You just never know when you’re going to be the victim of a crime, that’s one of the worst things about it: that surprise element. But if you own a PC, laptop or smartphone you could be putting yourself at risk from any number of cyber attacks if you’re not putting into place adequate protection.
So many of us use our phones and devices to access our bank accounts, payment platforms and store our personal details in files in our documents folders, notes, and emails.
It’s no wonder that hackers have an easy time finding what they need to steal our identities and wreak havoc.
But, you don’t have to make it easy for them, in fact, there are several easy, smart measures you can take to ensure that your laptop and phone stay safe from prying eyes and stop the advances of a would-be cyber criminal.
We’ve rounded up, from top bloggers and experts, some of the best ways to keep yourself safe:
Laptops and PCs
The most effective way to prevent anyone gaining access to your computer files is to install effective anti-virus software. Not just install it but update it regularly and run check-ups on a weekly basis.
While free software is available, the most effective type will probably come with a price tag but since you’re buying peace of mind, it’s usually a worthwhile investment.
If you use windows 10 pro iso, make sure you install updates regularly and switch on that firewall for extra protection against malware.
Always back-up your files and keep your desktop clean, if you’re a Mac user get on Setapp to tidy away anything that contains your personal details. A tidy desktop makes it harder for hackers to go straight for what they need.
More of us are finding that our phones are being hacked but again there are ways to remedy this and make yourself less vulnerable. As with computers, make sure your software updates are carried out regularly, they shore up any holes that might make it easy for someone to sneak into your personal data.
If you’re downloading an App, make sure it’s verified and well reviewed before you install it. Android phones are not quite as strict at the vetting process as Apple, so be vigilant.
Be vigilant too with open WiFi networks and avoid wherever possible, they are often used to mine your phone for data and rarely work.
If your phone is physically stolen make it a challenge to access your data. Always have a passcode in place with a six-figure number. On many smartphones, you can erase data remotely after your phone disappears so make sure you know how this works and get it done as quickly as you can. Use any tracking features to try and locate it before reporting to the police.
By putting in a few simple measures to protect yourself and your data, you’ll be in a great position to fend off any cyber attacks. Be wise, back up your data and make sure to stay vigilant.
Security technology has come a long way since padlocks and safes. Recently, a number of gadgets have been developed that have revolutionized the security industry. Here are just a few pieces of security tech that could help to safeguard us in the future.
Facial recognition technology
Facial recognition technology is already being implemented in our mobile phones as an alternative to using a password. It’s thought that this technology could eventually replace all passwords – already banks are using it to help customers access online banking. This technology can also be used to check people against ID to ensure that they are who they say they are making it a good screening method for businesses. Companies such as https://www.jumio.com/trusted-identity/netverify/ can help you implement this technology if you currently run a business. This could help you to keep out frauds and prevent a data breach.
Smart locks
It’s possible to do away with a regular lock and house key and instead introduce a smart lock. This could allow you to open the lock using your phone. This could be used in conjunction with fingerprint scanning or facial recognition technology so that if a thief gets hold of your phone, they cannot enter. It could also allow you to lock and unlock doors remotely – this could be useful for unlocking and opening a garage door when in your car. It’s worth reading online reviews such as this onehttps://uk.pcmag.com/august-smart-lock-homekit-enabled/ in order to find the best smart lock for your needs and budget.
Drones are more than a toy – these flying machines have found all manner of purposes from DIY aerial photography to monitoring crops. More recently, they’ve also found use as remote flying security guards. Drones can record footage and scan the perimeter of a building or event more easily and more quickly than a human. Human personnel can then be deployed if a breach is detected (some security companies have gone so far as to fit speakers to drones so that they can alert the criminal in the act!).
