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Since the pandemic started in 2020, there have been a record-breaking number of data hacks. While there have been a few instances of insider cyber theft and good old fashion data breaches, many of the cyber thefts that have occurred can be traced to the dark web. The dark web is the underbelly of the internet where a lot of criminal activity like human trafficking, drug dealing, and the exchange of your personal data takes place. How does your information wind up on the Dark Web? Well, check out these quick tips that will help you find out how your information winds up there and what you can do to protect yourself. The dark web has been around and has stayed under the radar for quite a while. If you want to picture where the dark web fits in in the grand scheme of the internet, think of the structure of an iceberg. Most of you are only familiar with what I will call the Surface Web. Like the tip of an iceberg, it's the portion that's visible. Sites like your email, streaming services, cloud services, and your favorite websites exist there. Believe it or not, your popular sites only take up about 4% of the Internet. Beneath the waves are the deep web and the dark web. The Deep Web makes up about 90% of the Internet and isn't accessible by the average person. This is where much government, academic, and medical information is stored. At the bottom taking up the remaining 6% of the Internet, is the dark web. Information on the Dark Web isn't indexed but can be accessed by using web browsers like Tor making it easy for any criminal to search and find countless data about you, your family, and friends. How Do Criminals Get My Information from the Dark Web? The primary items that hackers look for on the dark web are called "Fullz". This stands for "full package" and it refers to your personal information. It's a collection of your name, social security number, birth date, banking, and credit card numbers as well as other data that can be used to steal your identity. How Does My Information End Up On the Dark Web? The primary method of your information showing up on the dark web is from large-scale data breaches. Information targeted in those breaches is usually, customer and employee data, your email, phone numbers social security numbers, and more such as classified company data to get access to corporate sites and employees. When criminals get their hands on this information, they either sell it to the highest bidder or they use the information to get access to your online accounts or trick you into giving up your personal information in the form of phishing, vishing, and SMShing scams. What's on the internet and the dark web is there forever, which means once your information has been leaked, there’s virtually nothing that you can do about it. That’s why it’s essential to focus on taking preventative measures to mitigate security threats before there’s a problem. With this in mind, it pays to be proactive using the following methods: 1. Find out what information is lurking on the dark web. The website 'haveibeenpwned' can help you find out if your information was leaked in a large-scale data breach. If you visit the website and find out you have been "pwned", make sure you change your passwords to your online accounts. 2. Password managers can help you monitor as well. Password managers not only help keep track of all those complicated passwords, but they also monitor the dark web to see if any of the passwords you're using have appeared on the dark web. It's useful because criminals don't always act immediately if they get your information. There are password managers such as LastPass and 1Password that will keep track of your stuff, but you can also save your password in your favorite browser such as Edge, Safari, or Chrome. 3. ID Theft software plays a big role in helping you stay safe. If you find yourself in a situation where your information such as social security numbers, addresses, and full names leaked on the dark web, you should make the investment. in ID theft software. When criminals get access to this type of information, it can allow them to take out a loan or open a credit card in your name, receive your tax refund or medical treatment they didn't pay for, and damage your finances, credit score, and reputation. There are a lot of companies like LifeLock that can help guard your identity and finances from scams and hackers, as well as assist you if you have become a victim of identity theft. Ignoring cyberthreats and postponing preventive action is no longer an option. It doesn't matter what your financial situation is; you are being targeted by dark web hackers looking to capitalize on your personal information. I hope you can use these tips to prevent your information from being stolen by hackers. If you need further assistance, please reach out to me with any questions you might have. I am always happy to help! Want to ask me a tech question? Send it to burton@callintegralnow.com. I love technology. I've read all of the manuals and I'm serious about making technology fun and easy to use for everyone. Need computer or technology help? If you need on-site or remote tech support for your Windows\Macintosh, computers, laptops, Android/Apple smartphone, tablets, printers, routers, smart home devices, and anything that connects to the Internet, please feel free to contact my team at Integral. Our team of friendly tech experts can help you with any IT needs you might have. Reach out to us a www.callintegralnow.com or phone at 888.256.0829. 
