How to Clean Out the Cruft
Software cruft are basically “digital dust bunnies.” You know, those duplicate files, forgotten downloads, abandoned files from apps you deleted, and so on. They’re slowing you down big time. Getting the cruft out may sound daunting, but it is actually easy to do. Apple, Microsoft and Google have all joined the anti-cruft global crusade and have added cruft-removal tools to their operating systems. You just need to remind yourself to use them.
Software cruft are basically “digital dust bunnies.” You know, those duplicate files, forgotten downloads, abandoned files from apps you deleted, and so on. They’re slowing you down big time. Getting the cruft out may sound daunting, but it is actually easy to do. Apple, Microsoft and Google have all joined the anti-cruft global crusade and have added cruft-removal tools to their operating systems. You just need to remind yourself to use them.
Windows 10: From the Start menu, open Settings, System and then Storage. If you click “Free up space now,” Windows displays a list of cruft categories that it’s safe to delete, and shows how many gigabytes you’ll reclaim.
Here, you can also turn on Storage Sense, which prevents cruft from accumulating in the first place. (Click “Change how we free up space automatically” to adjust the frequency of the deletions.)
Windows 10 offers a simple way to reclaim disk space from orphaned files.
Mac: Apple’s cruft cruncher can reclaim huge swaths of space. (It’s available on macOS High Sierra and later.) To see it, from the Apple menu, choose About This Mac; click Storage; and then Manage.
Here, you’ll see options like “Automatically remove watched iTunes movies and TV shows” and “Download only recent attachments” (in the Mail app). Click Review Files to see a sortable list of everything on your drive, which makes it easy to spot duplicates, or your biggest and oldest files, and delete them.
The Mac, too, suggests ways to pinpoint abandoned and gigantic files for deletion.
Android: Beginning with the Oreo version of Android, Google has made it fantastically easy to clean out junk files from your phone: Tap Settings, Storage & Memory, and then “Free Up Space.” The resulting list includes downloaded files, photos and videos that you’ve already backed up, and apps you haven’t used in some time. You can delete them by category or individually.
When your Android phone is feeling stuffed, open Settings to lighten its load.
iOS: On the iPhone or iPad, tap Settings, General, and then iPhone Storage. You’re now facing iOS’s cruft-removal options: Offload Unused Apps, Review iTunes Videos (enormous TV and movie files), plus an app-by-app listing of space gobblers. Music, Photos, Podcasts and TV usually top the list.
To delete the individual songs, videos, photos and other files that are eating up your space, you still have to open the corresponding app. But at least now you know where to begin.
The iPhone and iPad make it easy to see which big and underused apps are junking up your storage.
*Information courtesy of https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/01/smarter-living/how-to-do-a-data-cleanse.html
Breakup with your password...it's cheating on you.
You have to face facts that your password is easy! Literally. And you have no idea who has been running around with your password over the last year and a half. Take this opportunity to make a change - now that you know the truth - and secure yourself a much better password. And don’t worry about the old password; it has cheated (at least) once, and it will cheat again.
You love your password.
You use it on every platform you can imagine: Your email, online banking and even Facebook! You are so happy every time you think about your password, you can never imagine changing it.
But what you don’t realize is, while you are caught up in those tingly feelings of love, and that false sense of security that you can always rely on your password to work, your password has been cheating on you.
You have to face facts that your password is easy! Literally. And you have no idea who has been running around with your password over the last year and a half. Take this opportunity to make a change - now that you know the truth - and secure yourself a much better password. And don’t worry about the old password; it has cheated once, and it will cheat again. (You’ve got 99 problems, but your password’s not one of them).
How to break up and move on to something better:
Breakups are tough, but I guarantee you that once you see there are better passwords out there (that are tough and have your best interest at heart) you will get over the breakup quickly.
It’s Complicated.
A good password is one that is complex and something you can remember. Finding that sweet spot can be hard sometimes, but I promise it’s necessary. Try using a passphrase. A passphrase is a combination of words used to create a sentence that generates complex, long passwords that are easy to memorize.
