How To

How to prevent phone and tablet theft

If you're under the age of 25, there's almost an even chance you have lost your cell phone or had it stolen at least once. According to a Pew Research Center survey conducted last April, 45 percent of cell phone users between the ages of 18 and 24 have had a phone lost or stolen.

The survey also found that 3 out of 10 cell phone users between the ages of 35 and 54 have misplaced their device or had it stolen, as Kashmir Hill reports on Forbes.com.

There's nothing new about cell phones being popular … Read more

How to find your iOS device's UDID

If you own an iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch, you undoubtedly read with consternation the story on Monday about the Anonymous-affiliated group AntiSec claiming to have snatched data for 12 million iOS devices from the FBI (and the FBI's vague denial yesterday that its agent's laptop was hacked).

AntiSec claims it obtained 12 million Unique Device Identifiers (UDIDs) along with user names, device names, device type, zip codes, cell phone numbers, addresses and Apple Push Notification Service tokens. In a post on PasteBin, AntiSec says it released data for 1 million devices, though the group claims to have … Read more

How to enable Dropbox two-step verification

Back in July, Dropbox usernames and passwords were compromised via third-party Web sites. As a result, Dropbox said it would work on adding more security features to help keep accounts safe. Almost a month later, the company's delivered an extra feature that you'll need to enable on your own: two-step verification.

For each new device you use to access the Dropbox Web site or service, you'll need to enter your current password and a security code using this new method. This code can be sent to you via SMS or be generated by a mobile authenticator app. … Read more

How to set up Google's two-step verification

Did you read Mat Honan's tale of woe last week? The one where his Amazon, Apple, Gmail, and Twitter accounts were hacked and his digital life was eradicated?

If not, I strongly encourage you to read his story. In a nutshell, hackers strung together pieces of information to gain access to several important online accounts. The results were personally devastating for him. But his story is a good lesson for all of us. After learning the details of the attack -- from one of the hackers himself, no less -- Honan says he regrets three things most of all.… Read more

Five-minute Facebook security checkup

Facebook has been taking a beating in the press for its disappointing financial performance and declining stock price. But reports of the social network's death are a bit premature.

After all, a billion users is nothing to sneeze at. Even if only half that number sign into their Facebook accounts every day, as the company claims, that's a lot of eyeballs to present ads to.

I bet not even one out of 10 Facebook users has ever changed the service's default security settings, which make your profile information available for anyone to search and allow every other … Read more

Password-protect e-mail on your iPhone and iPad

After last week's post describing two apps that keep your iPhone and iPad data private, a reader posed this question:

Is there any app that allows you to use it like the 'mail' app on an iPhone etc., but has a password lock facility? Else children will be reading all my mail.

I'm sure Apple had a reason for not allowing iPhone and iPad users to require a passcode to access the device's mail app, but I don't know what that reason was.

I came up with a free workaround that requires creation of a send-only … Read more

Two apps keep your iPhone and iPad data private

Nothing beats having access to all your files, e-mail, and contacts almost anywhere you go. Just reach into your pocket for your iPhone or your bag for your iPad and connect to an available network.

The easier the data is to access, the harder it is to protect. This week AT&T unveiled its service that prevents data, voice, and text-message access to iPhones and iPads that owners report to the company as lost or stolen, as CNET's Roger Chen reported last week.

Reactivating the device requires a call to AT&T customer support. The company asks … Read more

How to detect and fix a machine infected with DNSChanger

On July 9, the FBI will close down a network of DNS servers that many people have been depending on for proper Internet access. These servers were originally a part of a scam where a crime ring of Estonian nationals developed and distributed a malware package called DNSChanger, but which the FBI seized and converted to a legitimate DNS service.

This malware scam has been widespread enough that even third-party companies like Google and Facebook and a number of ISPs like Comcast, COX, Verizon, and AT&T have joined in the effort to help remove it by issuing automatic … Read more

What the DNSChanger malware is -- and why you should care (FAQ)

The DNSChanger malware has been around for years, but its deleterious effects are coming to a head this Monday. Here's what you have to know about it, and how to fix it.

What is DNSChanger? DNSChanger is a Trojan horse malware with many variants. It changes an infected computer's DNS settings to point to rogue, bad guy-controlled servers. These then show you ads that look real, but aren't. Basically, it redirects your legitimate Web surfing to malicious Web sites that then attempt to steal personal information and generate illegitimate ad revenue.

How much money did DNSChanger make? … Read more