When you see warnings about a data breach that might affect you, take it seriously! Last week we contacted a customer. We had received multiple emails from him over the course of just a few minutes. His email and password were involved in a data breach, and someone was sending out spam emails using his account. Lots of emails! They were an invitation to an event, and included a clickable link. The email helpfully said, “Make sure you view the invitation on your computer, not on your phone for the full experience.”  This is a phishing scam to unwittingly add malware and infections onto the computers that received the email and clicked the link.

I’m one of those unusual people. When I get an email about an overdue invoice, or a reference request for a past employee for example, from Jenny@massage.com, I’ll look up the website, find a phone number, and contact “Jenny” to let her know her that there’s been a data breach involving her email address and password.

Check to see if Your data has been involved in any Data Breaches:

How do you find out if your email address has been a part of a data breach? Enter your email into the Have I Been Pwned website. Hopefully, you’ll get a response like this:

Unfortunately, you’re more likely to see this:

One thing I like about HaveIBeenPwned is that they tell you when your email may have been compromised, and what data may have been collected. The report looks like this:

If your email shows up, you can safely conclude that your email and password, at the very least, have been placed on a list and distributed or sold to all sorts of bad actors. It doesn’t matter what kind of anti-virus you have. If a hacker has access to your email and password, they can log onto your account from any computer in the world and send out spam emails in your name! And if you use the same email and password to log onto other accounts, those accounts could be at risk too.

Change your passwords to protect against a Data Breach:

This is why it is so important to periodically change the password for all or your accounts and to not use the same password for multiple accounts. (See our previous article about setting up a Secure Password.)

We recommend changing your password at least annually for:

• Each of your email addresses
• Each of your financial accounts (Bank, Debit, Credit, Investment, Venmo, PayPal, etc.)
• Any website or phone app that has your saved credit card information.
• All your social media accounts. This is especially important if you have a business page. In most cases, once you’ve lost control of your social media business page, you can’t get it back.
• NOTE: For each of your email addresses, check to be sure that the email recovery address is still correct. (Check the settings for your recovery email. We had one case a few years ago where the hacker changed the person’s password AND changed the recovery email to their own. Every time they changed their password, the hacker received an email notification and changed it again.)
• Use 2FA (two-factor authentication) to log into email, social media, and financial accounts.
• Chris recommends using an Application Password as well.

It’s an onerous task, I know! If that’s too much to do in one go:

• In January, change the password for your email accounts
• In February, your financial accounts
• In March, your online shopping accounts
• In April, your Social Media accounts.

How do I find out about any new Data Breaches:

The other thing we recommend is to keep an eye on the news to find out about any new data breaches. When you hear about one that could affect you, change your passwords at that time. I’ve set up a Google Alert. Anytime the phrase “data breach” appears in the news, I get an email. I’ve set it up to send no more than one a day so I’m not overwhelmed with even more emails! This is how I found out about the recent data breach at CareCloud. Now I’ll have to research to see if any of my doctors use CareCloud for their record keeping.

Conclusion:

Take a minute now to check HaveIBeenPwned.com to see if any of your emails have been compromised. Make changing the password for those accounts a priority. Here are some tips for choosing a new password. Remember, the longer and more complex the password is, the more secure it is.

Previous articles which may be helpful:

• https://geekforhireinc.com/pwned-has-your-email-been-compromised/
• https://geekforhireinc.com/data-breach/
• https://geekforhireinc.com/tech-terms-decoded-two-factor-authentication/

Information about Geek For Hire, Inc.

When it’s time for Back To School, school tech gets a lot of attention. You may be thinking about a new kid-friendly tablet computer. We don’t have little kids, so I won’t be able to personally review these, but there are several articles out there that examine the best tablets for kids. Some of the features you need to consider are:

• First – SAFETY – Are the Parental Controls robust enough?
• Durability – How careful is your kid? Are they a neatnik or a clutz?
• Battery Life – how long will the battery last without plugging it in? How long will it take to recharge?
• Storage – Consider photos, emails, and texts
• Access to games and apps
• Size – Will it easily fit into your child’s backpack? Will it get lost in the couch cushions?
• WiFi – How hard will it be to connect to WiFi in different locations?
• Price – What’s your budget?
• Operating System – Android? iOS? etc. What is the primary OS used by you? By your child’s school system?
• Ports – Will your child need to plug anything in to the tablet?

