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Consumer Reports joined Into Tomorrow this week to talk about securing our data:
There’s a lot you can do to protect your personal information when you go online. Consumer Reports electronics spokesman James McQueen is here with some recommended steps that take just a few minutes to do, and each one can help make your data more secure.
Turn on automatic updates. According to security professionals, the most critical step you can take to boost security is to keep your operating system and other software up to date. Hackers are always exploiting more vulnerabilities, while security pros play nonstop malware whack-a-mole. If you have old software, you’re missing the latest protections.
Use screen locks on every device. Set a password or PIN for every laptop, smartphone, and tablet you own. Any lost device without a screen lock is an unprotected gateway for thieves, who may be able to access your email and banking and social accounts, changing passwords and taking control of your digital life. Use a screen lock that’s at least six characters long. And avoid easy-to-guess passwords.
Cover your laptop webcam. Malicious actors have repeatedly proven that they can turn on a laptop’s camera without the user’s knowledge. The simplest solution? Do what Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and FBI director James Comey do—put a piece of tape or a Post-it note over it.
For more info on this story, visit ConsumerReports.org.
Chris shared an app he’s been playing with:
The app I’m talking about this week is called “EasilyDo.” It’s a free app that works as a personal assistant and automation tool. You connect the app to a variety of online services, such as your email, calendar, Facebook account, and so forth, and EasilyDo looks for things it can help you get easily done. For example, a notification might ask you if you’d like EasilyDo to add the contact details of someone who has recently emailed you to your address book. Or it might spot an upcoming birthday of a friend and let you set up a “happy birthday” post to their timeline in advance. It’s an amazing productivity app that helps you take care of a variety of tasks quickly and efficiently. EasilyDo is free and is available on iOS and Android devices.
