Peer-to-peer (P2P) websites are fraught with risk. While you’re searching for links to torrents, you might see thumbnails for stories that seem oddly relevant or interesting, with titles like “New rule in [your location].” A lot of these links lead to malware, so don’t click them or, better yet, don’t visit P2P sites to begin […]

A lot of websites contain large “Install” buttons all but begging you to click them. You shouldn’t. They will usually give you adware or spyware instead of what you wanted or, worse, they’ll redirect you to a compromised website.

Email attachments are to some degree unavoidable in normal personal and business communications. However, it’s a good idea to minimize your exposure. Don’t open any attachments from people not in your contacts list, and ask senders if they can share the document via a cloud link instead (much safer).

It’s fully possible to create your own strong passwords, i.e. ones based on phrases, but it’s often more trouble than it’s worth. Many password managers, including ones built into OSes like Apple iOS, can take care of password generation, storage, organization and retrieval for you.

Try to stick to your own devices when possible, if only for the security benefits. When you use someone else’s laptop or tablet, you have no assurance that it isn’t infected with malware or running a keylogger.

It’s common to have tons of apps on your devices, many of which you might not have opened in months or even years. Unless they contain vital information or functionality, it’s usually advisable to delete them. Not only will you free up space, you’ll save yourself any trouble that might stem from their use of […]