Please note: we will often recommend products, parts, and resources that we like.  Some of these we receive an affiliate commission for at no additional cost to you.

We also publish a monthly email so you can learn new tech tips and find out about special discounts. Sign up here.

School Tech – Best Tablets For Kids:

We’ve read PC Magazine for years and trust their recommendations. Here’s a link to their latest review of tablets. They like the Apple iPad 11th generation and the Samsung Galaxy Tab A9 the best.

Why they picked the iPad:

“The base-model iPad features an expansive 11-inch screen with a dense resolution of 2,360 by 1,640 pixels. Its A16 chip ensures that your kids can easily run all of the age-appropriate apps from the App Store. This tablet also provides your child with access to iMessage, enabling them to chat with family members or friends who also have an Apple device.”

Why they picked the Samsung Galaxy:

“The Samsung Galaxy A9+ packs a decent amount of power for its price and works with Android’s built-in parental controls. Quality speakers and an 11-inch, 1,920-by-1,200-pixel screen with an adaptive refresh rate of 90Hz are among the highlights for entertainment. Meanwhile, three more years of software upgrades and a microSD card slot mean the tablet can grow with your child’s needs.”

Laptop Magazine has been around for quite a while too and they generally have very good recommendations, especially for school tech. They like the Amazon Fire HD 10. Here’s why:

“I’d say the best kids tablet you can get right now is the Amazon Fire HD 10 Kids Edition. Why? Well, for one, it has a larger 10-inch, 1080p full HD display. As such, screen quality is slightly better on this tablet. It’s brighter and the colors are slightly more vivid. This tablet also comes with 3GB of RAM, dual cameras, a USB-C 2.0 port, and up to 1TB of expandable storage. … The Fire HD Kids Tablet offers about 12 hours of battery life.”

Chris has been reading Tom’s Guide for years! Tom (and his staff) does a deep dive into tablets using a nephew as the guinea pig. Tom’s Guide ALSO likes the Apple iPad 11th Generation best, with the Amazon Fire HD 10 as a close second.

Why he picked the iPad:

“The Apple iPad is the undisputed heavyweight for content and versatility. It’s a powerhouse for all ages, but please — for the love of your sanity — buy a rugged case before you even take it out of the box. It’s an investment, but a fragile one. Looking beyond the design (which will just be covered up by a case to protect it from clumsy moments), the three superpowers here are its big and bright display for all your kid’s needs, impressive performance and power efficiency to keep running on long journeys, and the amount of child-friendly experiences you can find on the App Store.”

Why he picked the Amazon Fire:

“If you want value that actually makes sense, start with the Amazon Fire HD 10 Kids. It’s built for the “oops” moments of early childhood. With a specific focus on younger kids, the Amazon Fire HD 10 Kids tablet is a fantastic option for any child to grow up with — packing enough performance and battery life to keep that 1080p panel going for a long time, comprehensive child safety controls for setting limits”

Conclusion:

My personal favorite, especially if you are already an iPhone family, is the iPad. But only if you get a rugged case for it. With the plethora of apps, and the parental controls which can be customized, this school tech should last your child for many years. I purchased my iPad in 2022 with Apple’s Magic Keyboard and am still pleased with it every time I use it. I can do almost everything with the iPad that I do with my laptop.

Information about Geek For Hire, Inc.

Moving your office tech is a big deal! Last week I decided that my office upstairs was “too far” away from the rest of the house, and I was feeling very isolated. We’ve got a library-slash-exercise room on the main floor, and we decided to move my office there. As you can imagine, anytime you’re moving technology from one location to another, you are going to run into a myriad of issues.  Good thing I know a Geek! (FYI, if you purchase anything from the links on this page, we may receive a small commission. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.)

