When helping clients log in to their computer or websites, often I will 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 record your login information.
Use a password system
For years I’ve recommended using a variant of my password system to help you memorize the unique passwords that you use for every device and web site. When changing existing passwords I recommend starting with your email password, then financial and social networking websites, followed by the less-important web sites that you’ve used over the years. Your email password is your most important password since many websites send password reset requests to your email address. If a hacker gains access to your email, they could change the passwords and lock you out of all of your online accounts.
Use the password manager built into your browser or device…
In addition to using a system where most of my passwords are easy to remember, I also use a password manager to keep my passwords and secure notes well-documented and synchronized between devices. If you don’t need the sophistication and advanced features of a paid password manager, you can use the password manager built right into your web browser, device and/or smartphone.
…or consider a password manager with more features that can be synced between multiple devices
But if you want your passwords synced between multiple web browsers (Chrome, Edge, Firefox, etc.) and/or multiple operating systems (Windows, macOS, ChromeOS, iOS, Android, etc.), you’ll need to pay for a multi-platform password manager, that also offers more advanced features such as:
Multi-factor authentication: This adds an extra layer of security to your password manager by requiring you to enter a code from your phone in addition to your master password.
Password sharing: This allows you to share selected passwords with others securely.
Password audits: This feature can help you to identify weak or compromised passwords. Some password managers will even automatically generate new passwords for you if they detect that a password has been compromised.
Security breach alerts: This feature will notify you if your password manager is ever hacked. This will give you the opportunity to change your passwords and protect your accounts.
Emergency Access: Setting up emergency access lets you share all of your passwords with predetermined person(s) in the event that you unexpectedly become hospitalized or die. If the person(s) request access to your passwords, if you didn’t want to allow the request you would have to deny the emailed request after a predetermined period of time – usually a week. Otherwise your passwords would be available after the waiting period.
Photo storage: Store photos of important documents such as a passport, driver license, social security card, insurance cards and credit cards.
Password generator: A password generator can help you to create strong, unique passwords for all of your accounts.
Password strength checker: A password strength checker can help you to identify weak or compromised passwords.
Form filling: A form filling feature can automatically fill in your login information on websites and apps.
Secure notes: A secure notes feature can allow you to store sensitive information, such as credit card numbers, bank account numbers and social security numbers.
Travel mode: A travel mode feature can temporarily disable your password manager when you are traveling, which can help to protect your accounts from being accessed while you are away.
Limit access to certain countries: If you don’t travel beyond the United States, consider allowing access to your password manager while logged in from the U.S. When traveling, temporarily allow access when logged in from other countries of your choosing.
To help you decide on a multi-platform password manager with advanced features, check out a review of The Best Password Managers | PCMag.
Less secure options, but better than nothing
Another option to manage your passwords that also backs up to the cloud so you don’t lose them is to use the Notes app on Apple/iCloud devices, or Google Keep which is available on most devices. Make sure that each of your devices where you use Notes or Google Keep are synchronizing with your cloud account, and each device where you are logged in needs to be protected with a secure password.
If you prefer to keep your passwords in a typewritten form such as a document or spreadsheet, never name the file “passwords”, nor include the name “password” in the content of a file – both are easily searchable on a computer. You can also password-protect a document or spreadsheet with a password that you can easily remember or is stored in a secure and memorable location. Also, don’t type the entire password – just parts that aren’t easily memorable. For example you could type the name of the website and date, but use an underscore “_” or dash “-” for characters of the password that you’ve memorized without revealing the entire password to someone that you may not want to view your password list. For example, my typed Yahoo password would be M – – Y – – 0 9 1 6 – I know what characters are represented by dashes.
The least secure option, with no backup in case of loss
A low-tech method for keeping track of your passwords is using a password log book such as this #1 Best Seller at Amazon. I suggest not writing complete passwords in the book, but hints to the password (see above). Also you should store the book in a locked fire-proof safe or non-obvious location, remove the cover sleeve that says “passwords”, and make sure your spouse and next of kin know the location of the book.
For all logins include the following 5 pieces of information at a minimum:
Login name (e.g. AAA)
Website address (e.g. www.aaa.com)
Username/email address (e.g. myemail@myemail.com or mesmith89501)
Password – labeled “pw” (e.g. AbcAaa123)
Date (e.g. Changed 2/14/2014due to data breach)
If you need help setting up any of the methods mentioned above, we can help.