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In this cyber-crime environment we are currently in ,it’s more important than ever to keep your data safe and to keep a level of privacy while you surf the web. Using a VPN (Virtual Private Network) is a great tool you can use to stay safe online. It creates a tunnel for your Internet, which means criminals and other prying eyes can't see what you are doing when you're online. With so many VPN companies out there, it can be hard for you to choose which one is right for you. Read on to find out how to choose a VPN that will work best for you. VPNs have been around for a while, but the discussion about VPNs is appearing in mainstream media because they are being used in Russia to get around some of the restrictions the Russian government is placing on its citizens to prevent access to western media. Also, with many companies switching to a remote workforce, VPNs offer remote workers privacy and security as they can work anywhere in the world and keep company information safe. Do You need a VPN? There are many schools of thought of whether you need a VPN and sometimes that depends on your Internet habits. Here are some things to consider.
1. Beware of 'free' VPNs. Free is everyone's favorite price when it comes to online services, but nothing is really free in life and online. If you decide to use a free VPN service you may be bombarded with ads from other companies. Also, free VPN services won't offer robust security and could easily be compromised. The web browser Opera offers a VPN built into it's interface. It's fairly simple to use and is pretty good. However, it does have some weaknesses and should only be used if you want to keep your searches private if you're looking at social media and email. 2. Where your VPN provider is located matters. Kaspersky is an anti-virus company based out of Russia. Although there isn't any proof they are selling your secrets to Russia, in this day and age would you want to take that risk? Same with your VPN provider. These companies have to comply with the rules of their country ... which means their laws can allow them to share your data. 3. Watch those reviews. Yes, product reviews are good in helping you select hardware and software, but in this Amazon and online review age, not all reviews are honest. Some companies pay people to leave reviews. Check multiple websites for VPN reviews and reach out to your favorite tech expert (like me) to find out the right VPN for you. 4. Check out the privacy policy. When you use a VPN, all of your traffic is routed through their servers to help keep your information safe and secure. If you're using your office VPN, that just means the folks in IT can see your information. If you're using VPN services from another company, they can see where you're going. All VPN providers need to keep a log of sites you're visiting, but they aren't supposed to share that information unless the authorities come to see your online activities. No one likes reading the terms of service, but when you're working with a VPN provider that's supposed to keep your information safe, you need to. 5. Will the VPN work with all of your devices. If you're like me, you work off multiple devices. I'm writing this article from a MacBook Air, but next month I could write my blog post from my Dell 2-1 laptop, my MacBook Mini, or my Dell desktop. You get the picture. Most VPNs support Windows, Mac, Android, Linux, and iOS, but not all of them do. Check to see see how many devices you can connect to at once. Some VPNs allow unlimited devices, while others only let you connect a limited number. 6. Get good customer service. Look for a VPN with reliable 24/7 customer service. VPN service is reliable, but you know that tech challenges appear from time to time so work with a company that will get back to you in a short amount of time. If your head is spinning after reading all of this information, check out my favorites for VPN services.
Tax season is in full swing which means scammers are on the lookout for you, your tax information, and your refund. When you file your taxes online, it allows you to quickly get your taxes completed and the fast track to a quick refund. The downside to when you file online, it puts a big bullseye on your back, making it easier for crooks to track you with tax-related scams. Want to stay safe? Check out these quick and easy tips to help you avoid criminals and scams this tax season. There are many tax scams that criminals use to trick you. Check out these scams and tips to avoid them: 1. IRS phishing scams. IRS scams occur constantly and are one of the many forms of a phishing scam. IRS scams are so prevalent that the IRS is in the process of considering having tax preparers upload a headshot to decrease scams. With an IRS scam, you will receive an “urgent alert” via email or phone call from someone claiming to be from the IRS. There are many tactics they use to trick you such as: You owe a large amount of money; You’re due a large sum of lottery money, tax refund, or inheritance; The IRS needs you to update your online profile. In all of these cases look for generic greetings (instead of your name), poor grammar or typos, and conflicting web addresses. The IRS doesn’t initiate contact with you via email, text, or social media. They will never email you regarding any amount owed, or due. They will contact you via the U.S. Postal Service. 