Motion sensing CCTV
CCTV can sometimes be a big cost for businesses due to the amount of footage that needs to be stored. Motion sensing CCTV records only when motion is detected so that there isn’t a ton of wasted footage showing nothing. This can be combined with motion sensing lights. These cameras can be found at sites such as https://www.spycameracctv.com/spy/spy-cameras/portable-hidden-spy-cameras/motion-detection-spy-cameras/.
Heartbeat-scanning wristbands
Similar to facial recognition technology, heartbeat-scanning technology is thought to be another future replacement of passwords. By simply wearing a bracelet around your arm that scans your heartbeat, you could use this technology as a unique form of identification. This could be used to gain access to companies or as a form access control for festivals and events.
Both in my professional and personal life, traveling has played a very integral part. While traveling professionally, I have traveled the length and breadth of the country and even across the globe, from deep down rural to ultra-urban cities. And even in my personal life, I have shared some of the best moments, traveling with my family. Traveling has been a great teacher in my life and the different places and experiences have taught me a lot of aspects of life. It’s strange, how even over the years, memories of all trips remain so fresh in my mind. But I have to admit that photographs have played a big role in keeping those memories intact. Especially as a blogger, photographs became important not just as to keep memories, but also to maintain my blogging and Instagram on a regular basis. Over a period of time, these photos have become an imperative part of my life and my phone is always full of different photographs collected from different trips.
Storing Pictures
Earlier days, we used to keep our albums safely and securely locked away to ensure they don’t spoil away. But today, living in the digital world, albums have become a thing of past and its all about keeping the photos stored on digital platforms, whether it’s our phone, cloud memories or the hard drives.
But are the photos always safe, when stored digitally? No, while cloud memories are often expensive to buy, we end up storing our pictures on our phone and then maybe a back up in hard drives. But have you ever faced an issue with a hard drive? Well, I have and trust me it was devastating.
My Singapore Trip
At the beginning of the year, I visited Singapore with a friend of mine, and it was my first trip to Singapore. Also, this trip was very important to us, as we are launching women based travel channel, and this was our maiden trip for our channel. So you can very well understand the importance of this trip for us. First of all, it was an international trip and secondly, more of a business value for us than anything else. We clicked thousands of pictures because we not only had to keep our personal Instagram accounts filled with it, but also the new business venture needed those pictures. And since it was a YouTube channel that we were launching, we had over 200 videos in a 4-day trip, which were to be compiled into web series and first and foremost a launch video.
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The Panic Moment
Now imagine my plight, that when I took the hard drive to my editor, in which all our thousands of pictures and 200 videos were transferred, did not open. We checked to plug in the hard drive into different computers, but it did not read even in one. It was a moment to panic, as I realized that the hard drive had probably corrupted. All my dreams came shattering down, as I practically had no time left for my launch. I was just a fortnight away from the launch and these videos and images were so important to me. And obviously, Singapore was not a local place that I could go back and shoot again, so a chance had to be taken for data recovery. Checked with a couple of local service providers, but no one gave a guarantee of data recovery and rather scared me that the data won’t be recovered at all. I was in a total mess.
Stellar, To The Rescue
A friend of mine then told me about Stellar Data Recovery Services, she told me they were very professional and their recovery rate was very high. They provided services for all most all kinds of data recovery and they were my only recourse.
Before going to their branch, I checked and read about them online and a lot of information was available on their site itself. Their service advantages really caught my attention and I was convinced of their professionalism.
Hard Drive Recovery
SSD Data Recovery
Server Data Recovery
Storage Box Data Recovery
RAID Data Recovery
Encrypted Data Recovery
iPhone Data Recovery
Android Data Recovery
CTB Locker Virus Recovery
Laptop/Desktop Data Recovery
Flash Data Recovery
MacBook Data Recovery
Pen Drive Recovery
SD Card Recovery
Ransomware Virus Recovery
CCTV/DVR Recovery
iPad Data Recovery
Removable Media Recovery
Email Recovery
Tally Data Recovery
Photo Recovery
File Recovery
Database Recovery
Disaster Data Recovery
Why Trust Stellar
They are the only ISO 27001 and ISO 9001 certified organization in India. Not the one who claim on papers to be ISO certified, but the ones who practice ISO guidelines inside their data recovery operations.
