The Risks of Online Gaming & How to Stay Safe

October 30, 2014 by Jim Lastinger Leave a comment

Whether you’re an all-out “gamer” or simply enjoy a few hands of online poker every now and then, all that online gaming fun comes with its own set of risks.

When we turn to the internet for gaming entertainment often the last think we think about (or want to think about) is the fact that we’re opening ourselves up to potentially be the victim of scams, identity theft or viruses.

If you spend any time gaming, then take a few minutes to read through the risks below and how to avoid them!

The Risks…

Large, online gaming communities may feel “friendly” but the truth is, you’re surrounded by strangers, which means you could unthinkingly share too much personal info like your full name, email address, age or even online passwords.
When you download “cheats” you could actually be downloading corrupt software that contains viruses.
Illegally downloading games could lead to severe penalties or even prosecution.
Getting rid of old game consoles, computers, mobile devices, etc. that still contain your personal info can put you at risk of identity theft.

Ok, now that you recognize some of the risks of online gaming, let’s go over how to protect yourself so you can keep on gaming without the worry.

How to Stay Safe…

Make sure you have updated antivirus software.
Only play authorized, legitimate versions of games that you have obtained/purchased legally and from the proper sources.
Choose a secure username that does not reveal personal info.
Create strong and long passwords.
Never share personal info with other players.
Keep your game software up-to-date.
Delete all personal info before disposing of or selling unwanted gaming devices.
Establish rules and guidelines for your children when they’re playing online (and model good behavior)!

To protect yourself even further, consider setting up a VPN so that you can mask your location and identity and never worry about online gaming hazards again! For more information about getting a Virtual Private Network, click HERE.

Risks & safety measures inspired by this post on GetSafeOnline.org.

10 People Who Need a VPN [infographic]

October 23, 2014 by Jim Lastinger Leave a comment

Do you need a VPN?

We’ll get to the answer to that question in a minute, but first, let’s back it up.

Do you know what a VPN is?

VPN is a Virtual Private Network. And, it’s an effective, safe and easy way to add security and privacy to both public and private networks. Basically, it enables you to freely use and browse the Internet without the fear of putting yourself at risk of cybercrimes, hackers, or geographic restrictions.

As you can imagine, having a VPN can be really beneficial, but there are specific groups of people who really can benefit from having a VPN.

If you’re wondering if you are a one of them, check out the infographic below to find out!

Click HERE to view infographic in a new page.

For even more info about how a VPN can benefit you, visit GhostPath.com.

What The Big Dogs Are NOT Telling You About The Security Of Your Mobile Device

October 16, 2014 by Jim Lastinger Leave a comment

Ever feel like you’re not getting the whole story?

Well, we’ve done some digging and it turns out that there’s quite a lot that the big dogs (namely Google and Apple) are NOT telling you about the security of your mobile device.

According to a recent Unisys study on workplace mobile habits, it was found that many business users access important corporate data using non-secure methods, like public WiFi. Plus, an increasing number of employees are accessing their workplace’s business applications on their personal devices, putting both themselves, sensitive data and their company at risk.

And worse, most people don’t give a second thought to the security of their devices before logging on at a WiFi hotspot or checking their email using mobile data.

Here are some enlightening facts about our mobile device habits & security:

By 2020 there will be 50 billion (yes, with a b) internet-connected devices
51% of organizations have experience data loss in the last year from non-secure device usage
32% of Americans say they prefer to use simple passwords; a practice that puts you & your data at risk
In a recent media company security breach, it was uncovered that 3,000 users had the password “123456” and 2,000 users used “password” as their password

In order to better protect yourself, your data & your mobile device, get a VPN (virtual private network), which will encrypt your data and protect your privacy no matter what device you use to connect to the Internet.

This post was inspired by this infographic.

3 Myths & Truths About Your Child’s Safety Online

October 9, 2014 by Jim Lastinger Leave a comment

There’s a lot of talk these days about the many risks of children being online.

We hear news story after news story about cyberbullying, online child predators, and others with malicious intent lurking around every corner. Sure, there are risks, and practicing safe online usage is essential, but most of the time the benefits of the Internet far outweigh the potential hazards.

In today’s post, we’re debunking some common myths about your child’s safety online, and we’ll fill you in on the real truths of each situation.

MYTH #1: Social media transforms kids into bullies.

TRUTH: Social media is just another outlet for bullying — it doesn’t turn kids into bullies. Most kids who engage in online bullying are also often bullies at school and usually have another reason for acting out, like family issues, school problems, etc. The most productive thing to do is for parents and teachers to educate themselves about the warning signs of bullying so that they can step-in before the behavior goes too far.

MYTH #2: Never post photos of your children on social media — it’s too dangerous!

TRUTH: By using the appropriate privacy settings, you can post pictures AND keep your children safe. To ensure that your kids remain safe & protected, (1) use privacy settings that limit your posts’ reach to only family and trusted friends, (2) limit your audience by using photo-share sites that require a login to see pictures, like Flickr, and (3) don’t tag or identify your children in the photos.

MYTH #3: Strict parental control setting are the best way to protect your children online.

TRUTH: Using just one measure for online security gives you a false sense of safety. Parental controls are just one piece of the puzzle, you also need to openly discuss online safety precautions with your children, share the risks of being online, establish agreed-upon rules, and encourage your children to be both responsible and respectful when online.

To further protect your children from online risks, consider setting up a VPN to ensure privacy, security & safety while online. For more information, click HERE.

This post was inspired by this article.

Step-by-Step Instructions for Maximum Security & Privacy on Facebook

October 2, 2014 by Jim Lastinger Leave a comment

Half a billion people are on Facebook. Yes, that’s billion with a “b”.

And, while Facebook may seem like all funny posts and picture-sharing, there are a number of risks that come with sharing personal data online — risks like identity theft, cyberbullying, scams and more.

If you’re one of the 500 million on Facebook, and want to ensure that your security and privacy are secure, read through our step-by-step instructions below to keep yourself safe & happy on this social media site.

Basic Security Settings

Go to “settings” in the drop-down menu in the upper righthand corner or the page. Make sure you’re in “general settings” in the lefthand column.

Double check to make sure you’re using a email address that is solely dedicated for your Facebook account, NOT your primary email. If you use your primary that you also use for accessing credit cards, banking info, etc., you are putting yourself at risk.
Use a long, strong password. Never use the same password for your Facebook account that you also use for other important accounts online.

Manage Your Security

Still in “settings”, click the “security” tab in the lefthand column.

Set up login notifications. This will alert you if someone is trying to access your account.
Set up login approvals. This setting will require that you input a code sent to you via text if Facebook doesn’t recognize the device from which it’s being accessed. This is great hacking-prevention!
Check out trusted browsers. It’s best to NOT save browsers and also to log out after each and every Facebook session.
Start a list of trusted contacts. This will help you get your account back to normal after you’ve been hacked or lose your password.
Where have you been logging in from? This will show the various locations and devices from which you’ve logged in to Facebook. If there are sessions that don’t look familiar, look into them as it may mean your account has been compromised.

Protect Your Privacy

Again, still in “settings”, click the “privacy” tab on the left.

Set your sharing/privacy option to Friends only.
Limit the reach of older posts on your Timeline.
Choose who can request to be your “friend”.
Do NOT allow search engines to access your Timeline.
Check out the Activity Log to review all the pictures, posts, etc. you’ve been tagged in.
Select either a “basic” or “strict” filter.
Set “who can look me up?” to Friends only.

We also recommend reading as much as you can about Facebook privacy because it’s constantly evolving. For even greater online protection & privacy, consider using a VPN whenever you access your social media accounts.