POST
Welcome to POST by ResTech Solutions
Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Every week we will bring you new content covering recent events and news related to technology, Microsoft, Apple, Google, tips & tricks, useful information, and more! To read the full articles in our newsletters you can either click on the image or article headline. We've had a great response each week to our newsletter and we've been hard at work to bring you even more great information this week. Please let us know what you've enjoyed thus far about our newsletter. To see past issues click on the archives link above.
Why the name POST? In the world of computers POST stands for Power On Self Test. This is the action computers take when they are first powered on to check their basic functionality prior to loading the operating system. We decided to take this same concept and to provide you with useful technology information at the beginning of your week to help get you started. POST is also a term associated with news as well and we felt this was an appropriate and fitting name.
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POST by ResTech Solutions
Cybersecurity Awareness Month
October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month. During the month of October we will focusing more on Cybersecurity related articles and topics in our newsletter. This is a great time to review and improve your cybersecurity posture both at home and at work.
POST by ResTech Solutions
News
Twitch Has Been Hacked: Change Your Password and Turn on 2FA Now
Image from MUO
From Wikipedia:
Twitch is an American video live streaming service that focuses on video game live streaming, including broadcasts of esports competitions. In addition, it offers music broadcasts, creative content, and more recently, "in real life" streams.
If you are a user of Twitch you need to change your password and enable two-factor/multifactor authentication. Twitch is just the latest in a long list of companies/services that have been hacked and user data exposed.
This is another reminder that you absolutely have to take extra precautions to keep your accounts secured and isolated. This means:
- Use a unique password for each site and application
- Use a password manager to generate and store complex random passwords for each login
- Do not reuse an old password
- Do not share any logins
- Enable multifactor authentication where it is available
These incidents will continue as cybercrime is on the rise but by taking the above precautions and more you can limit the impact these events will have.
makeuseof.com
Why Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram Went Offline for Six Hours
Image from MUO
The outage experienced by Facebook's services on October 4th has highlighted how many of us rely too much on a single service or a single company's service. This incident has shown that we cannot rely on just one service or one company for some of our online activities and interactions. Because of the pandemic we have relied more on online services to stay in touch.
Like with many other things it is important to always have alternatives lined up ready to go should something happen.
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Cyber Security
6 Common VPN Myths and Why You Shouldn't Believe Them
Image from MUO
VPNs or Virtual Private Networks have become another necessary security tool to have for daily use to protect your identity/privacy and data while online. Over the years there have been several myths that have arisen about VPNs and are not true. Check out the linked article the learn about these myths and why they aren't true and how a VPN can be a benefit to you.
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How Do Websites Keep Your Passwords Secure?
Image from MUO
With breaches and hacks now a common occurrence you may have wondered how secure your passwords are for the websites you use. There are many methods to securely store your password and some are better than others. This linked article looks at the different methods and explains how they work.
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How Your iCloud Can Be Hacked and How to Protect It
Image from MUO
As much security that Apple puts on their systems and makes available to you it is still possible for your account to be hacked. There are things you can do to limit your exposure and prevent this from happening. Many of the methods discussed in the linked article can be applied to other accounts as well. Check out the linked article for full details.
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What Is the Best Password Manager for Your Device?
Image from MUO
We've discussed password managers in many of our previous issues. Everyone should be using a password manager. There is no one right answer as to which one you should use and the linked article has some great questions to help you determine which is the best option.
Regarless of which one you select it should offer the following:
- Desktop App
- Mobile App
- Browser extensions
- Encrypts all information
- Can inform you if a password has been compromised
Do not use any browser password storage as they are less secure and the passwords can usually be accessed with your computer/device login password.
makeuseof.com
10 Steps to Take When You Discover Malware on Your Computer
Image from MUO
There are many types of malware and they almost always pose a security risk. When your computer is infected with malware it is important to get it removed as quickly as possible. You should also know what symptoms to look out for and how to remove any malware that gets on your system. Check out the linked article on how to handle a malware infection.
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Windows
Lost Your Windows Administrator Password? How to Reset It
Image from MUO
Before you lose your administrator password consider storing it in a secure location such as your password manager. The goal is to not have to go through this recovery process. Check out the linked article for steps to recover your admin password for Windows. Steps are available for Windows 10, Windows 8, & Windows 7.
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10 Windows Task Manager Tricks You Probably Didn't Know
Image from MUO
Windows Task Manager should be your go to app when you need some basic info on your computer or for troubleshooting issues. You may already be using Task Manager for many of these basic tasks. You can actually do much more with the Task Manager and you can check out the linked article for 10 Task Manager tricks.
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FAQ of the Week
Downloaded a Suspicious File? Here’s How to Check if It Contains Malware
Image from MUO
Each week we will address a frequently asked question. This week we are looking at what to do with a suspicious file.
If you have a file that you do not recognize and suspect that it contains malware you will need to check it to know if it is safe or infected. You can do this by using an online scanner or scanning it with your installed antivirus/malware program if it has the option to scan an individual file. If you believe your system is infected then the online scanner will be your best option.
If you confirm the files does contain malware it needs to be permanently deleted from your system. You can do this by selecting the file and pressing the Shift + Delete key combination on your keyboard.
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