Security Tips For Using A Shared Computer

There comes a time when most everyone is going to have to use a publicly accessible computer at some point in their lives. You may have to use one at the library or in a student computer lab at your school.


Whatever the case may be, there are some things you should avoid doing, as well as some digital housekeeping that you should take care of when you're finished using a publicly accessible or shared computer.

Here Are 5 Major Security-related Tenets You Should Abide by When Using a Shared Computer:


Turn on Private Browsing


Most all modern web browsers offer a private browsing mode which is intended for the kind of situation where you might be using a shared computer and want to ensure that no one has access to your history or web cache after you complete your web browsing session.


You should strongly consider using your browser's private browsing feature when you are in a computer lab situation, otherwise, someone using the computer after you might be able to connect to websites you had logged into using your cached credentials.


To learn how to turn on private browsing in your favorite web browser of choice, check out our article How to Enable Private Browsing in Your Web Browser for full instructions.


When you're done using private browsing mode, always make sure to close all browser windows so that someone can't hijack your session before it gets cleared out by closing the window.


Clean That Cache Before You Dash


Whether you are using private browsing or not, you should make it a habit to clear your history, your temporary Internet files (cache) and any cached passwords and cookies that might have gotten saved while you were browsing.


If you were using private browsing, these files shouldn't be present, but there is no harm in clearing these out even if you're pretty sure they don't exist. It's always good to be sure even if it might be unnecessary. If you weren't using private browsing mode, then it is absolutely critical to clear these files before you leave your computer.


When In Doubt Log Yourself Out


If you've logged into any website, whether its an online store, your email account, bank site, etc, BE SURE to click on the log out link on the site when you are done using it, otherwise, there is a strong potential risk that your credentials may be cached by the browser and made available to the next person who uses that computer.


You don't want someone going on an online shopping spree on your dime, do you? When in doubt, ALWAYS Log yourself OUT.


Be Aware of Your Surroundings


Another risk associated with using a shared computer in a common area with other people watching you is the possibility that someone will 'shoulder surf" and watch you enter your credentials, usernamee and password) so they can steal your account information and impersonate you.


It's critical to be aware of your surroundings and those who are around you. If someone looks suspicious or you feel like they might be trying to observe you entering your password, move to another computer. You might also want to check to make sure that the keyboard on your computer doesn't have any mysterious extra attachments between it and the computer. If you see what appears to be a thumb drive in between the keyboard and the computer connection this might be a sign of a USB keylogger used to steal passwords and other data.

5 Cool New Security Features Found in Android Lollipop 5.0

The latest iteration of Google’s Android operating system known as Lollipop 5.0 has a host of new features under its hood. In addition to replacing just-in-time compiling of apps, Google has made some other major sweeping changes to this version of the OS. Notably Google has made some noble progress in the area of security.

The Lollipop 5.0 release features several new security features, as well as

some enhancements for existing ones that help to improve their functionality.

Here are 5 Cool New Security Features of The Android 5.0 (Lollipop) OS That You’re Going to Want to Check Out:

1. Smart Lock with Trusted Bluetooth Devices

Most of us loathe passcodes because we are constantly having to enter them every time our phone goes to sleep. This lock and unock process can quickly become tiresome, even when the passcode is just 4 digits long. Lots of people end up ditching passcode lock altogether or make it something so simple that anyone can guess it.

The makers of the Android OS have heard the whines of the masses and have come up with something much easier to deal with: Smart Lock with Trusted Bluetooth Devices. Smart Lock allows you to pair your Android with any Bluetooth device of your choosing and use that device as a virtual security token.

Using Smart Lock, you can pick any Bluetooth device, such as a fitness tracker, wireless headset, smart watch, even your car’s hands-free speaker
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phone system, and as long as it’s in range of your phone or tablet, you can use the presence of the Bluetooth device in lieu of your passcode. Once the device is out of range, then a passcode would be required. So if someone makes off with your phone, they won’t be able to get into it, unless your trusted Bluetooth device is within close proximity.

Check out our article on Android Smart Lock to learn more about it.

2. Guest Logins and Multiple User Accounts (for the same device)

Parents will love the new Guest Login feature that allows for multiple users on the same device. Kids are always wanting to use our phones or tablets but we might not necessarily want to give them the keys to the kingdom. Guest Logins allow for multiple user profiles that can be switched at will, preventing “guests” from having full access to your stuff.

3. Application Screen Pinning for Restricting Use

Have you ever wanted to let someone see something on your phone, but you didn't want them to be able to exit the app and start poking around all the other stuff on your device? With application screen pinning you can lock your Android device so that someone else can use the app but can't exit the app without a passcode.

This might be useful when you want to let one of your children play a game but you don't want them going on an app store shopping spree.