2. Social media tax scams. If you're like most people on social media, you're sharing a lot of personal details that scammers can use to take advantage of you. Criminals can use your personal information to get secure details about your life which can lead them to the dark web to see if your social security number or other information is there. 3. Fraudulent tax returns filed in your name. Tax-related identity theft happens when criminals steal your personal information, which can include your Social Security number, address, birth date, and other information, and use it to file an income tax return in your name. The sole purpose of this is so that crooks can steal your tax return. Have you had this happen? Check out the following signs: The IRS notifies you that an online account has been created in your name at IRS.gov and you know that you never signed up for such an account. You file your taxes by mail. The IRS then sends you a letter stating that a tax return has already been filed with your Social Security number. You try to file your return online only to have the IRS reject it, saying that a tax return connected to your Social Security number has already been filed. 4. W-2 phishing scams. In a W-2 phishing campaign, criminals pose as someone high up your company or organization. Then they send emails to you and other people in your organization asking for copies of W-2 forms, which include all the personal information you need to file a tax return. Sometimes these scams can occur if you accidentally send your W-2 via email and a criminal gets access to it. Don’t respond to emails, calls, or texts asking for your information. Never send W-2 or other tax information electronically without first verifying with your boss in person or on the phone that they actually sent the request in the first place. While it might seem like a hassle, it’s worth it to spend a few minutes verifying than spend years trying to undo any damage. More Tips to Stay Safe: The IRS will not call you demanding immediate payment through a prepaid debit card, gift card, or wire transfer. If you do owe the IRS money, they will first mail you a bill, and you will never pay the IRS through prepaid debit cards, gift cards, or wire transfers. Scammers like to use these forms of payment because they are difficult to track. The IRS will never threaten to have you arrested. The IRS will never demand payment without allowing you to question or appeal what you owe. The IRS will never ask you to give them your credit or debit card numbers over the phone. The IRS will never suddenly call you about an unexpected refund for you. Avoid falling prey to IRS scams by keeping your information and identity safe. Watch what you share on social media, avoid sharing your phone number with unknown people and keep your email private. Want to ask me a tech question? Send it to burton@callintegralnow.com. I love technology. I've read all of the manuals and I'm serious about making technology fun and easy to use for everyone. Need computer or technology help? If you need on-site or remote tech support for your Windows\Macintosh, computers, laptops, Android/Apple smartphone, tablets, printers, routers, smart home devices, and anything that connects to the Internet, please feel free to contact my team at Integral. Our team of friendly tech experts can help you with any IT needs you might have. Reach out to us at www.callintegralnow.com or phone at 888.256.0829.
With Russia hammering Ukraine with cyber-attacks, there's a good chance Russia could set its sights on the U.S. Private and state-sponsored cyberattacks from Russia targeting the U.S. government and businesses have increased during the pandemic, including the Solarwinds attack and the Colonial Pipeline attack last year. With the conflict, here are some of the U.S. cyber-attacks that could occur. Truth be told, most of you won't have to worry about cyber-attacks from Russia other than the standard attacks that occur in your everyday lives. If Russia attacks the US in a cyberwar, they will target our military, our government, our infrastructure (gas, power, and water companies), and our financial institutions. Although 99% of cyber-attacks require you to click on a link or volunteer your information, you still need to be aware of some of the attacks that could occur in the future as they may affect some of the services you use in your daily life. Here are the type of attacks you might see: WIPER attacks. This new form of cyberattack is simple. Infect a computer and wipe all of the data. This could be devastating to financial institutions and infrastructure computers. With information wiped from computers and networks, it could cause a total loss of information, and infrastructure failure could send a city or a state back to the Stone Age. Ransomware Attacks. Ransomware attacks are dangerous because they encrypt data and demand a high ransom to get the data. Ransomware attacks normally just encrypt files so they aren't accessible. With new Ransomware attacks, criminals will not only lock your files but will threaten to release them on the web as well. DDOS. Direct denial of services attacks occurs when criminals sent bots and other malicious programs to block internet traffic to your websites and email servers. These attacks are dangerous