Times have changed, it’s true, but that doesn’t mean attempts to hack your computer are gone. While computer security has gotten stronger in the past decade, so have viruses, spyware, and trojans. Even though you have never tried to download spyware, chances are you’ve had your search engine changed once or twice, or had too many search bars at the top of the screen.

The FBI has published a warning that they have seen an increase in criminals who use spear-phishing to attack and gain access to private computer networks. Access is then used to exploit the data “to create fake identities, steal intellectual property, and compromise financial credentials to steal money from victims’ accounts.

Twitter recently announced that it now supports two-factor authentication (or 2FA), but it’s far from the first website to encourage users to use it. Google, Facebook, and Amazon are just a few of the companies that currently use 2FA to prevent hacking attempts.

A list was released in the past few months that included the most commonly-used passwords of last year. These passwords, and any variation of these passwords, are some of the passwords that will be tried first when a hacker is attempting to get into an account.

You may think it’s a little outlandish that you have to protect your phone from cyber attacks, but unfortunately, celebrities aren’t the only people who get their phones hacked. In reality, it’s much easier than anyone thinks, and even an amateur can manage to get into your voicemail or view your smartphone’s browsing history.

With hacking attempts, DDoS attacks, and stolen data becoming more prevalent as of late, it’s more important than ever that you and your employees exercise the proper protection techniques. This starts with knowing what to look out for. Since we all use email regularly to communicate with others, it makes sense to start there when it comes to protection from hacking attempts.

If you’re a busy business owner, you’re probably going through scores of emails every day. Email allows everyone to stay in touch, no matter where they are and what they’re doing. Email is essential in everyday business operations, but that doesn’t mean it’s perfect.

I have been asked if it is possible to send texts through email.  It is actually pretty easy and convenient to text from your mail client.  This can be done via Outlook, Outlook Express, GMail, or virtually any mail client.

What is the advantage of being able to do this?  There are potentially several advantages.