Computer hardware can last a really, really long time. It very rarely just dies as long as the hardware is well ventilated and cooled appropriately. A quick search on Ebay can find computer components that date even as far back as 2008! So when hardware lasts this long, what is the harm in keeping it running? Why buy anything new unless you need a new feature or the hardware is too slow? Well, sometimes it comes down to companies no longer supporting products with security updates. That can be dangerous for you.
continue reading…Firewalls: Your Locked Door
Imagine hundreds, thousands even, of people standing outside the door to your home or apartment. One at a time, they walk up, knock and wait for an answer. When they don’t get one, they turn around and walk away. When they walk away, the next person walks up to knock. A few of them jiggle the door handle, others might try and push against the door a few seconds before quitting. Now imagine this happens every day, all day, all night, 365 days a year. Weirded out? That’s the Internet.
continue reading…Risk vs. Convenience
A concept big companies struggle to find balance with is also one that is important for your home. There are many types of tech that you can purchase these days that can make your life much easier (or harder) depending on how you look at it. For example, automated pet feeders can remove the necessity of having to worry about feeding times. From using an application on your phone, you can feed your pet from across the country, change meal times or even how much they get fed. I know personally, they have been amazing at making sure my two kitties get fed at specific times.
continue reading…Look closely at your web addresses!
You’re on a website and they offer a link to bring you to another page. Easy, right? Click and go. Or someone sends you a funny text message and there’s a link to view what they sent you. Neat! But did you know a link or website isn’t always what it seems? Many links can say one thing, but go somewhere else. Like this one here takes you to Google but it says something else – “here”. You can bring your mouse over it to see where it takes you (bottom left of your browser). But look closely at that web address, because it could be something else entirely.
How would you feel about going to this website?
I know, I know. You probably wouldn’t go there.
But what about this one?
Seems legit right? Unfortunately, no. Let’s take a step back, shall we?
continue reading…A new security website is born!
Not long ago, I was in Best Buy grabbing a few things and I overheard some shoppers trying to purchase a new wireless router for their home. Hearing the father talk to his son, it was clear this wasn’t their area of expertise. The different WiFi versions, buzzwords of “gaming” and “lightning fast” across the various options didn’t help matters much. They didn’t really know what they needed or even should buy, so a Best Buy rep stepped in to help narrow down their search.
In today’s world, technology is a fact of life. From the little computers we carry everyday in our pockets that doubles as a phone, to so many home devices now connecting to the Internet to provide features, it’s here to stay. In fact, many would argue it will only get more and more involved. This got me thinking, how should normal people protect themselves and their families from those that would do them digital harm?
Security concepts are increasingly difficult things to keep on top of, not to mention master – if at all. Many security posts and articles, whether it’s a recent hacker exploit or another business losing their data, are written in such a way that only a computer science student or someone in the industry would even understand it. What about the ordinary person? What about someone’s mother or father, or even their grandparents? Shouldn’t they also have the ability to more easily understand computer and network security? Being the victim of a scammer or having your computer data destroyed can have significant consequences on many parts of your life.
It’s with those ideas in mind, that this website was born. I wanted to find a place where I could provide information so that it just might help someone’s family be better protected in the digital age we live in. Clearly, to fully understand some things you need knowledge and experience in that field. But I hope I can provide a bit of a translation layer between the really detailed things and a foundation that an ordinary person can understand. So, here’s to a new adventure!