July 16, 2010

Exposed – Geolocation Dangers and You

Exposed – Geolocation Dangers and You

On the Internet nobody knows you’re a dog.

You’ve heard that saying before, right? Well, nobody may know you’re a dog on the Internet, but through the magic of GPS-enabled gadgets, they may know where you’re located.

With today’s advances in technology and all of the swanky new things we can do with our gadgets, the dangers of geolocation are something many people don’t realize. Slowly but surely, more creeps and criminals are using technology to find victims, and GPS-enabled devices are helping them out in a big way.

Here are a few prime places where geolocation information can creep up, and why you don’t want it to show itself:

  • Your Cell Phone or Digital Camera:

    If possible, turn off any location-aware abilities, especially for pictures or any media that’s made publicly available. Exif information (which can include GPS data) can be included in pictures in some of the new/popular smartphones (iPhone and Android people, I’m talking to you), and that’s a prime example of geolocation danger waiting to happen.

    It’s not a big deal to geocode (e.g. add the GPS data) a picture you take in a store, or a restaurant, but if you’re hanging around the house or taking a picture of your kids at school, the last thing you want is to let strangers have the GPS location of those places.

  • Your Social Networks:

    Just say no to showing where you are. If you want to let people know how much fun you’re having someplace, do it after the fact. For example, if you’re going on vacation, don’t announce it on Facebook or Twitter before you go; wait until you’re back. The plus side is that you’ll be able to show off your pictures and videos, too.

    For the same reason you don’t want your geolocation revealed publicly to strangers through your pictures, you don’t want to do it on your social networks. Keep personally identifiable information safe from prying eyes.

By the way, the EFF has a great article and PDF download on living with, but not being hampered by, geolocation services and tools.

Image courtesy of http://www.flickr.com/photos/raggle/ / CC BY-ND 2.0

If you're looking for great anti-virus software that won't break the bank, try StopSign. You don't pay extra for tech support for difficult malware, and our web protection software just works. Download & install StopSign to find out why our members choose us over the other options.

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July 7, 2010

Dangerous Tech Habits.

Dangerous Tech Habits.

Who would think that something as simple as texting would be a dangerous tech habit? Or uploading a photo? It may be a bit on the overly cautious side, but it’s true.

The relative ease with which we can make our daily life public is great. Thirty years ago we were still relying on long-distance phone calls and snail mail to keep in contact with friends and family, but now we’ve got gadgets and gizmos galore to help us out. Video conferencing, cell phone family plans, and photo sharing sites keep us in constant contact. Traditional long distance phone calls are becoming more a thing of the past and Internet-enabled devices are giving us more ways to connect.

The only down side is that no one is teaching us how to use these things safely. How do we know how far we should go? How much is too much? How can we keep our private information private while still exploring the web? These are questions you usually have to answer yourself. But we’ve come up with some quick tips on things to look out for when you’re out there.

  • Texting while driving:

    I almost feel silly writing this, but the fact is that plenty of people still haven’t figured out that texting while driving is crazy-dangerous. It’s so dangerous, in fact, that many cities are outlawing texting while driving. Pull over or wait until you are parked to send or read a message and keep yourself (and the others around you) safe while on the road.

  • Opening unexpected email attachments:

    It happens to the best of us, but this is particularly important if you like keeping your PC virus-free. Don’t open emails from anyone you don’t know, and only open/save/view files from friends when you know you’re expecting something.

  • Public geolocation announcements:

    Foursquare sure is fun, especially when you’re mayor of a location or you get a new badge. So is geotagging your pictures and putting them on Flickr for grandma to see. But be careful when you’re doing these things because if you have geotagging enabled, anyone who has access to your geo-aware services or websites may be able to see the location of your home, school, or office. That may be fine if you only allow friends and family access, but if you leave it open for everyone you may be giving more details than you mean to do. And the last thing you want is an unwelcome visitor coming over.

  • No backups:

    If you aren’t backing up your important files (taxes, family photos, legal documents, etc.) then you’re asking for trouble. DVD burners and external hard drives are pretty reasonably priced, so there’s no real excuse for it unless you like the danger of flirting with disaster.

  • Easy passwords:

    If you haven’t read our post “12 Tips for Making a Good Password.“, do it now. I’ll wait. Did you read it? Good. Now go change all of your passwords.

Image courtesy of http://www.flickr.com/photos/xtrah/ / CC BY-ND 2.0

If you're looking for great anti-virus software that won't break the bank, try StopSign. You don't pay extra for tech support for difficult malware, and our web protection software just works. Download & install StopSign to find out why our members choose us over the other options.

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July 1, 2010

Internet Facts (Take Them with a Grain of Salt)

Internet Facts (Take Them with a Grain of Salt)

The best thing about the Internet is that anyone can write anything on any topic and be heard around the world at the click of a button. Of course, that’s arguably also the worst thing about the Internet. 🙂

The “Wild West” nature of the web can make it challenging to find unbiased information on a variety of subjects. Your friends on Twitter say one thing, Facebook friends maybe another. And that guy on that forum? He thinks they’re both wacky. Add a few Google searches on top of it and who knows what to think?! That’s the Internet, for better or for worse. But at least we’ve got options, right?

If you’re having problems navigating through your research online, try a few of these ideas. They just might help you uncover a treasure trove of information.

  • Use multiple sources:

    Don’t put all of your eggs in one basket by only reading one website for information. Find 2, 3, maybe even 20 sources… whatever it takes to get as many angles as possible. From there you can make up your own mind based on everything you read.

