The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center has released its annual report. The 2020 Internet Crime Report includes information from 791,790 complaints of suspected internet crime—an increase of more than 300,000 complaints from 2019—and reported losses exceeding $4.2 billion. Topping the list of types of reported internet crimes was phishing, which more than doubled last year. People over 60 were the most common victims according to the report. Nevada had the 8th most complaints of … [Read more...]
March 24, 2021 By Computer Techs
February 17, 2021 By Computer Techs
FTC Identity Theft website guides victims through the recovery process
If you’ve been a victim of identity theft, the Federal Trade Commission’s IdentityTheft.gov is the federal government’s one-stop resource for identity theft victims. The site provides streamlined checklists and sample letters to guide you through the recovery process. If you haven’t been a victim, read these tips to help keep your identity from being stolen or compromised in the first place: Prevent Identity Theft. … [Read more...]
December 24, 2020 By Computer Techs
Massive government and business computer hack will likely effect home users too – What you need to do
A massive government and business computer hack was discovered early this month (December 2020), but the long term effects likely won’t be known for months or years as more knowledge is obtained about what companies were affected and what data may have been (or will be) breached. Early details of the hack are explained in these comprehensive articles from CNN and CNET. The hack was spread to thousands of computer systems, altogether likely containing the private data of a … [Read more...]
September 1, 2020 By Computer Techs
How to create a secure memorable password system
Originally posted January 2010. Updated September 2020: To help prevent unauthorized access to personal information, many websites require a password that consists of six or more characters, numbers and letters, and uppercase and lowercase letters. Creating a password that meets the requirements and being something you can remember doesn’t have to be a challenge. I have created a password system that you can use or modify to create memorable passwords. The most important part of the system … [Read more...]
July 31, 2020 By Computer Techs
Can you spot “phishing” or a scam? Take the quiz.
How well can you spot a scam? Take the following quizzes to help protect yourself the next time you get an email, text message, website pop-up or phone call. Scam Spotter Can you spot when you’re being phished? OpenDNS Phishing Quiz … [Read more...]
July 31, 2019 By Computer Techs
What you need to know about the Summer 2017 Equifax data breach
Updated 7/31/19 to include Equifax Data Breach Settlement information: In July 2019 Equifax agreed to a settlement with the Federal Trade Commission, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and 50 U.S. states and territories. The settlement includes up to $425 million to help people affected by the data breach. For more information including a lookup tool to see if your data was affected by the data breach, see the following official FTC website: ftc.gov/Equifax Beware of … [Read more...]
January 31, 2019 By Computer Techs
Email scam uses data from breached websites to craft authentic looking email – How to check if your data was exposed
A new email scam has been quickly spreading with different variants that claims to have hacked the recipient’s email account and includes a password used by the recipient. One variant further claims to have caught the recipient looking at pornographic websites, and demanding “ransom” in the form of Bitcoin payment to prevent the release of webcam photos being sent to all the recipient’s contacts. An example email is shown below. If you’re the recipient of such an email you may think … [Read more...]
May 28, 2018 By Computer Techs
FBI urges home users to reboot their routers to disrupt the spread of newly discovered malware
The FBI is urging owners of routers used in most homes and small offices perform a power-cycle (reboot) of their device to help disrupt the spread of a newly discovered malware targeting such devices. Vulnerable routers include popular devices from Netgear, Linksys, and TP-Link - however this is not a complete list. A reboot is done by unplugging the thin/black power cable from the rear of the router, waiting about 15 seconds, then plugging it back in. After a few minutes all of the lights on … [Read more...]
November 8, 2016 By Computer Techs
How to manage your passwords – easily and safely
Updated June 2026: When helping clients log in to their computer or websites, often we'll see them pull out a scratch pad or sticky notes with various passwords scribbled on the page. There’s a better organized and more secure method to keep track of your login information. First of all, it's important that you are not using the same password for multiple web sites. The danger in doing so is that when your login information is exposed in a data breach, hackers will attempt to use that … [Read more...]
November 8, 2016 By Computer Techs
Secure your email and other accounts with 2-step verification
With email account hacking being a common occurrence, email providers Google, Microsoft and others introduced a 2-step verification process that can keep unwanted people from accessing your email account, or help you regain access to it in the event of a forgotten password or if it has been taken over by a hacker. It is important to note that you must setup 2-step verification for your account before hackers have a chance to do it first - and potentially lock you out of your account. … [Read more...]