They are India’s first data recovery service company founded in 1993, and Stellar can proudly boast of experienced research & development team who have developed numerous data recovery software’s. This proprietary software and tools can recover data from different kind of storage devices in various conditions. So, in addition to the expected recovery of your data, they ensure your data is safe & secure within their organization. They have a success rate of 95% on data recoveries.
The best part is that their data recovery service comes with a 100% money back policy. They work on No Recovery- No charge policy*. Which means if they do not recover data specified by you, they don’t charge for it.
They even allow you to step into their lab and see the work getting done, being completely transparent about their processes. This is a Class 100 Cleanroom lab for Data Recovery, the only one of its kind in entire India.
Process
They follow a simple process for data recovery
The Stellar Strength
2 Million+ Satisfied Customer
8000+ Partners Worldwide
In Lab Data Recovery Service Provider
Strong Presence in USA, Europe & Asia
350+ Employees
Microsoft Gold ISV Partner
ISO/IEC 27001 & ISO 9001 certified
80+ R&D Engineers
60+ Data Recovery Experts
Advantages for opting for Stellar
No Recovery, No Charge*
15 Locations Across India
Accurate Efficient and Reliable
35000+ Data Recovery Jobs Annually
World Class Infrastructure of Class 100 Clean Room Labs
Free Door Step Drive Pick Up
Risk-Free, Privacy Ensured
To Conclude
All I can say is I was really thankful to Stellar for the video and photos recovery from my hard drive that too with a quick turn around time. In fact, I also read about preventive measures for hard drive crash on their site and know at least I can be more future ready. I was able to get my video edited and the launch did happen timely without any delays and further panic.
So remember this name whenever you face such a situation. I can easily say that there is no one better than them.
When you print, scan, or copy a document at home or in the office, it might look like any other document to your eyes. But, unbelievably, data on the page make it possible to track almost every document you’ve ever scanned, printed, or photocopied back to you.
Your printer logs everything
All modern printers keep some form of log. Depending on the make and model, the logs can be highly intrusive and even go as far as indefinitely retaining full copies of all material.
Printer logs can be a substantial and unexpected privacy risk, especially if they contain sensitive and personal information. This is a significant risk when disposing of or selling old printers, as people are rarely aware of how to wipe or destroy the hard drive safely.
Do you have a family full of tech addicts? Are you not sure what gift to get them to bring joy to their faces come Christmas morning? Check out this great guide to tech gifts for the whole family:
An iPhone X for Mom
Does your mom love keeping tabs on the rest of the family? Does she love being able to keep in touch with all of you at the touch of a button? How about embarrassing you on Facebook? If so, then you can bet she’d love to receive a brand new iPhone X, which will allow here to do that and a whole lot more in style.
A Segway for the Teenage Boy
When it comes to teenage boys, there are a whole lot of options, from games consoles to iPads that are sure to impress., but if you want to really blow them away on Christmas morn’, then go for the less obvious – give them the gift of a Segway. You might be thinking at this point that Segways are for tourists only and they aren’t exactly cool, but if you get more info on them here, you’ll see that Segways are the new hoverboards. They’re cool, unique and great for lazy young lads!
If the teenage girl in your life loves taking selfies or artful pictures of the world around here, giver her a taste of old-school photography by purchasing her there Fuji Instax, which as well as being a fun little camera, also comes in pretty pastel colors. She’ll love it.
A Drone for Dad
He Might be all grown up, but if you know at heart, your dad is just a big kid, if he enjoys watching airplane documentaries and if he’s into gadgets, you can’t go wrong with one of the newer drones on the market, which will awaken his inner kid and ensure he has fun on Christmas Day.