  • Do offline research:

    Newspapers, trade magazines, encyclopedias; sometimes in our digital world we forget that reference books and periodicals exist. (Or dare we say, the library!) They may seem like a a dying breed, but you can still find them all around your town, and they’ve got lots of information you can use. And most of the time they’ve been edited, unlike the Internet. (Haha)

  • Ask an expert:

    Local colleges, professional organizations, and government offices usually have an information desk of some kind. If you’re looking for information on something in a particular field, see if you can find a human expert who will help you out, or at least point you in the right direction. It’s better than going it alone.

Image courtesy of http://www.flickr.com/photos/stlbites/ / CC BY-ND 2.0

If you're looking for great anti-virus software that won't break the bank, try StopSign. You don't pay extra for tech support for difficult malware, and our web protection software just works. Download & install StopSign to find out why our members choose us over the other options.

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June 10, 2010

Stop Attracting Viruses and Malware.

Stop Attracting Viruses and Malware.

Keeping your computer virus-free shouldn’t be difficult, but it is. There’s so much to do and see on the Internet that it’s easy to get complacent about Internet security and open yourself up to computer viruses and malware. And nobody wants that.

But the good news is that you can avoid the hassle of viruses, malware, etc. by changing some bad habits. Take the tips we’ve come up with to heart and you’ll be on the road to keeping your PC free from the threat of viruses and malware.

  1. Stop checking out those sites:

    You know which ones I’m talking about. The ones you don’t want Grandma seeing in your browser history (as if granny looks at that anyhow). I’m not going to name any names, but if there’s anyone who has access to your computer who’s visiting those sites on a regular basis, limiting access to those sites will go a long way in keeping your PC virus-free. Those sites are usually full of malware, drive-by downloads, and popups galore; a virtual malware minefield.

  2. Stop opening those attachments:

    If you’re not expecting a picture or a PDF, be wary of any that find their way to your email inbox. Hackers love to slip their viruses and malware into email attachments because they know they’re going to get clicked. And if they’re clicked, they’re getting their bad stuff installed. Scrutinize every email attachment and don’t click on it, download it, or even preview it until you’re sure it’s from a reliable source.

  3. Stop sharing passwords:

    Err on the side of caution and treat your passwords like they’re your Social Security number. (And why would you give that out to just anybody?) Keep your passwords as safe as you would your Social Security number and you’ll instantly decrease the chances of anyone else getting onto your computer or accounts and accidentally putting spyware or other nastiness on your machine.

  4. Stop surfing without protection:

    There’s a reason that the Internet security industry is around: Because anti-virus and anti-malware products help keep (or get) your computer clear of infections. Using a computer without some kind of protection is just a bad idea. Download StopSign Internet Security software to keep safe.

If you can keep those tips in mind and make them your new habits, you’ll be well ahead of the pack when it comes to keeping your computer virus and malware-free.

Image courtesy of http://www.flickr.com/photos/labyrinthx/ / CC BY-SA 2.0

If you're looking for great anti-virus software that won't break the bank, try StopSign. You don't pay extra for tech support for difficult malware, and our web protection software just works. Download & install StopSign to find out why our members choose us over the other options.

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June 3, 2010

Six Online Safety Tips for Kids and Parents.

Six Online Safety Tips for Kids and Parents.

For most kids summer vacation is fast approaching, so now is a great time to talk about online safety with them. More time at home means more time on the computer for many, and whether or not you’ve had a talk about online safety with them before, it’s never a bad thing to cover the ground rules of staying safe on the Internet.

We’re not suggesting you suffocate kids with rules; just teach them that with a few common sense tips they’ll stay out of trouble. (Not to mention keep their Internet privileges intact) If you don’t know where to start with a talk about online safety, give these six tips a try:

  1. Talk to your kids about expectations:

    Every household is different with regard to what is acceptable to view online and what isn’t. Be sure to let your kids know what the rules are so they can make good decisions. Online safety starts at home with a talk.

  2. Educate yourself & your kids:

    Every generation has their own slang. You had it, I had it, your kids have it and there’s definitely a new way of talking when it comes to texting on cell phones or chatting on the Internet. Go to places like Urban Dictionary or our blog post on common cell phone & texting acronyms if you see something you don’t get, daddy-o. Can ya dig it?

  3. No F2F or IRL meetings with strangers:

    There’s your first 2 definitions: F2F means Face to Face and IRL means In Real Life. If talking with strangers online is bad, setting up a meeting with them is even worse! Be clear with your kids: no one will be arranging to meet anyone, child or adult, who they don’t know already. Classmates, neighborhood friends, Cousin Tommy from Portland… they’re probably OK. But not UltraSuperHotGirl1954 (any similarities with a real username is purely coincidental & unintended) from that one website, who is probably a 56 year old dude looking for trouble.

  4. Limit time on the Internet:

    It’s summer time and the livin’s easy! Encourage your kids to step away from the computer and work on a real tan outside (with sunscreen, of course) instead of a monitor tan inside. Get them involved in a summer sport, take them hiking, or just get them out mowing the lawn. Whatever it is they do outside, fresh air = good and all day on the computer = bad.

  5. Check out your kids social profiles:

    Don’t be afraid to get up in their business. It’s your responsibility to make sure that they’re not getting themselves into trouble. (Whether they know it or not) Keeping tabs on who they’re talking to and what they’re up to isn’t snooping, it’s good parenting and an integral part of your kids online safety.

  6. Personal info stays private:

    So much of your kids online safety is in their hands every time they type. Where they live, their email address, the name of their school: these are all things an online predator can use against them. Teach them that any personally identifiable information is an online safety no-no.

Having a fun, safe summer is easy; it just takes a little nudge in the right direction from a loving hand. Enjoy your summer!

Image courtesy of http://www.flickr.com/photos/stawarz/ / CC BY-ND 2.0

If you're looking for great anti-virus software that won't break the bank, try StopSign. You don't pay extra for tech support for difficult malware, and our web protection software just works. Download & install StopSign to find out why our members choose us over the other options.

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