4. Automatic Data Encryption By Default (on new devices)

Android is now encrypting all data on a device by default (on new devices). This makes it more secure in terms of data privacy, however, there have been reports of a negative impact on overall storage performance as a result of the encryption overhead. These potential performance issues could be cleared up in a future patch to the OS.

5. Better Malware Protection via SELinux Enforcement

Under previous Android OS iterations, SELinux permissions, which helped applications play in their own sandboxes, were only partially enforced. Android 5.0 will require full enforcment of SELinux permissions which should help prevent malware from running wild and infecting processes and applications.

How to Find a Lost Bluetooth Device ?

The number of Bluetooth enabled devices in the world is expanding rapidly. From wireless headsets to fitness trackers to speaker docks. Everything electronic seems to have a Bluetooth connection as a feature.

Advances in battery life and technologies such as the Bluetooth Low Energy standards have given rise to smaller more compact devices such as ultra small lightweight headsets, Fitbits, etc. The

big problem is that when things get smaller they can also get lost more easily. I have personally lost one or 2 Bluetooth headsets in the past year alone.

When you set up a Bluetooth device, you usually pair it to another device, For instance you’ll pair a headset to a phone, or a phone to a car speakerphone / audio system. This pairing mechanism is critical to helping you find a lost Bluetooth device and we’ll show you how and why in a minute:

I’ve Lost My Bluetooth device (headset, Fitbit, etc)! Now What?

As long as your headset or device still has some battery life and was turned on when you lost it, the odds are pretty good that you still will be able to find it with the assistance of a smartphone and a special app.

In order to find your device, you’re going to need to download a Bluetooth scanning app. There are several of these apps available for both iOS and Android-based Phones and Tablets.

Step 1 - Download a Bluetooth Scanner App

Before you begin the hunt, you need the right tool.

You should download and install a Bluetooth scanner app on your phone. The scanner app will show you a list of all the Bluetooth devices in the area that are broadcasting and should also show you one other important bit of information that will help you locate the device: signal strength.

Bluetooth signal strength is usually measured in Decibel-milliwatts (dBm). The higher the number or the closer the negative number is to zero the better. For instance -1 dBm is a much stronger signal than -100 dBm. I won’t bore you with all the complicated math, just know that you want to see a number closer to zero or above it.

There are several Bluetooth scanner apps that are available for various types of smartphones.

If you have an iOS based phone (or other Bluetooth enabled device, you may want to check out Bluetooth Smart Scanner by Ace Sensor. This free app can locate Bluetooth devices in the area (including low energy types (according to the app information page). There are other options, search “Bluetooth Scanner” to find more app choices.

Android users may want to check out Bluetooth Finder on the Google Play App Store, It provide similar functionality as the iPhone App. A similar app for Windows-based phones is available as well.

Step 2 - Make Sure Bluetooth is Active on Your Phone

Your Bluetooth device won’t be able to be located if your phone’s bluetooth radio is turned off. Make sure you turn bluetooth on in your phone’s settings before using the Bluetooth locator apps downloaded in the previous step.

Step 3 – Begin Your Quest

Now the game of electronic Marco Polo begins. In the bluetooth scanning app locate the missing bluetooth item in the list of found devices and make a note of it’s signal strength. If it’s not showing up, start moving around the location you think you may have left it until it shows up on the list.

Once the item has shown up on the list then you can begin to try to locate it’s exact location. You’ll basically start playing a game of 'hot or cold'. If the signal strength drops (i.e. goes from -200 dBm to -10 dBm) then you are further away from the device, If the signal strength improves (i.e goes from -10 dBm to -1 dBm) then you are getting warmer

Other Methods:

If you’ve lost something such as a headset, you could also try to send some loud music to it via your phone’s music app. Since most bluetooth headset’s volume can also be controlled by the phone, you could crank the volume all the way up. If the searching environment is fairly quiet, you might be able to locate it by listening for the music coming out of the earpieces on the headset.

5 Ways to Make Your PC a Less Attractive Hacker Target

Hackers seem to be everywhere these days, on the news, in the movies. You can’t turn around without seeing a news story about a major data breach or massive hacking attack that took down a huge company’s online operations.

You just want to be left alone to play your PC games, browse Facebook, the basics. You don’t want to become a target and/or victim of a hacker. So the question is, what can you do

to make your computer a less attractive target to a hacker.

Here Are 5 Ways You Can Make Your PC a Less Attractive Hacker Target:

1. Enable “Stealth Mode” on Your Router’s Firewall

Some routers feature a mode called “stealth mode” where the firewall on the router does not respond in the traditional manner when a port scan is run against it. If your router offers this feature you should consider turning it on to make your network (and the devices behind it) less conspicuous to hackers attempting to probe your network.

2. Use a Personal VPN Service

Virtual Private Networks (VPNs), once the domain of the privileged few who could afford to use them, are now available to the common man. You can purchase personal VPN service on a monthly basis for little more than the price of a decent cup of coffee.

