Using Public Wi-Fi

Most of us will travel and want to use public/free Wi-Fi at some point. Let’s talk about one of the most easy hacks bad guys will use to access your data. You walk into a coffee shop in a hotel or high tourist area and hook up to the local Wi-Fi. What you didn’t know is that a “bad actor” got their first and set up his own Wi-Fi signal. He/She will use a Wi-Fi name that looks legit and since they are sitting probably within feet of you it has the strongest signal. They even setup some “fake” term pages to have you agree to usage rules, just like you expect when you connect to a public Wi-Fi. Now here is the problem. They give you internet access but remember you have told your device that this connection is “trusted”. That means your security is probably not going to stop anything it does. So, unless you are using a VPN they can see every website you go to, every username you type/select, every password you enter, every credit card you use, etc….

How would you protect yourself? First, don’t use public Wi-Fi for financial transactions (i.e., don’t pay for something). Using it for surfing the web, watching a video, etc… is relatively safe. Next, really look at the “I agree” pages that come up. Does it have misspelled words, does the URL look like it is from a different website/company, are the details what you expect, etc….and most importantly, do NOT remember and automatically connect to this connection. Especially in a hotel restaurant, coffee house, or lobby, the bad guy will setup up shop and you “trust and remember his connection”. Then at night he/she will walk through the hotel with their device on, checking to see if anyone left their computer, smartphone, tablet on so it will automatically connect when he/she is in range. Now, when you are sleeping, and he/she can access your device without worrying about you noticing anything is happening.

Use a VPN if you can. A virtually private network (VPN) can best be described as your device (when on the internet) is on a highway system (like a car) and there are entrance/exit ramps all the time that go to specific website locations or addresses. When you use a VPN, it creates a tunnel or wall around your device, so none of those ramps are available except for the one you specifically want to use, nobody can drive up beside you and “see in your windows”, nobody can make eye contact with you because they cannot see in the windshield, etc… Sometimes VPNs will prevent a website from working properly (Ex. if you are watching TV via an app from your cable provider they need to know your physical location to be in compliance with various broadcasting agreements because some content it location specific therefore the VPN blocks with information transfer or provides false information that will prevent the website from functioning).

Have antivirus and a firewall installed and active. This will not prevent the bad guys from seeing your data but will help prevent any “care package” of malware they leave behind from working correctly.

Connect with your cellular connection instead of using free/public Wi-Fi. Your cellular connection has some built-in security features, and your phone technology is hardwired to ensure it can ONLY connect to a legitimate connection via cellular signal. Especially when on international travel this may be prohibitively expensive, so weigh the risk vs. benefits before using your cellular connectivity for data.

Use a password or network key protected Wi-Fi that has encryption when possible. Even if it is used by lots of customers, it should be more secure than something accessible to anybody within physical range that can answer the terms with “I agree”. An example of this would be a bed and breakfast that only gives out the Wi-Fi password to paying clients.

Pay attention to your account/device activity. If you start seeing transactions you didn’t authorize, emails sending you didn’t send, etc… make sure you run a “stinger” to check for a malware BEFORE you start using that same device to change passwords. If the bad actor has access as you start changing account passwords, he is going to know the new ones the same way he accessed the original passwords. Give me or some geek you trust a call if this is happening, and make sure you leave the device OFF until you get it checked out. Do this quickly, not days later when you have “time”. The more time they bad guys have access to your accounts, the more damage they can do.

Having Issues with Your Wi-Fi?

Do you have connectivity problems at your home or small business? Let’s walk through some troubleshooting to determine what is the difficulty and how to solve it.

First, go get your internet bill and review what level of service/speed you are supposed to receive. Keep in mind that you should have both a download and upload speed. The speeds mentioned will be the maximum, so your service will be less than these numbers, but it should be close in performance.

