If you don’t secure your wireless network, anyone with a wireless-enabled computer in range of your access point could use your connection. The typical indoor broadcast range of an access point is 150 – 300 feet. Outdoors, this range may extend as far as 1,000 feet. So, if your neighborhood is closely settled, or if […]

Like biological viruses, computer viruses spread in highly specific ways. Just as influenza infects people via airborne droplets containing virions the body’s immune systems can’t stop, malware takes over computing devices by bypassing their defenses. In other words, viruses don’t come out of nowhere, and with the right preparations it’s possible to contain them before they cause […]

When shopping online, get the maximum possible security and privacy for your transactions. That means never buying anything while connected to public or open Wi-Fi networks, or even to the Wi-Fi of someone you don’t know well. Stick to your own Wi-Fi or to cellular service like 5G for the safest results.

Networks without passwords do not encrypt your connection. Accordingly, it’s possible for other connected users to spy on your activity, including any password you type. Don’t view your bank balance or log into any accounts tied to a debit/credit card while on public Wi-Fi. Cellular is much safer in these cases.

Hackers grab the headlines constantly these days — usually for corporate ransoms and massive data leaks — but beneath these high-profile cases, other cybercriminals are targeting people like you: users on a home network. They can steal your information, log-in details and web history, knowing your network is much easier to breach than any company […]

Virtually all modern routers support WPA2 encryption, which is far more secure than WPA or WEP encryption. Make sure the encryption you’re using on the router is WPA2 so you know the information it’s broadcasting is safe. If your router doesn’t support WPA2, it might be wise to get a new device that does.