Computer/ Internet Tips & News
September 2017
This Month's Tips: 
  • What you need to know about the Equifax data breach
  • Is your email account easy to access by hackers?
  • Can you spot all that's wrong in this screenshot?
  • Tell friends and family about our services
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What you need to know about the Equifax data breach
Equifax, one of the large credit reporting agencies in the U.S.  recently announced  a data breach that may affect 143 million Americans. In case you’re not familiar with the population of the United States, that number is equal to just about every adult who’s ever applied for credit. Initial reports indicate that exposed data may include names, Social Security numbers, birth dates, addresses and, in some instances, driver’s license numbers. Note that Equifax DOES NOT have access to passwords to your financial accounts.

The Federal Trade Commission posted  a helpful article with suggestions on what you can do to help protect your financial data  now that the data breach has come to light. However, contrary to their advice that includes entering your personal information to check to see if you’ve been affected by the breach and sign up for free credit monitoring through TrustedID Premier, a 3-bureau credit monitoring service (Equifax, Experian and Trans Union) which also is operated by Equifax (yes, the same company that exposed your data in the first place) – security researcher Brian Krebs  recommends placing a credit freeze on your file , and further explains how to do it in  this article .

Additional information from the FTC includes:

Is your email account easy to access by hackers?
Believe it or not, your email account is valuable to hackers. Miscreants can break into your email account and use it to send spam to your contacts or fool them into sending them money, and even break into your other accounts containing financial information by simply requesting a password reset. That’s why it’s very important to use a secure email service, and use multiple strong security methods to help prevent unwanted people from accessing your email account.

A secure email service is likely not one provided by your Internet service provider. In the Reno area, Charter and AT&T provide free email accounts as part of their service but they are not very secure because those accounts lack of security features make them easy targets by hackers. See  Why you should ditch your Internet provider’s email .

A better option is... click here to read more...
In case you missed it...
Can you spot all that's wrong in this screenshot?
Question: What's wrong in the following screenshot that recently appeared on a client's iPhone?
Answer:

  • Bad grammar and spelling - note "WARNNING"
  • Is grcyukzteufal.bid a website that you should trust?
  • It's a website telling you to do something from a web browser that you didn't ask for.

Unfortunately an increasing number of these fake warning messages are appearing on desktops, laptops, tablets and smartphones every day. If you know how to spot a scary scam such as the one above, your computing devices will be much safer.
Why trust anyone else to service your computer?

If you're happy with our service, please let others know by recommending us to your friends and family, and/or by writing a review about our service. If you personally recommend us to a friend or relative and we help them, you get $20 off your next service call.

Why trust someone who "knows" computers and works on them in their spare time? Why trust someone who you called from a pop-up ad on your computer? You shouldn't! Computer Techs is a local business that works with computers and related devices on a daily basis and has been doing so since 2003. When you need help with your computing devices, you can trust Computer Techs to be there when you need us, and stand behind our service.