because they can disrupt business operations and in the case of public works or banks and other financial institutions, bring them to a screeching halt. Phishing, Vishing, and Phishing. Phishing attacks come in the form of email, voice, and text and are the primary way criminals attack computers and devices. Phishing attacks occur when cyber crooks pretend to be a person of authority and are devastating when people fall for these attacks and give out valuable information such as passwords and other private data that could be used to bring down a business or government institutions. In this day of remote work, it's easy for a criminal to target remote workers to get inside information. Remember the Twitter hack of 2020? It occurred because a remote worker gave sensitive data to a criminal posing as an IT staff member at Twitter. Fakes News and Alerts. Social media is the breeding ground for creating fake information and fake alerts. Russian bots, fake social media accounts can be used to spread misinformation and also be used to cause cyber-attacks on individual and business accounts. Charity Scams. Whenever there is a local or global crisis, you can always count on charity scams to pop up. It's easy for anyone to set up a GoFundMe or a social media post asking for financial support for victims of a traumatic event. Always verify charities before you send them money. With cybercrime, it's hard to know where Russian government hackers are and if they are lurking within critical systems in the U.S. and how much damage they can cause. Most organizations in the US are prepared for cyberwarfare, but it's always good to know what attacks could occur to give you a better understanding of what can happen and what things you need to watch out for. Want to ask me a tech question? Send it to burton@callintegralnow.com. I love technology. I've read all of the manuals and I'm serious about making technology fun and easy to use for everyone. Need computer or technology help? If you need on-site or remote tech support for your Windows\Macintosh, computers, laptops, Android/Apple smartphone, tablets, printers, routers, smart home devices, and anything that connects to the Internet, please feel free to contact my team at Integral. Our team of friendly tech experts can help you with any IT needs you might have. Reach out to us a www.callintegralnow.com or phone at 888.256.0829.   by Burton Kelso, The Tech Expert New Year's Day always celebrates out with the old and in with the new and that's a refreshing thought as you begin to think of getting rid of old habits and starting up new habits. When it comes to your tech devices, it's another story as your tech devices. Tech never lasts forever as big tech companies are always looking for ways to push shiny devices in your face and as a result, it means your favorite tech gadgets will no longer be supported. Worried about what's going away? Check out these devices and technologies that may become obsolete and disappear this year. BlackBerry. I know many of you probably think Blackberry has been obsolete for years, but there is a small community of people who have been hanging onto an older BlackBerry phone running BlackBerry OS. If you have used a Blackberry for years, that changes because BlackBerry is ending support for legacy services for BlackBerry OS and BlackBerry PlayBook OS. eReaders. eReader sales have been in a steady decline for the past several years. With the emergence of eReader apps and larger screens for smartphones and tablets, people are satisfied with using one device to handle most of their technical tasks rather than having a single device for each tech chore. Dashboard mounted GPS Devices. GPS isn't going anywhere. It better not because I would never find any destination. Think about it, when was the last time you saw someone with a TomTom or Garmin mounted to their dash? When making a journey from point A to Point B, your in-dash GPS or smartphone is your device of choice. 3G connectivity. Like it or not, 5G connectivity is taking over in 2022. 4G will still be around, but 3G will be no more. Many tech devices such as smartphones, tablets, medical devices will be affected by this change. Check with your device provider to see if your device will work without 3G. Wired audio devices. The emergence of Bluetooth has pretty much spelled the end of devices that use headphones and connected speakers. It's also made its way into automobiles which helps create an environment that helps you keep your tech connected to your car keeping you safe. With smartphones no longer being manufactured with headphone jacks and more wireless products showing up on shelves, it won't be long before wired headphones and speakers are gone. USB-A ports. USB C is becoming the standard USB port on tech devices. It doesn't matter if you have a Windows or Mac laptop or an Android phone, the USB C is the go-to port. Also, the industry is begging for all tech devices to have one charging port. Once Apple makes an iPhone with a USB port, old-school USB ports will be gone like the Dodo Bird. External Hard Drives Physical Storage. I'm sure you have an external hard drive or thumb drive laying around your house collecting dust. Cloud storage of your documents, photos, and videos on platforms like Google Docs, iCloud, or Microsoft Office 360 gives you peace of mind that you can