VPNs offer a plethora of security features such as encryption of all network traffic, anonymous browsing via proxied IP addresses, as well as some great features that take advantage of the ability

to choose an IP address from your home country when you are traveling abroad. For an in-depth look at the other benefits offered by personal VPN services, check out our article: Why You Need a Personal VPN.

3. Encrypt Your Wireless Network

Not seeing a padlock icon next to a network name when a hacker is scanning for available Wi-Fi networks is a huge turn-on for them. This tips them off to the fact that there is essentially free Wi-Fi available because there is no password required to access networks that don’t have encryption turned on (hence, the lack of a padlock icon).

If you don’t have wireless encryption turned on, you are basically advertising to hackers and neighbors that your bandwidth is freely available for the taking. If hackers happen to use the free Internet that you are graciously providing them to carry out hacking and other crimes, guess who it will be traced back to? That’s right, YOU. You can plead ignorance but there is no guarantee that it will be an acceptable excuse.

Lock down your Wi-Fi with WPA2 (or better) encryption with a strong password to avoid being an unwitting accomplice to a hacker’s misdeeds

4. Make Sure Security Patches Are Installed And Up to Date

Hackers love to see a system with unpatched vulnerabilities that they can exploit, gain entry to, and take control of. You need to make sure you're using the automatic update feature of your operating system so that as soon as a security patch is released it will be pushed to your PC. You should periodically do a manual check as well to ensure that the auto-update process is working as it should be.

Check for updates of your Internet-connected apps (web browsers, plug-ins, etc) on a frequent basis as well and turn on their “check for updates” feature (if available). Don’t forget to check for updated wireless router firmware, as your router manufacturer might have updates waiting in the wings as well.

5. Educate Yourself and Hack-proof Your Brain

When it comes to your PC’s security, you don’t want to be the weakest link. You definitely don’t want to get tricked into installing malware or fall for some other scam that puts your PC and your personal data at risk.

Common Network Security Mistakes

Have you ever been scammed or had a computer virus take over your system. You're left wondering: “how the heck did this happen to me”? You thought you had followed all the standard advice on securing your network and computer, but you still ended up with a security breach or malware infestation.

Here Are 5 Common Network Security Mistakes You Might Be Making:

1. You're Not Using Strong Encryption On Your Wireless Network
Are you scratching your head because hackers broke into your network, even though you had wireless encryption enabled? You may have been using encryption, but you might have been using the outdated and highly vulnerable Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) encryption. WEP was cracked years ago and hacking a WEP-encrypted network is now trivial, due to a proliferation of easy to use WEP hacking tools. Even a novice hacker can break into a WEP-based network.
The Solution: replace your network's WEP encryption with Wi-Fi Protected Access 2 (WPA2). WPA2 is a much more robust wireless protection method and is the current standard for “secure” wireless networks. Some older routers may be too old to support an upgrade to WPA2 while others can be upgraded via a firmware update. Check your router manufacturer’s support page for your specific router to see if it supports WPA2.

2. Your Passwords Aren’t Strong Enough

A weak password can be a hackers gateway into your network, your system, and your online
accounts. Increased computing power has decreased the amount of time it takes for password cracking tools to crack a password.

You need to make your passwords as long, complex, and random as possible. Avoid use of dictionary words in your password as cracking tools test for these. Having one embedded in your password will help the tool find your password much quicker than if it had random characters in it.

Check out our article on How to Create a Strong Password for tips on composition.

3. Your System Doesn’t Have The Latest Security Patches

Hackers love to find systems with unpatched vulnerabilities because they can be exploited with specially crafted attacks that take advantage of the unpatched weakness. OS vendors are constantly detecting new threats in the wild and developing security patches to close the holes.

Most OSes feature a set-and-forget “auto update” capability that will automatically download and apply the latest security patches on a regular basis.

The Solution: turn on auto update for your OS security patches as well as any apps that have auto update capability. You should also periodically run a manual patch check to ensure that the auto update process isn’t broken.

4. You Don’t Have a Backup Strategy

When things go bad, your first question might be “do I have a backup of those files”? You shouldn’t have to ask yourself this question, you should know the answer, and the answer should be "let me go pull up my backup of those files”.

Backups are critical resources. Some computer malware such as ransomware can encrypt your files and hold them hostage. If you have a backup of your files then you can laugh at the ransom demand and tell those hackers to go stick it in their ear or some other orifice.

Check out our article on Developing a Backup Strategy for some tips on how to go about backing up your stuff.

5. You’re Not Aware of The Latest Threats And Scams

Scammers and hackers are constantly evolving their tools and tactics. Educating yourself on the current threats is key to not falling victim to the newest and most dangerous scams and hacks happening in the world.