For those who need a little email sanity and easy-to-understand email security advice Which of these sounds most like your email habits? I use one or two email addresses in a web browser (like Gmail) I use multiple email addresses in an email application (like Outlook) I use multiple email addresses in a never-ending dystopia… Continue Reading Practical email security advice for small businesses, organizations, and everyday users

Which of these emails looks legitimate to you? The difference is small, but the one on the right is legitimate. It’s the “from” address that gives it away. The one on the left is from instantink.hpsmarrt.com with two “r” characters together in “smart”.  There are other ways to question this email: Is this from a… Continue Reading How to spot a suspicious email

Do you know what’s wrong with these? We’ve all seen these in our Facebook and social media feeds. They seem harmless and ask questions like: Where did you grow up? What’s your favorite color? First pet’s name? Street you grew up on? Favorite food? What’s your high school’s mascot? Favorite band? What elementary school did… Continue Reading Like domestic and child abusers, the “hackers” are likely someone you know

“Phishing” means any kind of email that’s sent from one person or bot to many people in hopes someone will click a link that leads to a malicious website or exploits some bug. Phishing emails are typically sent from bots or overseas actors who acquire email addresses from places that have been severely compromised, like… Continue Reading The danger of phishing emails

Spear phishing is a one-to-few or one-to-one kind of attack. Companies and groups with a public directory or staff listing on their websites have probably encountered one of these in the past. A common spear phishing attack works and looks like this: Let’s assume the email address mary.smith@myorg.org looks valid to you and you recognize… Continue Reading Spear phishing can originate from your website and social media

The days of sending and receiving viruses—literal virus files designed to spread across your computer—aren’t dead, but for most people it’s unlikely. Most built-in systems are very good at detecting threats. But it is still possible. Here are two file attachments. Which one seems okay to you? The one on the right has a period (.)… Continue Reading Attachments and spotting malware

If you use Gmail or Google-based email (like Google Apps for Business or Education), you can adjust your email address to anything with a + sign. If your email is johnnyappleseed@gmail.com You can write your address in any format or message as johnnyappleseed+lowes@gmail.com. In this example, if you signed up for an account at Lowes… Continue Reading Use a junk-only forwarder to handle email spam

Truth be told, your grandmother’s strategy of writing down all her different passwords on a post-it note might be a better strategy than having one password you use everywhere. At least grandma had multiple passwords! Password hygiene—the act of doing a little upkeep and keeping things neat and tidy—really only requires the use of a… Continue Reading How to have good password hygiene

When you log on to a public WiFi network, the information between your computer or phone and the network antennas around you is unencrypted. Meaning it’s as freely available in the air to “overhear” as if you were conversing at normal volume to someone a few feet away from you at Starbucks. You wouldn’t loudly… Continue Reading Understanding public WiFi networks and encryption