Every time a news story hits about online accounts being broken into, it’s a reminder to take a look at just how secure your own accounts are. Katie Humphrey of the Star Tribune explains the different levels of online security you can setup.
In a perfect world, our accounts would be perfectly locked down. But there are some considerations to take into account when setting up your security.
How tight you lock down depends on your patience. “It’s security versus complexity,” said Derek Meister, an agent with Best Buy’s Geek Squad. “How complicated do you want to make that door lock before it becomes a pain for you to go through the door each day?”
Keep Updated – Software updates not only help keep your computer safe, they can also fix issues with apps that aren’t behaving correctly and chewing up battery life. If you continuously have issues with your PC, don’t forget to check for driver updates at the manufacturer’s support site, including updates to the BIOS that can help with the charging system.
Check Your Power Settings – Windows allows you to configure when the screen and computer go to sleep, helping to save battery life when the computer is left on. Check that these settings are set optimally for how you use your device by visiting Control Panel, then Hardware and Sound, then Power Options.
Dim the Screen – One of the biggest battery drains on most devices, including smartphones, tablets and laptops, is the screen. Dimming the display can significantly improve battery life. Change your screen settings on Windows 8 by bringing up the Charms bar, then Settings, where the brightness will be displayed towards the bottom.
Turn Off Bluetooth – Most new laptops come with a Bluetooth radio built-in. Even if no Bluetooth devices are connected to the laptop, this radio will draw from the battery. Turn it off when not needed.
Disconnect USB Devices – Every USB device attached to your laptop uses a small portion of your power, including USB flash drives. If you don’t need it currently, disconnect that device. Keep in mind that connecting your smartphone to the laptop will allow access to the files, but will also drain battery life as the phone charges itself off the laptop.
Play Audio – WTAM 1100 Newsradio – Tech Tuesday – September 16th, 2014
As we move more of our important information online, from cloud-based storage to web-based email and financial software, the need for additional security around those accounts becomes clear. Relying on a simple username and password won’t cut it in a world where spyware and phishing attacks try to gather as much information about us as possible.
Fortunately, many online services are adding another layer to their security in the form of “2-Step Verification”. Sometimes referred to as “Two Factor Authentication”, this process involves an additional step during the login process to help confirm your identity by requiring “something you know” and “something you have”.
The knowledge part is your existing password. To add something you have, many sites will ask you to sign up your mobile number or download a special app for your smartphone. This allows a security code to be sent to the phone, which is entered after the password.
It sounds complicated, but many of us have been using 2-step verification for decades in the form of ATM cards. The “something you know” is your PIN, and the “something you have” is your ATM card. Just like the ATM process has become second-nature, so too will 2-step verification once you set it up and begin to use it.
For a complete list of services that currently allow 2-step verification, such as Google, PayPal, Facebook and others, visit twofactorauth.org.
Play Audio – WTAM 1100 Newsradio – Tech Tuesday – September 9th, 2014
The “Back to School” season has been in full swing for a few weeks now. Many parents may be looking for ways to stay in touch to their kids, and Geek Squad has tips to keep connected.
Play Audio – WTAM 1100 Newsradio – Tech Tuesday – July 22nd, 2014
If you use your smartphone with your business, the recent news stories of IBM’s partnership with Apple may have piqued your interest.
IBM and Apple started out as rivals for the PC market in the very early 80s before it became Mac vs Windows. While IBM left the personal computer space over the next few decades, they continued to be a very important player in enterprise environments.
In the last 7 years, smartphones and tablets have become one of the fastest growing markets for what are really still personal computers. However, even though we’re more likely to turn to a smartphone to check our personal email, or use a tablet to surf the web, the support for these devices in a corporate environment is still a huge area of growth opportunity.
With Apple’s strength being consumer hardware and IBM still being a well-known enterprise systems developer, you’re likely to see a much more robust approach to helping companies supply, manage and support devices like iPhones and iPads.
When you’re dealing with hundreds or thousands or even tens of thousands of corporate employees, often across different locations and even time zones, the ability to manage user accounts and access from those highly-mobile devices can be a nightmare for your company’s IT department.
Life doesn’t always provide a place to plug in when you’re on the go. Fortunately, there are a few things you can do to help 
Here’s a quick rundown on the 5 tips shared with