The LeapPad3 for the Little One
The LeapPad3, which you can learn more about here is a great little gadget for little ones who are already showing an interest in tech. It’s a device that is totally safe for them to use and which gives them access to over 1200 games, ebooks and apps to keep them happy for the foreseeable future. Plus, you won’t have to keep handing over your own iPad for them to play with!
If your grandparents aren’t already online, then it’s time to change that by gifting them an iPad or whichever tablet you prefer, so that they can learn how to surf the web, enrich their lives and yes, facetime with you and the rest of the family. It’s becoming increasingly important to be able to access the internet effectively, so do this for them now. Even better, buy them an iPad and spend the time showing them how to use it and letting them now all of the functions it can perform.
It’s going to be an amazing Christmas with these gifts in your family’s stockings!
These days, children can be extremely technologically advanced. Whenever you are out and about, you will often see some very young children, toddlers even, playing on their parent’s smartphone. Some may even have their very own smartphone or tablet device themselves. Lots of people think that introducing children to technology in this way at an early age is good for them. It gives them the chance to develop some useful tech skills that will help them in later lives and getting to know tech from an early stage can keep them safe when online.
But is it really such a good idea to introduce young children to technology at such an early age? It is important to remember that there are some dangers associated with it.
Damage
One of the main worries about letting your kids loose on smartphones and tablet devices is that they might damage the expensive appliances. Kids can be very clumsy, and your phone or tablet might easily slip out of their hands and smash on a hard floor. Or, your kids might press something they shouldn’t and they could delete a lot of important data. But there are ways to protect your devices. Firstly, invest in a good quality cover that can protect it against physical damage. Secondly, make sure everything is backed up. In this video, Casey explains exactly how to back up your iPhone, and this process isn’t too different for Android phones. Once backed up, all your data and information is safe and secure.
There is a growing problem with obesity currently in a number of Western countries. And the problem is becoming increasingly serious with children. A few parents are wary about letting their children spend a lot of time with technology because it encourages a sedentary way of life. When they aren’t exposed to technology, they will be much more inclined to play outside and lead an active lifestyle. So, if you are already worried about your child’s weight, it might be a good idea to wait a few years to introduce them to these technologies.
Another health issue that many parents associate with children and technology is sleep deprivation. The screens on all laptops, smartphones, and tablet devices emit a soft blue light that isn’t visible when you are looking at the screen. However, even though you can’t see it, the light is definitely there and can play havoc with melatonin, the hormone that helps us sleep. As a result, if a child is on a device too close to their bedtime, they will find it much harder to fall asleep. Plus, they won’t sleep as deeply as they should do, and will suffer from broken sleep through the night. So, if you do introduce your child to tech, be sure that you have a cut off point in the early evening. That way, they aren’t playing on games right up to bedtime.
Whether or not you do introduce your child to tech at an early age is up to you. But it’s good to weigh up both sides of the argument!
When making a website about a business or simply as a matter of your own pleasure, it should be an extension of your personality and what you believe in. Unfortunately, not everyone is a tech junky, who knows the latest and greatest ways of achieving exactly what they want out of a website. Often, we’re lead by the nose, and we simply try to put convenience before total customization. We want to be able to make the website feel personal and somehow connected to us, so the brand and or image is properly projected. It’s also fun to build something from scratch and be able to say that your website is utterly of your own making. There are definite benefits to both options but how do they relay out into the real world?
