Latest Security How-To Stories
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How-To
Four Safer Ways to Pay Online
Worried about hackers snagging your credit card info? Taking a few precautionary steps can go a long way in protecting your account.How-To
How to Install an SSD in Your Laptop
Laptops are ideal candidates for solid state drives: These drives are more rugged and shock resistant than standard hard drives, since they have no moving parts.Security Alert
Are You a Data Breach Victim? Here’s What to Do
Sony Pictures suffered a massive data breach that may impact up to 1 million users, but data breaches are fairly common. Here's a checklist of what to do–and what to watch for–if you fall victim.Simply Business
Boost Your Productivity By Blocking Distracting Sites
Add-ons designed as parental controls can also stop the kid in you from wasting time online.Answer Line
What Do You Do With an Infected CD, DVD, or Flash Drive?
Cyberknight asked the Antivirus & Security Software forum about safely handling infected external mediaAnswer Line
Protect Your Kids Online
Tru006 asked the Web Browsing and Email forum for suggestions on monitoring and controlling children's browsing habitsHow-To
Protect Your Data From the Breach Epidemic
Sony's PSN data breach got all the headlines, but this sort of attack is hardly rare. Here's what should you know about such breaches, and how to protect your data.How-To
Do You Know What Your Kids Are Doing Online? These Tools Can Help
There's a fine line between giving kids independence and being oblivious to what they're up to. Here's how to find that balance and keep your children from getting into trouble online, without unduly encroaching on their individual privacy.Answer Line
Remove Windows Defender (As Long As Windows is Defended)
Windows Defender isn't listed in Control Panel's uninstallers. Spiritchaser asked the Answer Line forum how to remove it.How-To
11 Free Microsoft Tools You’re Overlooking
Microsoft Windows and Internet Explorer are virtually synonymous with personal computing, but there are also many free tools from Microsoft that you may not be aware of.Answer Line
Edit Your Browser’s AutoFill or AutoComplete–and Protect Your Credit Cards
Tom Guthrie wants to selectively remove the usernames, passwords, and other bits of text from his browser's AutoFill featureHow-To
Secure Your Life in 12 Steps
Lock down your computer, your home network, your identity–even your phone.Answer Line
Too Many Antivirus Programs?
Keith has Norton AntiVirus, Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware, SUPERAntiSpyware, Windows Defender, and Windows Firewall. Is this overkill?How-To
How to Reset Your Wireless Router
Resetting your router can fix networking problems, and may be necessary for security reasons.Answer Line
I Emailed a Credit Card Number
Robert emailed credit card information to a business. Should he cancel the credit card?How-To
Leaving Your Job? Take Your Data With You
Whether you're leaving on your own timetable or departing with a pink slip in your hand, here's how to hit the bricks with your digital life intact.How-To
Protect Your Online Privacy (Without Reading All the Fine Print)
Before signing up for a new social network service or downloading that new application on your phone, read these privacy suggestions first.Answer Line
Do I Have a Freeloader on My WiFi?
Chris Beck wants to find out if there are unauthorized users on his wireless network.How-To
Get Started With a VPN: For Beginners, Power Users, and IT Pros
How to Choose and Use a VPN, For Beginners and Experts Get Started With a VPN at Any LevelHow-To
Stop Your Boss From Spying on You
Tired of having a corporate Big Brother looking over your shoulder? Here are a few easy ways to keep your employer from monitoring your online life.How-To
How to Monitor Your Employees’ PCs Without Going Too Far
How to Monitor Your Employees' PCs Without Going Too FarHow-To
How to Mine Customer Data the Right Way
Data mining can help you unearth hidden information about what your customers want–but you should avoid becoming a pariah or being singled out by the media for privacy violations. Here are the right methods to build a loyal customer following.Answer Line
Is VOIP Secure?
USANomad asked the Answer Line forum if people can eavesdrop on Voice Over Internet Protocol phone callsBizFeed
Prevent E-mail Disasters: 5 Tools to Protect You from Slip-ups
A growing number of tech tools are now on hand to prevent the all-too-common e-mail faux pas.Answer Line
Is It Malware?
