Tuesday, May 19, 2015

May 2015 Edition - Monthly Mini-Bytes

Protect Yourself from Malware and Scams
Be Proactive and Suspicious

Macs, by the very nature of the design of OS X, are very secure systems, unlike Windows computers that pass around infections and viruses faster than a kindergarten class. But still, the bad guys have to figure out a way to, well, be bad guys. The way they do this in the world of Macs is by trickery and tomfoolery. Keeping a watchful eye will go a long way to keep you safe.

Your Admin Password
Keep in mind that your Administrator Password (the one you need to enter to log in or install software) is the key to your Mac. If it pops up, ask yourself why. It's the front door of your system -- enter the password and you open the door. Just as you do at home, be sure you know who you open the door for.

Adware
Let's talk about Adware. What is it? Adware is software that tracks your activities on line so that you can be presented with ads either embedded in a web page or via pop-ups. Technically Google is adware, but we're talking about the bad stuff -- the borderline malware that gets installed on your system by piggy-backing on a legitimate install. If you are getting a lot of pop-ups or your home page has been changed to a weird search engine like InstallMac, then chances are you have adware on your system.

How to remove it? Adware Medic is donation-ware that does the job. It was developed by The Safe Mac Blog and is available here: http://www.adwaremedic.com/index.php BUT! If you have adware, you may not be able to download it or will be redirected somewhere, else. It can be a vicious circle.

How do you prevent adware? Only download content from legitimate websites. Many malware sites will mimic the URLs of actual websites. Again, be wary and check twice.

The Scary Pop-Up
We know you've seen it. It pops up and says that you are infected with some awful virus and that you need to click here or there, or buy something. Well, phooey! It's a scam. Don't download the software and don't call the phone number. Ever! If you call, they will want access to your machine and then it gets a lot more serious. Close Safari, then reopen and go to History and select Clear History & Website Data. Choose an interval, or all of it -- your choice.

The Phone Call
The phone rings and it's Microsoft, or the Internet Police, or the Tooth Fairy, or whoever telling you that your machine is throwing errors and causing ships around the world to spontaneously sink. You must grant them access to your computer and pay them $200 or even worse things will happen. What to do? Hang up. It's bogus. How long have you been on hold with your ISP when you can't get online? Exactly.... they don't have time to be calling. It's a scam.

And never, ever, allow someone to remotely control your machine, unless you know them. (See the front door reference above.)

This is just the tip of the iceberg of best practices, but if you follow the roadmap presented here it will be a significant help to keep you away from the scammers. Is it a little cynical? You bet, but in this case a little cynicism today can keep any future headaches away.
 
How Much Speed is High Speed Internet
The FCC Changes the Benchmark

Back in the late 90s I was psyched when we got 256 Kbps DSL internet. It was a huge step up from 56K dial up, but nowadays that speed just doesn't cut it. In fact, the FCC changed the definition of High Speed Internet by setting the minimum to 25 Mbps for download and 3 Mbps for upload. CNET covers it here: http://www.cnet.com/news/sorry-your-broadband-internet-technically-isnt-broadband-anymore/

This means that if you have anything below that, you technically are no longer in the broadband awesomeness club. But what does 25/3 mean in real life? Like most folks, if you surf the internet, read email, use social media, stream music, watch HD movies, or even update your computer's software, you need a reliable connection to pull all that data. An HD Movie can be as large as 5GB and if you have a 4K TV, that content is almost four times larger. And keep in mind that ALL of your software is delivered via the web through purchases and updates. The days of rolling down to Computer City and bringing home a CD are long gone. 

The FCC based their 25 Down 3 Up standard taking all of that into account. These days it really is the practical minimum for a decent experience for the average household. Again, more is always better, but 25/3 is a good place to start.


Mom Says: Do Your Updates or No Pudding!
Three Reasons to Keep Current

If you are sitting in front of a Mac running OS 10.8 or less, or holding an iPhone running iOS 7 or earlier, I am talking to you. We all know that updating is hard. Things change, icons move, beloved tasks need to be altered, and the place where I used to click is now over here when it used to be there. But to keep your machine healthy and happy, updating your software and operating system on a regular basis will keep you current and out of trouble. 

Delaying an update for a short time is prudent while the bugs are worked out by the programmers, but making sure that you are on a current system with updated software will make sure that your computer, iPhone, or iPad operates at peak efficiency. Here are three reasons to do updates:

1. Safer and More Reliable Web Browsing
Whether you use Safari, Firefox, or Chrome, running the latest version of a browser on a current system will allow you the best surfing experience, along with taking advantage of the latest in security. It will make everything from YouTube to Netflix to banking sites work as they are intended.

2. Better System Security
Apple tweaks the already excellent security of OS X with every edition. In OS X 10.10 Yosemite a feature called "Sandboxing" has applications working in their own little silo. It's difficult for one app to hurt your computer, and knock you down.

3. Better Integration with Your Devices
If you have an iPhone or an iPad, the iCloud service syncs your information between those devices and your Mac. Having them all on the current system allows them to work together more reliably.

Put it this way: If you delay going to the dentist for 15 years, bad things happen. If you delay updating your system and software... I think you get the point.

And, if you have any software that will no longer work in an updated system, it's time to shop around for a replacement.

Keep Mom Happy: Upgrade, update, and stay current so you can eat your pudding, too!