Branching out the responsibility to people with the relevant expertise to create your website is the route that most people choose to go down. However, there is always another way than palming this off to somebody else. HTML is still in use, and contrary to what many people thought a few years ago, is far from dying out. In fact, many people are learning how to make basic and advanced coding using this method by using various companies like Training Connection. Here you’ll learn how to make build a website, how to lay down the foundations and fill the structure in with different and completely customizable options. You can also make your website completely compatible with the latest smartphones as well as make it fast, reliable and responsive for people on the commute. CSS3 is the platform you’ll be learning, which will help you to create complex page layouts as well as add interactive features your viewers will like.,
Hosting websites are big business nowadays. The main platforms that are available to the public for free as well as in a charged advanced package are brands like Wix and WordPress. You are locked into their mainframe, and you function as an independent website, but you’re still technically connected to the web host. So, its always better to get the general understading of pros and cons of each available platform in order to avoid future issues. For example, you can find useful information about features and pricing in this Wix review.You can contact a plethora of web designers either from companies or freelancers, to use these platforms to make you a website. Together with this, they may teach you how to use the various functions, buttons, keys, and links so that you can do basic editing by yourself. This route is very easy but more expensive than going it alone on HTML. However, it’s also much less time consuming and the web hosts are a great way to boost your social media rating as they have integrated systems that will launch your website on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.
Going it alone and doing everything on your own gives you absolute autonomy. However, the learning curve is sometimes too steep for some people, so keep the option of getting a website made for you open. Web hosting is a hot topic, and many people use them for their website because it’s simply easier, more accessible, but you must be willing to have it cost more. Learning to code will help you in the future, and you’ll be able to understand how to correct and modify certain elements of your website whenever you wish
There are various different types of computers that you can purchase for personal and business use. Some have different power levels, processing capabilities, and storage space. It’s important that you make the right choice when you buy a computer as it is an expensive investment. A top computer could cost you well over a thousand dollars, plus any extras that you might need to purchase such as word processing software. So, let’s look at some of the different computer systems that you can get your hands on.
There are various types of desktops that you can get on the market right now. The benefit of having a desktop is that they tend to be more powerful. They also usually have faster processing speeds and larger memory storage capacities. As such, you can store TBs of your data on a desktop making it the perfect home computer system. As well as this, a desktop often has a large enough screen to be used as another device for video entertainment in your home. Expect to pay a few thousand at least for a decent desktop.
The best desktops can connect wirelessly to another device in your home. This means that you will be able to play your music, watch shows that you might have downloaded on your desktop on your TV and forward search results directly to any smart system in your home.
It’s worth pointing out that desktops also tend to have disk drive systems, something that tends to be quite rare on your typical laptop.
Laptops come in all shapes and sizes and the type you choose will depend on what you’re going to use it for. A gaming laptop isn’t just for gaming. Gaming laptops often have seriously fast processors, crystal clear displays and avoid lagging issues when online. As such, they are very powerful machines but can be pricey with costs often reaching beyond five thousand.
An all in one laptop covers all the bases and may or may not have a disc drive. It will, however, be fast enough to stream shows online and have at least 2TBs of data. According to laptop.review, most modern laptops now have at least 4tbs for storage with a much smaller memory.
Finally, there is the notebook. Used mainly for surfing the web and word processing, this laptop is a fantastic choice for basic uses, and typically, they are considerably cheaper. A few hundred will be enough to pick up a typical laptop, perfect for surfing the web, watching videos and working.
Last but not least, you may want to consider purchasing a hybrid. Exactly as it sounds, a hybrid is a mixture of a tablet and a laptop often with a keyboard that does disconnect. The benefit of this type of setup is that you can use the device in multiple ways whether you just want the screen or a full laptop. However, you should be careful buying these as they are often nowhere near as powerful as your typical fully functional laptop.
Ever since the release of Cheryl Strayed’s ‘Wild,’ many of us have fancied an isolated camping trip. Strayed’s fallout in the face of mourning for her mother was heartbreaking, and her subsequent time on the Pacific Crest Trail turned her life around.
It’s no wonder, then, that many of us decide to follow a similar path whenever life gets us down. And, Cheryl wasn’t the first person to start this trend. There’s something cleansing about the idea of spending time alone in the wild. Sometimes, it seems like the best and only way to hit the reset button.
