Huntington Volvo? Rowe Subaru? What will your hilarious quiz results be when you enter your fourth-grade teacher’s name and first model of car? You may think it’s silly entertainment … until it isn’t. Many fun social media questionnaires are set up by hackers to steal your identity.

It seems like a harmless collection of random facts from your past. These quizzes might ask for details such as:

• What was your first job?
• What was the name of your first-grade teacher?
• What car did you learn to drive in?
• What was your first concert?

These popular quizzes promise to tell your “rock star” name or your “superhero” name. You know it’s as reliable as the Magic Eight ball, but you play along anyway. We all need a laugh, right?

Except that the people really laughing are hackers. Many of the questions posed are also security prompts used to verify your identity online.

Cybersecurity experts agree: don’t take these quizzes. It’s not as if there is any real value in filling out the social questionnaire. You’re simply taking the bait and risking having your personal data stolen.

 

Avoiding Social Media Scams

Here are some tips to help keep you safe from social media hackers:

• Don’t get hooked by clicking on that post that seems too good to be true, especially shocking, or scandalous.
• Be wary of any quiz that asks for information that could be relevant to your online password.
• If you must quiz, fill out questionnaires on reputable websites only.
• Avoid quizzes that ask you to provide your email address.
• Contact companies through trusted channels only.
• Make sure that you are dealing with the proper entity’s real website and not a look-alike site created by a scammer.

Also, think twice about apps that change your face into a cartoon character or a painting. Facial recognition is a more common security tool. Be cautious about letting unknown apps collect your photos and facial details.

 

What to Do If Your Online Accounts Are Hacked

Cry. Curse. Panic. Any of these may seem like a reasonable response in the moment. Still, there are better things to do for long-term recovery.

#1 Have your devices inspected by trusted IT experts. This is one more area to be wary. Scam artists will set up sites that appear to be affiliated to the manufacturer or phone numbers that appear to go to technical support specialists. It’s best to take your devices to a physical repair shop with a real human doing the work.

 

#2 Change your passwords. When your account is hacked, you’ll want to change that password immediately. Plus, as annoying as it is, change passwords for all accounts accessed on the compromised device. The hackers may have installed a malware that tracked all data transmitted on the device.

#3 Set up credit monitoring. Notify any financial institutions or credit card companies if those accounts are hacked. You’ll likely need to have them issue you new cards with fresh account numbers. You can also ask them to monitor your accounts for fraudulent transactions. You might also set up credit monitoring with your region’s credit reporting agencies.

Keep in mind that criminals can be patient and may not use your information right away. So, don’t think you’re in the clear because nothing happens in the first month.

Need help protecting your devices and online accounts? Contact our IT experts today at 555-5555. We can also review your security setup at home to help prevent you being victim of a cyberattack.

 

Unless you’re a reality television star, you probably don’t like the idea of being watched at all times. So, why would you want your technology to know all about you? With digital technology today, it’s far too easy for our devices to turn creepy. Here are some suggestions to stop the stalker-like tendencies of the technology you rely upon.

Today’s marketing and online communications are all about customization and personalization. If you like a friend’s picture of an Art Deco door in Belgium, you see many more posts featuring similar designs. Or if you view an area rug on a website, you’re suddenly bombarded with ads for rug stores when you next go online.

This can add convenience, but it is also unsettling. What companies online know about you could be more detailed than what your friends know. Take the following steps to regain control of what your computer, phone, and apps know about you.

 

Review your privacy settings

Whether going online from a phone, laptop, desktop, or tablet, get to know the device’s privacy settings. Some important settings to review include:

• email tracking – this can let people know if you opened their message or not;
• location tracking – personalizes recommendations but also tells search engines where you are;
• voice recordings – manufacturers use these to train virtual assistants, but pause this to keep your conversations to yourself;
• purchase history – this helps feed the machine so that businesses know how to target you in the future.

