by Dave Moore, CISSP, 03/28/2021 Fifteen 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...

by Dave Moore, CISSP, 03/21/2021 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,...

by Dave Moore, CISSP, 03/14/2021 I was disappointed today by an email I received from my bank extolling the sketchy virtues of the money transfer service called Zelle. They were practically giddy in their excitement at how being separated from my money was now "fast...

by Dave Moore, CISSP, 03/07/2021 If someone called you on the phone, said they were from the "Windows Technical Department" and claimed they needed to remotely repair your computer because it had been hacked, would you believe them? What if the caller said your...

by Dave Moore, CISSP, 02/28/2021 When you turn on a computer, hundreds of things all start running in the background, immediately vying for your computer’s attention and processing power, all trying to accomplish their various tasks. Maybe all you see on the screen is...

Internet crooks target small businesses by Dave Moore, CISSP, 02/21/2021 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,...

by Dave Moore, 02/14/2021 If you installed new windows in your house, would you install windows that couldn't be closed or locked? That would be crazy, wouldn't it? Yet, that's what millions of less-than astute consumers do when they submit to the Internet of Things...

by Dave Moore, CISSP, 02/07/2021 Continuing from last week, let's look more at VPN (Virtual Private Network) services. One way VPN services deal with security is by using encryption, protecting your information by turning your connection into scrambled gobbledygook....

by Dave Moore, CISSP, 01/31/2021 With everyone doing more things at home over the Internet, Virtual Private Network (VPN) services have become more of a consideration. Outside of hardcore do-it-yourselfers and committed techno-geeks, running and managing a true,...

by Dave Moore, 01/24/2021 What would you do if you lost your cell phone, or if it was somehow destroyed? Studies have shown that millions of cell phones are lost, stolen, or broken every year. Sometimes, cell phones can be repaired, sometimes, not. I actually repaired...

by Dave Moore, 01/17/2021 Last week, we discussed how the threat of ransomware is changing the way we backup our files. The standard ways we've used since computers were invented just can't cut it, anymore. As such, I've decided to stop recommending people try to do...

by Dave Moore, 01/10/2021 The only way to ransomware-proof and crash-proof your computer files is to have good, protected backups of those files. This applies to every type of computer: desktop, laptop, tablet, phone, etc. Anything on that device that can't be...

by Dave Moore, 01/03/2021 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...

by Dave Moore, 12/27/2020 Last week, you took my cyber-risk assessment test, covering the two extremely powerful and potentially dangerous technologies that everyone needs to know how to use: computers and the Internet. Let's see how you fared. Q1. What is a...

by Dave Moore, 12/20/2020 Last week, we looked at cyber-risk assessments, and how they are used to decide if your behavior is too risky to be allowed. It sounds harsh, to be sure, but somewhere, somehow, somebody has to decide if your behavior on the Internet is...

by Dave Moore, 12/13/2020 It is no longer OK to not understand how the Internet works. The lame Internet practices Uncle Harry was able to get away with 20 years ago (weak, 8-character passwords, clicking on anything that pops up, etc.) simply won't cut it anymore. In...

by Dave Moore, 12/06/2020 Every year about this time I have to reassess the Internet Christmas shopping situation. This year is unique, in that a highly contagious and potentially deadly disease has changed the way the world does business. More than ever, billions...

By Dave Moore, 11/29/2020 Last week’s column discussed the plight of computer users who don’t bother to read the End User License Agreement (EULA) contracts that they sign. That box full of legal mumbo-jumbo that pops up when you use a tech device or computer program...

by Dave Moore, 11/22/2020 "We're now going to agree to the agreement we're not going to read." I can't count how many times I've said that to a client while installing software on their computer. It usually evokes a chuckle or two until the reality sets it that we, as...

by Dave Moore, 11/15/2020 To be effectual at my job as a "computer guy," I have to be constantly learning. Just when I think that I've seen it all, something new comes along, forcing me in a new direction. New problems, new solutions and new ways of doing things:...