A little bit of background history …
Email was invented in the 1980s along with the
first schools’
computers.
In the 1990s mobile phones and texting came along
and
‘www’ enabled us to browse and search internet
websites.
Because of this email or text (or phone calls) can
be hijacked
– spoofed – or impersonated.
You can trust …
The NHS app
You can trust …
Banking apps … yes, very safe and secure and private
You can trust …
Apple and Googles’ apps –
specifically those provided by
them (not necessarily all those
from the app/play stores).
So how can we be safe using websites?
When creating a new account with a website and you
are
asked to verify your email address and are given a six
character code by email … then you can be safe: you
initiated the task, then the website verified you.
Similarly when verifying your mobile phone number
you
are sent a code by text to enter on the website page.
Apple is more secure (and private) by design, both
in
its hardware and software. And, bearing in mind its
longevity of use, good value for money.
Phone numbers can be spoofed, that is,
compromised,
as being sent from anyone!
The problem here is that it may be a genuine caller!
So …
You ask the caller your questions!
What is my full name?
What is my postcode?
If from your bank: the
time of my last login, my most
recent transaction, etc
If from the NHS/surgery: my DoB?
If from the police: the case or reason for the call
If from HMRC: it isn’t!
Do not answer with your name nor respond to,
“Can
you hear me?”
When you receive an ’urgent’ communication …
‘Do it tomorrow’, maybe the best way to stay secure
… if it’s really important it will wait!
… and talk to someone about it.
Curiosity or something-for-nothing can lead you astray
… and there’s more …
When you receive a suspect email or phone call:
Don’t
only block the number but note the number and put it
in the subject line to:
They no longer need to be complicated!
They can be easy to remember …
… but need to be long as well as including a
capital and a
number.
It’s so important to have a different password for each login.
Here’s a way to do it …
Google is now quite hot on security, but is
totally reliant on
data about its users for its advertising
billions on knowing as
much about you as possible - profiling
means zero privacy.
Remove Google’s
Chrome browser and replace it with
Firefox browser
Use DuckDuckGo search instead of Google search
If you use use GMail,
don’t delete it but use another
email host: Zoho Mail is £1
a month (nothing is free!)
If you have an iPhone use Apple Maps for satnav
Not only does Meta profile you to make its
billions, like
Google, but unlike Google it has also had at
least four
significant data breaches.
The UK Information Commissioner has gone on public
record
to describe the organisation as, “Morally bankrupt
pathological liars”.
Only put information on
Facebook you want publicly
available, e.g. no photos which have
the date, time and
location in their files; no personal
information including:
full name, birthday, address, phone
number;
affiliations.
Ideal if you want to
people to know about your group,
organisation or shop … but
be careful what you post.
Delete your Facebook account!
Don’t let WhatApp
have access to your contacts - but
how inconvenient!
Instead of WhatsApp use
Signal. Signal does the same
job, is actually free, is also
end-to-encrypted. Set up
by one of the creators of WhatsApp …
a whole new
story!
4
Amazon Privacy Settings You Should Change Right Now,
Jared
Newman advises that changing these four Amazon
privacy settings
can minimize or prevent much of Amazon's
data collection.
Opt out of Amazon's targeted ads
Limit Alexa data collection
Minimize Amazon device data collection
Hide your Amazon browsing history
Amazon actually tracks all your mouse/pointer movements!
Search engine
Gmail email service
Gmail mail app
Chrome browser app
Phones and tablets: Android operating system
WhatsApp message app
App
Prime
Ring
Browser app: Firefox app
Search engine:
DuckDuckGo, use with any browser
(and app)
Email app: Thunderbird
Mail service: Zoho mail (and app), low cost
Signal messages app
Feature phone: Doro (it’s not ’smart’)
Smart phones and tablets: Apple iPhone and iPad
Security cameras: that work with Apple HomeKit
Property Alert is a free property monitoring
service for anyone
who feels a registered property could be at
risk from fraud.
You can sign up to get email alerts when certain
activity occurs
on your monitored properties, so you can take
action if needed.
Don't panic … here’s a quote from White Rabbit
in Disney's 1951
animated production of Alice in Wonderland …
See surfer page … under Resources