Since 2005, I have written the weekly column titled ‘COMPUTER SENSE’ that appears in the Business section of the Sunday Norman Transcript newspaper. I hope you find it to be helpful, informative and entertaining. Please email your opinions about the column to the Norman Transcript editor at editor@normantranscript.com, and the Publisher at publisher@normantranscript.com. They need your ideas and feedback. Be sure to include your name and location in your email.
Do you remember? Nations largest pipeline, City of Tulsa hacked
by Dave Moore, CISSP 12/11/2022 Do you remember last year, 2021? The nations largest pipeline, and Oklahoma's second largest city were hammered by Internet criminals using well-known, preventable ransomware scams and hacking techniques. The nation's largest pipeline,...
Fraud alert! Holiday hoax, or not?
by Dave Moore, CISSP 12/04/2022 I received an unusual email today, one I was glad to see. The email's subject line said, "Holiday fraud alert." Usually, when I see "alert" messages in my Inbox, they turn out to be based on a hoax. These messages often start when...
Safe holiday Internet shopping 2022; is it possible?
by Dave Moore, CISSP 11/27/2022 Every year about this time I have to reassess the Internet Christmas shopping situation. This year is again unique; even though Covid still plods along, hitting around 66 Oklahomans a day, we have pretty much decided we're done with...
What if the whole world could see your computer?
by Dave Moore, CISSP 11/20/22 As much as they should know better, from time to time I still hear people say, "Why, I don't care if anyone sees what's on my computer; I don't keep anything important there, so, what do I care?" This reminds me of a fellow who once...
You can be your own online detective
by Dave Moore, CISSP 11/10/2022 Have you ever wanted to track down someone’s whereabouts, but didn’t know where to start and you didn’t want to pay a high-priced private investigator? To the rescue comes the Internet, which is brimming with ways to find long-lost...
How to spy on your kids 2022
By Dave Moore, CISSP 11/06/2022 Back in 2006 I wrote a column titled, "How to spy on your kids," which caused a bit of a fuss in that some parents loved it, some parents worried I was revealing parental "trade secrets," and some teens declared me persona non grata....
How to beat the ransomware scammers
by Dave Moore, CISSP 10/30/2022 Ransomware: somehow, somewhere, the Internet bad guys trick you into clicking the wrong thing, installing virus-like software that locks you out of all your important files. Suddenly, all your documents, spreadsheets, emails, bank...
Attorneys get cyber-smart
by Dave Moore, CISSP 10/23/2022 I am honored to have been asked to present my Internet-safety class, "Fight the Internet Bad Guys & Win!" to the Oklahoma Bar Association as part of their Continuing Legal Education series October 28, 2022, 10 a.m., at at OBA...
Happy Cyber Security Awareness Month
by Dave Moore, CISSP 10/16/2022 Although not an official part of the holiday season, having October as National Cyber Security Awareness Month (NCSAM) is a good thing. If people can have an awareness of cyber security and stay safe, maybe the good guys can win the war...
Internet safety, Step 12: Careful where you click, Part 3
By Dave Moore, CISSP 10/09/2022 Number Three in our list of "careful where you click" items: fake friends and contacts on social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and numerous dating websites. Facebook has sent me plenty of phony friend attempts. Look, "Sandy...
Internet safety, Step 12: Careful where you click, Part 2
By Dave Moore, CISSP 10/02/2022 Many tech support and "fix your computer" scams can look legitimate, taking elements from real websites. Make sure you pay attention to spelling and grammar, though. The “Windows Security Alert,” in its first sentence, reads, “To help...
Internet safety, Step 12: Careful where you click, Part 1
By Dave Moore, CISSP 09/25/2022 Careful where you click; think before you act. If you come across something on your computer that is in any way unusual, start asking yourself questions. Take your hands off the keyboard. Step away from the computer, and ask: “What am I...
Internet safety basics, Step 11: safe computer cleanup, Part 2
by Dave Moore, CISSP 09/18/2022 Let's compare your computer's hard drive to a book, a printed book like you would get from the library. Remember, when we refer to "computers," we mean all computers, including phones, iPads, laptops, the works, because they all have...
Internet safety basics, Step 11: safe computer cleanup, Part 1
by Dave Moore, CISSP 09/11/2022 All computers have some sort of a storage device, whether it's a phone, an iPad or a super-computer at NASA headquarters. They all have something that stores information. In the "olden times," computers used tapes, both magnetic plastic...
A digital plague of locusts
by Dave Moore, CISSP 09/04/2022 One of my clients once complained, "I think the Russians are trying to hack me!" "Don't take it personally," I replied, "it's not just you; the Russians are trying to hack everyone." Like a digital plague of locusts, computer criminals...
Fight the Internet Bad Guys and Win
by Dave Moore, CISSP 08/28/2022 Come to the Norman Public Library's Downtown location, Wednesday, September 7, 2022, and take my free, one-night-only class called "Fight the Internet Bad Guys & Win!" where I will show you how to stay safe on the Internet. What are...
Internet safety basics, Part Ten: fake email and websites
by Dave Moore, CISSP 08/21/2022 Continuing the theme from last week, let's look more at spotting fake email, and then, fake websites. The most dangerous emails you will get will be from your friends; this is because many computer viruses send a copy of themselves to...
Internet safety basics, Part Nine: secure email
by Dave Moore, CISSP 08/14/2022 Invented in 1971 by Ray Tomlinson, Electronic Mail changed the way people thought about the US Department of Defense’s predecessor to the Internet, ARPANET (Advanced Research Projects Agency Network). “E-mail” was an instant hit, and...
Internet safety basics, Part Eight: security browsers
By Dave Moore, CISSP 08/07/2022 Last week, we looked at "browsers," those programs that let us look at websites. Even though I recommend Mozilla Firefox as the best all-round browser, there are some specialized "security" browsers you may also want to use. There are...
Internet safety basics, Part Seven: safe website browsers
By Dave Moore, CISSP 07/31/2022 The “web browser:” the most misunderstood piece of software we use every day. Do you even know what a web browser is? It’s important that you do. Browsers are programs that let you look at websites. You "browse" through websites, just...