PRINTER:

The first problem I ran into was that my laptop no longer wanted to talk to my printer over Wi-Fi. The short term solution is to connect my laptop with a USB cable to the printer. But this means the printer isn’t connected to WiFi at all.  And THAT means I can’t print from my phone or tablet. Chris is noodling on a few solutions.

First Solution:

Involves moving the printer into his workspace where it could be hard-wired into the house Wi-Fi network. Downside: This means I’ll be taking up some of Chris’ valuable space with my printer, AND I won’t have the immediate satisfaction of printing a page and looking at the results.

Second Solution:

This is my preference but seems a lot more involved. Chris will drill a hole from the basement to my first floor office. He’ll pull an ethernet cable through to set up a dedicated work group network switch for my desk. Frankly, I don’t really understand why I need a “dedicated work group network”, but if I can print from any device, and the printer is near my desk, I’m happy!

THIRD MONITOR:

The other problem I had with office tech was connecting the TV in the room to act as my third monitor. This is mostly used to live stream pretty or interesting views around the world. In the spring, I watch the Osprey at their nest in Boulder County Open Space in Longmont. In the fall, I’m watching the bears at Katmai National Park. But right now of course, I’m watching Artemis on their trip to the moon and back via NASAs YouTube channel.

At any rate, we had trouble connecting it because it was too far from my desk.  Chris got an extra-long 50’ Optical HDMI cable. Why so long? It must go around the perimeter of the room so there’s no tripping hazard. Then Chris configured the placement of the three monitors, and I was good to go.

Conclusion: 

If you’ve thought about moving your office tech, but are worried about the issues you may run into, let us know. Chris has the knowledge and tools to craft a perfect solution. If this was forwarded to you from a friend, you can get your own copy emailed to you every month by signing up here.

I don’t know about you, but when I think “Spring Cleaning”, I’m thinking about dust bunnies! If you’re thinking about Spring Cleaning your tech, here are some tips for you.

Just so you know, if you purchase anything from the links on this page we may receive a small commission. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

Spring Cleaning Your Tech – aka Computer Maintenance:

FIRST – GENERAL MAINTENANCE:

Always allow Operating System updates. Many times there are security upgrades in them.

Turn off your computer at least once a week. This allows the machine to fully close out any programs that may be running in the background. Those background programs can sometimes slow your machine down. This helps make your computer more efficient.

SECOND – PASSWORDS:

There have been several significant data breaches recently, the latest one in France exposed information from over 1 million accounts.

The hackers have lists of birthdays, SS numbers, addresses, and associated passwords!

Change the password on ALL of your FINANCIAL accounts now, and set a reminder to change them every month! This includes checking, savings, and investment accounts. Don’t forget about any app or website where you’ve saved credit card information, like eBay, PayPal, Amazon, etc. Don’t use any passwords you’ve used before and create a different password for each account.

Check out our tips for easily setting up new passwords.

While you’re at it, please change the password on ALL your Social Media accounts. This is especially true if you have a business account. We’re getting a lot of requests about hacked Facebook or Instagram accounts. I haven’t heard any success stories here. Once your Facebook account is out of your control, there really isn’t a way to get it back.

THIRD – 2FA:

While you are changing your passwords, set up two-factor-authorization (2FA) at the same time. This means that only you will be able to access your accounts once you’ve provided your password AND confirmed through another channel that you are you. (For example a text to your cellphone where you need to enter a six-digit code on the website after entering your password, to gain access.)

FOURTH – BACKUPS:

Back up your computer regularly, especially if you have precious data on it. I use Dropbox, which backs up everything automatically. Also, the Dropbox app is on my phone so I can access files from anywhere. The “Starred” folder is where I keep my frequently used files. These come up first, so I don’t have to search for them. I keep insurance documents and other essential papers and frequently accessed Word and Excel files in that folder.

FIFTH – ANTI-VIRUS:

Take a minute every month to scan for viruses. Many of our customers use ESET, which Chris has recommended for years. It’s easy to do. Just open the ESET/NOD32 app and click on “Scan Your Computer”. It will run in the background while you continue working. When it’s done, it will let you know if it has found anything suspicious. If it does find potential viruses or other malware, give Chris a call to see what your next step should be.

