Archives - Security Best Practice


Back up your data

Data is notorious for suddenly disappearing without warning. Maybe your power goes out while a file is writing, or something gets corrupted. Maybe you’re a victim of malware and need to completely wipe a storage drive. Practically everyone has important data they absolutely cannot lose, and the only way to be sure it’s safe is […]

Avoid third-party services that offer to find out your credit score

There’s little to no reason to use paid services, as you can access your credit score for free from any of the three main credit bureaus: Equifax, TransUnion or Experian. While you can only do this periodically, credit scores tend to be consistent enough and they probably won’t change very much before you can check […]

Don’t give anyone your password

There are no circumstances in which a company will ask for your password via email, text, phone or any other means of communication except for where you normally type it in on the site itself. Similarly, no person who already has access to your account — whether they’re the IT department at your company, a […]

What’s a denial-of-service attack?

A denial-of-service (DoS) attack occurs when genuine users are unable to access information systems, devices, or other network resources due to the activities of a malicious cyber threat actor. Services affected may involve email, websites, online accounts (e.g., banking), or other services that rely on the affected computer or network. A denial-of-service is accomplished by […]

Learn to use the restore feature on your computer

Many OSes have a “restore” feature enabling you to reverse its configuration to a previous state. This can be useful if anything goes wrong, such as a faulty OS or driver update. To find it in Windows 10, click the Recovery tab in Settings. Here, you’ll find options such as resetting your PC, advanced startup […]

Do not give sensitive information in reply to unsolicited calls or emails

Chances are, you wouldn’t give someone your Social Security number or address to a stranger who asked for it on the street. Likewise, you shouldn’t hand it over to someone who calls purporting to be a tech support specialist (a common scam) or in an email saying you’ve won a prize and need to fill in […]