Next, go to where the internet comes into your building (i.e., where the device from Cox, AT&T, Spectrum, etc…) is plugged into the wall. Most likely, you received a “gateway”. That mean it is a modem (something that translates the single received into something a computer, laptop, tablet, smartphone, etc… can use) and a router (something that acts as a traffic cop and organizes the internet traffic so it doesn’t cause a “traffic jam” when multiple devices are on the internet at the same time). Most gateways or modems will have 4-5 wired Ethernet ports for usage. Plug in your laptop/desktop with a wire and go to a testing website. I recommend http://www.speakeasy.net. Do NOT use one provided by your internet service provider. They quite often give a bias result for their own product. A wired connection directly from the modem or gateway will be the best service and a good indicator of what you are receiving. If it is significantly lower than what you are paying for, contact your provider for maintenance.

Now let’s talk about that same speed test done in different rooms using different devices throughout your home or property. If you are using an old laptop, cell phone, or desktop to “test” your Wi-Fi, the problem may be your device. Older equipment have older Wi-Fi cards. Even if your router/gateway is putting out a strong, fast signal, they will only be able to use the maximum your device can handle. If you have areas that have only one or two bars of coverage, then your router/gateway cannot provide enough signal in those locations. This is very typically for users trying to access the Wi-Fi out by the pool, in a basement, or some location with lots of material interference like under a staircase. This is where the internet provider gateway just doesn’t do the job. SOLUTION: Turn off ONLY the Wi-Fi on the gateway and plug in your own router. If you have a router, upgrade it. Give me a call/text/email and this is something I can do for you, including recommending the replacement equipment.

Next, how many devices need the internet and what are they using it for? Just sending some emails is not a heavy usage. Watching videos from streaming services like Hulu or Netflicks is a completely different usage level. If you are talking 2 adults and 1 teenager household with a fairly technology connected lifestyle, you have probably 20–50 devices using the internet…many at the same time.

  • Smart TVs — at least 3
  • Smartphones — at least 3
  • Tablets — at least 2
  • Smartwatch — at least 2
  • Smart appliances (Ex: refrigerator) — at least 2
  • Home Security system (Ex. Video doorbell, wireless chimes, etc….) — at least 2
  • Wireless speakers — at least 2 systems
  • Outdoor smart lights, speakers, etc….) — at least 1
  • Smart media devices (Ex: Blu-ray player, DVD player, etc…) — at least 2
  • …and more

Make sure your router is designed to handle the load. Most households should upgrade to a mesh router. If you just added a “range extender” to an area with poor coverage, that location will be significantly slower than the area serviced directly from the gateway or main router. Mesh routers are designed to have a primary unit where the internet comes into the building and additional satellite units that ONLY require an electrical connect to “mesh” a seamless area of Wi-Fi coverage.

Remember, your internet usage will go nothing but up over time. Modem technology doesn’t change very often, but router technology does. This is why the gateway provided from your internet provider will not keep up with your needs. Give me a call and I can evaluate your current situation, recommend the right hardware solution, and set it up. I will even provide you with a single page summary of all the equipment and associated passwords.

Don’t forget that if you are working from home or have kids, you need to enable the Guest Wi-Fi network and turn off “sharing” between it and your primary Wi-Fi network. The guest network is what visiting family or friends should be using, and definitely that should be true of your kids friends. Keep the home network with a different Wi-Fi name and password. This minimizes the potential for your network to be compromised by an infected device with access.

Anyone Looking for an Alternative to Microsoft Office?

Microsoft Office and the Apple equivalent software package are robust monster programs that if you do these types of activities regularly or work with files created by these packages frequently — you need to purchase the application suite. If you are a small time user who just needs to be able to view, save, print, or make some modest edits without using complicated programming then there are multiple “free” options.

Probably the most useful and known alternative is Open Office Org. This package uses a very similar interface, and therefore you will not need “training” if you are already familiar with Office or the Apple equivalent. It can even change the default save to format to be compatible with something MS-Office users can open without issues. Just remember that anytime you convert files from one system/type to another, you should expect the more complicated features to need some cleanup. Open Office Org has programs for each of the MS-Office suite applications.

