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A Word About Passwords

Gerry Baker February 25, 2023

Part of everyday life, it seems–your passwords are now gatekeeper to your correspondence, financial details, banking information and everything else on the list of details and information that make up all the external components of your life. You need a code at the bank, a code on your phone, tablet and computer, authentication for your medical records and the list goes on.

Experts will all tell you how compromised you are if you use the same password on all the things, or just a weak one, and someone with nefarious plans gets ahold of it.

How-to Geek has some great suggestions for how to create strong passwords or a pass-phrase that can help you keep your details to yourself (as much as possible when they live on the internet, anyway…)

One of the best pieces of advice: Don’t tell anyone what your password is!

How to Create a Strong Password (and Remember It) (howtogeek.com∞∞∞ >>> Read the rest

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If they called you, they probably aren’t good

Nathan Carter February 25, 2023

A constant plague on the population of home computer users is the tech support/computer infection scam.  Basically when someone calls you saying your computer is infected, or when a popup suddenly appears on your screen warning about an infection, you can be sure it’s a scam.  The fact of the matter is that tech companies don’t contact you.  They want you to buy their products of course, but if you have a problem you are supposed to call them.  Tech companies do not keep staff on hand hunting around for problems on peoples’ machines.

Of course there are a few exceptions.  If you pay for a security program to monitor your computer then occasionally you will get a warning message saying that a site is suspicious or a download could be dangerous.  These messages will always identify themselves as the security program you are subscribed to, and they will always be a message, never a person.∞∞∞ >>> Read the rest

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Avoid The Tax Scam Blues

Cory Foote February 25, 2023

Tax season is the time of year when scammers are out in full force, trying to take advantage of unsuspecting taxpayers. It’s important to be aware of the dangers associated with tax season scams and know how to spot them so that you can protect yourself from becoming a victim.
Tax season scammers use a variety of tactics, such as sending fake emails or filing fraudulent tax returns in your name. They may also try to get you to provide personal information, such as your Social Security number or bank account details, which they can then use for identity theft or other malicious activities. Knowing how to recognize these scams and taking steps to protect yourself is essential if you want to stay safe during tax season.
The IRS doesn’t initiate contact with taxpayers by email, text messages or social media channels to request personal or financial information.Jan 20, 2023 https://www.irs.gov/privacy-disclosure/report-phishing∞∞∞ >>> Read the rest

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