access your devices anywhere in the world as well as not worrying about losing your USB Flash Drives or external hard drives. Point-and-Shoot Digital Cameras. Smartphone cameras are so advanced, that many professional photographers and video creators are ditching their digital cameras for their smartphones. When was the last time you took your point-and-shoot camera on a family vacation? Passwords. Thanks to fingerprint, eye, and facial scanning passwords could be phased out this year. Most tech devices such as Windows and Macintosh computers, as well as smartphones and tablets, use biometric recognition to authenticate your identity and enter passwords on your behalf. Also, the traditional use of passwords will go away with sites and devices requiring you to enter passphrases instead. Keep in mind that just because a device becomes obsolete doesn't always mean that you will no longer be able to use those gadgets. Some devices can have a limited life. For example, for those tech devices that won't work on 3G, you may be able to connect those devices to Wi-Fi and get limited use from them. However, for most devices it will mean you need to recycle those outdated devices responsibility It also means that you won't get help from the manufacture like you would a device that is supported. Want to ask me a tech question? Send it to burton@callintegralnow.com. I love technology. I've read all of the manuals and I'm serious about making technology fun and easy to use for everyone. Need computer or technology help? If you need on-site or remote tech support for your Windows\Macintosh, computers, laptops, Android/Apple smartphone, tablets, printers, routers, smart home devices, and anything that connects to the Internet, please feel free to contact my team at Integral. Our team of friendly tech experts can help you with any IT needs you might have. Reach out to us a www.callintegralnow.com or phone at 888.256.0829.
You may not be aware of this, but starting early 2022, 3G service will no longer be available. Cell providers are planning to shut down the old network to make room for 5G service which provides higher speeds and greater reliability. The shutdown affects more than your mobile phone. This will disable systems in older tablets, vehicles, home alarm systems, and medical alert devices. This means you will no longer have access to 911, phone calls, and text messaging as well as the ability to connect to mobile hotspots, unlock your car or have that medical device call for help. Not sure what to do? Check out these tips to help you stay connected to the services you need. When is it happening? AT&T is the first provider shutting down as it will pull the plug on 3G in February. T-Mobile will shut down Sprint 3G networks on March 31. T-Mobile’s own 3G networks will be gone by July 1. Finally, Verizon will end service on December 31, 2022. You're probably breathing a sigh of relief if you didn't see your carrier listed here, but that doesn't mean you won't be affected. Many small carriers use the 3G networks of the big three cellular networks, so you will need to check with your cell provider to see how you're affected. This also means you need to check with your medical devices, tablets, smartwatches, home security systems, and other products that still depend on the 3G network. What can I do? Your first step is to check with your cell provider. Depending on who you use, you may have already received a letter letting you know that your devices will be retired. If your device is no longer supported, you will need to upgrade to a newer device to ensure that you can stay connected to the network. You may think that this is the same process as when we switched from analog to digital over the air TV service, but unlike that process where you just need to get a digital antenna, there is no way to upgrade some devices to work on 5G. Some devices only need a software update to enable VoLTE (HD Voice). Call your provider to check whether your device is 4G LTE (with VoLTE or HD Voice). This can be done by checking the phone’s settings or user manual. You can even do a search online to determine whether you need to purchase a new device or install a software update. What can I do with my older devices? Some devices like e-Readers, smartphones, and tablets may continue to serve you as mini-computers by connecting them to your home or office Wi-Fi. They can get a new life if you allow younger members and older members of your family if they want to download and play apps. Other devices will have to be retired permanently by taking them to your favorite recycling company. With the obsolesce of these devices, you couldn't even list them on Facebook or Craigslist as they will be no use to anyone. Want to ask me a tech question? Send it to burton@callintegralnow.com. I love technology. I've read all of the manuals and I'm serious about making technology fun and easy to use for everyone. Need computer or technology help? If you need on-site or remote tech support for your Windows\Macintosh, computers, laptops, Android/Apple smartphone, tablets, printers, routers, smart home devices, and anything that connects to the Internet, please feel free to contact my team at Integral. Our team of friendly tech experts can help you with any IT needs you might have. Reach out to us a www.callintegralnow.com or phone at 888.256.0829. 