Some other options are: LibreOffice, Free Office, Caligra Suite, WPS Office, Zoho, Only Office, Office Online, and Google Workspace. Most of these are “online” applications only, so no internet means no ability to work. Many users have Google email and therefore already have the Google Suite available. Just go to the Google website, in the top right corner click on the nine dots. Now you will see a list of all the applications available from Google.

If you require something with LOTS of stock images and some basic to moderate photo editing features, take a look at Canva. You have to pay for the more advance features, but the “free” version is pretty extensive.

WARNING: Remember, nothing is REALLY free. Most of the time, if you read the user agreement carefully for the free applications on the cloud, you will find that any content you create they have a right to use. If you are working on sensitive or competitive information, these solutions are probably not a good idea.

Give me a call, text, email if you need some help figuring out the “right” alternative for your needs.

Wire Fraud — How to NOT be a Victim!

Unfortunately, as cashless transactions have become more popular, wire fraud has too….as well as much more sophisticated. Now days, especially with large transactions like purchasing a home, bad guys will hack your email in order to change the wiring instructions.

Best Practices

  • Only send funds to parties you know.
  • Turn OFF near field communications (NFC) on your cell phone. Only turn it on when you specifically want to use it for making a transaction or transfer data phone-to-phone. Do NOT leave it on, especially when you cannot see the screen. Not only will this help with battery life, but it can help prevent acts in public locations.
  • If this is a large wire transfer, pick up the phone and call them directly (not using information they provided, but what you looked up on your own). Verify the instructions with a human being.
  • If this is a 1st time transaction, send a test amount (not an even $1.00), and call the person directly to see if they received it. Once you have it confirmed, make sure they are added to your contacts so you can “select” them in the future. Keep in mind that if a bad actor compromised your computer, he may have changed the saved contact information in your computer/phone.
  • Have firewall and antivirus applications installed on ALL devices that perform financial transactions — including your cell phone.
  • Question emergency or rushed needs for funds. Make sure your friend or family members really are in trouble before you send.
  • Verify in triplicate ANY international funds request.

Allstate has an excellent resource that can help you understand the reality of wire fraud today. What is Wire Fraud? Examples & How to Prevent Them | Allstate

If you have experienced identity theft and know your data is on the dark web, you need to think about locking down your credit and using services like “Life Lock”.

Controlling Notifications and Pop-up Ads

Do you ever wonder why the corner of your computer is constantly flashing with “notifications”?

You have control over what will be interrupting your work. Both in Apple and non-Apple world. For purposes of this posting, I will be using non-Apple examples, but their systems work very similarly.

To start, go to the search field on your taskbar and type “Notifications”. You want to select “Notifications and Actions”. On the pop-up menu, review the settings and make sure that only have turned on stuff that you want to know about. As you scroll down you will see a list of applications typically sorted by most recent. Change the order to name and start going through the list. Most likely you will not have enough time to do them all at one time….so pick a specific letter of the alphabet to stop on a do a few every day. Pretty soon you will be through the list. When you are done, I recommend putting it back to recent order.

You have the option of on or off and if you click the right side chevron you can even be more specific. This does NOT disable the application. It only prevents it from popping up in the corner. Typically, I like email and nothing else to pop in the corner.

The 2nd pop-up source is your internet browsers. If you have more than one, start with whichever one you are using the most. You will have to do this task on each one. Each browser is different, but everyone one of them has a setting for notifications and a list of websites that have permission to disturb you. This is a common tool used by various forms of malware. The most common one is a pop-up that says it is from a popular antivirus program, and you need to click on it to respond to a problem. You are actually not opening your antivirus program on your computer but a website that looks like it, and they are getting you to give them permission to install viruses on your computer disguised as help.

If this is happening, I HIGHLY recommend you have a “geek” help walk you through how to remove the permissions, make sure they didn’t install something, and run a stinger to make sure your computer is safe. This is something I can help with and if you want, I will even walk you through the steps so you don’t have to call me each type it happens. Text, email, call or use the “contact me” on the top right of this website to request my assistance.

