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Google just launched two-step verification for all Google accounts, a system which makes your Google/Gmail account—the account possibly containing the lion’s share of your private communication online—considerably more secure. In fact, we’d encourage everyone who uses Gmail (the @gmail version or your Google Apps version) as their primary email provider to start using this feature as soon as possible. Here’s why, and then how.

What’s Two-Step Verification?

The only thing standing between a hacker and your Google account—and more importantly, your sensitive information—is your password. Even if you had the strongest password you could possibly randomly generate, if someone were able to discover that password, they’d be in.

Two-step verification offers a more secure way for Google to verify that you are who you say you are when you’re logging into your Google account on a new web browser, through a new application, or on a new mobile device. With two-step verification, your password isn’t enough by itself. As Google put it:

2-step verification requires two independent factors for authentication, much like you might see on your banking website: your password, plus a code you only use once. continue reading…

We’ve all heard of worms, Trojan horses, phishing, and other common computer security attacks that aims to infect your system and steal your data. But what about bluebugging, smishing, and scareware? Brush up on your computer security terminology with these lesser-known attackers.

Malware is serious business. It can slow PCs down to a crawl. On the other hand, some of the terms security researchers have decided to name these sometimes annoying (and often damaging) pieces of code are downright charming.

Here are nine that stand out, followed by seven most people have heard of:

The Security Attacks Most People Have Never Heard Of

Smishing: Smishing or “SMS phishing” refers to a phishing attack that specifically targets mobile phones. The victim would receive an SMS with a hyperlink wherein a malware automatically finds its way in your phone or leads the user to a phishing site formatted for mobile screens. The term was brought on by David Rayhawk in a McAfee Avert Labs blog. continue reading…

Hi there,

Thought you might benefit from a few tech tips this holiday season to both keep you safe and show you some things that maybe you didn’t know.

It just so happens that I put together this tech support care package for you. I picked out some videos that you can watch to learn:

create a strong password

make calls from your computer

know if an email is real

share a big file

Have Fun,
Matt Lucas

Microsoft’s Security Essentials has been our favorite anti-malware application for a while—it’s free, unobtrusive, and it doesn’t slow your PC down, but now it’s even better with the new 2.0 release, which adds network filtering, heuristic protection, and more.

Just to be clear and direct with you: we absolutely recommend Microsoft Security Essentials as your anti-malware / anti-virus utility over any other option—and how can you argue? It’s totally free! continue reading…