 

Opt out or block ads

Opting out of ads limits the information collected from your browser or device. The site or business still receives basic information about you, but you will no longer receive targeted, interest-based ads any longer. Apple’s iOS 14 allows app blocking, and you can also express your choice on Android devices.

Otherwise, use browser ad blockers, such as AdBlock Plus, or JavaScript blockers, such Ghostery, to limit ad tracking. Also known as content blockers, these software programs prevent ads from showing on websites you visit. You can find ad blockers for Chrome, Firefox, Opera, Safari, and Internet Explorer.

 

Check your permissions

Watch the permissions you give apps. We have already talked about checking device settings, but you can also limit the permissions you give to apps. For example, social media accounts have privacy settings that allow you to control what’s logged about you.

Plus, check permissions for other apps. Clash of Clans doesn’t need location services, for instance. Or you might not want to give Slack access to your microphone and video recordings.

 

Use webcam covers

Covering your webcam stops someone from potentially seeing and recording you. If you think you’d see the light come on to show the webcam is in use, know that hackers can disable that. A simple sliding webcam cover closes the webcam when you are not using it to avoid a cybercriminal having access.

Covering your webcam can also come in handy in all those online meetings you’re having. A covered camera means you don’t run the risk of your colleagues catching you unprepared.

 

Limit information you provide

Social media has created a culture of oversharing. There are probably many things you’ve seen about friends online that you would rather not know. You’re also sharing more than you need to with the companies that you interact with online.

If you’re filling out a form for a download, you might fill out only the required fields. When you add an app, be stingy with your personal details. Think about it from a need-to-know perspective. For instance, that home design game you love to play doesn’t need to know where you went to high school or with whom you bank.

Need help keeping the privacy-busting algorithms at bay? We can help. Our IT experts can configure device settings to limit information gathered about you online. Contact us today at (03) 5273 0230!

 

A laptop can hold your life. If you’re working from home, it’s essential to your income. For students, it’s where you keep all your notes and essays. Plus, there are the personal photos and videos. So, you want to keep it in great shape. Here are five tips to protect your laptop.

#1 Don’t drop it

Or throw it, or stand on it, or expect it to withstand any serious impact. OK, that’s pretty obvious. You also don’t want to use your laptop in the bathtub or at the pool. Even a simple water spill on a laptop can damage the circuitry. If you do get your laptop wet, immediately turn it off and unplug everything attached to it.

#2 Open carefully

Laptops are getting thinner in every iteration. Some now even have foldable screens. The thinner and more flexible screen may look sleek and cool, but it’s also less rigid, which makes it more prone to damage. Especially on lower-cost laptops, the screen can flex if you open the computer up from just one side.

Yet, many of us hold a laptop in one hand and open the lid with the other. This can cause the screen to twist. Use both hands to open the laptop. Or get into the habit of opening your laptop from the center to avoid flex.

#3 Don’t bedazzle your keyboard or screen

Alright, maybe you weren’t planning on putting faux rhinestones on the screen or keyboard. Still, reconsider any decorations you have thought of adding. Even a keyboard protector (to prevent dust or spills getting into the circuitry) or camera privacy sticker could damage some of the new super-thin laptops. It’s just that there is now so little clearance between the keyboard and the screen.

If you really must have your stickers, put them on the protective sleeve that you get for your laptop.

#4 Disconnect carefully

Your laptop needs a consistent power source. If you damage the power cord connection, you’re done. So, make sure you pull the power cord out straight. Yanking it out sideways could damage the port.

Also be aware of where your power cord is connecting to the wall outlet. If you leave the cord trailing along the floor, someone could trip over it, or it could get caught on a rolling chair. This could not only damage the charging port but even pull the entire laptop onto the floor. That brings us back to #1, don’t drop the laptop!

#5 Keep it cool

No, you don’t have to store it into a refrigerator (please don’t!), but heat isn’t good for your laptop. You’ll want to keep your computer away from external sources of heat.

