Nate Forant, Author at SOBX Tech

February 29, 2016 By Nate Forant

Privacy Tips for Using Unsecured Networks

Privacy is very important

Access to public computers in libraries is convenient and a great resource for library users. But before you use the internet, take time to understand the privacy risks and learn how to spot potential problems. Take a moment to be certain the path ahead is clear and watch for warning signs. Enjoy the internet with greater confidence, knowing you’ve taken the right steps to safeguard and protect your privacy while using a public computer.

Privacy Tips

Protect Personal Information

Every individual who takes all the possible public WiFi security precautions are going to run across issues from time to time. That’s why it’s imperative to keep your Internet security software installed, up-to-date and running on your machine. The top consumer security software will also offer business protection solutions, so you can protect yourself while you’re out and about, and your servers back at the office, all at the same time.

Practice Security for Privacy

Enable the “Always Use HTTPS” option on websites that you visit frequently, or that require you to enter some kind of credentials. Remember that hackers understand how people reuse passwords. Most websites that require an account or credentials have the “HTTPS” option somewhere in their settings.

Turn off Sharing

When connecting to the Internet at a public place, you’re unlikely to want to share anything. You can turn off sharing from the system preferences or Control Panel, depending on your OS, or let Windows turn it off for you by choosing the “Public” option the first time you connect to a new, unsecured network.

Keep WiFi Off When You Don’t Need It

Even if you haven’t actively connected to a network, the WiFi hardware in your computer is still transmitting data between any network within range. If you’re just using your computer to work on a Word or Excel document, keep your WiFi off.

Use a VPN (virtual private network)

By using a VPN when you connect to a public Wi-Fi network, you’ll effectively be using a ‘private tunnel’ that encrypts all of your data that passes through the network. This can help to prevent cybercriminals – that are lurking on the network – from intercepting your data.

One recommendation in keeping your network secure. You can purchase your own person WiFi and bring it anywhere.

A couple of software recommendations

If you have any questions or concerns, don’t hesitate to give us a call or drop us an email. We are also available in online chat which is located right on our website.

February 12, 2016 By Nate Forant

Crystal Coast Geek Breakfast – February

Tech and Blogger Enthusiasts,

You’re invited to join us for a monthly Crystal Coast Geek Breakfast, Friday, February 26, from 8:30 AM to 9:30 AM at The Java Post.

We’re pleased to bring the local tech community together, right here along North Carolina’s Crystal Coast. If you’re interested in technology, blogging, work in the industry or just want to learn what’s going on in the area, come on out and let’s connect.

What’s a Geek Breakfast?

A Geek Breakfast is a monthly community-driven meeting for local (and visiting) technology-minded people. Each month attendees congregate over breakfast foods and plenty of coffee to discuss topics like social media, blogging, digital marketing, design, programming, and ways to better their communities through technology.

Who Can Participate?

Everyone is invited, attendance is free (excluding food, beverage and gratuity).

Who You’ll Meet

You’ll meet bloggers, tech lovers, and social media enthusiasts like –

Trish, NC Blogger Network’s Chief Blogger in Charge
Allie, our Photojournalist, of AMillerFoto
Ragan, our Campaign and Event Manager
Nate of SOBX Tech
Sherry of Blind. Not Invisible
and a bunch of other locals who have a love for social media, tech, etc.

Can we count on you to be there too? It’s fun, informal and a great way to get to know the bloggers and tech-lovers in your community.

Where?

This breakfast will be held at The Java Post:

The Java Post

207 WB McLean Drive

Cape Carteret, NC. 28584

When?

Friday, January 26, from 8:30 am to 9:30 am.

What’s the Hashtag?

The official hashtag for this event is #GeekBreakfastSOBX if you can’t make it but would like to follow along online. Pictures, audio and video should be licensed under Creative Commons and tagged using “CrystalCoastGeekBreakfast” and “GeekBreakfast” and we encourage you to add them to the Geek Breakfast Flickr Group.

What’s Next?

Though registration isn’t required, please take a moment to RSVP the Facebook Page at:Crystal Coast Geek Breakfast – February so we can get a good idea of how many people to expect.

Questions?

For more information, call Trish at (252) 226-0885 or you can post your questions on the Facebook page. We’re looking forward to meeting you, February 29, 2016 and getting some great conversations started!

February 12, 2016 By Nate Forant

Tech News – Obama Debuts Cybersecurity Action Plan

There is a lot of big news this week for techies. Obama debuts cybersecurity action plan. This is not a cheap cybersecurity plan.

Part of the plan is a much-needed software patching and updating audit, and more training and recruiting for cybersecurity specialists.

None of this will be cheap, of course—the White House will look for Congress to approve a 35% increase in the cybersecurity budget to secure $19 billion in funding for implementation starting next year. $3 billion of that will be for the IT modernization effort.

You can read all the details on these stories and more below.