Let's face it, we all love our smart devices and most of you probably can't imagine a minute without them. I'm even guilty of it, but we all need to unplug sometimes and take a break from technology, especially during the holidays. It's important to capture those special moments, but you don't have to post every photo on every social media site to show how your holiday was. This holiday season, focus on putting your phones down and interacting with the people around you. Need help? Here are 6 ways you can unplug and recharge this holiday season. 1.No Devices at Mealtime. Designate all mealtimes as periods where devices are put away and face-to-face conversation can be had. That's how our grandparents used to do it! 2. Discuss and write down goals. Let your kids be a part of setting the goals and sharing their input. Schedule (limited) time that both the kids and parents can use technology. 3. Stick to your guns. Like every good goal, it needs to be enforced. Parents, let your kids know you are serious and set tech time limits. Your kids can help keep you in line as well. 4. Use technology together. If you must have access to the Internet and use technology, use it together. Look for games and activities on apps that everyone can play together. 5. Don't check it if there isn't a notification. Kids watch and learn from their parents. If you are constantly checking your phone, your kids will too. Think before you check; use downtime to improve family time rather than your relationship with friends and coworkers. 6. Go old-fashioned style. Challenge each other to have fun offline. Play versions of your favorite games that don't require technology. Get creative! Want to ask me a tech question? Send it to burton@callintegralnow.com. If you prefer to connect with me on social media, you can find me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter and watch great tech tip videos on our YouTube channel. I love technology. I've read all of the manuals and I want to make technology fun and exciting for you. If you need on-site or remote tech support for your Windows\Macintosh, computers, laptops, Android/Apple smartphone, tablets, printers, routers, smart home devices, and anything that connects to the Internet, please feel free to contact my team at Integral. My team of friendly tech experts is always standing by to answer your questions and help make your technology useful and fun. Reach out to us a www.callintegralnow.com or phone at 888.256.0829. 
It’s that time of year again: turkey, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie, the presence of friends and family, and a reason to give thanks for all of our good fortunes in the last year. If there’s one thing most of us want to NOT think about on Thanksgiving, it’s technology. Put the smartphones away, pack up the laptop, and disconnect for one day, right? Well, technology can actually help to bring us together on this most American of holidays, provided it’s put to good use instead of as a distraction from family time. Here are 5 ways to put technology to work for you this Thanksgiving, all of which will hopefully result in a more relaxing holiday: 1. Allrecipes. There are hundreds of cooking apps out there, but what makes this app so great is the fact that every recipe comes from a community of more than 50 million people. This gives it more of a social feel and that you're getting special recipes, not just generic ones. This app can recommend recipes when you walk into certain stores and comes with all the usual features, like the ability to create shopping lists, save your favorite recipes, and filter your search results by diet and cooking time ... which is handy when you have guests that have different dietary needs. 2. Meater/Meater Block. Wireless thermometers have increased in popularity over the years, but one of the best out there is the Meater and Meater block. This high-tech thermometer allows you to know the temperature of Tom Turkey or any other food you're cooking. Wireless means that you don't have to hang out in the kitchen all Thanksgiving Day. The Meater app allows you to spend time with company and get alerts when you're dish reaches optimum temperature. The Meater Block allows you to monitor several dishes from your smartphone at once. 3. Amazon Alexa Show /Google Home Show. It seems once a month, especially during the holiday season, I mention these smart home hubs. There are so many things these devices can do, the list is almost endless. You can use these devices to look up recipes, set timers multiple timers for food you're preparing. You can also stream music from your favorite music service such as Amazon Music, Spotify, and Pandora for your guest to listen to as well as allowing to watch Netflix on the devices before, during, and after dinner. Connected to your smart home, you can unlock and lock your doors with a smart lock system as well as monitor who is at the door if you have a wireless doorbell installed. 4. TCL Roku Smart TV. If you're reading this, it's probably time for a new TV and there's nothing better than this Smart TV which is Alexa, Google, and Apple Ready. Use your voice to activate this TV and quickly get to the shows you want. Roku software in the TV means you have access to all of the popular streaming services. This ULTA HD TV means if your family members want to watch Thanksgiving sports, the picture quality will be so good it will be as if they are there in person. 5.RetailMeNot. If you're making your Christmas shopping list and checking it twice on Thanksgiving to see if you get the best deals, then check out RetailMeNot. This app has thousands of stores in its database which means you can find that perfect gift and make sure you get the best deal. As an added bonus, if you can't find that gift for your loved one, you can purchase gift cards directly from the app. This Thanksgiving, don’t let technology ruin your day. Instead, use the best technology products to work to make your gathering even more meaningful. Most of all, remember to give thanks for the friends beside us, the food before us, and the love between us. Want to ask me a tech question? Send it to burton@callintegralnow.com. I love technology. I've read all of the manuals and I'm serious about making technology fun and easy to use for everyone. Need computer or technology help? If you need on-site or remote tech support for your Windows\Macintosh, computers, laptops, Android/Apple smartphone, tablets, printers, routers, smart home devices, and anything that connects to the Internet, please feel free to contact my team at Integral. Our team of friendly tech experts organization can help you with any IT needs you might have. Reach out to us a www.callintegralnow.com or phone at 888.256.0829.