Copy and Paste Options

In the Windows environment, we have the Paste Options (historically known as Paste Special) feature. Apple has a similar function, but all the examples/how to information in this post will be Windows based.

Paste Special is a really powerful tool that will help keep your sanity. When we select text, a picture, or really anything a chose to copy it…..we are getting whatever the human eye cannot see as well. Typically, this is only formatting, but it could be a virus, for example when you are copying from a public location like a website. Even if it is formatting, most of the time you do NOT want to bring it to your destination file, email, etc….

Ever spent a lot of time changing something you copied into the format of all the other stuff in your document or presentation? If you had chosen Paste Special — text only or no formatting — then you would automatically keep the formatting of your file. This is why some people can put together a presentation that looks really cohesive and others look like someone grabbed every font, color, or formatting option.

Best Practices

  • Use Paste Special — no formatting, text only, image only, etc… most of the time. Yes, this means that you can still use Ctrl + C for copy but when you use Ctrl + V…click on the very little icon that appears at the end of your paste. This will let you decide how you want to paste it. If you use right click copy and then right click paste, that option shows automatically.
  • Only copy exactly what you want — this means no extra spaces before or after. It is very frustrating when someone creates something like a spreadsheet or word processing document with sloppy copy and paste technique. It causes issues when attempting to use any automatic tools like Mail Merge, and users spend a lot of time removing the extra spaces.
  • Paste as an “image” if you want to ensure it looks exactly like it did at the source. This means someone cannot select it as text, even if it looks like text to the human eye but keeps the formatting of your new file from impacting how it appears.

Cell Phone — Organizing Screens

Do you have way too many icons on your phone screens? They can easily be organized. Here are some best practices and tips:

  • You can have more than one “home” screen. Most people should NOT have more than 3. Most phone models will create a new/additional screen simply by clicking on an existing icon, hold onto that click and drag it/move it to your home screen, now drag it to the right off the screen. This will generate a new or blank screen to drop the icon. If you have more than one screen, this is how you move icons to different screens.
  • Do not put EVERY icon on a home screen. If you only use something once in a great while, it doesn’t need to be on a home screen. Most models, when you swipe upwards OR hit a dedicated button at the button will open a list of everything install organized alphabetically.
  • The first home page or default page that opens when you unlock your phone should be the items you access all the time. Most phones have 3 to 5 icons at the very bottom that show on all home screens. For most of us these are the phone icon, text message icon, email icon, and/or calendar icon.
  • Icons should be organized into groups of similar apps. For example, my default home screen is frequent stuff, my 2nd home screen is work or business stuff, and my 3rd home screen is personal stuff.
  • On a home screen, a single icon can be a folder with multiple icons grouped together. This, for example, is the default configuration of Google apps. I personally don’t like having all my Google apps in one spot. Most of us want to pull out a couple of the frequently used ones and put them directly on the home screen (i.e., not within a folder).
  • To create a folder icon, just drag one icon on top of another. When you let go, a folder icon will appear with both icons inside. Drag additional icons on top of the folder to add them to the folder. To move an icon out of the folder, you open the folder, then drag just the one icon out of the folder. Clicking on the folder icon name allows you to change it or add one if the phone did not automatically generate a name.
  • If I don’t have enough icons to justify having a home page just for something like work stuff. I might make a folder called work and move all the work related apps inside it.
  • You do not need to fill all the spaces on a screen. Leaving some “white space” allows your eye to more easily see the relationships of stuff. This makes it much easier to find an icon.
  • Install an app that functions like a File Explorer on Windows or the Finder feature on a Mac.
  • Files and websites can be added to a home screen with an icon. Every model does is differently, so give me a call if you need help figuring out how to do it on your specific phone model.
  • There are LOTS of free apps but know who is your app author and understand nothing is really free even if it doesn’t cost money. For example, most of us do not want to install an app owned and operated by the Chinese government because of privacy concerns. In China, the government basically has unlimited access to company data. Many apps pay for themselves by using your activity and selling it. They protect your identity individually but sell large chucks of user data to 3rd parties. For example, this is why Facebook doesn’t charge you for creating a profile and using the app to socialize with friends and family. They turn around and will sell the data (in bulk and without individual names/identities) to companies looking for information. For example, if I am a boot maker, I want to know what is the average age and sex of people looking up information about boots. They also let companies buy ads for targeted audiences. For example, a realtor will pay for an ad on Facebook to ONLY go to people in within X miles of a certain location and who have a history of interest in homes or apartments. Most of us consider it a fair trade for getting to use the app at no $$$$ charge.

