As this is the last TR Times until next fall, I thought I would leave you with some suggestions that might be helpful in keeping your electronic devices safe and in tip-top condition.
Make sure the operating system on your devices is up-to-date. Apple, Microsoft and Google periodically update software when problems or vulnerabilities are discovered. The best practice is to install updates whenever you are notified that they are available. A caveat to that is that sometimes it is not possible to update older devices. If you are using a computer or mobile device that is too old for updating, you might consider trading up. This is especially important for those of you who bank and shop over the internet.
Keep your applications up-to-date. Developers are constantly tweaking their software to make it more efficient and to work effectively with operating system updates. Both Apple iOS and Google Play update apps automatically as long as you keep the feature turned on in settings.
Reevaluate your passwords. Passwords have become one of the major banes of our existence. We need passwords to unlock our mobile phones and tablets, enter secure websites, receive emails, and utilize any number of websites and apps that are password protected. But as annoying as it is to manage all these passwords, taking the easy way out — using the same, simple password everywhere — makes you vulnerable to a variety of threats. You should use different passwords for each website, app, tablet and phone you use or visit and especially for the more sensitive websites.
The method I use for making up passwords is to write a sentence that relates to the website and use the first letter of each word in the password, substituting numbers for numerical words and symbols for others. As an example, if I needed to create a password to access the Travelers Rest website, I might make up the sentence spending our fall winter and spring in Florida at Travelers Rest on johnston road. Because most passwords need to include numbers and symbols I will substitute 0 for words that start with o and an ampersand (&) for the word and. Also, it is usually required that some letters need to be uppercase, and in this example the first letters of Florida and Travelers Rest are capitalized. The resulting password would be s0fw&siFaTR0jr. Note that experts suggest that length is the most important factor in creating a secure password. Another method for designing a difficult to guess, long password is to string a bunch of unrelated words together. You might also want to consider using password management software that stores your passwords and automatically fills in usernames and passwords.
Finally, last week WikiLeaks struck again releasing a trove of data detailing how the CIA hacks into cell phones and Samsung smart television sets to spy on targeted subjects. Late night comics had a field day making jokes about the topic, while millions of people had to stop and think about who might actually be spying on them. The answer for 99.9% of the population is "nobody." The directive of the CIA is to monitor foreigners who may be of threat to the United States and its citizens and by law the agency is forbidden to spy on American Citizens. I am sure that no one reading this has to worry about being spied on (even the Canadians) through their Samsung Smart TV.
Users of Apple devices and computers might want to check out a new Facebook Group for TR residents which can be found by searching Facebook for TR Apple Users. The Facebook group was created as a forum for TR Apple Users to ask and answer questions related to using Apple devices.
As I sign off for the season, I want to give a big thank you to my husband Eddie, who is my muse and first line editor. OnMouseClick would not be the column it is without him. Wishing everyone safe travels and a happy and healthy summer.
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