How to rescue your PC from ransomware
With nasty malware like Locky making the rounds—encrypting its victims’ files, and then refusing to unlock them unless you pay up—ransomware is a serious headache. But not all ransomware is so difficult. You […]
Category: Security
4 ways to bolster your online privacy
Eileen W. wrote to me expressing concerns about online privacy, and though we’ve written about it previously I decided to add a few more tips and tricks for future readers. It is […]
How to build the best free PC security software suite
If you have a PC, you’re a target. You need security software. That’s as true today as it was a decade ago, despite significant security improvements to Windows over the years. But you […]
Is your VPN secure? How to check for leaks
A trustworthy virtual private network (VPN) is a good way to keep your internet usage secure and private whether at home or on public Wi-Fi. But just how private is your activity over […]
How to find your motherboard’s Spectre CPU fix
Operating system patches alone can protect against the nasty Meltdown flaw affecting Intel processors, but fixing Spectre—Meltdown’s nasty sibling, which affects all CPUs—requires firmware updates for your hardware. Those firmware fixes are […]
How to send anonymous emails
Yes, you can be anonymous online. At least under the right conditions, but it’s not necessarily easy. Your everyday identity is constantly being tracked by accounts you’re logged into, and third-party advertising […]
How to remove malware from your Windows PC
Beware the signs of a PC plagued by malware: slower-than-usual performance, a sudden spate of pop-ups, and other anomalous issues. Yes, out-of-the-ordinary behavior is sometimes the result of hardware conflicts, but your first […]
How to avoid Internet fraud, scams, phishing and other cybercrime
Internet fraud takes many forms, from retail websites that don’t deliver, to emails phishing for credit card or bank information, to tech support scams that take over your desktop, and everything in […]
How to protect yourself from online scams including ransomware and more
Protecting yourself from online scams is a fact of life now. According to the FBI’s 2018 Internet Crime Report, Internet scams from 2014 through 2018 cost consumers $7.45 billion. Scams include online […]
Windows Sandbox: How to use Microsoft’s simple virtual Windows PC to secure your digital life
Microsoft may be positioning its easy-peasy Windows Sandbox within the Windows 10 May 2019 Update as a safe zone for testing untrusted applications, but it’s much more than that. Windows Sandbox, and sandboxing […]