Give me a call and while I most likely need to be in person, I don’t mind helping you use these mini computers effectively that we call “smartphones”.

Laptop/Desktop/Cell Phone Security

The cyber world is a pretty scary place at times. The reality is that in the USA we are considered a high value targets for various political and financial reasons. Bad guys and gals who write viruses, specifically design them to impact applications and hardware found by USA users. Let me explain some basic threats and how to minimize your risk WITHOUT having to stop using technology.

First – Passwords. If your password is so complicated you cannot remember it, you have to use the “forgot password” feature often, you are using the same password for multiple applications/websites, etc… then what you are doing is NOT working. Here are some basic best practices when making a password.

  • Make it at least 8 characters long
  • Do NOT start with a number or special character
  • Have at least one capital letter and one lower case letter
  • Include numbers and a special character (@, #, $, % ,&, !, ?, etc….)
  • Do NOT reuse passwords on multiple websites/applications
  • Do NOT make it so complicated you cannot remember it
  • Do not have your computer/website “auto remember” your passwords UNLESS you only work in a secured environment (i.e. don’t use multiple computers, not connecting at places via public Wi-Fi like Starbucks or an airport, etc…..).
  • Have someplace you write it done (assuming you are not working for a high-end security situation) that is NOT easily lost, is readily accessible when you are using your computer but not under your keyboard, and not in a file call “passwords” or “really important stuff”.

Ok now I know what you are thinking. That there is NO WAY to follow all those rules. That is not true. Give me a call and I promise you using my “password philosophy” concept I promise you can do all of those without hurting your brain. If you want to use a password manager, do not go cheap. There is NOTHING more frustrating than your manager getting hacked and now everything is compromised or if it is not user-friendly.

Firewalls/Antivirus. If you are running a small business or have financial information (i.e. login to your bank or credit card account), you need to have a firewall and antivirus application. Windows, Android, iPhones, and Macs all have some basic security, but you get what you pay for. The free stuff is not as good as even the very inexpensive major players like McAfee and Norton. You need it installed on all your devices, including your cell phone. Give me a call if you want some help figuring out the best solution that will not break the bank.

Backup. Data storage is cheap. If you do not work in an industry that has special security requirements (ex. HIPAA) you need to select a cloud storage option. Window, Apple, and Android all have various solutions that can run in the background and automatically back up your data. I HIGHLY recommend you check them once a month to make sure they are working. There are viruses and various other reasons that the backup stops working, and you don’t realize you have a problem until you require it (i.e., hard drive crash) and the backup has nothing from the last year. I recommend a reminder on the 1st of the month for checking your backup (1 cell phone and 1 or 2 computers can be done in about 5 minutes). Give me a call and I can get one setup and show you how to “check it”. If you need one with extra security requirements, I can help you find that solution too.

Data Best Practices. You need to store your data in a way that makes it easy to dump old stuff you don’t need once a year, find stuff you use daily quickly, and not be so complicated that someone cannot understand your filing system at a glance. Give me a call and I can help you set up your folders and file names in ways that will keep your head from hurting even when you have a lot of files.

Welcome!

My name is Patricia Davis and hopefully you will find this to be a location to lookup useful IT “stuff” for the average end user who uses a tech but doesn’t understand how it works! If you have any questions or would like my help, please do not hesitate to reach out via my Contact Me information.