April 6, 2010

Gmail Introduces New Security Against Scammers

Filed under: E-mail, Gmail, Google, security advisory — Tags: computer, computer security, computer security expert, computer security expert warns, computer security experts, computer security experts warn, computers, E-mail, e-mail security, gmail, gmail account, gmail account hijacked, gmail advisory, gmail hijacked, gmail scam, gmail security advisory, gmail security system, gmail’s new security, gmail’s new security system, Google, google engineering director, pavni diwanji, scam, security advisory — admin @ 12:28 pm

A friend in need is a friend indeed, says the old axiom.

Computer security experts are warning you to be wary of old friends who show up in your e-mail box and in need of your money. Your friend may be an innocent and unknowing pawn in an elaborate scheme that seeks to rip you off.

One of Google’s own, an engineering director named Pavni Diwanji, was targeted by such a scam. The Google executive reports that he recently received an e-mail from one of his legitimate acquaintances who was reportedly in a jam in London, broke and desperate due to a series of unfortunate events.

Turns out a scammer had hijacked the acquaintance’s account. That allowed the scammer to not only know where the acquaintance was, but to also have access to all of his e-mail contacts.

It’s not an isolated case. The Data Doctors have seen several cases where local clients have unknowingly had such e-mail pleas issued from their accounts.

The scam prompted the Google engineering director to initiate tightened up security measures in an effort to prevent Gmail customers from having their accounts hijacked.

The new measures are especially effective when logins appear in quick succession from different countries.

Here is the link to find out more about how to protect yourself and to learn about the new “security system” in place with Gmail accounts.

February 22, 2010

Protect Yourself Another “Big Brother” Could Be Watching!

Filed under: Google, Internet, Online Safety — Tags: big brother, computers, facebook, facebook profiles, george orwell, identity theft, keep yourself safe, online privacy, Online Safety — admin @ 8:28 am

In his ominous novel “1984,” George Orwell imagined an overarching government (“Big Borther”) that collected data about everyone, with no detail too small to track.

Today, you may have more to fear from yourself than from any vast bureaucracy. You may be giving away some of your own vital secrets to anyone who has access to your Facebook profile.

Most people with FaceBook profiles post their birthdays, and enjoy getting special wishes on their special day.

But identity thieves know that many of us use all or part of our birthdates as passwords or as personal identification codes. When numbers that should be guarded are given out freely, it can be dangerous.

Your Facebook profile may also include your nickname or the names of your children or pets, which are also popular categories for passwords. Perhaps your mother, complete with her birth name, is one of your Facebook friends. Ascertaining that information could allow a cyberthief to have a crack at that popular security question about “mother’s maiden name.”

Increasingly, people use FaceBook for business and networking purposes; for them it is impractical to suggest that they deny “friend” status to someone who may be unknown. That friend request could represent a lead as a new customer or client. Creating a list with different privacy settings for different groups of your connections is another way to control who sees what information included in your profile.

That’s why it is crucial that you take a critical eye to your page. Look closely at what you are revealing. You can still be yourself on FaceBook while deleting personal information that could put your identity in peril. It turns out “Big Brother” is watching, but it’s in the form of identity thieves, rather than the government.

February 15, 2010

What is Google Buzz and Should I Use It?

Filed under: E-mail, Google — Tags: buzz, flickr, gmail, Google, google applications, google apps, google buzz, google reader, new social media site, new social site, picasa, sharing, social media, social media sites, social networking, social sharing sites, social sites, tiwtter — admin @ 8:25 am

For those that haven’t been paying attention, the world is in the midst of another communication revolution and Google has decided not to sit this one out by introducing Google Buzz.

Social tech is not a fad and Google knows it.  Facebook is the current king of social tech with an estimated (as of this writing) 400 million users worldwide that are very engaged on a daily basis. To put it into perspective, if Facebook were a country, it would now be the third largest in the world behind China and India.

Google Buzz is a new option that is appearing only for those that currently use Google’s e-mail system Gmail. In its current iteration, it looks like Google is trying to cut into Facebook’s turf and integrate features that are similar to what Twitter is all about.

It can serve as a basic ‘aggregator’ for various social media sites, but oddly it has no integration with Facebook (which is why most are speculating that they are the target).

In our view, Google Buzz is so new that unless you are an ‘early adopter’ of technology, you should probably let them get through a couple of development cycles with the early adopter crowd before you jump in (exhibit: Google Wave – what’s happened to it?) In fact, you should get familiar with Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and Plaxo so that you can understand where Buzz may fit in your social media connections.

Unless you’re using Gmail, it’s a moot point on using it as there is no stand alone version of Google Buzz.

The biggest concerns in the early stages of Buzz seem to be in the area of privacy, primarily in the area of the way you automatically get followed or start to follow others.

