You’ve probably seen one of those commercials with a dangerous looking figure sitting behind a computer and the words “Dark Web” coming up on the screen. This is a common visual that you’ll see in ads for identity theft services, like LifeLock. [Read more…]
Stop Getting Fooled by Calls from Scammers Pretending to be Microsoft, Apple, IRS and Others
“Hello, I’m calling from Microsoft support and we’ve received an alert that our latest security update didn’t install correctly on your computer. If you have a few moments, I’ll be happy to walk you through the process over the phone to make sure your device is updated properly.” [Read more…]
7 Ways to Save Time & Reduce Stress with a Home Computer Management Plan
Many gifts that show up under the tree this holiday season will include technology like computers and laptops. And while they may come with the option for an extended warranty, they don’t come with peace of mind that they’ll be protected from viruses, malware, and other online threats. [Read more…]
How to Avoid Falling Victim to Popular Christmas Scams
This year’s holiday shopping season has already gotten off to a big start with online Black Friday sales up $1.2 billion over last year for a total of $7.4 billion spent only online that day. [Read more…]
8 Crucial Reasons a Firewall is Important for Your Small Business
No matter how large or small your business is, you’re just as much of a target for online threats and cyberattacks. In fact, small businesses are typically targeted often00 because many hackers find they have less security protecting their network than larger enterprise companies. [Read more…]
What Amazing Improvements Can You Expect with the Release of Wi-Fi 6?
We typically take our wireless connections for granted. As long as our Wi-Fi router is working and keeping us connected to the internet, then we don’t expect a lot more from it. But with the newly released Wi-Fi 6 you have several things to get excited about. [Read more…]
Using Amazon Alexa to Build the Smart Home of Your Dreams
It wasn’t all that long ago when images of the Jetsons receiving phone calls by video and the ability to tell your house to open the curtains, seemed a little fantastical. But in 2019, that’s become a way of life as our homes get smarter and more connected each year.
Windows 7 is Coming to an End Forever! Here’s How to Prepare Before It’s Too Late
Time is quickly running out for Windows 7 and those still using the operating system. Microsoft is ending support as of January 14, 2020. [Read more…]
LetMeIn101: How the Bad Guys Get Your Password
Passwords are essential to our cybersafety. We all know it, but if you’re like the rest of the digital society, you probably have dozens of passwords to remember. It’s a lot. So, you might take shortcuts. We understand. But taking advantage of our laissez-faire attitude is one way bad guys access your passwords.
Incredibly, there are still people out there using “password” or “123456” in their access credentials. Some people don’t change the default passwords on their devices when they first set them up. So, anyone can pick up a router, look at the sticker identifying the password, and access that network. Even if the bad guys are not around to physically look at your device, they can hack into your network from the outside and wreak some real havoc.
Tip: Avoid the obvious passwords! When you have to create a password, make an effort. When it’s time to update a password, don’t ignore it and change it now. Steer clear of simple, easily guessed patterns.
Cybercriminals can also guess your password. With a little bit of research about you online, they can make some informed guesses. Common passwords include pet names, birthdays, and anniversaries. These are all easy to find via your social media accounts.
Tip: Be careful what you share on social media! Don’t befriend strangers, as you are giving them access to a goldmine of info for personalizing an attack on you.
If that doesn’t work, criminals may try brute force. They might get really sophisticated and script an automation bot to run thousands of password permutations until they get a hit. The software will try a long list of common passwords and run through dictionary words to gain access to your stuff. Not cool.
Tip: Use a complex password with numbers, letters, and symbols or a passphrase. A passphrase is typically at least 19 characters long but is more memorable, as it unique to you. Try some song lyrics and some meaningful numbers.
The criminal may also be working with info from a data breach. In early 2019, a security researcher found more than 2.7 billion email/password pairs available on the Dark Web. Criminals accessing that database could use the data as a starting point, as many people duplicate their passwords across accounts. So once a bad guy gets into one account, they can keep going and try other accounts.
Tip: Use a unique password for each site. Yes, that’s overwhelming to remember, and that’s also why you should use a password manager to keep track of it all for you. A password manager is a piece of software that runs on your computer and smartphone and records and manages your website logins, making your life easier. You can create a Master password that opens the vault to all your other passwords. You can also simply use a notepad or password book. Less sophisticated and convenient, but gets the job done.
Criminals can also access your account if you’ve used a hacked public computer. The bad guys may have installed a key logger on the computer. The logger records every key you press on the keyboard. Or they might have compromised a router or server to be able to see your information if you’ve connected to free wifi (we say that’s always a No-No!).
Tip: Be cautious about your online activity on computers or networks you don’t trust.
