Cybersecurity is something you know is important for your business, but it’s easy to get overwhelmed. When you’re a solo or micro-business, it’s difficult to know where to turn for help. I was happy to learn this week that the Global Cyber Alliance has created a toolkit specifically for small businesses such as yours. Its […]
security
Password Tips for 2018
I first wrote about passwords in 2011. What’s changed in the past seven years? What is important for you as a small business owner? Use a Password Manager Yes. Seven years ago I was on the fence about their effectiveness. I liked my method–a semi-encrypted text file that I would search through. It took me […]
When big exploits arrive
Everyone is talking about the security threats Meltdown and Spectre. Now I am too. What do these processor vulnerabilities mean for you as a small business owner? Do you need to replace everything and buy new software? Will your computer suddenly be really slow or bricked? My short term answers are: Everything and nothing. No. […]
HTTPS here
It’s amazing how quickly an environment can change. That can’t be denied. This post was planned weeks ago, but it’s taken on new urgency in recent days. No overly specific event has directly caused that, just a timeline of peaceful protests, to gag orders, mandating EPA scientific studies, data undergo review by political staff before […]
on heartbleed…
So… Heartbleed. Right. *SIGH* I covered a bit of this on social media (Facebook and Twitter) last week and it was all over the news, so I didn’t write here before today. I do feel some sort of overview a week on may be useful for someone. What happened last week? It was disclosed that […]
Two-steps to add security in your digital life
Two-step authentication is in the news again following this week’s hacking of The AP’s twitter account. Two-step authentication adds an extra layer of security making your online accounts more secure. It requires you to gain access to applications (or websites) by requiring both something you know (password) and something you have (in most cases, your […]
WordPress Upgrade – Where do I start?
This post follows up on the tech tip I recorded for Episode 281 of the Just the Books podcast. This week, Version 3.5 of WordPress was released. To receive notices of all updates and upgrades of WordPress you can follow them on twitter, facebook, or sign up for email alerts. Three things you must do […]
Basic WordPress Security
This post follows up on the tech tip I recorded for Episode 279 of the Just the Books podcast. This continues the series about websites and how they’re made, looking specifically at WordPress. This series is not intended to deeply explore the topic, the primary goal is to build a foundation for understanding how websites […]
Info & Tech Literacy Series: Security & Privacy Basics – links
Yes, you know how to use the computer. Your three year old is showing you how to use the iPad. You successfully create presentation slides for seminars you give and your tween has a webpage she designed for a class. Your wife set up and secured your wifi network.. and unplugged the blinking VCR since […]
Seven Tips for Passwords
There are the best-practice gurus say you must use, then there is real life. In this post, I hope to provide some guidance so that you can decide what makes the most sense for you. Keep email and bank account passwords different and unique from other passwords. Do I really want my bank account, web-based […]