SIXTH – PHOTOS:

Organize the photos on your computer to make them easier to find. At least once a year I create a new folder for that year. If I’m feeling especially productive, I’ll create sub-folders for each month and additional sub-sub-folders for significant events. For example I have a folder for 2025, a sub-folder for July with sub-sub-folders for Picnics, Sailing, and Vacation.

Purchase several thumb drives and make a copy of the photo albums you have stored on your computer. (I like this one with dual USB-C and USB-A for convenience.)  Keep one and give the rest as gifts to your kids, parents, aunts, uncles, friends, etc.

Conclusion: 

Today is a great day to run your virus scanner, change passwords, and back up your data!

It seems like the scamming never stops. I get multiple scam and phishing email and text messages every day. Most of these are obvious scams, but some are very well crafted and it’s easy to see how people can be tricked.

Here are a few examples of Scams from my Inbox:

This first one claims to be from Social Security saying that there is a discrepancy in my 2025 earnings. The email included a helpful link so I could log into my account right from the email. Instead, I went to SSA.gov and logged into my account to see about this “discrepancy” in my 2025 earnings.

The second one warns that our email will be deactivated if we don’t confirm by a certain day. Again, they provided a helpful link.  I took a close look  at  the  “to” address  and saw that it wasn’t  from  my  email  provider.

Here’s a text I got. Notice the phone numbers don’t match, and my “child” didn’t ask me to call them on the new number, just respond with a text. When I got this text to “Mom”, I called both of my kids to see what was up. Worst case, they really did change their phone from a Boulder number to a Virginia area code. (They didn’t!)

And, of course, there’s the “We charged your card on file $399.99. If there’s a problem, please give us a call.” This one is slightly different in that it came via Paypal, and doesn’t say what the “Subs-cription” is for. These generally say they are from an anti-virus software company. When you call the number, highly trained scammers will answer insisting that you probably already have a virus and need to let them log into your computer to see. That’s when they’ll upload malware onto your PC or Mac.

Then there’s the “Keanu Scam” aka the “Costner Scam”. I don’t have any personal emails or texts about this one, but the Hollywood Reporter recently published an article about how this is playing out, primarily on Facebook.

What do these examples tell us?

Whenever you get an email that makes you upset or angry, take a minute to look at where it is coming from. Is it from someone you know who is already in your address book? Is it about an account you have already?

How to protect yourself from scams?

1. Change your passwords:

There have been many data breaches recently, and millions of email/password combinations have been “harvested”.

Complaint acknowledged: I know! Once you change your password for an app, you must change it on your phone, tablet, computer, and anywhere else you use the app as well. It’s a hassle, but do it. (Here’s a recent blog on creating a secure password.)

a. First Priority:

Change your password for ALL your online financial accounts (banks, credit cards, investment, PayPal, etc.). Do this today and then, monthly.

b. Second Priority:

Change your password for your shopping accounts (Patagonia, L.L.Bean, REI, etc.), and ANY account where you have saved your credit card info. Put a note in your calendar and do this every month. When making an online purchase, uncheck that box that says “Save all my information for future purchases”.

c. Tie for Second Priority:

Your social media accounts are a treasure trove for scammers. If your account gets hacked, the scammers can post on your account. This is how I got scammed last year.  (Read about how I got scammed here.) When you get a Private Message asking for money, confirm it’s really from your friend. (Did their car REALLY break down in Omaha?) When you see that your friend is selling something on Marketplace, give them a call directly and ask.

Recommendation: Change the password on all of your social media accounts at least monthly.

2. Set up 2FA:

For key accounts, especially all of your financial accounts, set up Two-Factor Authentication. Then, you’ll receive a phone call or text message with a code to enter when signing in. I’ve done this for my financial accounts and the account which manages GeekForHireInc.com.