Again, as the laptops get thinner, they are more vulnerable to internal overheating. Ensure that the laptop’s intake ports are unblocked so that air can flow through and cool the circuitry. You might also blow dust out of the vents using canned air.

 

Also, avoid placing your laptop on very soft surfaces. A soft, uneven surface is more likely to block the internal fans. This leaves your device unable to regulate its temperature. You could even buy a laptop cooling stand, which provides extra fans to improve air circulation.

Average laptop lifespan will vary between two to five years. Keep your laptop on the longer side of that by taking these tips to heart.

If something does happen to your laptop, give us a call at (03) 5273 0230. Our IT experts are here to help you find the best laptop for you, upgrade and secure your laptop, or fix your laptop when you need it.

Buying a printer can be overwhelming. There are so many options available from different brands and buying guides galore. Yet we still often see people with printers that aren’t the best ones for their needs. That said, we’re offering five tips to help you find the right one for you.

#1 Identify Your Needs

What are you going to use that printer for? Is it for family use? Home office use? Just as a backup for occasional documents you need to print and sign? For printing photos? For printing graphic designs? Your needs for quality, efficiency, speed, and color or black-and-white prints will influence your choice.

Different printers offer distinct perks. You may want one that prints quickly or one that is compact. Or perhaps you want one that holds a lot of paper. If your priority is photos, you may need a printer that can handle many types and sizes of paper.

If you are running your office from home, you may want to invest in a multi-function printer. These not only print but also scan and copy.

You may not even need a home printer. If you’re using your printer for photographs, you’re better off going to an actual photo printer. It’s about five times cheaper to get photos professionally printed than to color print at home. Plus, you’ll get top-quality copy every time.

#2 Don’t Settle for Cheap

Yes, it’s usually very cheap to buy an inkjet printer from the local big-box store. You may even get a free or dramatically reduced price on a printer with the purchase of your computer. That’s because they’re getting you to buy the printer so that you’ll need to take on the high cost of ink. You’ll also need high-quality printing paper if you want to avoid the ink bleed that can happen on normal office paper.

Another issue with inkjet printers? If you don’t use the color cartridges for a long while, they can dry up, which will leave partial lines on your prints, or the printer won’t work at all until you pay for a fresh, more expensive color cartridge.

#3 Consider Laser Printers

If you’ve decided you do need a home printer, consider a laser printer. Whether you want a printer that works fast or you plan to use it all the time, a laser printer is quick to start up and print. Plus, it offers high-quality results. There is a higher cost upfront, but in the long-term you could save on ink. These printers use a fine powder that doesn’t dry out due to inactivity.

Color laser printing is expensive, yes, but black-and-white printing on a laser printer can be quite cheap and effective.

#4 Read the Reviews

The manufacturer specifications will help you learn:

• monthly page volume;
• estimated annual print costs;
• printing speed;
• maximum resolution;
• Wi-Fi functionality;
• card reader and media plug-in capability;
• added benefits (e.g. automation features such as collating or stapling).

Still, customer and online reviews can help you find out about durability and productivity. Read both positive and negative reviews to get a full sense of how the printer will suit your needs.

#5 Let Us Help

Inkjet, laser, all-in-one, and photo printers each have their pros and cons, and there is a lot to consider. We can help you choose the right model, set it up in your home, and help you keep it going strong for the long term. Contact us today at (03) 5273 0230.

All good things must come to an end – it’s inevitable with computer software. If you’re using Adobe Flash, the day has arrived. It’s time to uninstall Adobe Flash Player.

Adobe stopped supporting Flash Player on December 31, 2020. What does this mean?

Adobe is no longer issuing Flash Player updates or security patches. The company “strongly recommends immediately uninstalling Flash Player.” The company announced the decision to bring Flash Player to end of life (EOL) in 2017.