Of course, there’s one more method of getting your password that we haven’t addressed yet. It’s the familiar phishing attack. For instance, you get an email that looks like it was sent by your bank or other familiar place. Phishing typically has an urgent message and a link that directs you to what looks like a credible page. You click a link and it asks for your email address and email password. Once you’ve done that, you gave the bad guys your credentials.
Tip: Pay attention to who is sending the email and hover the mouse over the link to see where it goes. If you are concerned about your bank account, for example, open up a browser and type the URL manually rather than clicking the link. Or if you’re really nervous, call the number on the back of your credit card or ATM card and ask the bank if they sent you the email. Another trick is to simply hit the REPLY button and see where the email is going…if it looks sketchy and unusual it’s probably bad.
One of our favorite exercises is to have everyone change their email and banking passwords when you change the clocks for daylight savings. That way your oldest password is just 6 months and you will be familiar with the process in case you’re away from your computer and need to get into one of your accounts.
Finally, turning on 2FA (2-factor Authentication) or MFA (Multi-Factor Authentication) is a great way to secure your accounts. Basically, when you login to your email or bank it will send a one-time code to your cell phone in order to get into the account. So, if a bad guy tries to hack into your account, he won’t be able to because he needs the code sent to your phone. It’s a good thing.
These tips can help you to protect your valuable passwords. Still, setting up a password manager and amping up your internet security can help too. Need support getting ahead of the cybercriminals? Contact our experts today! Call us at (732) 747-0020.
Does Mesh Wi-Fi Make Sense in Your Home?
Wi-Fi is a top contender for a technology most of us rely upon. After all, Wi-Fi often provides our wireless high-speed internet and network connections. Without Wi-Fi we’d be stuck watching another reality TV show on a cable-connected device. We couldn’t work from wherever we wanted in our homes.
Well, just when you were becoming familiar with Wi-Fi, the technology is adapting. Now, you might want to consider Mesh Wi-Fi for your home. If you live in a big house or an apartment with thick interior walls, or your living space is spread out over multiple stories, you may have experienced dead spots.
Enter Mesh Wi-Fi. Traditional Wi-Fi relies on a single device to broadcast your Wi-Fi signal, aka your router. If you were having connectivity issues, you might have invested in a Wi-Fi booster or Wi-Fi extender, but now you can reach far areas with a Wi-Fi Mesh system. Besides, those boosters, repeaters and extenders seemed to only work in limited cases…and never well or long-term.
Mesh networks aren’t a new thing, really. They’re already in use in businesses, hotels, hospitals, college campuses and on military bases with their own isolated networks. But now you can also optimize home connectivity with Mesh Wi-Fi.
How Mesh Wi-Fi works
With Mesh Wi-Fi, you’ll place several smaller, connected devices around the house. Instead of having one main router, you’ll have many access points (also known as satellites) capturing and rebroadcasting the routing signals you need for whole-house connectivity.
Benefits of Mesh Wi-Fi
Having ready access to a strong, reliable Wi-Fi signal wherever you are in your home is a good thing, but that’s not the only advantage of Mesh Wi-Fi. Other benefits include:
- Greater speed. With all access points broadcasting the same signal, you can cut the lag from having multiple, simultaneous connectivity requests. This is HUGE!
- Better coverage. Typical Mesh Wi-Fi devices can cover homes 4,000 to 6,000 square feet and more!
- Ease of use. The typical Mesh router system is automated and provides a mobile app for easy management, even remotely. You can make changes, monitor activity and even pause the internet for the kids and make them do homework!
- Integration with other Smart Home devices such as Alexa is often a feature.
Securing your Mesh Wi-Fi
Just as with traditional Wi-Fi, the security of your Mesh Wi-Fi will depend on your keeping your router devices safe. This means:
- Changing the device’s administrative credentials and password from their default settings;
- Setting up devices to automatically check for and install security updates;
- Changing the Wi-Fi network name to something unique, not something that immediately identifies the network as yours (e.g. if you live at 804 Water Street, don’t call your network 804 Water);
- Setting up a guest Wi-Fi network allowing visitors to log on to that instead of providing every guest to your home with your access credentials.
Mesh Wi-Fi is also known as whole-house Wi-Fi, but you may not need this expansive solution. Consider this…how often do you have connectivity issues? How many Wi-Fi dead zones are you dealing with? What’s your budget? And do you really want several more devices around your house? You just might need only to set up your traditional router more efficiently in terms of placement.
Want to learn more about dealing with slow internet connectivity or Wi-Fi dead spots in your home? Give us a call at (732) 747-0020 or visit www.tworivercomputer.com. Our experts can help you decide on the best Wi-Fi connectivity option for your needs.