3. Independently verify info:

When the email, text, or phone call you’ve received causes alarm OR if you wonder if it’s true, take a minute to check via a known good source. For example, when I received the email from Social Security notifying me of a “discrepancy”, I went to SSA.gov and logged into my account to see what they said about my 2025 earnings. With the text to “Mom”, I called both of my kids to see what was up. Worst case, they really did change their phone to a number with a Virginia area code. (They didn’t!)

a. Email Scams:

Read your emails very carefully. Scammers know we get a lot of emails this time of year, especially from online shopping accounts. They can guess that we might be ordering from Amazon or Costco and may email us saying there is a “problem” with our order. They want us to click on this handy link they’ve provided. The email has an excellent rendition of the Amazon logo, and they have “spoofed” the URLs to make them look like the link will direct you to Amazon. Don’t fall for it! Go to your account and verify any problems there.

One especially tricky email is from Norton and other anti-virus/security providers. They email that they will process your “subscription renewal” on a future date for big buck$. If you don’t want to renew, just call the number in the email. Then, they ask for permission to access your computer to make sure you don’t have any viruses. If you let them, they’ll have fun. You end up with stolen data and malware on your machine.

b. Text Scams:

Texts and emails are the most common way to get pulled into phishing scams. By now, we all know that text messages from “USPS” or “FedEx” about delayed deliveries are scams. Read the message carefully. Is it coming from a number you’ve already saved on your phone? Don’t click on that link! Go to the app or website you already have to confirm there is a problem and correct it there.

4. Phone Call Scams:

When you get a phone call from a number you don’t recognize, don’t answer the call. If it’s legit, they’ll leave a message and you can call them back.

Conclusion:

Use secure passwords wherever you log in, AND change your passwords frequently. Be incredibly diligent with Social Media and Financial accounts!

It’s summertime! For many of us that means vacation time, whether road trips nearby or flights far away. Chris calls me a “road warrior” and I’ve picked up some essential travel apps along the way for my summer travel.  Most of these apps are free for basic info. Some have a monthly or annual fee with additional features. Bookmark this post so you can refer to the proper app when  you need it.

Weather

Wherever you are, you need to be aware of your surroundings. Here are the apps I use at home, for summer travel, and on road trips:

• General: WeatherUnderground. Hands down. There’s a plethora of information for each location, including Air Quality Index which is helpful if I’m in an area with wildfire smoke. Apple Android
• Just for fun: WTForecast gives you the weather and provides sage/humorous advice. My forecast the other day was “Go outside. It’s f…g sunny. And take the trash out while you’re there.” Apple Android

Storms & Bad Weather

There’s weather, and then there is bad weather!

• Lightning: I’ve bookmarked the LightningMaps.org site. I use it when I want to know how far away that last strike was, or if it’s safe to go swimming.
• Wind: One of my favorite apps is available from Nullschool Technologies. The developer created the Earth app “to pursue my passion of blending software and art to make Earth science accessible to everyone.” This is a beautiful app! Play with the options. You can see Waves, Particulates, and Space/ Auroras.
• Aurora/Northern Lights: I use “My Aurora Forecast & Alerts”. This app shows me the KP index for my location as well as the percentage chance of seeing the Aurora in the next hour. I’ve turned alerts on and I’ll sometimes get an alert tone in the middle of the night! I like that it shows the intensity of the aurora in my area, and what the cloud cover is like. Apple Android
• Wildfires and Smoke: While wildfire haze provides great sunset photos, it’s nice to not travel to an area that is already burning. I use InciWeb to track fires and AirNow to track smoke in the US. These are both US Government sites, so neither of them tracks wildfires out side of the US. (It also appears that neither is tracking fires in Alaska at this time. If you’re traveling to Alaska, use this site.) Here’s info for Canada, and I’ve found this map which tracks fires, earthquakes, and volcanoes worldwide.
• Hurricanes: I like the NOAA site.  It tracks hurricanes in the North Atlantic, Central Pacific (Hawaii), and Eastern Pacific (California & Mexico coasts).
• YouTube weather channel: If you’ve heard about a big storm coming in the US, check out the Ryan Hall Y’All channel.

