Tag: privacy

Stay Safe on Public Wi-Fi! Here are my tips! (TODAY Show)

by Mario Armstrong

Ever wondered how you can stay safe while browsing the web on public Wi-Fi when at a coffee shop, airport, or other unsecured network? I set up a decoy network at a hotel in New York city and see how many people I can trick into signing on to the fake network. You need to be careful because if you connect to a decoy network, all of your passwords, credit card info, and browsing history can be captured! This is called a “man-in-the-middle” attack and it is a real threat out there!

While it can be scary, here are three easy tips to be more safe online:

1. Whenever you connect to a public Wi-Fi hotspot, make sure it’s legitimate by asking the establishment for what the correct network is.

2. Be aware of what you’re doing online. If you’re banking, shopping, working with sensitive work data, then you need to take the right precautions to be safe. You can read some of my tips for being safe online for more ideas on how to do this.

3. Try out two-step authentication. This way when you’re logging in to your accounts you need your username, password, and also a special code sent to your phone via text message. Unless a hacker can get access to your phone, your password will be useless to them!

Ad-Free Social Network App.net Exceeds its Fundraising Goal of a Half-Million Dollars

by Katherine Elsasser

What if there were a social network that promised not to sell your personal data to advertisers? Would you join, even if you had to pay for it? That’s the premise of app.net, a very bright idea from developer Dalton Caldwell, who felt that Facebook didn’t respect his contribution to their social ecosystem — or that of their users. App.net logo

We all rely on the big platforms like Facebook and Twitter, either as small businesses reaching customers, or as developers looking to create the products that help businesses leverage those platforms. Generally, it’s a one-sided relationship, where the big platforms do what they think is best for them – and the rest of us struggle to keep up. App.net was conceived as a way for those integral to the social process – the users and developers – to have some control over the process.

So, what is App.net offering to set it apart from the other social networks? Read More

Are we revealing way too much info about ourselves online? Millions not using Facebook privacy settings!

by Mario Armstrong

“I can’t believe what I’m reading!” That is the feeling I got while digesting Consumer Reports’ recent “State of the Net” survey, which essentially puts our digital habits under the microscope.

The reason I was so shocked by the report boils down to these three things. Continue reading this blog post on HLNtv.com.

The risks involved in giving apps permissions to login with your Facebook or Twitter accounts

by Mario Armstrong

Even when you get your privacy settings just right (assuming that’s even possible!) your personal info and data is still at risk every time you give an app permission, or sign in to an application using Facebook, Twitter, or any other social media service. In my latest on HLN, I look into the risks you take when associating your social media accounts with 3rd party applications.