Every day we scour the Internet for the best stories in tech. As a technology company, we try to keep up to date on everything that is going on. Quite often we share this tech news on our Facebook page or via our Twitter account. We thought it might be a great idea, for those of you who may have missed those social shares, to read them on our site. So, without further ado, here are 10 stories we thought were tops for the week.

Obama Debuts Cybersecurity Action Plan

1. TMZ Users Hit with Malvertising Blitz

2. Tech Would Be Better If More Women Designed It

3. Adwind Malware-as-a-Service Platform Hit 400,000 Victims Globally

4. DoJ and DHS Employee Details Exposed in Latest Hack

5. Teen’s Moving Video Makes You Really Think About Cyberbullying

6. Amazon Plans To Compete With Fedex, UPS and Alibaba

7. Obama Debuts $19Bn Cybersecurity National Action Plan

8. Twitter Is Losing Customers And Its Stock Is Plummeting

9. IRS Hack Affects 101,000 Tax Returns

10. Leaky Mobile Apps Expose Personal Info for Millions

If you have additional links, sources or ideas that might be helpful to our community, we encourage you to add them in the comments below. If you’ve enjoyed this article, please subscribe on our sidebar.

February 5, 2016 By Nate Forant

Tech News – Two Smart-Toy Flaws Give Attackers a Direct Line to Kids’ Personal Info

The big news this week for parents and techies? Smart-toy flaws give attackers a direct line to kids’ personal information. If you’ve got kids, take extra precaution with what smart toys you buy for them. We want everyone to be safe. You can read all the details on these stories and more below.

Two Smart-Toy Flaws Give Attackers a Direct Line to Kids’Personal Info

1. Two Smart-Toy Flaws Give Attackers a Direct Line to Kids’ Personal Info

2. 10 Women in Tech to Watch in 2016

3. The U.S. Just Struck A Crucial Deal With Europe On Data Privacy

4. Viruses, Worms, Android All See Huge Spikes Last Quarter

5. Huge Demand For $50 Fire Tablet Vaults Amazon to 3rd, Behind Apple and Samsung — But It Won’t Last

6. Google Parent Company Alphabet Now Valued Higher Than Apple After Beating Q4 Earnings Expectations

7. ‘SNAP’ Puts Millions of LG Smartphones at Risk of Hijacking

8. Malwarebytes Gets ‘Project Zeroed’ as Flaws Go Public

9. Google Switches on Alerts for Malicious Embedded Content

10. WordPress Targeted with Mass Ransomware Campaign

January 22, 2016 By Nate Forant

Tech News – Twitter Goes Down And Everyone Freaks Out

The big news this week for social media addicts? Twitter Goes Down And Everyone Freaks Out On Facebook And Instagram! If you’ve got kids, you can talk circles around them with the big news that Microsoft Acquires MinecraftEdu. You can read all the details on these stories and more below.

Twitter Goes Down, Plus More Tech News for this Week

1. Nissan Suffers Anonymous DDoS In Whaling Protest

2. Twitter Goes Down And Everyone Freaks Out On Facebook And Instagram

3. Ukrainian Government Plans Security Audit after Airport Cyber Attack

4. Microsoft Acquires MinecraftEdu, Blans New ‘Education Edition’ Of Blockbuster Game

5. How Microsoft Is Changing The Social Features On Xbox One And The Windows 10 Xbox App

6. Microsoft Set To Recall Surface Pro Power Cords Over Fire Risk

7. 90% of Android Phones Are Running Outdated OS

8. How Mega-Breaches Could Literally Kill You

9. These 10 Major Companies Admit They Don’t Have Enough Women

10. Google Paid Apple $1 Billion To Keep Search Bar On iPhone

January 15, 2016 By Nate Forant

Tech News – Hyatt Data Breach Affected 250 Hotels

There is a lot of big news this week for techies. The Hyatt Data breach affected nearly 250 hotels. You can read all the details on these stories and more below.