By now, I hope you've figured out social media, search engines, and everyone, in general, is trying to collect as much information as they can about you. Privacy online is a hard thing to have in this digital world. Having a separate, anonymous email address is one of the best ways to keep a low profile online. When you have an anonymous email, it helps reduce the amount of spam you get in your inbox. It also allows you to shop online with electronic and brick-and-mortar stores and sign up for digital membership services without them collecting information about you or trying to sell you things you don't need. Also if you're dating online, it's best to have an email that can't be traced back to you. Check out these quick and easy tips to stay anonymous online. 1. Setup a Fake Account with a Free Email Service. When people consider setting up a fake or anonymous email account, they usually turn to a free email service such as Yahoo, Outlook.com, Gmail, or one provided by their Internet service provider and why wouldn't you? You can create countless email addresses with these services, but are you doing it right? Check out these steps to make sure you're keeping your identity safe. Use fake details. For starters, create an email address that isn't tied to you in any way. Avoid using your real first name or last name. Also, avoid using an email address that can be tied to your hobbies or interests. All free email account services require you to put in personal information like your name, date of birth, and sometimes address. You're probably thinking since your email name isn't tied to you, no one can find out who you are. Well, if you're entering your home address, it won't take someone long to put two and two together. Finally, don’t use any details in your password or security questions that someone could link to you either. Create an anonymous phone number. Some free email services, like Gmail, also ask for a phone number to set up 2 step verification for your new account. You can't just enter in a set of numbers, because your free email account service will call the number to verify it is real. Your best option is a virtual number when you set up new, anonymous email accounts. Services like Google Voice and WhatsApp let you set up free virtual numbers that can be used to keep your smartphone number safe. Enable Your browser's private mode for added protection. Many of the websites you visit track your cookies and keep a note of which IP address you're located. All browsers have an "incognito" or "InPrivate" mode that you can enable to keep them from tracking your cookies. As far as a VPN, consider switching to Opera (www.opera.com) or Tor (www.torproject.org). These excellent browsers allow you to block your cookies as well as use the built-in VPN to keep your location safe. 2. Use an Anonymous Email Service. It might take a little more effort, but the best way to keep your online identity safe is to use an anonymous email service. Most of these free services allow you to create an account that is separate from you. As an added bonus, email services encrypt your mail so no one can snoop with what's in your messages. Mailfence. Mailfence is based out of Belgian which puts your email under the protection of their privacy laws and not the laws of the US. This service allows you to send and receive emails anonymously. There are no third-party trackers or ads like you see in other free email services. Your emails are encrypted so no one can read what you've sent. ProtonMail. ProtonMail is based out of Switzerland which means your email is protected by its privacy laws. This means your email is protected even if law enforcement or a government agency wants access to it ProtonMail is usually the popular choice because it's available from any web browser or smart device. Using anonymous email is a great way to keep your identity safe online as well as to cut down that annoying spam that you get in your inbox. If you don't want to take the time to create a new email, you can keep your email safe by making sure you don't share your email with everyone and don't sign up for any online services that require your email. Want to ask me a tech question? Send it to burton@callintegralnow.com. I love technology. I've read all of the manuals and I'm serious about making technology fun and easy to use for everyone. Need computer or technology help? If you need on-site or remote tech support for your Windows\Macintosh, computers, laptops, Android/Apple smartphone, tablets, printers, routers, smart home devices, and anything that connects to the Internet, please feel free to contact my team at Integral. Our team of friendly tech experts organization can help you with any IT needs you might have. Reach out to us a www.callintegralnow.com or phone at 888.256.0829. 
