While local backups are generally safe, sometimes, malware or ransomware can spread to the backed up files. Additionally, a USB drive or external hard drive could get lost or destroyed, taking all of your files with it. A cloud-based backup solution is an internet service that stores all of your files online, Total Defense internet […]

Backing up your data is important, but only if it’s being backed up correctly. If the backups are failing, you won’t be able to retrieve your documents, and you will have taken that precaution in vain. Test that your backups are working every so often by retrieving and opening a file. That way, if you […]

Peer-to-peer (P2P) websites are fraught with risk. To share files, like games and music, through a peer-to-peer (P2P) network, you download software that connects your computer to other computers running the same software – sometimes giving access to millions of computers at a time. This has a number of risks. You could mistakenly download malware, […]

Extensions can augment web browsers but they can also create security risks. For instance, Google Chrome is probably just another trusted application to your operating system and antivirus software, meaning it – and its extensions – can run code without a problem. Some extensions are malicious, though. Keep your eye out for unusual names, odd […]

Hackers can use public charging stations to install malware on your device, so we recommend never using a public phone charger. However, if you are out and your phone is about to die, you may feel as though you don’t have any other choice. If you invest in a portable phone charger and keep it […]

You may not think much about top-level domains (TLDs), which include .com, .org and .net. Many new TLDs came online in the last few years, and a lot of them are connected with malicious activities like spam distribution. Be wary of .country, .stream and .download in particular, since they are almost exclusively suspicious.