by Dave Moore, 11/08/2020 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...

by Dave Moore, 11/01/2020 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...

by Dave Moore, 10/25/20 “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...

by Dave Moore, 10/18/2020 Email anti-spam filters are often pretty bad at protecting email users. They let bad email through and block good messages with such regularity that I don't really include them as part of my overall Internet safety strategy. The spam filters...

by Dave Moore, 10/11/2020 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 for...

by Dave Moore, 10/04/2020 We began looking last week at the nifty program called Ccleaner, where I covered the program’s “Cleaner” function. This week, let’s look at the Registry and Drive Wiper functions. First, an understanding of the Windows registry is in order....

by Dave Moore, 09/27/2020 Like most computer repair guys, I have a software toolkit of sorts, comprised of my favorite programs. One of my favorites, which I have used for years, is called Ccleaner. Ccleaner used to be called Crap Cleaner, but the program’s authors...

by Dave Moore, 09/20/2020 Memories seem short when it comes to Internet security calamities. Remember the Great Equifax Hack of 2017, where negligence by data megabroker Equifax led to the preventable theft of 145 million credit bureau accounts? I sure do. Equifax...

by Dave Moore, 09/13/2020 As if dealing with the current Covid-19 crisis wasn't enough, school districts are finding out just how lame their Internet defenses have been all along, as criminal hackers ramp up attacks that even the most basic of defenses should stop....

by Dave Moore, 08/30/2020 One of the most common complaints that I hear from computer users goes something like this: “Dave, I can’t get my Internet.” Upon arrival at their home or office, I usually discover that there’s more going on than not being able to “get the...

by Dave Moore, 08/23/2020 All American businesses, regardless of size, that could ever be involved in federal court litigation or agency inquiries have been required to store and be able to retrieve electronic records, according to rules that took effect in December,...

by Dave Moore, 08-09-2020 I recently had the opportunity to speak before a local civic group about Internet safety, training, precautions and all the usual things I've been writing about in this column for the past 15 years. It was an honor and privilege for me to be...

by Dave Moore, 08-02-2020 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...

by Dave Moore, 07/26/2020 Imagine you bought a new automobile, a new Chevy Malibu, for example. One day, a stranger appears at your front door with an unusual request. "Hello, I'm Bob, with the Chevrolet Repair Department," says the friendly fellow wearing the...

by Dave Moore, 07/19/2020 It’s called “crapware,” or, in more polite circles, “junkware.” Some varieties are called “bloatware,” but the root definition is always the same: useless, ridiculous, unnecessary and annoying software that somehow gets into your computer....

by Dave Moore, 07/12/2020 The following is the background introduction from a complaint I recently filed with the Federal Trade Commission on behalf of two of my clients. The complaint is against a number of credit card companies and investment firms for failure to...

by Dave Moore, 07/05/2020 The best way to protect computerized information from the bad guys is to use encryption. Whether it's financial and medical information stored on your computer or private data sent across the Internet in an email, encryption transforms your...

by Dave Moore, 06/28/2020 I once had the pleasure of visiting merry old London, England, attending the InfoSecurity Europe conference. About 12,000 people from all around the globe showed up for the 3-day affair and, as you might suspect, the overall concern of those...

by Dave Moore, 06/21/2020 Ah, the mighty word processor: perhaps the most used computer program ever. I'm using one right now to write this column. When I learned years ago how to copy, cut and paste words, sentences, paragraphs, and even entire documents, my epiphany...

by Dave Moore, 06/14/2020 If your computer broke down today, what would you do? Do you have a contingency plan you can implement in that event? Would you be out of business? What if your cell phone stopped working? Do you have another way to communicate with the world...