Hyatt Data Breach Affects 250 Hotels

1. 11 Sleep Hacks Every Busy Person Needs To Know

2. Apple Will Make It Easier To Switch From iPhone to Android, Under Pressure From European Wireless

3. Feds Warn Banks of Rising Ransomware Tide

4. Brazil’s Cybercriminals Compete for Online Infamy – Report

5. Malicious SEO Campaign Uses SQL Injection to Confuse Page Rankings

6. Police Around the World Join Forces to Target DDoS Gang

7. Over 22,000 USBs May Have Been Left in Dry Cleaners

8. Microsoft Could Be Planning Two New Flagship Phones

9. Microsoft Acquires Skype For Business Management Tech From Event Zero

10. Hyatt Data Breach Affected 250 Hotels

December 4, 2015 By Nate Forant

Weekly Tech News – 12/4/2015

Helpful Links for the Week

1. Kids and Parents Caught Out as Toymaker VTech is Breached

2. Microsoft Fills Out Skype’s Calling Features With Huge Update For Business Users

3. China’s Hackers Are Stepping Up Their Game

4. Security Placing Too Much Focus on Technology and Reliance on IT Departments

5. China Said To Launch ‘Massive’ Cyber-Attack On Australian Government

6. After Hack, Congress Wants To Know How VTech Collects Data On Kids

7. WebTuner Raises $4.1M To Deliver ‘Next Generation TV Experience’ With Live And On-Demand Content

8. RiskIQ Makes Facebook ThreatExchange Data Accessible

9. Adobe Ditches ‘Flash’ Name As It Tries To Catch Up With a Web Built On Open Standards

10. Provision Killing Net Neutrality Threatens Must-Pass Spending Bill

November 27, 2015 By Nate Forant

Tech News For The Week of 11/27/2015

Every day we scour the Internet for the best stories in tech. Quite often we share this tech news on our Facebook page or via our Twitter account. We thought it might be a great idea, for those of you who may have missed those social shares, to read them on our site. So, without further ado, here are 10 stories we thought were tops for the week.

Helpful Links for the Week

1. 3,000 millennial on a Cruise Ship: An Insider’s Look into Summit at Sea 2015

2. Brain Power: 3-D Printing Is a New Tool for Thinking

3. Russian Cybercrime Gangs Flourish with 1,000 New Employees

4. Amazon Echo gets customizable voice commands thanks to deeper IFTTT integration

5. Mcrosoft removes manual upgrade option for latest Windows 10 update, deferring to Windows Update

6. FBI Pegs ‘Mr Grey’ For Heist of 1.2 Billon Records

7. Dell PCs Ship Preloaded with Flawed Certificates

8. Black Friday 2015: The Best Deals You Can Get Online

9. Hilton Hotels Admits POS Data Breach

10. Embedded Devices at Risk After Research Uncovers Industry-Wide Flaws

November 21, 2015 By Nate Forant

3 Things to Know Before You Buy a New Computer

Photo by Ruthson Zimmerman on Unsplash

Will you be doing some holiday electronics shopping? The holiday shopping season is right around the corner, and you may already be planning to get a new computer, tablet, or smart phone. This may be a new purchase for you that will replace an existing piece of technology, If so, you might have questions as to what to do with your old computer. Here are 3 things to know before you buy a new computer:

1 – Consider Donating for Recycling and Reusing

You’ve probably heard that the batteries that power many devices and the internal components that make them function can actually be harmful to the groundwater and soil if placed in landfills, so there are already recycling programs in place for cell phones and computers where the components are broken down for protected disposal. But there are also great opportunities for people to donate slightly outdated devices in order to let them continue working in their original capacities.

Cell phone recycling not only break down devices, they sometimes redistribute them to people who need connectivity but can’t necessarily afford a newer model. Computers, at the same time, can be donated by the owner to senior citizens’ programs, nursing homes, assisted living facilities, non-profit organizations, schools, and more.

2 – Be Sure to Delete That Data

There’s a very important consideration before donating any device and that’s making sure you protect your privacy. Just wiping data from the hard drive isn’t enough, some experts say, to keep a person with the right know-how from accessing your old files, which could include saved or downloaded bank statements, credit card statements, your tax documents if you filed electronically, and more. Your first step before unplugging your original device for good is to back up any information you’re going to need on a high-capacity flash drive. Make sure you get it all, because you’re going to say goodbye to it forever. Once you’re certain you have all of your necessary data, you’ll want to reformat the hard drive. This is a PERMANENT step, and can’t be undone, so be sure that you’re ready to send this device out the door before you complete this step.

3 – Remove Your Hard Drive

One of the safest ways to ensure that your data is protected before you give away your computer or laptop is to remove the hard drive. This will mean that the recipient will need to purchase a hard drive—or you can kindly purchase a new one to replace yours before donating if you feel like it—which will ensure that your original hard drive and all of its data and files will remain with you. There are two reasons this is a great idea: first, you can physically destroy the hard drive if you wished—yes, with a hammer, but be sure to wear eye protection and get all the pieces up before disposing—or you can buy an inexpensive case at an electronics store (usually between $60 and $80, depending on the type of hard drive it is) and turn your old hard drive into an external hard drive on your new computer. You would still be able to access all of your old files, photos, videos, and more from your new computer, and you’d be able to store new files on it as well, avoiding clogging up your new computer with saved documents.

However, you choose to dispose of your personal electronics, make sure you’ve stripped access to any online account logins, any passwords, and any personally identifiable information before letting it out of your sight.

SOBX Tech Can Help

If you have questions or concerns about where to recycle your personal electronics, don’t hesitate to give us a call at 252-285-9592

About Us

SOBX Tech is Eastern North Carolina’s leader for computer services, computer repair, software installations and software upgrades. SOBX Tech serves the Southern Outer Banks community and surrounding areas. Located in Eastern North Carolina, along North Carolina’s beautiful Crystal Coast, we’re happy to provide on-site service in your home or business, at no extra charge!

November 20, 2015 By Nate Forant