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Post by ZandraJoi on Aug 27, 2020 8:55:09 GMT -5
Google alternative search engines- Duckduckgo, Qwant, Swisscows are good ones that don’t sell your info. Duckduckgo’s blog: spreadprivacy.com VPN There are many VPN providers to choose from. A VPN comparison chart from PCMag- "If you'd prefer an easy choice, TunnelBear is used by several of us at DuckDuckGo. As that page says: "Recommended by a duck, protected by a bear!""
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Post by ZandraJoi on Aug 29, 2020 21:07:09 GMT -5
Looking more into this, I didn't know incognito mode/ private mode, is NOT private. That's annoying! & that you have to find a reputable VPN so THEY don't snoop. I looked at TunnelBear, there's free or $10/mo. Maybe a later time. Why can't people just be nice? Why should we have to buy added protection?
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Post by Bob on Sept 1, 2020 19:54:21 GMT -5
Either way, you have to be careful. Wish there was a device that you could hook up to your computer to act like your own VPN. And if the VPN slows down your connection, that just sucks. You are paying for high speed internet & then paying a VPN that slows it down.
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Post by lainee on Oct 7, 2021 15:53:46 GMT -5
I already use DuckDuckGo and I like it just fine. For a VPN, TunnelBear sounds good...I'll look into that...Thanks for the information
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scooter
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Post by scooter on Oct 21, 2021 21:33:25 GMT -5
I operate ProtonVPN, which is a very good option, although I would recommendation spending a bit and purchasing one of their options which allows the use of a greater range of remote servers.
Also: I have a presentation on Internet safety tips which I have delivered for senior audiences. I can send you those slides. They are written in the Presentation module of LibreOffice, but I might be able to convert them to something else.
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Post by ZandraJoi on Oct 23, 2021 10:24:05 GMT -5
I operate ProtonVPN, which is a very good option, although I would recommendation spending a bit and purchasing one of their options which allows the use of a greater range of remote servers. Also: I have a presentation on Internet safety tips which I have delivered for senior audiences. I can send you those slides. They are written in the Presentation module of LibreOffice, but I might be able to convert them to something else. Any tips you have would be great Thank you!
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PGen98
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Post by PGen98 on Oct 25, 2021 3:47:37 GMT -5
I already use DuckDuckGo and I like it just fine. For a VPN, TunnelBear sounds good...I'll look into that...Thanks for the information TunnelBear were great, but they were recently acquired by a service that has a suspect history when it comes to privacy, so I would be very careful with them.
My recommended VPN is PrivateInternetAccess, they're very solid and definitely private.
General safety tips -- never open links that look suspect, particularly when sent via unsolicited emails, ALWAYS check the email address sending you mail to make sure it is from who they say it's from (your bank won't send you email from gmail, for instance, they'll use their own TLD emails), and when visiting websites make sure to always look for the secure transfer protocol (https rather than http), if you see http be very careful operating on that site!
Lastly, when you're buying things online, do so with virtual credit cards, such as from privacy.com so that you aren't giving away your actual bank details or card numbers. The money still comes from your bank, but your details remain safe.
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Post by lainee on Oct 25, 2021 12:08:43 GMT -5
PGen98, Thanks for the tip about TunnelBear & your recommendation for VPN...I'll check it out Your safety tips are solid, too & yeah, gotta make sure that http has an 's' on the end... Hmm, I do buy a lot online, so will look at privacy.com, too...Thanks!
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Post by spg on Oct 26, 2021 10:13:43 GMT -5
Don't click links unless it is extremely necessary and trustworthy.
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PGen98
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Post by PGen98 on Oct 26, 2021 19:12:53 GMT -5
PGen98 , Thanks for the tip about TunnelBear & your recommendation for VPN...I'll check it out Your safety tips are solid, too & yeah, gotta make sure that http has an 's' on the end... Hmm, I do buy a lot online, so will look at privacy.com, too...Thanks! Yeah, I would gladly recommend TunnelBear in the past, but once they were bought I got very wary of them and switched, very glad I did that!
Yep, Privacy.com is a great way to stay safe online when purchasing. That way you're not giving your actual card details to someone!
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Post by spg on Oct 27, 2021 8:34:49 GMT -5
What is your opinion about NordVPN ?
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scooter
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I'm a roadrunner, honey ...beep beep!
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Post by scooter on Oct 29, 2021 3:22:39 GMT -5
What is your opinion about NordVPN ? As best I can tell, NordVPN seems solid as a provider. I haven't heard of any significant problems, and reviews from trusted sources seem very positive. There might be some issues with user-friendliness in configuration, and a very few locations have reported poor throughput, but overall, in countries like Canada and the United States, I think speed should be good to very good. The positives greatly outweigh the negatives.
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Post by ZandraJoi on Oct 30, 2021 8:50:02 GMT -5
scooter, We, along with many others, utilize PayPal. How does that compare to privacy.com ?
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Post by spg on Oct 30, 2021 20:11:43 GMT -5
PayPal will show your physical address.I hope you are aware.
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PGen98
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Post by PGen98 on Oct 31, 2021 0:46:23 GMT -5
What is your opinion about NordVPN ? I don't have any issues with NordVPN, they seem perfectly fine and have a lot of great tools with their software. ExpressVPN is one I'd say away from, same with McAfee, and others like Bitdefender's built-in VPN just aren't quite robust enough to really be effective as full-time VPN options. For me it's PIA or NordVPN, with PIA being my top pick.
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Post by ZandraJoi on Nov 3, 2021 20:26:39 GMT -5
PayPal will show your physical address.I hope you are aware. Good to know! I don't use Paypal; my husband does. Figure it's always good to get some alternatives.
