Don't Let Them Spy on Your Loved Ones

[MichaelNyby]

So I wish to start with the loved ones, even though there are other new groups that are going to be using the Net for activities they may not be used to.  But here the loved ones.  The mothers and fathers; the aunts and uncles; and others.

I also want to state that there are older folks that are very good at security, but it might be not too much of a stretch to state that there may be many new older folks using the Net that don't have a lot of experience at basics.  Especially if they are shopping online for the first time.  Or having stuff delivered after doing the shopping.  Other things.

Somebody please help with ideas under "other things".  We have a lot of new folks using the Net because of the medical troubles around the planet.

So what I am wondering is if anyone can help with putting together a list of ways to give instructions to the many new people using the Net as to how to be careful against those bad people spreading computer virus stuff and spyware and all other manner of bad stuff.

This is going to be bad people delight time and so getting out information to stop the bad people has taken on a whole new urgency.

Who knows of material that can help accomplish security for your loved ones that are new to all this?  "Accomplish" means teaching your loved ones the ins-and-outs in a very easy to understand way.  Maybe videos.  Material that uses images can be helpful.  What ideas do you folks have?

Security at its most basic level.  Ideas, folks!  Ideas!!

[MichaelNyby]

And to the admin and mods; I placed this here instead of in "Other" because this is about as basic as one can get at protecting people from virus and spyware programs and when people come here to enquire about this topic they will automatically come here first and not in that "other" place.

This is not about "other topics".  This is about protection.

[Geek-9pm]

Short reply.
1. Do not let people have physical access to your devices.
2. Use secure methods for passwords and money transfer.

[MichaelNyby]

Absolutely outstanding!

I had not even considered that most basic of your Number One.

Be careful of that person who looks to be in some sort of smart uniform and seems so genuine that is stating that there is some sort of trouble with a line or connection and they need to check something and so on.

In fact, a theme used in many movies.

That is excellent.  That one never entered my mind.

[Allan]

And to the admin and mods; I placed this here instead of in "Other" because this is about as basic as one can get at protecting people from virus and spyware programs and when people come here to enquire about this topic they will automatically come here first and not in that "other" place.

This is not about "other topics".  This is about protection.

And I moved this to "other" because the Malware forums on this site are used exclusively for people asking for a malware specialist to assist them in ridding their systems of malware.

[MichaelNyby]

It would seem there is some controversy related to a communications tool that has a commercial name of Zoom?  Do I have that right?  I am afraid I do not use that tool for communications.  Nor have I in the past.

Have any of you used that tool?

Do any of you have concerns related to the use of the tool?

I will also confess that I am not sure if any link to a BBC article on that topic will be allowed here?  I mean something related to the CEO of that company, if I am remembering correctly what I read some hours ago and have a little extra time to place a thought or two here.  Well, those were questions I put here.

Anyway, what's up with the Zoom thing?

[Geek-9pm]

The ZOOM problem is under control.

But if you are afraid to use it on your PC , just go buy a economy smart phone with a large screen and use it for ZOOM video chat.

Also, you can buy a low-cost Windows 10 notebook from Amazon for about $1140 with a ten inch screen. That is just right for a ZOOM video chat. I am going to use an RCA model for my ZOOM meetings. I got it from Amazon with a warranty.

An no, I did not buy ZOOM stock nor did anybody pay me for this post.   

EDIT..
For more info about ZOOM just Google the  word ZOOM and get lots of links.

[MichaelNyby]

I'm still focusing on tutorials that anyone might know about that could be in a video format, but also text would be fine.

Yes, the idea of not allowing access to a device or records about a device is very good, but there is much more to security than that, isn't there?

And apologies for the lengthy time away, but the medical situation has been not so great and what time I've had for the Net has had to be on other matters.

[Pratchett]

I have managed to get my parents to never take any email or text message at face value, any email starting with dear customer, or as a valued member. Is not to be taken seriously, they regularly get emails saying there Paypal account has been compromise and should login to update their password. Having never had a Paypal account, this is easy for them to spot, but when an email arrives with the name of a company they do use (BY PURE CHANCE) they take it at face value and trust it just because they have seen the company logo and the email looks correct. There are plenty of helpful security guides and tools try this https://www.fasterbroadband.co.uk/tools/data-breach-search this site also has a good list of resources and explains about online scams.  https://www.ageuk.org.uk/information-advice/work-learning/technology-internet/internet-security/. I have recently had my elderly neighbour (80s) conned when they gave access to there PC to a call centre pretending to be from Microsoft. They sent him to a screen sharing website and then took control and changed the password of the PC then asked for £1000 to let him back in. I could not believe that someone could fall for this type of con but it's made me realise that it's not obvious to all.

