Practical, timely security and tech news to help keep your home and business computers running safely in Southwest Florida.
Ransomware and hard drive failures don't give warning. Make sure you're backing up important documents, photos and financial records to an external drive or a cloud service, and test restoring from that backup at least once a season. A backup you've never restored isn't a backup you can count on.
Emails, texts and pop-ups that claim your account is locked, your package failed to deliver, or your payment didn't go through are common phishing bait. Never click links or open attachments from unexpected senders, and don't hand over passwords or card numbers in response to an unsolicited message.
Keeping your operating system, browser and applications up to date closes the security holes that viruses and hackers exploit. Enable automatic updates where you can, and restart your computer regularly so updates can finish installing. Patched software is the single best defense against most malware.
Scammers posing as "Microsoft" or "your internet provider" may call claiming your computer is infected and ask for remote access or payment. Real companies never cold-call you to fix your PC. If someone asks you to install software or pay by gift card, hang up and call us instead.
A strong, unique Wi-Fi password, WPA2 or WPA3 encryption, and a router firmware update go a long way toward keeping strangers off your network. Rename the default network and disable remote management on your router so neighbors and passersby can't connect or change your settings.
Beyond security news, our readers often enjoy a little useful reading. One piece that several of our team members found genuinely interesting is this well-researched guide to replica watches — a practical look at how high-end timepiece replicas are made and compared. Worth a bookmark if you collect mechanical watches.