The Micro-Byte - February 2026

 

eMail Security: Why It Matters

Your three most important passwords are your iPhone unlock code, the login password for your Mac, and your email password. Why? If any one of these gets compromised a bad actor has the keys to your entire life. Even if you take the time to have secure passwords at your bank and other financial institutions, a weak email password opens a back door to resetting all of these. And if you've had the same email password for years, chances are it's already in the dark web as part of a data breach. Your email is the key to your accounts. It's the way you verify your identity, communicate with customers, and interact with friends and family. Someone getting access means that they can impersonate you and do everything from filing fake tax returns, opening new bank accounts, redirecting business payments, and even compromising personal relationships. The good news is that staying secure isn't all that difficult. Here is what you need to do: Create a Secure Password - If you are using Apple's Passwords app then it's easy to create and store complex passwords. If you can remember your email password, it's not secure. If you haven't changed it in five years, it's not secure either. Use Multi-Factor Authentication - This could be via a text message or through an authenticator app. Change It Every So Often - You shouldn't go years without changing up this most secure password. Apple's Passwords will show you when the password was changed, so it's easy to keep track. That's why we like Apple's Passwords app so much. For Businesses: Use Delegates and Groups - Only the designated user should have the account password for any individual email at a business. If an account requires multiple people to access it, there is the option to setup Groups or Delegates. This keeps the account secure, and provides an audit trail for who is accessing what and when. Securing your email isn't automatic. It takes some work, but if done, the peace of mind that it will give you with regard to your personal security is definitely worth the effort.

Monthly Mini-Bytes - February 2026

 

Security Alert: Beware of QR Codes If we all don't have enough to worry about it's disturbing to know that the crooks are using QR codes to come at you, your data, and your money. QR codes are everywhere. They are on parking meters, in instruction manuals, at restaurants linking to menus, and on ads galore. I've even seen them on gas pumps. As useful as they are, the bad guys use fake ones to link you to bogus websites or apps. The parking meter scam is a big one. Criminals post fake QR stickers on parking meters. You scan to park, pay, and then they take your money. What's worse is that you also get a parking ticket, because you didn't pay the right person. There are even sophisticated "Fancy QR Codes" that are imbedded in images. You can't tell they are QR codes, but your phone can and then the potential phishing begins. Telling a legitimate QR code from one that is a scam is all but impossible, unless you interact with the code itself. And that's risky to say the least. The best thing that you can do is be wary of QR codes out in the wild -- especially ones that ask for payment or a bunch of personal information. Downloading a menu at a restaurant is one thing, but paying for fake parking and having your credit card compromised is another. Scan safely.

Protect Digital Accounts During Tax Season

It's getting to be that time of year where we pull together our tax forms in preparation for filing. All of this personal information is a gold mine to scammers. Keeping your data safe is paramount, so here are some best practices to keep in mind: Passwords and Multi-Factor Authentication Make sure that you have good and secure passwords at all your financial accounts, including robust multi-factor authentication. Use whatever enhanced security they have. Beware of Uploads When uploading documents electronically, make sure you are doing it through a secure portal. Your bookkeeper or accountant should have a safe and encrypted way to get files back and forth. Be very careful with them, as all of these tax documents have the bulk of your personal info that criminals crave. Secure Hard Copies If you have hard copies of these documents, just don't let them lay around your house. Secure them in a safe or some other location with controlled access.

Apple Creator Studio: Do You Need It?

No. Most people don't need a subscription to this service. Pages, Numbers, and Keynote are still free and shall remain free for Apple computers. Apple Creator Studio bundles all of their premium apps like Final Cut Pro, Motion, and Logic Pro into an Adobe Creative Suite type product. So, if you need those apps, it's a way to avoid a one time purchase fee ... and instead just pay one time every month. To learn about Apple Creator Studio visit: https://creatorstudio.apple.com/

The Micro-Byte - January 2026

 

Your iPhone or iPad May Be Vulnerable

It's true. Apple has warned its vast user base that there is an exploit in earlier versions of iOS and iPad OS where hackers could possibly launch a targeted attack on your device. The key word here is "targeted." This is a very specific vulnerability. You would have to be singled out to be a victim. Still, that's not very reassuring. What is, though, is the fact that the fix is easy. Apple already patched things up with the latest release. So, if you update or have already updated to iOS 26.2 or iPad OS 26.2 you should be good to go. This is why having a mobile device with the ability to run the latest operating system is critical.  To learn more about the security flaw, visit: https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/apple-issues-major-warning-800-151934863.html

Monthly Mini-Bytes - January 2026

 

Scam Alert: Out of Storage Spam There's enough wrong in the world that you think folks would put their collective energy toward making things better. But nope! Why do that when you can scam people out of money? And that's what has been happening over the past month. Inboxes have been flooded with fake, urgent "out of storage" spammy messages for both Google and iCloud. Considering we live in the world of A.I., you'd think they would have some level of sophistication or consistent branding with Google and Apple, but they don't. A lot of them are sloppy and easy to spot, while the occasional "gem" may look real it doesn't change the fact that almost all are a scam. Yet, it is true that you may actually be low on storage. This happens a lot, but the way Apple and Google deal with notifying you is different. To be completely safe, here is how to check your storage used for each. Apple's iCloud It's easiest on your iPhone, so grab it and go to Settings -> [Your Name] -> iCloud and choose Storage at the top. Here you can see a breakdown of what you are using. If you need more space and want to change your plan, you can do it right here. Google You need to do this via a web browser. Just go to your Gmail and scroll down to the bottom of your inbox. or you can visit https://one.google.com/storage and see a breakdown of your usage along with the opportunity to upgrade your plan.

Our eMail Platform Picks for 2026

The landscape of email has changed greatly in the past decade. They used to hand out email accounts just like old AOL CDs at CompUSA. But hosting email is a pain with all the spam, spoofing, and scammers. That's why companies like Cox, CenturyLink, and Xfinity are all ditching their old email systems and making it someone else's problem -- always a solid business plan. So, what are our picks for email platforms? For consumers our first choice is Apple's iCloud. If you use Apple you are already part of the ecosystem, so choosing iCloud as your email provider has a lot of advantages. You benefit from Apple's insistence on security, and have seamless integration across all your devices. It has features like Hide My Email, which can help cut down on spam, and even supports custom email domains. Plus, Apple does an excellent job of gray and black-listing scammy domains, so it will help cut down on that annoying junk mail. Runner up is, of course, Google's Gmail. It's solid, reliable, and can be configured to have robust security. The only issue is privacy, as Google has a questionable record on the subject.  For business, the only game in town worth your time is Google Workspace. This is the professional version of Gmail and has so many features, options for security, and the ability to set up audit logs. Their support is top notch, which considering how bad customer service is today is really saying something. For ease-of-use, flexibility, and cross-platform usability, Google Workspace is the hands down winner, in our opinion.

What Printer is Best?

Printing is still necessary for many things, so having a good, reliable printer is important. But your good old workhorse of a printer may have stopped working after upgrading to macOS Tahoe, or you may just need a new one. So, which one to get? Inkjet: Epson WorkForce Inkjet printers are inexpensive, but unfortunately consume mass quantities of ink. But if you print pictures they are really the only game in town. The Epson WorkForce series of printers is a solid choice, and you can usually find one on sale for around $150. Laser Printer (B&W or Color): Brother Ah! You thought we were gonna say HP.... but no. Brother's line of laser printers are excellent and have proven to be long-lasting. They range from a simple black and white desktop printer all the way up to high-volume color behemoths.