We appreciate the opportunity to help you with each service call. Nonetheless each month we get dozens of calls that could have been avoided had the caller read our monthly newsletter. Below are the most common types of calls that could have been avoided:
Tech support phone and internet search scams
It starts with a call to or from an official sounding computer company representative. Maybe you saw a pop-up on your screen telling you to call a toll-free number. The remote “technician” usually with a foreign accent wants to take control of your computer to show you problems or offer to fix a problem that you had called about. After he or she is allowed remote control, they show you a bunch of scary problems with the computer then offer to “fix” the problems for a few hundred dollars. If they sense you’re getting skeptical, sometimes they’ll quickly put a password on your computer and lock you out, delete your files, or install spyware or malware.
How can this be avoided? Never let anyone that you don’t know take remotely control of your computer. If someone calls you telling you they detect problems with your computer, tell them you don’t have a computer then hang up.
It starts with a pop-up telling you that you need to update a program. Or maybe you’re looking for a program that someone told you about. When searching the internet for that program, you might click the first result you see and accept all the agreements without thoroughly reading everything. The next thing you notice is that your browser home page has changed, you’ve got extra icons on your desktop and you’re getting more pop-ups than before.
How can this be avoided? Don’t download anything from a website unless you specifically went looking for it. When searching the internet, scroll past the ad results and look for the official website to download programs. When installing programs, read each screen thoroughly and uncheck all optional extras such as browser toolbars or tuneup programs.
Letting many little problems build up into one big problem
It starts with your computer acting more slowly than before. Perhaps there are extra icons on your desktop that you don’t recognize. Maybe your browser home page has changed or you’re getting more pop-up ads. The longer little things like this are left unchecked, it can lead up to bigger problems down the road. Adware that starts letting other malicious software in can also alter your internet search results. Occasional slow downs can be hard drive errors that eventually lead to a complete failure or “crash” of the hard drive, and loss of personal data.
How can this be avoided? Once you start noticing unusual behavior with your computer, call Computer Techs sooner than later. A regularly scheduled check-up is less expensive than the hundreds of dollars it can cost to remove a nasty virus or replacing a hard drive that has completely failed. Consider our Quarterly Maintenance Plan to detect easy-to-fix issues before they become major problems.
Many stores also have their own smartphone app that let you scan your loyalty/savings card from their app. Now you can leave the cards filling up your wallet and keyring at home. Search for Key Ring in the iOS App Store or Android Google Play Store.
Amazon Trade-In lets you trade in your electronics in exchange for an Amazon.com credit – typically at a higher value than most other trade-in programs.
Gazelle is an on-line service where you can get money or donate gadgets you no longer use such as cell phones, digital cameras, laptops, MP3 players, etc.
Best Buy’s Tech Trade-In also offers a way to receive a Best Buy gift card for any old gadgets you want to get rid of.
If you don’t want the hassle of trying to sell your gadgets on eBay or Craigslist these resources are a good way to go.
Feel free to post your experience with these or other services in the comments section below.
Most banks offer online banking services which let you check account balances and cleared transactions, transfer funds between accounts and pay bills directly from your bank account without writing and mailing a check.
I have been using internet banking for over 10 years. My favorite feature is Bill Pay – the ability to schedule bill payments that will be automatically deducted from my checking account on a future date that I specify. I pay utility bills, car payments, credit cards bills and even my lawn care company using the bill pay service that my bank offers. I not only save time, I also save money because I no longer have to buy stamps or worry about checks getting delayed or lost in the mail.
Bank of America has online tutorials on how to use Bill Pay and other features of online banking – your bank may offer similar tutorials.
Online banking on your computer, tablet or smart phone is secure because transactions are encrypted between your device and the bank’s computers. Banks require the use of a secure username and password and other authentication measures to help prevent unauthorized access to online accounts. In many ways online banking is safer than handing your credit card to a server at a restaurant, or having your checking or credit card account information being handled in the mail.
Computer Techs offers one-on-one tutoring on how to use online banking. Contact us to schedule an appointment.
The Department of Homeland Security’s United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US-CERT) website offers non-technical tips and advice about common security issues affecting computer and internet users.
Articles include tips in several different categories including Attacks and Threats, Email and Communication, Mobile Devices, Privacy and Safe Browsing.
This month Microsoft officially launched its new email service and update to Hotmail – Outlook.com. Using the name of Microsoft’s “Outlook” business email, contacts and calendar management program, Outlook.com is a website that offers an uncluttered and easy-to-read design plus many more features that extend beyond email.
Computer Techs recommend having more than one email address with more than one service, and now Outlook.com is a logical choice to use as your primary or secondary email service.
Some of my favorite features of the new service include:
You can create an “alias” or a second email address that you can give to businesses or specific people that can be used to automatically filter specific email messages.
Outlook.com can be setup to sync your mail, contacts and calendars with iOS and Android mobile devices, or through Outlook and Windows Live Mail on your computer.
