You are bound to be keen to read some news that isn’t lockdown related, so today I am pleased to share with you the latest blog from our colleague Ian Bell at Computer Troubleshooters North Staffordshire. Not good news, I’m afraid, but a timely remind to stay on our guard as the Summer season approaches.
Ian writes:
Want a distraction from concerns about coronavirus, remote working, furloughing and un-furloughing?
EasyJet have the answer. They just announced a massive data breach, impacting around 9 million users of its website. OK, that’s not the type of distraction you want, but it is a return to pre-coronavirus normality!
What does this mean for you?
First – find out if your email address has been included in a major breach and then become available for criminals to buy on the dark web. The Have I Been Pwned? site (yes that’s the right spelling) is the best resource to find this out. If you get some results back, your email address is affected. You should work out what password you used on the affected site and stop using that password. At all. Anywhere. You can also call Computer Troubleshooters for advice.
You cannot stop data breaches on sites you use, but you can limit the impact to you by using a unique, hard to guess password for each login. I’ve posted about passwords several times. I suggest you read How to Escape Password Hell and We need to talk about your passwords again! for some tips on how to make up a strong password you can remember. Both posts also recommend you use a password manager to help you deal with the hundreds of passwords we all have. We now prefer Roboform Business, but you may already know of Dashlane and LastPass. In reality, almost any reputable password manager is better than none.
If you are concerned about your cyber security, get in touch to arrange a free, no strings review. It can all be done remotely via video conferencing and remote support to maintain social distancing.
And there we are – back to mentioning coronavirus issues again.
For more excellent stories from Ian Bell, please visit his website.
Stay alert, control the virus, save lives!
Suzanne Rice, Computer Troubleshooters Tonbridge 01732 300064