For example: Che@t=r (i.e. Cheater…see how easy?)It’s not for life.
Don’t grow too attached to your new passwords – you’ll be breaking up frequently. So, how often should you change your password? We recommend at least every six months, if not more. Mix it up, don’t give your password time to cheat on you again.
Adopt long passphrases.
Size does matter. We recommend you use at least 16 characters for your password. Once you hit the 12 – 16 range, you make it WAY harder for cyber criminals to use brute force or guess your password.
For example: myV@lentin3 does little for protection compared to a passphrase like hewill%cheaton*yout00.Don’t ever take that password back.
If your password cheated on you once, don’t give it another chance to do it to you again! A new, long passphrase is exactly what you need! Meaning, do not reuse old passwords because they’re comfortable. There’s a reason they’re in your past. Leave them there.
Make online security a lifetime love affair to protect yourself. You are worth it!
WHO WE ARE:
RealTime provides real I.T. solutions to businesses. If you need more information on ways that we can help your business, contact us now or continuing reading here.
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Don’t become the gift that keeps on giving
It’s Cyber Monday! Probably the second (if not first) greatest shopping day of the year. But with online specials, comes special online shopping problems. Here’s a quick list to protect yourself on Cyber Monday (or any day you shop online).
Image courtesy of Overstock.com
It’s Cyber Monday! Probably the second (if not first) greatest shopping day of the year. But with online specials, comes special online shopping problems. Here’s a quick list to protect yourself on Cyber Monday (or any day you shop online).
Use a credit card instead of debit card
Credit cards offer more consumer protections than debit cards, and the money doesn't come straight out of your checking account.
Watch out for Phishing Scams
Stay away from any online promotions via email, text or social media. It's always safer to enter the URL of a store yourself than to click on a link or attachment.
Beware of ‘clone’ websites or use an app instead
Look for "HTTPS" at the beginning of an official retailer's URL. Or better yet, use the retailers official app on your phone.
Don’t use the public wi-fI
Free wi-fi seems great until you’re giving away your account numbers for free. Hackers use it to intercept your internet communications so it’s never a good idea to connect to the public wi-fi. Use your personal wi-fi hotspot or the network connection on your smartphone instead.
Secure your mobile device
Make sure you have the most up-to-date anti-virus software and that you are using a PIN to lock your phone. In addition, use long and strong passwords that don't repeat across accounts.
Check your credit
Check your accounts regularly for any suspicious activity or unauthorized charges and set up notifications, through your bank or a banking app, which will track your credit card transactions and alert you of account activity.
DID YOU KNOW?
Shoppers are expected to spend a record $7.8 billion this Cyber Monday, up over 17 percent from last year. At the same time, attacks against consumers spike during the busy online shopping holiday, according to OpenVPN, a provider of networking and software technologies.
*Original article sourced from CNBC
Play Hard To Get With Strangers
Cyber criminals cast wide nets with phishing tactics, hoping to drag in victims.
October is Cyber Security Awareness Month
If you receive a suspicious email that appears to be from someone you know, reach out to that person directly on a separate secure platform.
Phishing
Play hard to get with strangers.
Cyber criminals cast wide nets with phishing tactics, hoping to drag in victims. Seemingly real emails from known institutions or personal contacts may ask for financial or personal information.
Cyber criminals will often offer a financial reward, threaten you if you don’t engage, or claim that someone is in need of help. Don’t fall for it! Keep your personal information as private as possible. If they have key details from your life—your job title, multiple email addresses, full name, and more that you may have published online somewhere—they can attempt a direct spear-phishing attack on you. Cyber criminals can also use social engineering with these details to try to manipulate you into skipping normal security protocols.
If you’re unsure who an email is from—even if the details appear accurate—do not respond, and do not click on any links or attachments found in that email. Always avoid sending sensitive information via email.
If you receive a suspicious email that appears to be from someone you know, reach out to that person directly on a separate secure platform. If the email comes from an organization but still looks ‘phishy,’ reach out to them via customer service to verify the communication.
*This information is courtesy of the Department of Homeland Security as part of the 2018 National Cybersecurity Awareness Month.