If you are a Gmail user and want to avoid any of the privacy issues being voiced by critics, you need to do more than just click on ‘Turn off Buzz’ as that simply turns off what you see, but not necessarily what you are participating in. Cnet’s Jessica Dolcourt has posted an excellent step-by-step tutorial on how to ensure that none of your ‘privates’ are included in the Buzz: http://bit.ly/dw1ubz

Whatever happens with Buzz social media is here to stay.  The digital world is not going away. So jump in, the water is fine!

December 11, 2009

Fun holiday tips from Data Doctors

Filed under: Google, Tips, Viruses — Tags: beware of virus', computer, computer recovery, computer repair, computer service, computer services, computer stores, computer support, computers, data recovery, data recovery software, disk recovery, e-commerce, easy recovery, file recovery, Google, hard drive recovery, holiday shopping tips, holiday tips, laptop repair, partition recovery, recover files, recover my files, recovery, recovery software, repair computer, shopping, shopping tips, virus removal — admin @ 7:45 am

As the holidays near, shopping online continues to grow.  Great deals are out there and consumers are more savvy than ever when it comes to online shopping, but there are a few things that you want to watch out for while shopping online.

Sadly the holidays are a big time for virus’ because more people are spending time online, scouring the internet for deals on gifts so hacker’s and virus’ are in full swing as well.  Copycat sites and “cheap deals” are the main sources of virus attacks.

Here are some tips to remember:

Know where you are.

As you shop, try to stick to sites that you are familiar with and are reputable.  Sites like Amazon, Ebay and large retailers, Target, Walmart, etc. have great security on their sites so you are less likely to have to worry.  There are smaller stores who run great deals but be sure you know where your credit card information is going.

Beware of Flogs

The internet is one of the most used resources for finding information and is increasingly becoming a major spot for shopping.  As the e-commerce continues to grow, consumers need to be aware of reviews and what are called flogs.  Flogs are a form of “electronic communication that appears to originate from a credible, non-biased source, but which in fact is created by a company or organization for the purpose of marketing a product, service, or political viewpoint” (Wikipedia).

Flog can appear as consumer reviews and information about great deals, tips of where to shop, etc. but the perception is skewed.  Companies have created these to promote their own products and services, with great reviews no matter what.  The easiest way to decide if a blog is fake or not is to see if the only topic being discussed on the site pertains to only one particular product or service. Most bloggers generate new posts on a regular basis, covering a variety of topics or services.

Check reviews before entering credit card

An easy way is to see what information other consumers have.  Go to Google and type in the name of the store and reviews or the website address and reviews.  If it is a well-known scam site there, other people will be talking about being scammed.

Wifi

Public wifi’s  are a really nice feature when you are out and about, but can cause issues when shopping online.  The fact is that anyone can connect to that same internet that you are using and while not everyone is a hacker there are people out there that have the ability to electronically see what you are doing.  It is not a good idea to enter credit card or other personal information while connected to a public wifi. Another tip is to not have your user ID and passwords saved on web sites as hacker’s will be able to access this information over the public wifi as well.

E-commerce is rapidly growing and a great tool to decrease the amount of time and money spent shopping for the holidays.  Taking care while shopping online will keep that experience positive for you and allow you to continue to utilize the internet.

Safe Shopping!

From Data Doctors in Wayzata, MN

December 9, 2009

Why should you use Google?

Filed under: Google — Tags: calendar, E-mail, email, gmail, Google, igoogle, mail — admin @ 9:54 am

Google is one of the most adaptive sites on the web.  It is easily customizable for each and every person’s tastes and interests as well as so many different plug-ins, widgets and features. As most know, Google has one of the most expansive search capabilities of anywhere on the web and is ranked the #1 search engine.  It is a fully encompassing site that also can lead to mail, calendar and numerous other customizable features.

iGoogle

A do-it-yourself, make-it-your-own search and homepage that is customizable completely to your needs.  With hundreds of gadget options, there are unlimited choices and increasingly more every day. Make it your homepage and add gadgets that let you keep your email, calendar and important documents at your fingertips, keep updated on the latest news and your Facebook and Twitter accounts and even play games with friends.

Mail

Gmail originated as an invite only email client but has become available to the public as it increased in popularity. As the front page tells you it is “built on the idea that email can be more intuitive, efficient, and useful. And maybe even fun. After all, Gmail has: Less Spam… Mobile access… Lots of Space…” It is one of the largest free email clients being used and is increasingly adding to its possibilities.  Integrated with your calendar it keeps you up to date and allows you to receive emails about upcoming events, connect with your phone and access multiple calendars and shared calendars.

Want to know more?  Become a google power user today!