Keep This in Mind When Downloading Software

Software is a fact of modern life, but not all of it is safe to use. The real problem is that there is no way for us to tell if a program is good or not. There is no software vetting process, no “seal of approval” that our programs are good, so all we can […]

How to Protect Yourself from Hacking Attacks

Hacking attacks happen all the time and pose a real security threat. Here are ten things you can do to protect yourself:

1) Don’t use the same password for all of your user accounts. Choose a variety of passwords, and make each one strong (no full words, use both numbers and letters). Keep your list […]

All Your Programs Can Access Your Quicken Data

Note: The issue discussed on this page affects you if you use Windows or Mac OS X, unless you have taken the following precautions:

For Windows: You are running Windows 8 or later, and only purchase and run programs from the Windows App store. For Mac OS X: You are running Mountain Lion (10.8) or […]

How to Download Software Safely

There is no such thing as free. “Free” software, music, video, and toolbar downloads are some of the the most common culprits for malware infection.

If you want to run software on your computer, you have to trust the software vendor not to do anything stupid, malicious, or sneaky on your computer. Most software […]

Security Concerns with Quicken

Suppose you run Quicken. You enter your checkbook balance, and some checks that haven’t cleared the bank. Then, you enter the password for your online account at the bank, and download your checking account history and/or your credit card history.

Now that you have synchronized your computer with your bank, Intuit (the makers of Quicken) […]

Be Suspicious of Online Software Delivery

If you download software from the Internet, it is possible that the downloads have been tampered with by someone malicious. Very unlikely, but it is possible. Every once in a while, I hear a news report about some site being hacked, and the software on the site is now suspected of being tampered with.

Well, […]

How to Install an Internet Security Suite

You probably need an Internet Security Suite. Both Windows and Mac users need it. I don’t know of a good Internet Security Suites for Linux. But, if you’re running Linux, you are probably already fairly computer savvy. An Internet Security Suite usually has a number of components to protect you against different dangers from hackers:

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How to Automatically Update Your Software

Part of security maintenance is making sure that your software gets the latest updates. If you have a Windows computer, there is a great software package that will help you do this: Personal Software Inspector (PSI). For Windows users, I recommend that you download and install this program right away.

Secunia PSI inventories the software […]

Uninstall Software You Don’t Use

If a software package is installed on your computer, some hacker out there has probably already figured out a new security vulnerability for that software. If the vulnerability is so new, that there is no patch to fix it, it is called a “zero-day” vulnerability. So, the best way to stay secure is… drum roll […]

Security Sandboxes: A Great Reason to Upgrade

The main reason to upgrade is that the newer versions of Windows and Mac OS X implement something called a security sandbox.

Suppose you get hungry, and want a recipe for a sandwich. So, you download some recipe software, install it, download a recipe for a sandwich, and make yourself a sandwich. If you accidentally […]