To help secure user systems, Adobe began blocking Flash content from running in Flash Player on January 12, 2021. Major browser vendors have also disabled Flash Player from running: Safari, Firefox, Chrome, and Microsoft Edge have all stopped supporting the technology.

This renders Flash Player pretty useless. Flash was key to early Web browsing, powering interactive website elements such as animations and forms. Web developers loved it, because it saved them from offering users dull, static pages. However, open standards have matured to provide a viable alternative to Flash content. The HTML 5 standard has replaced Flash in many cases.

Adobe Flash is old, unsupported, and has unfixed security issues. It’s actively used for malware. Fake Flash Player installers have long been an effective way to deliver malware. As recently as 2020, three years after the EOL announcement, it was found that 1 in 10 Macs were infected by one prolific piece of Flash malware.

Don’t keep it on your system, and definitely don’t download versions of the Flash Play-er from third-party sites.

 

Uninstalling Adobe Flash Player

If you’re an iPhone or iPad user, you don’t need to worry. Flash was never supported on iOS devices. Otherwise, it’s worth checking if you have Adobe Flash Player in-stalled. You may not even remember downloading it, but don’t just let it sit there.

To check if Flash Player is installed, navigate to https://helpx.adobe.com/flash-player.html. Under Install Flash Player in five steps, the first step is to check installation. Click on “Check Now.” If it tells you “Sorry, Flash Player is either not installed or not enabled,” you’re in good shape.

To uninstall from a Windows computer, you will need to download the uninstaller found here
(https://helpx.adobe.com/flash-player/kb/uninstall-flash-player-windows.html) to your desktop. Then, exit all browser and other programs that use Flash. Run the uninstaller to delete all Flash Player files and folders. Restart your computer, open your browser, and verify uninstallation is complete.

Mac users will download the uninstaller (https://helpx.adobe.com/au/flash-player/kb/uninstall-flash-player-mac-os.html) suited to their OS Version. You can determine your version by clicking on the Apple icon and choosing About This Mac. You then run the applicable uninstaller. After restarting your computer, verify the uninstallation is complete.

Without updates or security patches, hackers could access your system using Flash Player vulnerabilities. It can be frustrating when software reaches EOL. Even so, it’s important to be proactive. Take the precautions to keep your system safe.

Worried about downloading and uninstalling safely? We can help. Not sure what other legacy software you might have on your computer that is putting you at risk? We can help there, too. Contact us today at (03) 5273 0230. We can review your computers to secure your confidential data and important info.

Making New Year’s resolutions is a familiar habit in the Western world. Many people make resolutions relating to their physical or mental health. Fortunately, in our digital world, technology can help make resolutions more attainable.

First, a few fun facts about resolutions. Did you know:

• The habit of making resolutions began about 4,000 years ago? The Babylonians used their new year festival to set goals to keep their good standing with the gods.
• In Roman times, farmers were told to begin each year with an “auspicious gesture.”
• More recently, a study found only eight percent of people keep their resolutions.

Twitter did a survey of the most common resolutions of 2017, and top ones included:

• diet, exercise, and lose weight
• get more sleep;
• learn something new;
• read more;
• be nicer, kinder, and more patient.

The good news? If you set any of these as your resolutions, technology you already have can help!

Tech Tips for Resolutions

Let’s start with trying to change fitness or eating habits. There is an abundance of apps available for that for your phone or your computer. You might try:

• Daily Workouts, a mobile and desktop app with nearly 200 exercise routines that can be done with or without accessories (such as exercise ball, stretch bands, or kettle bell weight);
• Seven, a mobile and desktop app providing quick, on-the-go exercise routines. All you need is seven minutes and, possibly, a chair or wall.

You could also set a recurring alarm on your work computer to remind you to get up and walk around for a minute each hour. Those with an Apple Watch already get a notification at 10 minutes to the hour if they haven’t moved enough.

Looking to get more sleep? You could use Night Shift on your iPhone or Night Light on Android devices to dim your screen. Windows also has a Night Light feature (under Settings > System > Display. All these change screen display to warmer colors, which reduces eyestrain and helps you sleep better.

