Basic Steps For Keeping Your PC And Mac Safe

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via businessinsider.com

It’s easy to forget about computer security. Unfortunately, by the time you realize there’s a problem with your computer, you could be in deep trouble.

Most users recycle the same passwords, never update their computer’s software, and, worst of all, don’t back up.

Take a few minutes out of your day and educate yourself on how a firewall works, what Java is and how to disable it, and a few other measures you can take to increase your computer’s security.

How to Keep Your Reputation Spotless Online

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The Internet has served to connect billions of people worldwide, in ways that few of us would have envisioned just 20 or 30 years ago. Its ease of accessibility allows anyone to get online and upload blog articles, photos, comments and more. However, that ease of use can make you a target of people who would like to sully your reputation, perhaps bringing harm to your business and costing you money.

Warrantless cellphone tracking is legal, federal court rules

via technolog.msnbc.msn.com

On Tuesday, the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that law enforcement officials don’t need a warrant to track suspects via cellphones. Attorneys argued to overturn Skinner’s many convictions, citing that the GPS location information that led to the defendant’s arrest was obtained in violation of the Fourth Amendment, which guards against unreasonable searches and seizures. This didn’t wash with the majority of judges over the case, who voted in a 2-1 ruling.

2012 Cyber Security Research Report

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The age of digital media, internet technology, and worldwide e-commerce, is upon us, and what that really means is that, for most of us, our lives are now almost completely entwined with the internet in some way or another, whether it is for personal use, social use, business, use or otherwise. With so much of our daily lives and pieces of our identities living on the internet, the new danger that comes with that is cyber security hacks and vulnerabilities.

Hackers and thieves used to have to take our purses and wallets, or lift numbers off our credit cards or social security identifiers in order to compromise our personal or business information; today, all a hacker needs to do is find the appropriate online platform that has poor security, and take all the database information that lies within it. Pretty scary, if you think about it. This infographic, the 2012 Cyber Security Research Report lays out the fine details and statistics about the state of Cyber Security today and how it affects all of us as internet users.

9 Things You Absolutely Must Do to Keep Your Online Identity Secure

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via gizmodo.com

We’ve been reeling a bit ever since Mat Honan was the victim of that ruthless social hack that wiped all his devices. Sure, that was an extreme case. But it’s also one that could happen to anyone, at any time. So we put together a list of the best ways to make sure your internet self—your accounts, your cash, and your information—stays secure.

5 Ways To Prevent Your Account From Being Hacked

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Over the weekend, WIRED editor (and former Gizmodo writer), Mat Honan was viciously hacked.

The hacker was able to wipe his iPhone and iPad and access both his personal Twitter account and Gizmodo’s Twitter account.

Honan wasn’t really at fault either, Apple was. The iPhone maker’s Apple Care support let an individual reset Honan’s password over the phone, resulting in a domino effect that quickly ruined the writer’s weekend.

We wouldn’t blame you if you were worried about being hacked after Honan’s nightmare, so we came up with a few ways to protect yourself…

Protect Information On Smartphone

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Smartphones are expensive and the information you have on that smartphone may be worth more than money.

Recently, there has been a surge of iDevice thefts in New York City and beyond.

The Wall Street Journal reports, “in New York, there were more than 26,000 incidents of electronics theft in the first 10 months of 2011—81% involving mobile phones—according to an internal police-department document. In Washington, D.C., cellphone-related robberies jumped 54% from 2007 to 2011, according to the Metropolitan Police Department. And the data may drastically undercount thefts.”

Cybersecurity Bill Inches Closer to Passing

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The Lieberman-Collins cybersecurity bill moved one step closer to passing Thursday afternoon. The Senate voted in favor of a motion to proceed 84-11 after a lengthy and contentious debate. The bill now faces additional changes before being brought up for a full vote.

The Cybersecurity Act, or CSA, is the Senate’s attempt to address cybersecurity reform. Senate leadership considers such reform a priority for the current term that ends in January.

As written, the CSA would set up an optional program where businesses deemed critical to the national infrastructure (such as power grids) would be asked to meet cybersecurity standards set by a group of government agencies. It would also establish a protocol for government agencies and businesses to share cybersecurity threat information with one another.

Google continues its war on anonymity, and YouTube is next

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via digitaltrends.com

YouTube users are now being prompted to provide their real names in lieu of aliases as it tries to legitimize its social self.

If Facebook knows anything, it’s that real names are a valuable commodity. Unlike blogging communities or early stabs at social networks, the platform has always made using your real name a requirement for having an account.