All of your computers and mobile devices should be equipped with antivirus software, firewalls, web filters, and antispyware. Your software should be updated regularly; out-of-date security software offers no defense against the latest threats. Set up automatic updates or at minimum manually apply each upgrade. Be sure this security software is operational when you download […]

An account should not be able to recover your password for you. Your password is encrypted and known only to you. If you lose the password, the service associated with the account should reset it and send you a new password that you can then change. If the service says it can recover your password […]

Scammers may invent fake password managers to trick people into giving them their passwords to sensitive accounts. To avoid this, only use password managers that have an established reputation and have numerous customer reviews, like Dashlane, Keeper or LastPass.

Hackers don’t want to give you time to think about an offer, because you may figure out their scheme. They might tell you that the offer is only valid for one day, or even just the next few minutes. Always be wary of such an offer and research the vendor in question before moving forward.

Paying the ransom does not guarantee you will get your files back, so it could be a waste of money. That money could then go towards illegal activities and encourage cybercriminals to continue targeting people. Instead of paying the ransom, report the incident to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), who will investigate the […]

If a password manager claims it can recover your master password if you lose it, that means the service will receive access to that information when you create the account. This approach puts your sensitive information at risk. Normally, your passwords are all encrypted, and even the password manager does not have access to your […]