A few weeks ago I posted an article on my Facebook page about a man who's entire digital life was destroyed by hackers.  The hackers used very simple methods to figure out and change his email password and use it to gain access to all his other accounts.  One of the takeaways from that article is the importance of using two-step verification for email passwords.  

You might think your email account is full of junk and not that important, but the truth is that most of your other accounts are linked to your email - your bank, credit card accounts, etc., will send password changing links to your email.  Your email account is the key to almost every other online account you have, and as such you MUST keep it secure.  The best way to do that is to activate two-step verification.

What is two-step verification? It simply means that before you can use your account on a new device you need to enter not only your current password but also a code that is texted or phoned to you from your email provider.  Once you have entered the code your device will be "trusted" and you won't have to reenter a code unless you change your password.

You can and should enable two-step verification on your Gmail, Yahoo, or Microsoft email accounts - and then make that account your primary email for anything financial or important. You can and should also set up two-step verification for your Apple ID. It's a bit of a pain in the neck, but it's worth it!

It seems like everybody I visit has an iPhone or an iPad these days, but most significantly, schools have been issuing iPads to students to do their schoolwork.  Schoolwork often means printing, and so I've found myself called in to help set up various printers and ensure that all is working properly.

The easiest way to print from an iPad or an iPhone is to purchase a printer with built-in technology licensed from Apple called AirPrint. Originally only found on HP printers, compatible printers can now be purchased from all major manufacturers at all price points - you just have to look for the AirPrint logo on the box.  However, even if you have an AirPrint capable printer, it's possible your router is not compatible with the technology.  For example the standard Verizon Fios wireless router will not work with AirPrint unless it has a rather obscure settings change.  If you have an AirPrint printer and are still having problems printing from your iDevices, give me a call - I can probably fix it in a one hour appointment.

If you don't have or want to purchase an AirPrint printer you are going to have to find a software solution.  There are two general directions you can go.  One is to use an existing PC or Mac on your home network as a print server.  The other is to choose, buy, and install a printing app on each iDevice.  There are pros and cons for each approach so again, give me a call and we can talk through your options and figure out which will work best for your own needs.

I just got back from helping a long-term client who called me in a panic because "tech support" had told her she had hundreds of viruses, errors, and other problems on her computer.  How did they know that? Because her system was slow, and suffering from a ton of pop-ups, so she called the tech support number from one of them.  A technician from India answered the phone and talked her through giving him remote control access to her system.  He then told her he could fix her problems remotely for $350.00, and asked for her credit card number.

Well, my client was not naive enough to fall for that - she hung up the phone and called me instead.  But she had been convinced enough of the legitimacy of the tech support number on the popup to call it, and to allow the technician access to her computer. Of course, the software offering to help was the actual problem - it took me a two hour service call to clean up the mess, and it could have been a lot worse.

How did the software get on her system in the first place? It most likely was downloaded from a legitimate source when her granddaughter used her computer to work with some photos. I would estimate I see the 24x7 Help operator, pictured above, on about 50% of the computers brought to me for service.   BE VERY CAREFUL when you are downloading any software at all - even though the download you want may be fine, it often comes bundled with a plethora of junk that will have to be cleaned off your system if you don't carefully read and decline each addition!