You might also be interested in Sleep Bug. This white noise app provides 300 different soft sounds to build a background to help you zonk out.

Those who want to read more or learn something new could benefit from limiting social media. Apple has Screen Time and Android has Digital Wellbeing. Both track your app usage, plus, you can set apps to lock if you use them for too long.

You can also use Windows 10 to limit app and game time on computers, tablets, Xbox, and Android devices. Under the Family tab of your Microsoft account page, you’ll find an Activity tab. You can turn on app monitoring, limit app and game usage, and set restrictions for the amount of time and time of day apps can be used.

Good Luck with Your Resolutions

We’d argue that all this can help with that other resolution, the one where you’re going to be more patient and kinder. If you’re feeling healthier, sleeping better, and spending less time in a social media trance, you can be more mindful. And hey! While you’re at it, make that a resolution, too.

If you need help finding the right technology to support your resolutions, we can help! Call us now at (03) 5273 0230.

You’re not alone! Most people use the same password everywhere – home, work, Gmail, Facebook… even for banking.

Considering how many passwords we’re expected to remember and use on a daily basis, password exhaustion is a very real thing. It’s no wonder that when yet another prompt for a password appears, users enter easily guessed combinations like ‘abcd’ or ‘password’.

Trouble is, even if your password is making the required effort, hackers are taking a daily stroll around the internet and collecting logins and passwords as they go, from either leaked details or sites with security flaws.

Then, they’ll try their luck with that login/password set elsewhere. They know more than half the internet users in the world have only one password and email combination, so the chance of gaining access to your accounts is actually quite high.

Even the big names in tech are at risk of password breaches:

360 million MySpace emails and passwords leaked.

117 million LinkedIn account details leaked.

Same password used elsewhere? Cue the domino effect!

One site breach follows another and another until hackers have nothing more to gain. The only way to break this chain reaction is to use a different password for each site.

How to Create Easily Remembered Passwords

Have a system or template for creating your own unique passwords, that you’ll be able to remember, but is not obvious to hackers.

For example:

<character> <word> <something about the site> <numbers> <character>

Becomes !K1ttyFB75!

It might seem complicated, but the above is really just based around the words ‘kitty’ and ‘FB’ for Facebook. Change the FB to something else for other sites.

What to Do If Your Password Has Been Hacked

You can check to see if any of your accounts have been compromised by entering your email into a site like haveibeenpwned.com

If it alerts a breach, you need to change your passwords immediately – all of them. Use the example system above to create a new set. If you’re struggling to remember your set of passwords, consider using a secure password tracker such as LastPass. (http://www.lastpass.com)

If you need help changing your passwords or setting up a secure password system, let us know on  (03) 5273 0230 and we’ll be more than happy to help you.

 

Fresh-baked cookies are yummy, but you may not have the same positive associations with cookies on your computer. Here’s what you need to know about cookies and what they mean for your internet browsing.

Cookies have been around for a long time, but new laws now require websites to ask for your permission to use them. You’ve likely noticed more sites informing you that “this website uses cookies,” and they’ll ask you to click to accept the use of cookies. But what exactly are you agreeing to?

A website cookie is a small piece of text the website you are visiting stores on your computer.

Cookies are equivalent to your ticket to get onto the website. Website owners track your individualized code to gather information.

Cookies tell the website that the user has been to the site before. The website can recall personal login information and other preferences. A shopping site will remember your cart and let you continue shopping, or suggest other goods you might like.

Viewing and Controlling Cookies

So, why are sites asking for permission to store their cookies on your computer? Users are more concerned now about the digital footprint they are leaving on the Web: they want to protect their Web history.

Let’s be clear. When you accept a cookie, you are not allowing access to your computer or any of your personal data, unless you have knowingly provided it as you do when online shopping, that is.