Outlook.com offers security features that will allow you to login to your account, reset a forgotten password or recover a hacked account via a text message, phone call or email sent to another address that you have access to.
You can easily access your personal Microsoft SkyDrive account, which lets you sync and store files between multiple devices and “the cloud”. The best feature of SkyDrive is easy access to the free Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote web apps, which let you create, view and edit documents, spreadsheets, etc. without needing to purchase Microsoft Office or have the full Office suite installed on the computer that you’re working on.
If you’d like help setting up an Outlook.com email address, importing your contacts, setting up the service with external programs or mobile devices, and a tutorial – contact Mark Cobb at 775-742-1230 or via email at mcobb@CTreno.com
Available addresses are going fast (ie. “yourname@outlook.com”), so you should sign-up for an account at www.outlook.com soon. You can also get the same look and features but get a shorter email address (@live.com) by signing up for a new account at www.live.com.
More information about Outlook.com can be found on Microsoft’s website here.
If you miss an airing of your favorite TV series or want to watch an old film, there are a few websites where you can view live and recorded video for free. Below are some of our favorites:
Hulu.com – Hulu brings together a large selection of videos from nearly 190 leading content companies, including FOX, NBC Universal, ABC, Comedy Central, ABC Family, Biography, Lionsgate, Endemol, MGM, MTV Networks, National Geographic, Digital Rights Group, Paramount, PBS, Sony Pictures Television, Warner Bros. and more
CBS Video – Just about the only network programming you can’t watch on Hulu.com
YouTube.com – Amateur and professional videos uploaded by millions of people from around the world.
Ustream.tv – Live streaming and recorded video by amateur and professional broadcasters around the world.
Picasa is Google’s free and easy-to-use photo transfer and management program. The latest version includes features such as face recognition and grouping by person, photo retouching tools, movie and slideshow creation, and easy upload to Google’s free Picasa Web Albums or Google+ Photos.
Picasa can take the place of photo management software that comes with digital cameras and printers, allowing you to transfer photos from your camera or card reader into custom-named folders on your computer. A frequent problem that we see on people’s computers is multiple photo managements programs that are “fighting” to take control of transferring and displaying pictures from a camera.
Picasa also allows you to view all the photos on your computer on one screen without having to click in-and-out of folders to find and view them. The software also offers photo manipulation tools such as cropping, brightness adjustment, red-eye removal and blemish retouching. There are also several printing options that let you print pictures in many sizes and multiple pictures per page. It will also downsize photos for emailing or for uploading to your personal Picasa Web Albums website.
Some of my favorite Picasa features include:
Automatic picture downsizing when sending photos via e-mail
E-mailing photos directly from Picasa will launch your email client (such as Outlook or Windows Live Mail). If you don’t use an email client, you can create a free Google email address and send photos from your Gmail account.
Upload individual photos or entire albums to Google+ Photos or Picasa Web Albums, set privacy settings, and share your photos with friends and family. Google+ Auto Backup gives up to 15GB or unlimited free online storage depending on the picture size that is backed up online.
Friends and family don’t need to sign-up for anything to be able to view your photos, and they can download full-size copies at no charge (assuming you have allowed that freedom in the privacy settings you set).
Create a video slideshow of your photos, adding transitions, text and music.
Easy backup to CD or DVD options, or create a “gift CD” which can be sent to someone to play on their computer.
Easily send your photos to online services to have your pictures printed.
Watch the short video below for more information about Picasa 3. To view all of Picasa’s features and download it, visit their website to view a complete details. If you need help or would like to schedule private tutoring on how to transfer, manage, edit, share, print, and backup your photos with Picasa, give us a call.
A common misconception is that increasing your internet speed plan will speed up your computer. Slow internet speed (below about 500 Kbps) will cause large web pages and downloads to load more slowly, but have no other speed effect on your PC.
You can check your internet speed at various speed test websites such as Speakeasy. Depending on which speed plan you subscribe to, most people with Charter high-speed internet will get about 1,000 – 20,000 Kbps. AT&T high-speed internet customers will get about 500-16,000 Kbps. Comparatively, a dial-up modem connection maxes out at approximately 50 Kbps. Anything above 500 Kbps shouldn’t show noticeable web page load delays.
If your web surfing seems slow even though your speed is above 500 Kbps, likely culprits are your web browser (Internet Explorer, Firefox, etc. ), too many web browser tool bars, or overall computer performance (not enough memory, a slow processor or a slow hard drive).
Computer Techs can run various diagnostic test to see what is causing your computer to be slow and tune-up your PC to make it speedier, with no need for extra monthly charges from your internet service provider.
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