• September 12, 2024

    No More Ransom Website Offers Ransomware Decryption Tools

    We’ve written in the past about how Apple-only companies can protect themselves from ransomware (strong security, isolated backups, monitoring software), but realistically, it’s primarily a threat to computers running Windows and Linux. If you, or anyone you know, is targeted by ransomware, look to the No More R... Read more
  • August 20, 2024

    Understanding the Key Differences Between Personal and Managed Apple IDs

    In the Apple world, the account that controls access to all your Apple-related online services is the Apple ID. Buying apps from the App Store, putting photos in iCloud Photos, and sharing data between iCloud-enabled apps—all these actions rely on your Apple ID. If you’re a regular Apple user, you have an Apple ID associated with your email address. Most Apple users set up an Apple ID when t... Read more
  • August 8, 2024

    Protect Domains That Don’t Send Email from Email Spoofing

    We recently wrote an article for those who manage their own Internet domain names about using SPF, DKIM, and DMARC to prevent your domains from being used in phishing attacks and enhance the deliverability of legitimate email. But what about other domains you own but don’t use for email? To make phishing attacks more believable, spammers sometimes forge email so it appears to come from parked d... Read more
  • August 6, 2024

    Be Careful When Scanning Unknown QR Codes

    QR codes, those square, blocky codes you scan with your iPhone’s camera to load a Web page, have become ubiquitous. So much so that we seldom pause before scanning any QR code we see. But if you think about it, that’s the same as clicking random links in emails or texts, which is a terrible idea from a security perspective. “Quishing” (QR code phishing) isn’t commonplace yet, but some sources s... Read more
  • July 6, 2024

    Prep Your Tech for Travel

    Long ago, to get ready for a trip, we’d mostly make sure we had our plane tickets, books and magazines to read, and a snack. Prepping for travel in today’s tech-heavy world comes with a new set of tasks, most of which shouldn’t be left to the last minute.

    Identify Devices, Chargers, and Cables to Bring

    Resist the temptation to bring every piece of tech you have. Do you really need yo... Read more
  • July 1, 2024

    Two Techniques for Improving Google Chrome Security

    Although most Mac users rely on Apple’s Safari for Web browsing, plenty of people prefer Google Chrome for its cross-platform compatibility, massive collection of extensions, and tight integration with the Google ecosystem. Chrome is by far the most popular browser in the world, with about 65% of the market, compared to... Read more
  • June 11, 2024

    Share 2FA Setup for Team Access to a Single Account

    When your team or family shares access to a single account (such as for banking or social media, which seldom offer multi-user access), using two-factor authentication via SMS is awkward—whose phone receives the 2FA codes? One solution is to use an authentication app. Authentication apps are more secure, and multiple people can add 2FA support to the same account by scanning the QR code at setu... Read more
  • May 28, 2024

    Apple’s iCloud Keychain Password Management Is All Many People Need

    Apple’s iCloud Keychain Password Management Is All Many People Need

    We constantly recommend using a password manager like 1Password, BitWarden, or Dashlane. But many people resist ... Read more
  • May 2, 2024

    Audit Your Trusted Device Lists for Greater Security

    One of the ways companies protect critical account information is by remembering the devices you use to log in as “trusted devices” or “authorized devices.” Those logins will usually have been protected by two-factor authentication or another mechanism that guarantees the device is being used by you, its owner. Subsequent logins from those devices may be more convenient for you due to requiring... Read more
  • April 30, 2024

    Loose Lips Sink Chips: Beware What You Say to AI Chatbots

    Generative AI chatbots like ChatGPT, Microsoft’s Bing/CoPilot, and Google’s Gemini are the vanguard of a significant advance in computing. Among much else, they can be compelling tools for finding just the right word, drafting simple legal documents, starting awkward emails, and coding in unfamiliar languages. Much has been written about how AI chatbots “hallucinate,” making up plausible detail... Read more