Also, it’s not possible to execute code from a cookie. That means a bad actor can’t use a cookie to deliver a virus or malware.

Overall, cookies on their own are safe. Agreeing to first-party cookies from the website simplifies session management, personalization, and tracking.

The danger comes from third-party cookies generated by advertisers or analytics companies. Say, for instance, you surf to a webpage that has 10 ads on it. You don’t even have to click on any of those ads to generate 10 cookies. These cookies track your browsing history across the Web on any site carrying their ads. That’s why people are becoming more wary of the privacy implications.

That’s the Way the Cookie Crumbles

Users can make their own cookie choices. Those who allow cookies will enjoy a more streamlined Web surfing experience. Those who don’t want cookies tracking their browsing history will opt out. Without cookies these users have to re-enter their data every time they visit a website.

Often you can control your cookies in your browser settings. In Google Chrome, for example, you’d select “Settings” from the menu drop down in the upper-right corner, then “show advanced settings” and then “content settings.” In the Cookies section you might choose “Keep local data only until you quit your browser” and “block third-party cookies and site data.”

If you’re really annoyed by the pop-ups asking you about cookie use, you can install a browser add-on, too.

The “Incognito” mode on your browser can be used to save cookies for the current session, but when you close the browser the cookies will be deleted.

We can help you minimize the extent to which you are being tracked on the internet. Contact our IT experts today on (03) 5273 0230.

 

When you sign up for an internet service, the provider will hook you up with an email address, too. Your internet service provider (ISP) wants to keep you connected to them. But this convenient email address isn’t always the best long-term solution for you.

That “[email protected]” email address may work fine. You use it to keep in touch with your family and friends, you get bills to that address, and you’ve used it to login to your social media and online news and shopping sites.

But relying on your ISP for your email address may not be the best strategy for you. Here are some drawbacks to consider.

#1 If you rely on your @isprovider.com address, you could end up locked in with poor service or high prices. You feel stuck because you can’t take your email address with you if you want to switch providers.

#2 Internet service providers are not in the email business, whereas email providers such as Gmail and Outlook are always working to improve. Your ISP may not have updated its email offerings for a decade.

#3 Most ISPs have very limited storage space for email, which can make your service less reliable and convenient.

#4 Also, ISPs don’t make the same effort to keep your email secure and your inbox spam free. A provider more focused on email services offers more sophisticated filtering. ISP emails usually have primitive spam filtering that is easy to bypass.

#5 With an ISP email, your email is often accessible only on the provider’s mail servers, and you need to be able to access those servers to get to your emails. A cloud-based email provider lets you access your inbox via a Web browser and Microsoft Outlook. So, it doesn’t matter where in the world you are; you can still get access.

#6 You might be supporting a local ISP with your business. If that smaller provider goes belly up, however, your email address is gone forever, too.

#7 Most ISP’s (internet service provider) emails don’t synchronize well across multiple devices. Let’s face it most people have emails on multiple devices now thanks to iPhones and iPads.

Making the switch to an email provider

You may feel compelled to remain loyal to your ISP because changing your email address is a headache. It’s not as hard as you might think. We can even automatically forward emails to your new address, so you don’t need to go updating your email address with everyone.

Fortunately, once you make the switch to a Web/cloud-based email provider, you can move ISPs without it making any difference to your email communications.

You could even pay a small fee to upgrade your email with a custom domain name. Maybe you’ve always wanted to have your email come from @yourlastname.com, because it looks cool. Or, if you have a home business, you could have your email come from @yourbusiness.com. This looks more professional, and you can move the address to any provider, as the domain remains the same.

Whether you’re using an ISP or Web/cloud-based email provider, it’s also a good idea to back up your emails. By downloading and backing up your email, you gain more control and peace of mind.

 

We can help you find the right email provider or ISP for your needs. We’ll help you migrate your email, and we can set up a backup too. Let us help you, call us now at (03) 5273 0230