Travel

However you’re traveling, there’s an app for that:

• Plane: When will your favorite aunt land? Is her flight on time? I use FlightRadar24 to track flights. This app works whether you have the exact flight number or just know where the plane is flying from and to. If I’ve got a loud plane or helicopter overhead, I’ll check that out too.  You can actually see all the air traffic, even weather balloons traveling at an altitude of 57,000 feet! Apple Android
• Roads: I’ve been using Waze to plan my road trips. I can see my speed, the local speed limit, all kinds of hazards – debris, a big pothole, construction, accidents, slow traffic, or potential speed traps. It calculates the tolls along the route and gives options for toll-free roads. (Note: Waze is owned by Google and collects my data – and yours, but I think it’s the best app for road trips.) Apple Android
• Outdoors: The Gaia GPS app is great for hiking. You can drop a pin at your favorite overlook, see elevation gains, and record your trail. The National Park Service app shows all the activities available at our National Parks. Want to see wildlife? Look at the stars? Want to see all the National Parks located in your state? This is where you go. Remember, that many National Parks now require a reservation to enter, so plan ahead!
• Elevation: Many people already have an altimeter built into their SmartWatch. If you don’t have a SmartWatch and you’re already paying for AllTrails.com, Strava.com, or another running/biking app, use that. (I can’t find a good free alternative.)
• Indigenous People Worldwide: If you’ve ever wondered who originally lived where you’re wandering today, download the Native Lands app. You can see the extent of their Territory and what language they spoke. Apple Android

Miscellaneous iPhone Utilities:

• Language translation: I’ve been using the Apple “Translate” app. Select the two languages, and then you can either type or speak the word or phrase. It will show the translation, and you can click the “play” button to hear it. Chris was on a bus once where the driver didn’t speak English. There was bad weather, the road was closed, and they had to take a detour. The driver had the Translate app and was able to provide information to the passengers.
• Currency translation: The Apple calculator gives you an easy way to translate dollars into many other currencies. Click on the image of a calculator on the bottom left of the Calculator app and slide the “Convert” tab to “on”. Then select the two currencies.
• Location: My kids do a lot of backcountry hiking, and I’m happy they’ve turned on their location in the “Find My” app. I can see where their phones are and when they’re back from their hike. This is something you can turn on and off if you don’t want to share your location 24/7.

Conclusion:

Wherever your summer travel take you, use these travel apps to plan your road trips and stay aware of your surroundings. Enjoy the summertime! (And if you need remote PC support while traveling, give us a call!)

Recommended Messaging Apps

We’ve had several customers ask us about secure messaging recently. Last year it was disclosed that text messages between Apple and Android don’t use End-to-End Encryption (E2EE). This means (theoretically) that a message your iPhone sends to your friend’s Android could be compromised and read by others. Almost everyone we text with has an iPhone, but there are a few people who don’t.

With Facebook/ Meta tracking and retaining almost everything about its users, we need to look elsewhere for secure messaging.  Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp (owned by Facebook/Meta) are not recommended. Many people use WhatsApp to communicate with relatives and friends overseas. It may be time to look for a more secure channel. Facebook/Meta accesses and stores a lot of data about you. They then use this data to target ads, and sell your information to advertisers and other companies.* Some of this information includes:

• Name
• Email
• Phone
• Message content
• Photos & videos
• Browsing History
• Political Views
• Sexual Orientation
• Health Information
• Location
• Contacts

It’s time for a deep dive into Secure Messaging apps.

Messaging Apps:

Besides Messenger and WhatsApp, some of the other Messaging Apps you may have heard of include Briar, Element, Matrix, Session, Telegram, Threema, Tox, Wire, and Signal. I’ll look at each with the following criteria in mind:

Criteria:

• has End-to-End-Encryption (E2EE)
• is free to sign up and use
• has Two Factor Authentication (2FA)
• allows texting, phone calls, and video calls.
• Only collects and stores a minimum of personal data.
• Works with Apple and Android
• Ease of use – can you convince your non-techy friends to use it too?

Summary of each Secure Messaging App:

Briar:

Briar only works with Android.