If you're spending 8 to 10 hours a day in front of the screens of your computers and smart devices, you could be experiencing an overload of something called "blue light" If you're exposed to too much of this light, it can cause things like disrupting your sleep patterns, retinal cell damage, and digital eyestrain. What's worse, is that younger eyes are more at risk. Your tech devices play a big role in your life, so it's unrealistic to give the advice that you stop using them. There are a number of things you can do to reduce the amount of blue light you're exposed to. Check out these quick and easy tech tips to help you cut down how much blue light your devices emit. 1. Enable Blue Light Protection On Your Devices. Hardware and software manufacturers are aware blue light can cause issues, so most of your smart devices already have a means for you to enable protection. iPad or iPhone: On your iPhone or iPad, go to Settings > Display & Brightness. Tap the Night Shift setting, which will change the screen temperature of your Apple device to a warmer color, which will filter out the blue light. This won't permanently change your devices to filter blue light. It's designed to filter out blue light to help your body adjust to sleep, so you will have to enable it every time you use your device. Android Smartphone or Tablet: Most Android devices have built-in blue light filters, but not all. If your mode supports this, go to Settings > Display. Look for an option for Night Light or Blue Light filter and turn it on. Like Apple devices, this doesn't enable blue light permanently, you have to turn it on every time you use your device. Windows 10: I'm sure most of you think Windows devices are behind the curve, but they have blue light settings that can be turned on from Settings > System > Display. Toggle the Night light switch to turn on the feature. Like other devices, you have to enable this every time you use your Windows computer. Apple Computer: If you have an Apple computer 2012 or newer, you can turn on the blue light blocking feature. To do so, follow these steps: Choose Apple menu> System Preferences> Click Displays >Night Shift tab. Again, this will only allow you to set a schedule to turn this feature on. It does not enable it permanently. 2. Download an App. If you own an Android device that doesn't have a blue light filter, consider the following apps> sfilter. This app will allow you to turn it on and off at specific times. You can change the color and brightness of the filter, and even create a shortcut icon or widget, so you don't have to open the app to enable the filter. Blue Light Filter. This app will allow you to adjust the color temperature by choosing from among several options as well as tweaking the intensity and the brightness of the filter. Twilight: This app will allow you to always enable the filter to run from sunrise to sunset, or turn on and off at specific times. 3.Get a screen protector. No matter what device you spend hours staring at, you can get a screen protector to help block blue light. Check out products from www.ocushield.com. You can get screen protectors for Apple, Samsung and a variety of monitors to help reduce the strain to your eyes. 4. Try Protection Glasses. new monitors and screen protectors aren't an option, try these blue-light-blocking glasses. Wear them while you're on your devices before bed to get better sleep at night. These glasses come with a protective case so you can take them to work, school or just keep them safe at home. Wherever you choose to wear them, it's nice to know you can protect your eyes any time, anywhere. 5. Rest Your Eyes. The simplest way to help prevent overexposure to digital blue light is by managing the time spent using them. Be sure to take regular breaks away from the screen. One easy method is to employ the 20-20-20 rule. Every 20 minutes, take a break from your computer to look at something 20 feet away for a minimum of 20 seconds. This technique can help you avoid eye strain, and serves as a regular reminder to be conscious of blue light exposure. As you can see, there are many ways to protect your eyes from Blue Light. In our digital world, there is a need for laptops, television, and smartphone eye protection. Hopefully, the above advice will help you protect your eyes from a mobile screen or computer. Looking for More Useful Tech Tips? Our Tuesday Tech Tips Blog is released every Tuesday. If you like video tips, we LIVE STREAM new episodes of 'Computer and Tech Tips for Non-Tech People' every Wednesday at 6:00 pm CST on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter. Technology product reviews are posted every Thursday. You can view previous episodes on our YouTube channel. Want to ask me a tech question? Send it to burton@callintegralnow.com. I love technology. I've read all of the manuals and I'm serious about making technology fun and easy to use for everyone.  |
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