozens of old apps on your phone that you never use? They’re doing more than just sitting there. They’re collecting data about you and gumming up the works in the process. Unused apps are a privacy leak and a security risk. It’s time to do a little spring cleaning and delete them. Here’s how.
iOS
1. Go to Settings/General/iPhone Storage.
2. Scroll down to…... Continue reading >
March 17th, 2022
Let’s shed some light on the Dark Web. What is it? Where is it? Do I need to worry about it?
The Dark Web is a shadowy version of the Internet we all know and use, home to a range of good guys and bad guys, according to the National Institute of Justice. The Internet’s secret side. People use sites on the Dark Web for a range of reasons, but its built-in anonymity…... Continue reading >
March 2nd, 2022
We’re going to lose it with the EARN IT Act. Let us explain.
The Senate is currently considering the Eliminating Abuse
and Rampant Neglect of Interactive Technologies Act (EARN IT), a bill presented
as essential to the protection of children from online sexual predators and
abuse. Needless to say, we can all agree that children deserve that kind of
protection.
The thing is, existing federal, state and local laws already provide that protection. Still, what’s…... Continue reading >
January 17th, 2022
It’s your phone and it’s your information. Increasingly, hanging onto your privacy is your call. The most recent updates to iPhone and Android operating systems allow you greater control over what data the apps on your phone can collect. Here’s how to dial up your privacy settings.
A little background
Just about all apps gather information about you. Some gather a lot, some just a bit. Even seemingly innocuous apps can…... Continue reading >
October 7th, 2021
The “delete” key doesn’t exactly live up to its name. In fact, in the digital world, delete doesn’t mean delete at all. It’s just another twist in the great digital experiment.
You can trash your emails, but the person who received your messages still has them and can store them as long as he or she wants. Even if you convince your correspondents to delete their copies, your email host can archive data…... Continue reading >
September 2nd, 2021
You may not know about data brokers, but it’s their job to know about you. Creepy, right? Let’s even the playing field a bit.
You have to be constantly vigilant to protect yourself and your family when going online. A case in point is the issue of data brokers. Parents need to be aware of data brokers because they are companies that exist to gather a huge amount of information on people.
... Continue reading >
May 14th, 2021
You’re going to be traveling again soon. Here’s a reminder: Watch your wifi. And while you’re at it, start using a VPN.
Summer is approaching and pandemic restrictions are lifting. You and your family will be on the move again, which means you’ll be connecting to the internet through unfamiliar networks. Be careful and watch your WiFi.
Using public and semi-public WiFi networks can leave you vulnerable to “man in…... Continue reading >
March 17th, 2021
If you’re reading this from anywhere but China, you probably don’t have a Sesame Score. But if you care at all about internet privacy and security, you should know what it is.
The Chinese government has created a social credit monitoring system to look over every member of its population. It’s called Zhima Credit and is popularly known as Sesame Credit or China’s Sesame Score. It was developed by Ant Financial, which is…... Continue reading >