Tag: Privacy

  • Why I Left LastPass for 1Password

    There are very simple reasons why password security is so important: 1) We can now access most of our private, confidential information online (bank accounts, email, and social networks), and 2) We’re lazy. I’m not trying to make anyone feel bad with that last point. I’m really lazy, too. For years, I used only a…

  • Why You Shouldn’t Talk to Strangers on Facebook

    Facebook, for the most part, is a safe place to meet friends and talk to people. However, it’s good practice (and simply common sense) to stick to conversations with people you actually know. Recently, I’ve been receiving messages from complete strangers asking seemingly-legitimate questions about my livelihood, such as programming or brewing, since both are…

  • Farewell Firesheep, Facebook Rolls Out Secure HTTPS Option

    After the Firesheep  fiasco of last October, most people became keenly aware of how insecure they were on unencrypted websites like Facebook and Twitter. (In case you missed it, Firesheep is an add-on for Firefox that allows a malicious user to take control of your account on unsecure non-https websites when browsing on wi-fi) Firesheep…

  • How to Prevent Facebook and Google from Tracking You Online

    These days it’s impossible to casually surf the web and avoid sites that use tools from Facebook, Twitter, Google, and others that make the experience more social and immersive.  Still, with privacy issues at the forefront of technology news, it is worth noting that many of these social media tools make your e-life more convenient…

  • Ask Techerator: I Think I’m Being Spied on with Dynamic DNS, What Should I Do?

    Techerator team: My (techie) husband mentioned that he can track the location of our laptop with a “dynamic DNS”.  He also said something about being able to remotely connect to it with this tool.  Should I be worried? Is this spyware? The service he is referring to is indeed called dynamic DNS.  This service can…

  • Forget to Log Out? New Facebook Security Features Will Save Your Reputation

    Prepare to be impressed: Facebook is rolling out some great new features that will help protect your account from unauthorized access.  They might not have the whole information privacy thing figured out yet, but they are definitely taking the right steps when it comes to keeping your account safe. Generate Temporary Random Passwords via SMS…

  • How to NOT Suck at Foursquare (and other location-based social networks)

    If you’re just joining the rest of us on the internet, there’s something you should know.  There are several websites that allow you to use your physical location in the world (typically via the GPS in your mobile phone) to virtually “check in” to venues like restaurants, sporting events, and movie theaters. Checking your location…

  • How to Prevent Embarrassing Status Updates on Facebook with Alerts

    As I rapidly learned in my fraternity days, you can never be too careful with your unattended computer.  All it takes is for you to leave your door unlocked, forget to log out of a public computer, or leave your laptop somewhere, and a stranger can have complete access to your entire Facebook account. Even…

  • Security Tip: Deauthorize Old Facebook Applications to Protect Your Profile [Updated]

    It’s no secret: Facebook hasn’t exactly won any awards for protecting your privacy lately.  But Facebook’s privacy policies aren’t the only thing you need to be concerned about when using the popular social network – you also need to keep an eye on the apps that have access to your information. Whenever you use an…

  • How to discover what public information is available on your Facebook Profile

    Facebook has made headlines recently with the company’s questionable approach to user privacy.  Many of the new changes to Facebook allow more of your information to be shared without your knowledge. Unknown to most people, some of your Facebook information is available to anyone on the internet through the Facebook API.  You can use a…