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Post by spg on Nov 4, 2021 10:00:02 GMT -5
Google Pay is also very popular. I do not use it yet because it is tied to our mobile number and SIM. I do not like my money on my phone.
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scooter
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Post by scooter on Nov 12, 2021 12:48:44 GMT -5
I operate ProtonVPN, which is a very good option, although I would recommendation spending a bit and purchasing one of their options which allows the use of a greater range of remote servers. Also: I have a presentation on Internet safety tips which I have delivered for senior audiences. I can send you those slides. They are written in the Presentation module of LibreOffice, but I might be able to convert them to something else. Any tips you have would be great Thank you! Okay, got it loaded as a .pdf. Here's the link.
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Post by spg on Nov 12, 2021 16:59:57 GMT -5
Senior citizens have a completely different approach toward tech. The first thing is they do not want to use it. Once they do, they trust. And it is not a good thing always.
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sharon
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Post by sharon on Nov 12, 2021 22:16:45 GMT -5
It drives me nuts when I learn that someone uses the same password for everything. It's important to randomize your passwords so they are not easily cracked. Unfortunately, most people don't take security seriously until their account is compromised or their identity is stolen.
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Post by ZandraJoi on Nov 13, 2021 11:03:13 GMT -5
Thank you so much! That will be extremely beneficial for people Senior citizens have a completely different approach toward tech. The first thing is they do not want to use it. Once they do, they trust. And it is not a good thing always. I agree! But I've also seen the younger generation be nonchalant as well. I don't trust the 'net. I have a healthy respect for it but I won't trust it. It drives me nuts when I learn that someone uses the same password for everything. It's important to randomize your passwords so they are not easily cracked. Unfortunately, most people don't take security seriously until their account is compromised or their identity is stolen. People take safety, security for ALL of their life, health, body, technology for granted.
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Post by spg on Nov 13, 2021 11:17:32 GMT -5
Don't download anything if you can help it. With Microsoft Store available, there is no need to even download extra software from unknown sources.
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PGen98
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Post by PGen98 on Nov 19, 2021 2:45:41 GMT -5
It drives me nuts when I learn that someone uses the same password for everything. It's important to randomize your passwords so they are not easily cracked. Unfortunately, most people don't take security seriously until their account is compromised or their identity is stolen. In this day and age, Two Factor Authentication (2FA) is your best friend! I don't have a single account that doesn't require 2FA to login. Extra work, yes, but so worth it.
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scooter
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Post by scooter on Nov 20, 2021 1:22:31 GMT -5
It drives me nuts when I learn that someone uses the same password for everything. It's important to randomize your passwords so they are not easily cracked. Unfortunately, most people don't take security seriously until their account is compromised or their identity is stolen. What I recommend is the use of a password safe. That's a bit of software which is password-protected in itself, and it does nothing but store other passwords, cross-referenced with the application and login. That way, you only have to remember a single password - the one that gets you into the safe. Once you're in, you can look up the one you need. Again, it's more trouble, but it's worth it in peace of mind, in my opinion.
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sharon
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Post by sharon on Nov 21, 2021 12:11:26 GMT -5
It drives me nuts when I learn that someone uses the same password for everything. It's important to randomize your passwords so they are not easily cracked. Unfortunately, most people don't take security seriously until their account is compromised or their identity is stolen. In this day and age, Two Factor Authentication (2FA) is your best friend! I don't have a single account that doesn't require 2FA to login. Extra work, yes, but so worth it. I used Authy myself for a few resources/websites I frequent. I guess I could figure out how to use it across all accounts but I haven't gone through the trouble of using it across the board. It drives me nuts when I learn that someone uses the same password for everything. It's important to randomize your passwords so they are not easily cracked. Unfortunately, most people don't take security seriously until their account is compromised or their identity is stolen. What I recommend is the use of a password safe. That's a bit of software which is password-protected in itself, and it does nothing but store other passwords, cross-referenced with the application and login. That way, you only have to remember a single password - the one that gets you into the safe. Once you're in, you can look up the one you need. Again, it's more trouble, but it's worth it in peace of mind, in my opinion. This is a fantastic point. I haven't found a service that I'm confident in yet. My husband uses one but I couldn't justify the cost for us to share one.
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jasonn
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Post by jasonn on Nov 21, 2021 12:30:13 GMT -5
Stay away from free download sites cause they are full of viruses. Anyway, this advice is true regardless of if you think they are morally right. The fact is the companies are simply putting in stuff to ruin people's computers.
Well, some free stuff is good, but make sure it can be legally downloaded and is safe.
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scooter
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Post by scooter on Nov 26, 2021 18:48:35 GMT -5
What I recommend is the use of a password safe. That's a bit of software which is password-protected in itself, and it does nothing but store other passwords, cross-referenced with the application and login. That way, you only have to remember a single password - the one that gets you into the safe. Once you're in, you can look up the one you need. Again, it's more trouble, but it's worth it in peace of mind, in my opinion. This is a fantastic point. I haven't found a service that I'm confident in yet. My husband uses one but I couldn't justify the cost for us to share one. I use SSE (Secure Space Encryptor) on my Android phone. It's free for download from the Android Play Store. Not much in the way of bells 'n' whistles, but it does the job quite well and its encryption scheme seems very solid.
As for on my desktop or laptop, I just write it myself. I have a simple, flat text file which I then place in an encrypted container that I created using VeraCrypt - again, this is not precisely user-friendly, but it does the job and the encryption is rock-solid (which I should know, because I was the one that created it, using the program)
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Post by Bob on Dec 16, 2021 20:03:13 GMT -5
Good tips.
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