It Is Time to Outsource Your Passwords to an App
Your brain has better things to do than store secure passwords. Get a dedicated password manager to keep your login data synced and secure across all devices. Bitwarden Bitwarden is the most transparently secure password manager we tested; it’s built on open source code that’s subject to regular security audits. The app is also free, making it a good choice for the password-manager curious. Advanced users like the ability to study the code, and they can even host Bitwarden on their own server. The free account has no limitations, but premium accounts ($10 a year) offer extras...
Read MoreHow to Prep Your Phone for International Travel
You’ve bought your plane tickets, booked your Airbnb, stocked up on tiny shampoo bottles. The only thing separating you from that summer jaunt to Mexico or the Bahamas or the south of France is the plane ride, and setting up your phone to come along with you. Sure, vacation should be the time to power down, disconnect, and focus on the people in front of you. But that doesn’t mean giving up the option of getting directions from Google Maps or documenting your exotic meal on Instagram. Using your phone abroad used to be complicated, expensive, or both, but it’s getting easier and easier. Here...
Read More3 Ways to Boost Your Family’s Online Security This Holiday
Along with strategically avoiding any remotely political conversations, now’s the perfect time to help your loved ones better understand their personal digital security. They need it now more than ever. It’s a whole lots easier to walk someone through a security hygiene lesson when you’re both in the same room. The simpler the better, and there’s nothing quite as straightforward as an in-person lesson. “You don’t want to add things that might make it more complicated for people to use a technology, but some of it is pretty simple and really adds an extra layer of protection,” says Michael...
Read MoreSome Basic Security Tips for the Clinton Campaign (and Anyone Else)
The hacks on coming. Even as reporters were still poring through a Wikileaks dump of emails stolen from the accounts of the Democratic National Committee and Hillary Clinton’s campaign staff earlier this year, someone compromised the Twitter account of her campaign chair, John Podesta, and tweeted a pro-Trump message. Since the team clearly continues to be targeted, now seems like a good time to run down some basic security hygiene. None of this is advanced infosec. It wouldn’t, by itself, stop a determined hacker, especially one with ample, state-sponsored resources. The good news, though,...
Read MoreWhat to Do With Your Old iPhone
Did you just preorder a new iPhone? Planning to upgrade in the near future? Give some thought to how you can make the best use of that old device you’re leaving behind. Sell It to Amazon You could sell your device as an independent seller on Amazon, but the easier path is to let Amazon sell it for you. You can use Amazon’s trade-in service to get an estimate based on your iPhone’s capacity, finish, and condition. Amazon gives you a mailing label, you send in the phone, then Amazon gives you a gift card for the prearranged amount. The company sells the phone to some stranger for a profit, and...
Read MorePeople, Please Don’t Store Private Data in Your Address Book
There’s been some controversy over the data that Donald Trump’s campaign app collects. Though the America First app asks before accessing anything on both Android and iOS, it gathers and stores the data from smartphone address books as soon as it is granted permission. The situation probably doesn’t sound like a big deal, especially since the app requests consent, but if you store valuable private information in your contact lists—like security codes, passwords, health information, or social security numbers—it definitely poses a threat. But if you’re doing that, you’re doing it wrong....
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