But, far from the romantic depictions in literature, it’s important to consider the practicalities of such an experience. While a completely isolated camping trip will work wonders for your soul, there are clear downfalls. For one, it’s not always safe. There are so many risks in the world today that our loved ones are sure to want to stay in touch. Plus, complete isolation is such a rarity in the modern age that you may find it harder that you’re anticipating. So, small levels of communication could actually help, rather than hinder, your experience.
But, how do can you insert communication into your trip without ruining the process?
Write letters
Your first port of call should be letter writing. Sending letters as you go is sure to ease the loneliness. It’ll also put your loved one’s minds at rest. Plus, letter writing can be incredibly therapeutic. During face to face/phone conversations, we rarely stop and think about what we’re saying. But, when writing a letter, you have to think about every word. You have time to consider each before committing them to paper. Hence, you may find communication like this helps you come to terms with more demons.
Wifi may not be what you had in mind, but inviting it into your trip could make all the difference. As long as you set boundaries, there’s no reason this needs to have any impact on your journey. Of course, wifi in the middle of nowhere isn’t easy to come by. But, you’re sure to pass through towns on your route with free wifi hotspots. Make the most of these by posting pictures of your trip on Instagram. You could even send postcards via app services like those offered by My Postcard. This is a fast way to update loved ones with a quick message. If you’re taking your phone with you, download the app before you head off and make use of it whenever you get the chance.
You may be doing this to get away, but a five-minute phone call each day will make the experience much easier for you. Plus, this can work as a fantastic security backup. Aim to reach a pay phone at some point during the same hour each day. Then, if you don’t ring, your loved ones will know straight away that there’s a problem.
The daily commute to and from work is not something any of us look forward to. It’s lost time; time that could be better spent at work, or enjoying leisure activities at home. It’s dealing with the annoying behaviour of other commuters, the pushing and shoving, the being forced to sit too close to someone you don’t know. It’s a miserable experience, but one that we have to put up with if we want to be able to do our jobs.
It therefore makes sense to consider the potential for making the commute as enjoyable as possible — or, at least, as bearable as possible. If this is something you’re always going to be forced to do, then turning to technology could be the difference-maker that takes you from mild irritation to as-pleasant-as-possible commuting experience.
So what do you need to ensure the time you spend travelling to and from the office is as good as it can possibly be?
1) Smartphone Games That Don’t Require A Data Connection
If your commute is around 30 minutes each way, then relying on a data connection as a means to entertain yourself is going to get expensive – fast. Browsing the web and social media is how most of us spend our commute, but an hour per day of such browsing is an unnecessary expense.
Instead, turn to smartphone games that you don’t need to be connected to the internet to play. Put your phone in airplane mode and play to your heart’s content, without having to worry about running up a huge data bill.
2) Headphones (That Won’t Annoy Your Fellow Commuters)
Anyone who has ever been on public transport knows how irritating it can be to be forced to listen to the music of someone else. So if you’d rather zone out to music during your commute, you need to ensure that you’re not going to be one of those annoying commuters. Investing in a good set of best wireless Bluetooth headphones is a good first step, but it’s also worth promising yourself to keep the volume at a reasonable level.
At the very least, having a good option for listening to your own music means you’re going to be able to drown out the music of someone else if necessary!
Smartphone batteries are terrible; this has been acknowledged, explained, debated, and discussed for years now. Given that we seem to have reached a peak point of performance when it comes to battery life, you’re going to need to ensure that you can keep your phone powered through your commutes. After all, if your phone is going to be your main source of entertainment during the daily work travel, then the last thing you want is for it to run out and leave you stuck with nothing to do.
Portable power banks have been around for a few years now, but they still have huge variances in their quality and durability. As a general rule, opt for a larger bank – around 20,000mAh should suffice – so you can be sure of multiple top-ups, just in case you forget to recharge it every night.
So while commuting is never going to be your favourite activity, the above should make it a little easier to deal with!
