Privacy & Security Articles

Google Announces Maps Incognito Mode and More Privacy Controls

Today, Google is announcing a plethora of new privacy and security features: Incognito Mode for Google Maps, auto-deletion of your YouTube history, voice privacy controls in Google Assistant, and Password Checkup built into G...

Chris Hoffman Oct 2nd, 2019

Why You Should Sign In With Google, Facebook, or Apple

Are you still creating user accounts everywhere? Maybe you should stop and sign in with your Google, Facebook, or Apple account instead. It might just be more secure—and it’s definitely more secure if you’re...

Chris Hoffman Sep 30th, 2019

How HTTP/3 and QUIC Will Speed Up Your Web Browsing

HTTP/3 is becoming more widespread. Cloudflare is now supporting HTTP/3, which is already part of Chrome Canary and will be added to Firefox Nightly soon. This new standard will make your web browsing faster and more secure....

Chris Hoffman Sep 27th, 2019

How to Make iPhone Apps Always Ask for Location Access

It’s time to take another look at your iPhone location permissions. Now, you don’t have to give apps permanent access to your location: You can grant access only once and require consent every time an app wants yo...

Chris Hoffman Sep 26th, 2019

Do You Need an Antivirus on a Mac?

No software is immune to attack, including macOS. The rising popularity of Apple computers has made them a prime target for malware. And security companies are increasingly offering antivirus for Macs, but do you really need ...

How to Protect Your Identity Online

When Sandra Bullock starred in The Net in 1995, identity theft seemed new and unbelievable. But the world has changed. Starting in 2017, nearly 17 million Americans are victims of identity fraud every year....

How to Report Suspicious Android Apps

All it takes is one suspicious or malicious Android app installed on your device for it to put your data and security at risk. If you’ve found a suspicious app and you want to report it to Google, here’s how to do...

Ben Stockton Sep 23rd, 2019

Protect Your Home Minecraft Server From DDOS Attacks with AWS

Want to run a Minecraft server from home without revealing your IP address? You can! Just set up a free proxy with Amazon Web Services to protect your server from denial-of-service attacks. We’ll show you how....

Anthony Heddings Sep 23rd, 2019

How to Remove Activation Lock on an iPhone

The Activation Lock makes iPhones less attractive to thieves. When you set up an iPhone, it’s associated with your iCloud ID. Even if someone steals it, they can’t set it up and use it unless you remove the Activa...

How to Set Up a Smarthome Without the Cloud

The easiest smarthome tech uses the cloud to do the heavy lifting. But that means you give up your privacy. And if the company shuts down, so does your smarthome. Here’s how to bypass the cloud in your smarthome setup....

Could Your Bluetooth Devices Be Hacked in 2019?

fizkes/ShutterstockBluetooth is everywhere, and so are its security flaws. But how great is the risk? How concerned should you be about Bluejacking, Bluesnarfing, or Bluebugging? Here’s what you need to know to protect ...

What Should You Do If You Receive a Phishing Email?

If you receive a phishing email, it can be a bit scary. Fortunately, nothing infects your computer if you don’t click any links or respond. Here’s what to do (and what not to do) if you receive a phishing email....

Rob Woodgate Sep 4th, 2019

How to Stream UFC 242 Khabib vs. Poirier Live Online

For the first time, UFC plays out in the United Arab Emirates on Saturday, September 7. In this highly anticipated lightweight title unification bout, champion Khabib Nurmagomedov takes on interim champion Dustin Poirier. H...

Walter Glenn Sep 1st, 2019

How to Let a Contact Bypass iOS’ Do Not Disturb Mode

The iPhone’s Do Not Disturb feature is a great way to make sure your handset doesn’t disturb you when you’re sleeping or busy. But if you want a certain contact to still be able to get ahold of you, you can ...

Khamosh Pathak Aug 27th, 2019

How to Unblock “Potentially Sensitive Content” on Twitter

Twitter blocks some tweets with a “potentially sensitive content” warning. You can disable this warning—even on an iPhone or iPad, where the option isn’t normally available. You can also disable sensit...

Chris Hoffman Aug 22nd, 2019

Want to Survive Ransomware? Here’s How to Protect Your PC

Ransomware is everything bad about humanity distilled into malware—maliciousness, greed, and casual incompetence. It encrypts your files and demands payment for a key that might not even work. But with the right backup ...

How to Stream UFC 241 Cormier vs. Miocic Live Online

It’s been just over a year since Daniel Cormier won the UFC heavyweight championship with a KO punch to Stipe Miocic. Saturday, August 16, Cormier is set to defend that title against Stipe. Here’s how to watch....

Walter Glenn Aug 17th, 2019

How iOS 13’s “Silence Unknown Callers” Will Stop Phone Spam

iOS 13 has a new feature that might just save you from all spam and robocalls. The new Silence Unknown Callers feature will mute all calls coming from a number that’s not in your contact list.

Khamosh Pathak Aug 13th, 2019

What to Do Before (and After) Your Phone Is Stolen

Millions of phones are stolen every year, and there’s a chance yours could be one of them. But it doesn’t have to be—you can make your phone theftproof! We’ll show you how, and what you should do if yo...

Andrew Heinzman Aug 12th, 2019

The Tech Industry Wants to Kill the Password. Or Does It?

Some people can’t stop talking about the death of the password. Passwords are old, insecure, and easily leaked. Soon, we’ll all be using biometrics, hardware security keys, and other futuristic solutions—rig...

How to Stop Companies From Listening to Your Voice Assistant Recordings

It’s been in the news for weeks: Employees and contractors at Amazon, Google, Apple, and Microsoft are listening to recordings of you talking to voice assistants like Alexa, Google Assistant, Siri, Cortana. Here’s...

Netflix’s Parental Controls Are Terrible

Netflix has a parental control problem. You can create “Kids” profiles, but kids can easily escape them. You can set a PIN to block content, but Netflix still bombards kids with mature trailers. Netflix’s pa...

Why Does Windows Defender Firewall Block Some App Features?

Almost everyone who uses Windows has seen it. You launch an application or game, and Windows Firewall pops up and says it’s “blocked some features of this app.” What does this mean, and should you allow acce...

Chris Hoffman Aug 6th, 2019

What’s the Worst Thing Someone Can Do With Your Unlocked iPhone?

We use our phones for event tickets, reservations, insurance cards, and even driver’s licenses. But what happens when someone takes your unlocked iPhone out of view for a moment—what’s the risk? What’s...

Chris Hoffman Aug 5th, 2019

How to Protect Your Smarthome from Attack

Every new device you introduce into your smarthome is another device that can be attacked. You can secure your smarthome with simple steps like locking down your router and taking proper care of the gadgets in your smarthome....