Amark found OpenCandy on a PC, and asked the Utilities forum if it's maliciousHassle-Free PC
How to Avoid Getting Burned by ‘Sneakware’
When you install Adobe Reader X, it tries to sneak a McAfee security scanner onto your system. A keen eye can help prevent this kind of thing.How-To
Firefox Tips, Plus a Warning: Protect Those Passwords
Follow these tips to make scrolling in Mozilla Firefox much smoother, plus a public service announcement: don't take password security lightly.How-To
Security on a Shoestring Budget
With the right mix of open-source tools, protecting your PCs and your network doesn’t have to break your bottom line.Hassle-Free PC
The Wrong Way to Manage Your Passwords
If you're storing your passwords in a Word document, Excel spreadsheet, or the like, you might as well just hand them over to hackers right now.Answer Line
More on Gaining Administrator Access Without a Password
Locked out of your PC's administrator account? I revisit an old question with a new answer.Tech Audit
When Nobody Is Watching Your Business, Security Systems Can
Keep an eye on your business with IP cameras.How-To
9 Ways to Keep Your Mobile Devices Secure While Traveling
What’s secure and what’s not, and how to make sure your devices don’t get hacked the next time you step out of the house.How-To
Keep Malware Off Your Android Phone: 5 Quick Tips
As the list of infected Android apps grows, here is our advice on how to protect your Android smartphone from malware.BizFeed
How to Browse Privately on Public Wi-Fi for Free
With a handful of free software tools, you can fight off snoopers when using public Wi-Fi. Here's how, step by step.How-To
Free Internet Security Tools, Lightweight PDF Reader
Protect yourself for free with Flagfox for Firefox and BufferZone Pro; try the streamlined Sumatra PDF for basic needs.How-To
Repair Your Windows PC With System Restore
The System Restore feature in Windows 7 lets you troubleshoot and repair your system by traveling back to a time before the problem began.How-To
Must-Have Tools and Tricks
Learn how to get a disposable e-mail address, stop Windows 7 from automatically resizing windows, and recover data from a dead laptop.Hassle-Free PC
Safe Browsing: Flagfox Shows the Location of the Site You’re Visiting
This clever Firefox plug-in shows shows you what country is hosting the page you're viewing–useful for ferreting out phishing sites. It's loaded with other handy tools as well.How-To
How to Run an Online Background Check for Free
Find out what you need to know about someone–or find out the information that's out there about you–without spending any money.How-To
15 Common Small-Business Tech Mistakes (and How to Avoid Them)
15 Common Tech Mistakes Small-Businesses Make (and How to Avoid Them)BizFeed
Get a Dial-Up Connection When Disaster Strikes
Whether a natural disaster or something more nefarious causes you to lose an Internet connection, dial-up can offer online access when all else fails.How-To
Get Internet Access When Your Government Shuts It Down
Does your government have an Internet kill-switch? Read our guide to Guerrilla Networking and be prepared for when the lines get cut.How-To
The 21 Greatest PC Mysteries–Solved!
Find out why your documents won’t print, where your downloads disappear to, what a .dat file is, how those infernal toolbars invaded your browser, and much more.How-To
How to Tell Whether a Website Is Safe
A free browser plug-in will help you avoid sites that might threaten your PC.How-To
Is It Really Necessary to Update Windows?
Patches for Windows seem to arrive in a constant, annoying stream, but avoiding them is a bad idea.How-To
Why Do Adobe Reader and Java Update So Often?
The frequent patches for Reader and Java may seem like a hassle, but installing them is important.How-To
How to Avoid Unwanted Browser Toolbars
If you're not careful, your browser might become cluttered with toolbars–both benign and malicious.How-To
How to Completely Erase a Hard Drive
These tips and tricks will help you destroy old data and make sure that your old drives are wiped clean.How-To