Do not let ransomware authors win.
Ransomware is all over the news. A few months back, the Wannacry ransomware knocked out England's hospitals' computer networks. Staff told patients if they did not have an emergency, go home. Administrators there ended up giving the ransomware authors 300 Bitcoin dollars to reveal an ... Read More
16
Jul2026
16
Jul2026
You do not need 2FA (2-factor authentication).
2FA (2-factor authentication) helps improve your security and reduces your chance of becoming an identity theft victim. I have already written here why you should deploy 2FA. In this post, I shall play the Devil's Advocate. Don't do it.
What happens if you don't do ... Read More
15
Jul2026
2FA (2-factor authentication helps) protect your identity.
You should deploy 2FA (2-factor authentication). This increases your security and reduces your chances of becoming an identity theft victim. Most services encourage 2FA and let you deploy it at no additional cost. I shall use Gmail in my example here.
How it looks in ... Read More
14
Jul2026
2-factor authentication helps protect your identity.
You should deploy 2-factor authentication. This increases your security and reduces your chances of becoming an identity theft victim. Most services encourage 2-factor authentication and let you deploy it at no additional cost.
How it looks in real life.
Daphne runs a dental office in Folsom, CA. ... Read More
14
Jul2026
2-factor authentication increases your security.
You should use 2-factor authentication starting now. This is a mechanism, which is usually free, that increases your network security. According to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Simple_2FA, 2-factor authentication is "...a way of adding additional security on your account. The first "factor" is your usual password that is standard for ... Read More
13
Jul2026
Ransomware could become a nonissue at a Folsom dental office.
Daphne runs a dental office in Folsom. She gets scared every time she learns of ransomware, spyware and malware. "They're all challenging me and my ability to protect our client data. We're not the only dentist office in Folsom," she complains. ... Read More
12
Jul2026
Ransomware could become a nonissue.
We survived last month's WannaCry Ransomware attack. WannaCry struck folks who avoided the most recent Microsoft security updates. They also previously clicked a phishing link. WannaCry encrypted files and demanded $300US in BitCoin to make them readable. Proactive users avoided this nonsense.
Avoiding WannaCry.
WannaCry struck none of my ... Read More
11
Jul2026
Wannacry, the worst ransomware in history, is preventable.
Last week, the Wannacry ransomware infected 200,000 computers. It started infecting Britain's hospitals. We soon learned it was international. A client asked me about it.
How to get infected.
Here's what I wrote:
For a company to be victimized by the Wannacry ransomware, they needed:
At least ... Read More
10
Jul2026
Ransomware strikes British hospitals.
Friday's ransomware attack infected computer networks of at least 40 British National Health System hospitals. Administrators suspended non-emergency operations. They also are diverting ambulances.
Mikko Hypponen, chief research officer at the Helsinki-based cybersecurity company F-Secure, called the attack "the biggest ransomware outbreak in history." This is a cyber ... Read More
10
Jul2026
Malware Malware Everywhere.
Malware attacks are on the rise. According to Wikipedia, "Malware, short for malicious software, is any software used to disrupt computer or mobile operations, gather sensitive information, gain access to private computer systems, or display unwanted advertising."
Data breaches are all but inevitable. You've heard about the recent attacks ... Read More