Technically Easy

Category: Security

Security is an important topic when it comes to technology. There are many different areas of security, so this category is divided into various sub-categories to help navigate through the posts on security.

  • Mozy 2.0: My Experiences So Far

    Mozy 2.0: My Experiences So Far

    I am an ardent supporter of developing a good backup workflow, and have written several posts on the topic over the last few years. Most people probably don’t realize the risk to their data if they don’t develope a good backup strategy. Part of my backup plan includes using Mozy to backup my data online.

    Recently, a new version of Mozy’s application was released, and while it touts performance improvements, it also includes a new feature that allows for backing up data locally as well as online. After using the new version for a few weeks I have found this new feature very useful, as you can read below.

    (more…)

  • Keep Your Passwords Secure with LockNote

    Keep Your Passwords Secure with LockNote

    I recently wrote a post about why long passwords are more secure and received a comment about the “human factor”. The commenter made a very true statement with regards to longer passwords may force people to write them down, making them less secure.

    I have a hard time remembering any of my long passwords – especially those that are over 30 characters. Many security experts that create long passwords may have a system that works for them, but I have yet to develop one for myself. This is why I use a simple, secure, but small application to keep my passwords safe.

    (more…)

  • Size Does Matter…at Least for Passwords

    Size Does Matter…at Least for Passwords

    I have been thinking and talking more about security in recent weeks. For my regular readers you would have noticed that I have been concentrating on securing Windows 7, but one topic I didn’t discuss was that of passwords.

    It seems everything we do with computers, you will usually need to enter a password at some point. Just think about how many places you need to input a password, such as logging into your computer, a web site, or software that is installed on your computer. With many of these places containing extremely private information, it is important that you use a strong, safe, password to prevent unwanted individuals from accessing your information. Let’s look at what is a strong password to protect your data.

    (more…)

  • How to Secure Your Windows 7 System – Part 4

    How to Secure Your Windows 7 System – Part 4

    So far in my Windows security series, I have looked at securing your system using a hardware firewall to keep your Internet connection secure. I then talked about creating a Windows standard user account, and disabling certain services. In my last post I talked about more methods you can use to secure your Internet connection from within Windows using software and a DNS service.

    In this post I will close by talking about applications that can help keep your computer clean of malware – those nasty programs you hear about in the news that can do harm to your computer or data. Let’s take a look at what you can do to help keep your computer clean.

    (more…)

  • How to Secure Your Windows 7 System – Part 3

    How to Secure Your Windows 7 System – Part 3

    This is the third part in my series on securing your Windows 7 system. In part one I talked about securing your system using a hardware router and an uninterruptible power supply (UPS). In my last post I discussed creating a standard user account, disabling certain services, and a few other tasks you could perform within Windows to secure your system.

    In this post I will begin talking about some applications you can install, as well as a service that I recommend you use. The focus on this post is mainly on securing the communication channel to and from your Windows 7 system.

    (more…)

  • How to Secure Your Windows 7 System – Part 1

    How to Secure Your Windows 7 System – Part 1

    I recently purchased a new computer that had Windows 7 installed. With my new computer I figured it would be a new start with both the new operating system and security. Over the past month I have been busy reading, learning, and applying various security measures on my new computer.

    I have learned a bit more about security during that time, and feel that I have a fairly secure desktop, and have now decided to write several posts that outline what I have done on my Windows system to make it more secure.

    (more…)

  • What Makes a Great Backup Plan?

    What Makes a Great Backup Plan?

    It has been a little while since I have talked about data backup. I like to bring up this subject once in a while since I think it is important for everyone to understand. If you have taken many digital photos, collect your family genealogy information, or have written many work/school assignments then you probably have it stored on your computer.

    The reality, unfortunately, is that if you haven’t implemented a good backup solution, or workflow, you are at risk of losing your data. Think about your data and ask yourself one question: can I stand to lose all of my data? You will probably answer “no”, so let’s look at what you need to think about when developing your backup plan.

    (more…)

  • Protect Your Computer with Sandboxie

    Protect Your Computer with Sandboxie

    Keeping your data and computer secure is very important, especially if you spend much of your time online. There are many ways for hackers to gain access to your computer while you download files from web sites. This is why it is important to always install and use anti-virus and anti-malware software, a software firewall, and a hardware firewall.

    I recently came across another utility that can also help protect your computer. This utility allows you to isolate all your internet activity so everything can be easily deleted if needed. It is a really small tool that I have been using for a few days called Sandboxie.

    (more…)