Category Archives: Security

4 Reasons to Avoid a Free VPN for Gaming

There are two pretty common questions we get asked with regards to VPNs and their usage while gaming. First, many people wonder if they should use a VPN for gaming at all. Second, the question of whether or not to use a free VPN for gaming comes up. In this post, we look at why you should avoid using a free VPN for gaming and either opt for a solid paid VPN or no VPN at all.

Free VPNs May Contain Malware or Spyware

One of the issues with free VPN in general is that it is tough to find one that is 100% safe to use. A recent study found that almost a third of free VPNs contained some type of malware or virus. Quite frankly, that is more of a risk than I am willing to take. I would prefer to use no VPN at all than to take the risk of getting malware. Obviously, if you use a free VPN that gives you malware, it is going to ruin your gaming experience. read more

5 Tips To Never Get a Virus Again

Being a software engineer, I get called quite often by friends or family to help them with a virus problem. In these instances, we usually can get the virus removed. However, removing a virus can be a real time waster, even for tech experts. One of odd things about this is that I rarely, if ever, have to remove viruses from any of my personal computers. I think that their are some distinct reasons why I am able to avoid getting a computer virus. In this post, I am going to give you some of my personal tips so you never get a virus again.

Install a Good Antivirus Software and Keep it Up to Date

If you don’t have antivirus software installed, then you need to get on this right away. I personally prefer to use a free antivirus. I believe many of the free anti-virus software packages are pretty good. If you want to stick with a free anti-virus, I would recommend Windows Defender. The second part of this is that you need to keep this software up to date. Most good antivirus software will automatically update itself. However, it is a good idea to check that this is happening. When it comes to scanning, it is a good idea to scan every week or so. I recommend setting up your antivirus to run on a schedule. That way you won’t forget to scan. By keeping your virus protection software up to date and by scanning often, you can make sure you catch any threats before they can wreak havoc on your PC.

Be Careful When Opening and Clicking Links Within Emails

Opening a bad attachment or directly clicking on a virus in an email are two really common ways to get a virus. There are quite a few ways to avoid this. First, be really careful opening emails that have attachments from people you don’t know. Second, if you open an email, you don’t recognize the sender, and the email itself doesn’t make any sense, don’t click on any of the links in the email. In this case, it is best to just delete the email and move on. Last, if you are not with a solid email provider like GMail, Yahoo Mail, etc, then you may want to think about switching. These services do a great job of filtering out any viruses before they even get to your inbox. One last tip is if you do click a link and your browser gives you a big warning about the page you are about to visit not being secure, don’t continue, and close out of the browser immediately.

Be Careful When Browsing the Internet

Another really common place to get a virus is from a bad website. We have all been there, we have clicked on a link or a result in Google search and we end up at a website that just doesn’t look trustworthy. These bad sites will often have a number of popups, try to get you to download files, and won’t even let you click the back button. In most cases, you are still OK. However, what you do next may determine if you get a virus or not.

First, see if you can go back or even see if you can close out the browser window. If it doesn’t let you, you can try to close any popups or notifications using the “X” or the cancel button. If you still can’t get away from the bad site, you can use the task manager by pressing CTRL+ALT+DEL to manually close your browser task. The big key here is that you don’t download and install anything. Most browsers today will ask if you are sure that you want to continue with a download. This is where you make your last stand against the virus.

Next, it is best to avoid certain types of sites. First of all, it is recommended that you avoid public torrent sites. These are well-known virus farms. You also want to be careful around any type of adult sites or any low quality streaming sites. I am not talking about YouTube. I am talking about sites that stream a specific TV show or channel illegally. These types of sites can contain malware as well.

One last thing to look out for when browsing is fake “download”, “play now”, “play”, etc buttons. (Image courtesy of PCWorld)

Be really careful around these. Keep an eye out for these on sites that you particularly don’t trust. Also, while on the topic, don’t fall for the “Your computer is infected” ads or popups. These are usually a trick to get you to download a virus. If you see one of these and you are unsure, close it, then open up your virus protection software and run a scan. This will tell you if you are truly infected or not.

Be Careful When Downloading Programs or Files

There are many times when you really just need to download a program or file from the Internet. If you do this correctly, then there is no issue. However, the key here is that when you download something, make sure it is from a trusted source. Downloading software directly from the software developers website is one good tip. For example, if you need to download iTunes, download it from Apple itself, not some third party distributor. The only time you should download from a third party site is when the site itself links to the third party site for the download.

Avoid Free VPNs

A VPN is a solid tool in your security arsenal. It won’t really protect you from getting a virus or malware, but it can protect in other ways. One thing that you will want to avoid is using a free VPN. Many free VPNs can do more harm than good. A recent study found that about a third of free VPNs contained malware. We do recommend using a VPN for the benefits they provide, however, stick with solid ones like NordVPN or IPVanish.

