By Leo Notenboom
The way characters are represented within computer documents and email isn’t always the same everywhere, and things often get misinterpreted.
Let me cover a few concepts, and throw out a few tips on how it can sometimes be avoided.
Ask Leo: Odd Characters Instead of Quotes Read More »
By Leo Notenboom
Laptops are portable, convenient and easily lost. When lost, all the data could easily be available to the finder. Encryption is the answer.
Ask Leo: How Can I Keep My Laptop Data Secure? Read More »
By Leo Notenboom
If I consider my computer to be physically secure, am I reasonably safe
letting Firefox remember my passwords (without using a master password), or am
I being incredibly stupid to do that? What if I do use a master password?
I certainly wouldn’t say incredibly stupid at all. But it’s definitely an
additional risk, and one that needs to be understood.
But you’re correct in considering physical security first. The problem is
that people often assume they have more physical security than they actually
do.
And master passwords? Well, they’re nice, but they too have their
limitations.
Ask Leo: Is it safe to let my browser remember passwords? Read More »
By Leo Notenboom
I did not realize Windows Mail is not included in Windows 7 Professional. Is there a way to add Windows mail?
It’s true – Outlook Express was replaced by Windows Mail in Windows Vista, but with the release of Windows 7 even that has disappeared, along with Windows Messenger and a few other items.
To be honest, that’s good news for those of us who never used these tools.
But for those who did, it means an extra step or three.
Ask Leo: Where is Windows Mail & Outlook Express in Windows 7? Read More »
By Leo Notenboom
I’ve heard that instant messages through AOL/Yahoo/MSN can be read by hackers that “sniff” the messages leaving my network. Is this true?
Yes.
It’s actually true for all the data that comes and goes on your internet connection: web pages, emails, instant messaging conversations and more.
Most of the time it simply doesn’t matter. Honest.
On the other hand, there are definitely times and situations when you really do need to be careful.
Ask Leo: Can Hackers See My Data? Read More »
By Leo Notenboom
I regularly hear from people who’ve had their email or other online account
compromised, who somehow are able to recover access to it and change their
password, only to have the account stolen almost immediately again.
The problem is actually quite simple, though the solution is a bit of
work.
Ask Leo: Is Changing My Password Enough? Read More »
By Leo Notenboom
My C: and D: drives have many gigabytes of .DAT files under “Documents and
Settings”. I’m trying to free up space on the C: drive. Can I delete any of
these files? I really don’t know what they are, how they got there, or why they
occupy so much space on my computer!
I don’t know.
Honestly, I have no idea either as to what they are, how they got there, or
why they occupy so much space. That’s the problem with “.dat” files – there’s
no way to know what they are without more information.
But I do have some ideas on how to determine if deleting them is ok, and
ways to do it safely. And those ideas apply to any file type, not just
“.dat”.
Ask Leo: Is It Safe to Delete This File? Read More »
By Leo Notenboom
It’s trivial to set up accounts on the free services in which you can be anonymous – using entirely fake information – or in which you can impersonate someone else.
I’m not sure I’d expect much help from the provider – Yahoo, in your case. To be honest, even if they did bother to reply, they wouldn’t know who to believe. You and I know that you’re not, but how’s Yahoo to know that you’re not the impersonator, or just someone trying to hassle someone else?
Here’s what I would do…
Ask Leo: Someone has created an account in my name … Now What? Read More »
By Leo Notenboom
Although there are many software utilities that claim to be
able to delete data files from hard drives securely and
thoroughly, can’t you accomplish the same thing simply by
overwriting sensitive files with large, non-sensitive ones?
To be honest, it depends on your level of paranoia. I
suppose that also depend on the level of sensitivity of your
data.
But you are correct in the implication that a plain old
“delete” isn’t nearly enough.
Let’s look at that, and how far you might need to go.
Ask Leo: Secure Delete – What is it and do I need it? Read More »
By Leo Notenboom
A reader asks: “I share a computer and I want to know how to
keep my information private.”
Ultimately … you can’t. At least not easily, and even then
it depends on the data that you’re attempting to keep
private, and the technical savvy of the individuals that
you’re attempting to keep it private from.
There’s nothing like your own computer. But if you have to
share, there are a couple of things that might help. A
little.
Ask Leo: How do I keep my information on a shared computer private? Read More »