Author Archives: Colin McCord

With a new hacking scandal in the news every other week, everyone should be concerned about the security of their online accounts. Here are a few simple techniques for creating strong passwords; and remembering them. ​ Avoid using the following types of passwords, which a surprising number of people use: password, QWERTY, 123456, 00000 and Letmein. […]

By Mark Phillips ¦ Blog.TotalAV.com ¦     Android users are being urged to remain vigilant when downloading apps, especially since a new form of ransomware has been discovered. GhostCtrl, a malicious software with the means to secretly record its users, is being spread by disguising itself as popular apps such as WhatsApp and Pokemon […]

By Mark Phillips ¦ Blog.TotalAV.com ¦ Countless corporations fell victim to cyber attacks last year, a fact made very public by international headlines. Ransomware attacks – essentially malware that holds a system’s data hostage until a ransom is paid – soared to 4000 per day through 2015 to 2016, according to the U.S. Department of […]

By Mark Phillips ¦ Blog.TotalAV.com ¦ Android apps are utilized by many in our day-to-day lives, but new research has revealed that they are “secretly colluding” to share data without asking for user consent. This sharing could pilot security breaches, leaving contact and location details, among other private information vulnerable. According to researchers at Virginia […]

By Mark Phillips ¦ Blog.TotalAV.com ¦   Even the smallest businesses are reaping the benefits of installing and using virtual private network (VPN) hardware/software. And that’s why using a VPN connection is becoming increasingly important. Why? VPNs can extend a business network to include home-based or mobile workers, so those employees can securely access applications, […]

By Mark Phillips ¦ Blog.TotalAV.com ¦   Why is this happening again? That pesky pop-up message telling you to update your OS software is staring at you, begging for you to make a choice: “update now” or “remind me later”. What do you do? You choose the ever-tempting “remind me later” option, but we all […]

By Mark Phillips ¦ Blog.TotalAV.com ¦   Giants of the internet world have long been victims of hacking, and Yahoo’s breach will come as a distressing headline for millions of its users. The tech corporation, best known for its global search engine, email and other online services, has recently revealed yet more jarring news. Back […]

Location tracking can be a genuinely useful tool. On your phone, it can help to find services close by, or locate the device if you lose it. On a computer, location tracking could help a website deliver more relevant content based on where you live. But how many people have access to this location data? […]

By Mark Phillips ¦ Blog.TotalAV.com ¦ One of the best pieces of security advice any computer expert can give you is to enable two-factor authentication where possible. Nowadays, with password breaches being so common, it could be the one thing that keeps away hackers from stealing your online identity. Two-factor authentication or two-step verification? A […]