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I’m sure you have read about the ransomware attacks that occurred against the Colonial Pipeline that caused them to shut down production. This attack was the reason behind people hoarding gasoline a situation that looked similar to last year's toilet paper panic at the beginning of the pandemic. Ransomware attacks have been on the rise for years now and it is not showing any signs of slowing down and everyone is a target. If you want to keep your personal or business devices

A couple of weeks ago, I shared some tips to help Macintosh users set their computers back to factory defaults. Just to make sure my fellow Windows users don't feel left out, I will share the same tips with you. If you're getting rid of an old computer, it's important to completely wipe your data from it. A factory reset will return it to its 'out of the box' state, with your files, programs, and profile setup all removed. Check out my quick and easy tips to help you reset

The Covid-19 pandemic has created chaos in the production of many products we use in our day-to-day life including semiconductors. How does this affect you? Well, semiconductors are one of the important components in the electronics you use at home and work. Smartphones, computers, cars, and tablets are just a few of the items that rely on computer semiconductors and chips. Production slowed down some tech items, reducing supply. During the pandemic, demand suddenly incre

For many of you, your lives now depend on the longevity and health of your tech devices, especially your smartphones, tablets, and laptops. When you experience problems, it's a cause for panic because these devices are just supposed to work, right? You probably didn't know this, but your devices are designed to give you warning signs when they are in the process of failing. You don't have to be a tech expert to see these signs and it's helpful to recognize them to prevent d

It's common knowledge that big tech companies like Facebook, Google, or Twitter are tracking you through the apps you're using on your smartphones and tablets to target you with ads. When these companies know your personal habits such as where you live, where you shop, and what you do for entertainment, it helps them personalize ads that are directly targeted to you. Fortunately, companies like Android and Apple are stepping up to the plate to help keep your information and

With Spring in full swing, you're probably in decluttering mode and ready to sell or get rid of your older Apple products. If I were to guess, you're holding on to those old devices because you don't want your personal information on them to fall into the wrong hands. Performing a factory reset is something you need to do before you sell or give any device. This process will wipe out the hard drive and delete all of your files and other areas where your Mac products store

If you're like me, your smartphone plays a huge part in your life. Not only does it help you stay connected to family and loved ones, but it's a great tool that allows you to stay connected to your financial accounts, email, and most importantly games. The average smartphone costs start at about $800 and the repair of most smartphones can range between $300-$400, which makes it a huge out-of-pocket expense when it breaks. Rather than risking a large expense if something goes

Are you one of the millions of people who are worried about the data breaches that have occurred with Facebook, Linkedin, Clubhouse, and Qlink Wireless? Well, the good news is none of these companies has recently been breached. The bad news is cybercriminals have resorted to a 'data scraping' to obtain your personal information off social media to either sell the highest bidder or to use it to target you with personal cyber-attacks to get your money. How can you protect yo

Cyber attacks are at an all-time high and hackers are always looking for new ways to get access to your devices. Criminals know there's important data stored on your gadgets. Think of all of the passwords you store on your tech devices, as well as the sensitive sites like your bank you use your devices to connect to on a daily basis. It makes sense that you want to keep that information out of prying eyes, if you don't, you risk cyber crooks stealing your personal and finan

It's been a year since the COVID 19 pandemic forced all of us to rely on our computers and associated devices for work and school. Most modern tech devices don't need a 'tune up', but as we into Spring, it's a good time for cleaning. So when you start to do a deep cleaning on your living space, take a few minutes to follow these steps to spring clean all items associated with your digital lifestyle. Avoid computer and app cleaning products: it's Tempting to purchase do it all

Any online account you have is at risk of being hacked. It doesn't matter if it's social media, financial or an email account, if you can log on to any computer or device to access it, means that any cybercriminal can get access to it as well. Numerous large-scale data breaches and theft of tech devices over the years have forced big tech companies to create a system that will help keep your online accounts safe. Strong passwords are always a must, but 2 Step or Two-factor

When you have people visit your house or your office, normally the first question is “What’s your WiFi password?” You've probably handed out your password to anyone that enters your house, or place of business but that isn't a good idea. Inviting people to log into your network could potentially give people access to important information on your devices as The best solution to allow people access to the Internet while visiting your home is to set up a guest WiFi network. If

If you are active on social media, you have probably heard about the new social network Clubhouse. Any time a new social media app appears on the scene, there are always issues about your privacy and security. I'm sure many of you have the following questions: Will it give away my location? How much information will I have to share to get signed up? Am I OK with my kids signing up for Clubhouse? Check out my tips that will give you a quick overview of the privacy, safety,

When you think of cybercriminals, I'm sure the image that pops up in your head is a couple of geeks or nerds in the basement wrecking having by clicking a series of keys and hacking into you or your business's computers and network. Cybercrime has evolved over the years from geeks having fun to criminal organizations taking advantage of the reach of the Internet. During this pandemic, there is a new breed of criminals that have emerged - drug dealers. They are using the pow

During most of 2020, robocalls came to a screeching halt, but now these scam calls have come back with a vengeance. It doesn't matter if you receive calls about your car's warranty, your late payments to the IRS, or the fact that your computer has been infected with a deadly virus, they only have one goal and that is to trick you out of your hard-earned money. The reason these calls continue is that they are pretty successful. Research company Statista reported that American

It seems like every online service wants you to sign up for monthly or yearly subscriptions. Sure most are only small amounts of money, but if you sign up for multiple services, they can add up quickly to the point where those subscriptions can become expensive. In case you didn't know, a lot of services allow you to share a plan with your friends and family which everyone in your circle can save a little. Here are some popular services that let you share with your family and

Today is Safer Internet Day! Yes, I know, another holiday, but this event is designed to help you. Created in 2004, Safer Internet Day is designed to educate people about online safety issues on the web such as cyberbullying, social media scams, email scams, and identity theft. It's important that we all come together to help improve internet safety. As a tech expert who helps people with computers and associated gadgets, I've learned that a majority of Internet security i

Making sure your home and office wireless network is secure is essential, especially if you do sensitive work online. The last thing you want in this day and age is a stranger connected to your wireless router snooping on any sensitive information you may be working on. Also, it's important to maintain your router as it acts as a firewall, protecting you from the many threats that are lurking online. It's hard to cover all of the settings for every brand of router in a short

As we evolve into more of a digital world, every year become worse because of cybercrime. With many of you and your businesses moving to a remote workforce because of the COVID19 pandemic, it has made criminals increase their focus on attacking both home and business users. 99% of crime requires user interaction which means if you take the time to educate yourself about the different cyber threats on the Internet, you can keep yourself and your business safe. Read on to see

I'm sure over the past 10 months you've experienced some issues with your video, sound, and microphone during a webinar. There's nothing more annoying when participating in or hosting a Zoom or Skype meeting you have to deal with distorted video, choppy sound, crackling from your speakers, and viewers that can see you, but not hear you. As many of you might know, I host quite a few video meetings and conduct tech segments via video chat with local and national stations, whic