February 2019 - Monthly Mini-Bytes

Take the Phishing Quiz! Phishing has been and will continue to be a big problem for every single email user. Every day you will see phishing emails in your inbox or junk mail folders. The potential of being a victim of one of these nefarious messages is easier than you may think. And unfortunately there is no one quick answer. The scammers change up their methods, which means you need to constantly be on your toes and aware. Google has put together a little phishing quiz in partership with Jigsaw. It is available here: https://phishingquiz.withgoogle.com/ If you do take the quiz, don't use your real name and email. Just make one up for an example (per their instructions). The quiz can help you learn about phishing and potential ways to avoid it. And in the words of Sergeant Phil Esterhaus, "Let's be careful out there."

Three Tips to Avoid Spoofed Web Pages Web page spoofing has become a huge problem. Tricksters create a webpage and URL that look very close to the real one, fooling you in to entering usernames and passwords, which are immediately compromised. They may also offer downloads that then load up your Mac with malware. Just as with email phishing, you are the one in ultimate control, and like walking through a bad neighborhood at 2AM with multitudes of Benjamins taped to your person, you must learn that just by being on the internet, you are a target. Act appropriately. Here are three tips to get you started: Be Careful of Your Search Results - First, make sure you are using a reputable Search Engine. Search results vary between them, and some are better than others. When you search and get those results, be careful of what you are clicking on. Look at the listing. If it looks funny, then it most likely is spoofed. Bookmark Frequently Used Sites - Do not use a search engine to hit frequently used sites like your bank, credit union, webmail, etc. This is the main way that the spoofers trap you. Bookmark all your most important sites and access them from the bookmarks. Check the URL - The URL is the thing that often starts with www and ends with .com, .net, or .edu, etc. A website like mybank.com can be spoofed as my_bank.com, mybankcom.net, etc. Be sure of the site you are visiting.

Use the Correct Power Adapter I bet you have a drawer in your house packed with old power adapters that go back to the 90s. We all have them. It's okay. What is not okay is using the wrong power adapter with a device. Whether it be your Mac, iPhone, iPad, external hard drive, cable box, XBOX, or Tesla, using the wrong power adapter and cord can be a huge problem. From battery damage to over heating (or worse), the wrong power adapter can get you into trouble. What to do: Make sure you have the correct power adapter for your device. If you are not sure, check with the manufacturer. Label the power adapter, so you know which device it is supposed to be associated with. Check the condition of the power adapter. If the cord is frayed or the unit itself is in any way damaged, get a new one.