[MichaelNyby]

How does the posting of the "Faster Broadband" link aid us in basic security awareness .for the average Internet Citizen?

Although, it does aid me in highlighting a feature of so many sites that make claims of one advantage or another in providing information --- they want your email address.

I view the easily offering up of one's email address to entities on the Internet as more than a minor problem when we are thinking about security.  But let us return to that aspect of Internet security at a later date.

I want to go into that above at a later date because I do find the "ageUK" site to be very much worth the effort to look it over.  And I thank you, Pratchett, for sharing that link with us.

While it seems the focus is on us aged types, although we are very young if we compare our age to the age of humans since they showed up on this planet, --- anyway, the "ageUK" site has information that is useful to all ages, not just us that are a tad older than some of you might be.

Again, thank you Pratchett for that link.

By the way, if anyone wants to do the folks that run "ageUK" a favor, you might ask them to correct their grammar, even though it is a common error.

Down at the bottom of their 'About Us' page you'll see this with the phone number they provide:

We're open Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.

Technically, that means Monday thru (through) Thursday.  This is a very common error and all sorts of even quite smart folks make the mistake.  I would bet they mean Monday thru Friday.  One doesn't always have to donate cash to help an organization.  By the way, the 9am to 5pm highlights my point exactly --- at 5:01 they probably don't answer any more calls.

One more point, please; I don't want to just focus on us that are a tad older than some of you --- I am thinking about security on the Net for all Net Citizens.  In fact, it might very well be that it is the youngest members of this new Net World that are most at risk.  I don't think there is a law on the books of any nation about a minimum age to use the Net, is there?  It might very well be the very young are at risk more than us older humans.

[MichaelNyby]

And with the thought of the human youngsters on the Net I went looking and found the following from also in the UK:

Safety Net Kids

[Pratchett]

When explaining the security pit falls to parents they couldn't grasp why they are receiving targeted mail when they don't give anyone their email address. That opened up the explanation of data breaches. It was initially found and used as a demonstration, but found the results quite a stark reminder to myself about changing passwords. Admittedly this website could be gathering the data but the results did show websites that I have used. But that opened up another rabbit warren of do's and don'ts. No names but I do know people who use one password for every account and device, and they are to stubborn to change it, they also write PIN then 4 numbers on the inside of a phone case which is in the same handbag as the purse.  LOL

[MichaelNyby]

I appreciate the explanation, Pratchett.

And you highlight something that should be at the top of the list of security concerns --- the way you handle a password.

And on this one I have big problems!

Firstly, letting any software remember your password on any site or through any commercial software you might buy or rent or whatever that arrangement might be, is way beyond my view as a good idea.  I think only you should know your password and maybe a spouse of more than about 5 or so years and maybe your child of about 15 or so years.  And definitely no cyborgs or machines or software!

And writing down your passwords is also a bad - bad - bad - idea --- in my view.

Passwords should stay in your head, except for a few exceptions noted above and with limitations on years of association. (And that one about restrictions related to years you've known the spouse will certainly get me in trouble with some of you, yes? The restriction on the children seems safe enough, no?  I mean, before about 15ish or a bit less do the children really understand security and keeping some information away from their "best friend"?)

Okay, so how does one go about creating a password that can be remembered?

Yes, do not use addresses or phone numbers or such like that without some modification --- but clever modification.

My idea:

Take a simple word you are going to remember --- like 'rock' --- and turn it backwards to - kcor - now I think you can remember that rather easily, yes?

Now we have the middle.  Next add some number you know very well and turn that around, too.

Here is where you can use your phone number to help you, except them fancy new iPhone thingies from Star Trek have fancy long and weird numbers folks so old like me can't deal with so easily, so we use that normal style here.

Maybe the last 4 digits of a 'normal' phone is 9656.

So we take 'kcor' and tag the following to that - 65kcor69 - Then we throw in * and we have for a rather neat password *65kcor69* and that will be viewed by that fancy software that is checking as close to "strong" and it is a password that if you remember the simple word "rock" and your phone number and remember that all that is backwards and that you added that funny star thing --- well, I think you have a password that is safe and you can remember.  You can toss in an upper case 'K' and 'R' as bookends to the letters and that fancy 'How-Good-Is-Your-Password' software will give you an additional 'strong' to what it was programmed to view as safe --- maybe you get 'stronger' or even 'strongest'.  Or whatever the heck those programs label the password strength as.

And 'site association' can be used to make a basic password built like I explained above special for a certain site.

Okey-dokey, folks; let me know what is wrong or right with that idea up there I am offering up as solution one to problem one of Net Security --- passwords.  Remember, I'm just an old fart trying to help and could have things all way wrong, so fire away, please.

Thank you.