Everyday tips from the ComputerMom

April 2012

Hi, and welcome to the first ComputerMom Newsletter! I've decided to start this newsletter as many of you are not Facebook users and yet have asked about the content on my ComputerMom Facebook page. So, I plan to send an occasional email with some highlights from my postings, along with other news, warnings, or important information I might have.

Since I recently returned from vacation, where I made use of public wi-fi, I am focusing this month on articles about keeping your personal information secure. I've seen my share of hijacked email accounts and computers that returned from a vacation with a virus!

If you have any questions, please feel free to give me a call or drop me an email.

Sincerely,

Julie Marto
508-359-8176
www.thecomputermom.com

PS - You don't have to be a Facebook member to see the full content of my page, just click here!

Password Strength

Is your password strong? Are you using the same password for everything? You know you shouldn't but you know you probably are. At the very least, choose a different password for your "everyday" log-ins and a much stronger one for financial accounts. Here's a good link from Microsoft to test your password strength:

https://www.microsoft.com/security/pc-security/password-checker.aspx

Use caution when connected to public Wi-fi

I've seen a lot of people's email accounts hijacked for spam lately, mostly MSN or Hotmail accounts. Almost all of these hijacks occurred after checking email on a public wi-fi network. Please be cautious when using public wi-fi, as you really don't know who might be eavesdropping on your surfing session.

http://www.gfi.com/blog/perils-public-wireless-networks/

An inexpensive way to avoid using public internet connections

One way to securely connect to the internet when you are on the road is to bring your own network with you. If you have a smartphone with tethering you can use that, however if you don't here is a review of an inexpensive alternative. Remember that when you log in to a public wi-fi network you are at risk - bringing your own connection is a much more secure option.

http://www.tecca.com/columns/netzero-4g-free-mobile-broadband-review/

You Mac users aren't out of the woods either!

Believe it or not, all of the above applies equally to you. Additionally, surfing the web recently I saw a lot of news about a well hidden Apple virus that is estimated to have infected about 600,000 Macs. If you are concerned that your system is infected, follow these directions to check:

http://gizmodo.com/5899352/mac-flashback-trojan-find-out-if-youre-one-of-the-600000-infected

After determining you are uninfected, use this procedure to make sure you have all your security updates!

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1338