Element:

Element has 2FA, is free for most users, works with Apple and Android, has decentralized servers, and works with Apple and Android. Why are we not recommending it? Everything I’m reading indicates that it is difficult to set up. That will turn a lot of my friends off.

Matrix:

Although Matrix.org ticks all the security boxes, it’s a bloated, slow app, and it doesn’t appear you can easily message others.

Session:

Session doesn’t use true 2FA for authentication. I’ve also seen reports that Session texting is slow.

Telegram:

This app requires access to your Contact list and does not have full E2EE.

Threema:

Based on my research, everything else being equal, I would recommend Threema over other apps EXCEPT for 2 things. First, it’s not free ($4), so you’ll have a hard time getting your contacts to convert. Second, it’s not widely used, except in Germany. As Chris says about adopting new technology: “Cutting edge is good. Bleeding edge is not.”

Tox:

Tox does not use true 2FA.

Wire:

Wire does not have 2FA.

Signal:

Signal is the app that we recommend. It’s got E2EE, works with Apple and Android, and only collects your phone number. I started using it a few months ago and have convinced many of my non-technical friends to also make the switch. The one downside is that it uses centralized servers. For reasons that I don’t understand, decentralized servers are better. (Chris explained it to me, but it didn’t stick!) Signal allows audio and video calls in addition to texting.

Recent news about Signal doesn’t concern me. The reasons this was a problem are a) The person setting up the group chat included several people they shouldn’t have included, and b) US law states that government communications of this type must be preserved indefinitely. This chat was set up to delete all messages within a few weeks. There were other reasons, but those are the biggies. This was more “user error” than a flaw in the app.

Signal also allows audio and video calls. Audio calls work great, I haven’t tested video calls yet.

Secure Messaging – Conclusion: 

Download the Signal app and start asking your friends & family to use it too. One friend is already using Signal to communicate with family overseas. Setting it up gives you the choice of having people find you by phone number. I clicked the “NO” button there. I’ve recommended Signal in the past. Here’s an article about Signal from 2018, about the time I stopped using Facebook Messenger.

* (Twitter does the same thing, but it isn’t generally used as a messaging app.)

I don’t know about you, but when I think “Spring Cleaning”, I’m thinking about dust bunnies, not my technology. What about you? Do you think about Spring Cleaning your tech? Here are some tips for you:

Spring Cleaning Your Tech – aka Computer Maintenance:

FIRST – ANTI-VIRUS:

Take a minute every month or so to scan your computer for viruses. Many of our customers use ESET, which Chris has recommended for years. It’s easy to do. Just open the ESET/NOD32 app and click on “Scan Your Computer”. It will run in the background while you continue working. When it’s done, it will tell you and let you know if it has found anything suspicious.

SECOND – BACKUPS:

Back up your computer regularly, especially if you have precious data on it. I use Dropbox, which backs up everything automatically. Also, the Dropbox app is on my phone so I can access files from anywhere. The “Starred” folder is where I keep my frequently used files. These come up first, so I don’t have to search for them. I keep insurance documents and other essential papers and frequently accessed Word and Excel files in that folder.

THIRD – PHOTOS:

Purchase several thumb drives and make a copy of the photo albums you have stored on your computer. (I like this one with dual USB-C and USB-A for convenience.)  Keep one and give the rest as gifts to your kids, parents, aunts, uncles, friends, etc.

FOURTH – PASSWORDS:

There have been several significant data breaches recently, and the hackers have lists of birthdays, SS numbers, addresses, and associated passwords! Change your passwords for financial accounts now, and set a reminder to change it every month! That includes your checking, savings, and investment accounts. Don’t forget about any app or website where you’ve saved credit card information, like eBay, PayPal, Amazon, etc.

FIFTH – 2FA:

While you’re at it, please change the password on ALL of your social media accounts. This is especially true if you have a business account. Set up two-factor-authorization (2FA) at the same time. We’re getting a lot of requests about hacked Facebook or Instagram accounts. I haven’t heard any success stories here. Once your Facebook account is out of your control, there really isn’t a way to get it back.

Conclusion: 

Today is a great day to run your virus scanner, change passwords, and back up your data!