By following the tips and advice above, hopefully you will never get a virus again.

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3 Reasons to Use a VPN for Gaming

You may be wondering if you should use a VPN for gaming. There are definitely advantages and disadvantages to using a VPN while gaming.

Before we get into using a VPN with gaming, let’s look at what a VPN is and does. VPN stands for virtual private network. A VPN allows you to set up a private and encrypted network connection. A VPN will also hide your IP address and location. This all means that your ISP and other 3rd parties will have a lot more trouble tracking your activity online. It will also help protect you from nefarious parties looking to hack or steal your data. In general VPNs are a great tool to use, especially on a public network. read more

7 Things You Need To Do To Avoid Getting Hacked

Hackers are constantly trying to find ways to get access to your sensitive data and accounts. If they succeed, it can cause all kinds of problems. In this guide, we look at 7 things you need to be doing to avoid being hacked.

Create Good Passwords and Change Them Often

Your password can become public knowledge in a multitude of ways. It seems like data breaches are happening quite often and if this happens, a hacker could get access to your login credentials. Even worse, if you use these credentials on other sites, the hacker potentially has access to all of these accounts. read more

Is Your Wireless Network at Risk of a Cyber-Attack?

With the digital age comes information accessible via click of a mouse. In the era of instant data, though, also comes the risk of cyber breaches. It’s an inherent price we pay for the ultra-convenience of connecting to the Web. While you can never be 100% safe, you can drastically mitigate your risk of becoming a statistic by taking precautions. Don’t make yourself or your company an easy target for hackers and cyber-terrorists. Are you aware of the common vulnerabilities of a wireless network?

Denial of Service (DoS)

DoS attacks have increased by 125% in 2016 from the previous year. Common targets include the gaming community. In fact, DoS attacks account for as much as 5% of all traffic in the industry. This is so common because it’s one of the easiest attacks to pull off. There are even unethical sites providing such services for fees as low as $5,000 per attack.

The method is simple: disrupt a site by sending as much traffic to it as possible. Interference can also be achieved by operating through an access point on the same channel or even by simply operating a microwave oven nearby.

Prevent DoS attacks by increasing your bandwidth. This will increase traffic capacity, thereby making it more difficult to incapacitate your network via traffic flood. It also helps to spread your data centers across different regions, with each center connecting to a separate network.

Rogue Access Point (AP)

A rogue access point may be set up on a secured network without knowledge or authorization from the network administrator. The business is tricked into believing the access point is legit, when in reality it’s a malicious trick intended for intercepting highly sensitive and confidential data.

A rogue AP is usually achieved via illegitimate AP inserted into the network to create a bypass into the legitimate network. Another form is known as an evil twin attack, in which the hacker creates a duplicate of the legitimate AP.

Businesses can prevent rogue APs by installing a wireless intrusion prevention system (WIPS) to detect unauthorized APs.

Social Engineering

Hackers may manipulate individuals or company entities into releasing confidential information like passwords and credit card numbers. Most people are familiar with phishing, which is perhaps the most common social engineering attack. Hackers can send emails and even create imposter websites posing as legitimate sites. The target is urged to take action, usually by being told their account is at risk and they need to change their password immediately.

Subcategories of phishing include spear phishing, which targets a single organization or department within an organization. Another form is whaling, where company higher-ups are the targets. Phishing is yet another method that is becoming more commonplace and begins offline through phone calls by hackers usually posing as banking institutions or similar service providers.

Reduce social engineering attacks by educating your staff and establish a protocol for online activity both at work and at home.

Packet Sniffing

Data sent through a network is broken down into smaller “packets” and reassembled once they reach the receiver. Packet sniffing is a method of intercepting those small packets of information. It can be achieved using simple online tools known as packet sniffers. Sniffers can be used to capture sensitive data, such as email, downloads, or even to gain access to protected videos, audios, or live streams.

Prevent packet sniffing by encrypting data, both what you send out and receive. Only use trusted Wi-Fi networks and routinely scan your network for vulnerabilities. Unfortunately, many public areas have shockingly poor security measures in place. One report from Skycure revealed that 10 of the busiest malls in the U.S. had unencrypted Wi-Fi networks. One mall in Las Vegas was found to have as many as 14 separate vulnerable Wi-Fi networks. This leaves those networks easy prey to packet sniffing.

Fortify Your Wireless Security

The risks highlighted barely even scratch the surface. Your wireless network may be vulnerable without the latest security implementations in place. With the modern age of the cloud, remote transactions, big data, and Internet-of-things, comes the risk of data breaches from hackers with malicious intentions. Whether you hire an in-house team or outsource to a remote third-party, it’s vital that you take precautions to avoid contributing to an alarmingly growing statistic.

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