Has your personal information been involved in a breach?

 Unfortunately data breaches around the world occur periodically.  How can you check to see if your personal information has been involved?  You can use this website: https://haveibeenpwned.com/

Enter your email address or username. Then click the pwned? button. The site will tell you if a breach has occurred including your info.  This site will not ask for passwords; it is "safe" to share your email address/username with it.  Repeat this process for all of your email addresses AND the usernames for any of your online accounts.

What should you do if an email or username has been compromised in a breach?  Log into that website or email account online and change your password.  If two-factor authentication is available for your compromised account, enable it.

Please take a minute to check your personal info today.... maybe while enjoying your morning drink of choice and listening to the rain on the roof?

Happy first-Tuesday-of-spring!

A Malicious Post on Facebook

A couple of weeks ago a strange post from a friend showed up on my Facebook page.  The post tagged me and 26 other friends. Here is a screenshot from that post:

I did not click the link to view the video and a couple of days later I read a warning about this type of post:  If the link is clicked, it may ask you to install an update which when installed can then retrieve financial and credit card information for use by scammers.  

Two things you should do if something like this shows up on your Facebook page:
1) Delete the post by clicking on the ellipsis (three dots) in the top right-hand corner of the post. If Delete is not an option, then "Hide the Post"
2) Notify the person who supposedly "tagged" you (they really didn't; it was something from their account that sent this out.)  Encourage them to follow the directions on this page to remove any apps that might have been installed by Facebook without their permission.

You've heard it before but it bears repeating:  Be cautious clicking on links on the internet (not just on Facebook).  Period.

Have a terrific tech Tuesday. Period. Spring will soon arrive! :-)

Spam Phone Calls

Those annoying phone calls regarding your "compromised" computer once again seem to be on the increase.   I regularly remind people about this type of spam/phishing phone call but when it actually happens to them they become concerned, or even worse, do what the phone call asks them to do.

Yesterday a concerned friend forwarded me a voicemail warning her that her "personal information might possibly have been compromised and to "Press 1" to speak with the security team now."  Even though you've heard it before and we know about these techniques, when it happens to you it can be unsettling.  Remember this - creating fear is one of the main techniques a spammer/hacker will use to get you to share some of your confidential information.  Another is a "sense of urgency": "you need to do this NOW"

So a friendly reminder in today's Tech Tip:  If your phone (either landline or smartphone) displays a number you do not recognize, just let it ring.  Do not answer. Period.  If the call is legitimate, a voicemail will be left and you can immediately return the call.

Hope you can find some time today to leave your phone inside and go outdoors to enjoy this beautiful almost-spring weather (despite the wind).  :-)

Shazam it!

I remember downloading Shazam quite a few years ago and using it to identify songs playing on the radio or TV.  It wasn't always successful in the identification and it still isn't, but it is much improved.  With iOS 14, Shazam is now a built-in feature of the iPhone operating system and comes with the ability to identify music that is playing not only on other devices but also on your iPhone and headphones. You no longer have to download the app if you are using an Apple product; Android users will download it from the Google Play store.

How might you use Shazam? 
1) While watching someone's TikTok you want to know what music they've used to create it.
2) You're watching a YouTube video and want to identify the background music.
3)  While watching a show on TV you'd like to know the name of the music that is playing.
4)  You're listening to music on your headphones and want to identify what is playing.

Who can use it? Shazam can be used on multiple devices - iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, Macs and Apple Watches.  Android users have already been able to use some of these features for a couple of years.

Shazam can be accessed through the Control Panel on your Apple devices OR you can even just ask Siri to identify the music. ("Siri, what song is playing?")

If this is something you're interested in using or learning more about, Apple has an excellent "how-to" article - https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT210331

OR, maybe you would rather watch a quick how-to video that demonstrates the process - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IhVHADLe4Ps  

Today is going to be way too nice to stay inside and spend time with your technology, but maybe you can use this tip while you are listening to music or a podcast during your walk?  Make it a great Tech Tip Tuesday whatever you choose to do!