by Dave Moore, 8-5-18 If you use a computer, wow, have I got a good deal for you: come to the downtown Norman Public Library on Wednesday, August 22nd, 2018, at 6:30 p.m. and I will teach you how to stay out of trouble on the Internet and drive the Internet bad guys...

by Dave Moore, 7-29-18 Allow me to repeat that: Microsoft did not call you. Seriously, Microsoft did not, and will not, call you; I’m positive it was not them. Many folks reading this will be puzzled, thinking, “Why, of course Microsoft didn’t call me; I never said...

In light of the recent announcement that mega-data broker Equifax will not endure any meaningful punishment for endangering half of the U.S. population last year, I am posting this column I first wrote in 2014 (updated 2016) about The Great Target Hack and The Great...

There is an area of corporate responsibility that is largely neglected, but represents one of the most pressing issues in society today: the need to teach the underserved public-at-large how to be safe on the Internet. This neglect exists in spite of the Internet's...

You may recall my column of a few weeks ago titled, "FBI says 'reboot your router,'" which outlined the FBI's warning that Russian government hackers had infected over 500,000 home and small business routers, allowing them to steal website logins and passwords, and...

I am using this week’s column as an opportunity to announce three “laws” that are so obvious to me I’m surprised nobody has announced them before. If they have been announced before, I can’t find them. Therefore, here I go. Behold, the worldwide introduction of Dave’s...

The FBI has issued a threat alert regarding over 500,000 infected home and small business routers, and offers a simple way to begin fixing the problem: reboot your network router. The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation, on May 25, 2018, by way of the Internet Crime...

Be sure to visit the Norman Public Library Downtown branch Wednesday, May 23, at 6pm. A special discussion about "Facebook, Privacy and You," will be held, and is sure to be a good one. Call (405) 701-2697 to register. Remember last week's column on "digital...

It's called "digital permanence," the idea that once something is uploaded, posted, published or otherwise "put on" the Internet, it will be there forever. "What goes on the Internet, stays on the Internet." Videos, blogs, photos, comments, Tweets, website visits,...

Would you put a firecracker in your hand, light the fuse and then simply watch the fuse burn down until the firecracker exploded in your hand? You know the firecracker is going to explode and hurt your hand. Why would you not do something to prevent that from...

“Your personal files are encrypted by CTB-Locker. Your documents, photos, databases and other important files have been encrypted with strongest encryption and unique key, generated for this computer.” Wow, there’s a screen you never want to see on your computer...

Do you own a small business? If so, you are a favorite target of the Internet bad guys. More and more, they are moving away from well-prepared big businesses and stealing from small businesses, who are often unable to cope with even the most basic cyberattacks. Answer...

Twelve years ago, before anyone could have possibly mistaken me for a "senior citizen," I was reaching to push the button on the self-serve machine at the local post office to buy some stamps when an obviously impatient voice piped up behind me. "Excuse me!" I turned...

Smart phones and tablet computers are increasingly becoming the prime ways people connect to the Internet. They have also become prime targets in the sights of the Internet bad guys, who aim to steal, cheat, trick and destroy, just like they have for years against the...

One thing you can count on with computers (which includes smartphones, tablets and iPads) is that things will always change; they will never stay the same for very long. With computers, there will always be something to add, update, upgrade or replace. Monthly...

If you bought a car, and it broke down and exploded, would you buy the same make and model, again? Well, OK, so maybe you would. Maybe you would think its problems were just a fluke, and surely couldn't happen, again. But if your second same-make-and-model car broke...

Critical Security Control #3, as proposed by the Center for Internet Security (CIS), is called Secure Configurations for Hardware and Software on Mobile Devices, Laptops, Workstations, and Servers. This nerdy, wordy tome is written mainly for I.T. security pros and...

Continuing last week’s discussion of “Foundational cyber hygiene,” let’s look at the first five “Critical Security Controls” proposed by the Center for Internet Security (CIS). A good understanding of these controls is important to your safety on the Internet. The...

“Critical Security Controls,” a phrase coined by the Center for Internet Security (CIS), is a high-tech, nerdy way of saying, “super-important things you really, really, really, really need to do.” They’re not kidding around, either; you really do need to do them. The...

I am often asked, "Is Facebook safe?" Facebook, the most popular social networking website in the world, claims almost 30 percent of the world's population as members. Just like the world's population, it can be both safe and dangerous at the same time.x Because...