Everyday Tips from the ComputerMom

Hi and welcome to my computer tips blog here on Medfield Patch!  After over 15 years of providing PC and Mac technical support services to Medfield and surrounding communities I have decided to share some carefully chosen tips to keep your computing experience safe and pleasant. You can find more tips on my Facebook page at www.facebook.com/thecomputermom. I plan to publish these types of tips on an ongoing basis, and I hope you will find them relevant and helpful!

Password Strength

Is your password strong? Are you using the same password for everything? You know you shouldn't but you know you probably are. At the very least, choose a different password for your "everyday" log-ins and a much stronger one for financial accounts. Here's a good link from Microsoft to test your password strength:

https://www.microsoft.com/security/pc-security/password-checker.aspx

Use caution when connected to public Wi-fi

I've seen a lot of people's email accounts hijacked for spam lately, mostly MSN or Hotmail accounts. Almost all of these hijacks occurred after checking email on a public wi-fi network. Please be cautious when using public wi-fi, as you really don't know who might be eavesdropping on your surfing session.

http://www.gfi.com/blog/perils-public-wireless-networks/

An inexpensive way to avoid using public internet connections

One way to securely connect to the internet when you are on the road is to bring your own network with you. If you have a smartphone with tethering you can use that, however if you don't here is a review of an inexpensive alternative. Remember that when you log in to a public wi-fi network you are at risk - bringing your own connection is a much more secure option.

http://www.tecca.com/columns/netzero-4g-free-mobile-broadband-review/

You Mac users aren't out of the woods either!

Believe it or not, all of the above applies equally to you. Additionally, surfing the web recently I saw a lot of news about a well hidden Apple virus that is estimated to have infected about 600,000 Macs. If you are concerned that your system is infected, follow these directions to check:

http://gizmodo.com/5899352/mac-flashback-trojan-find-out-if-youre-one-of-the-600000-infected

After determining you are uninfected, use this procedure to make sure you have all your security updates!

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1338

For more information please visit my website at www.thecomputermom.com