Tech News You Can Use

Technology-related issues have been in the news the last few months, so we thought we would get you caught up on what you need to know.

Router hacking – The FBI has released an advisory to check your home WiFi routers to make sure they have the most up-to-date software and then to reboot them.  The advisory cameat the end of May and was the result of the discovery that Russian hackers had attempted to take over WiFi routers as a way to force issues with internet service in Ukraine.  Fortunately, most people are not impacted by this issue.  If you have a WiFi router that is provided by your service provider (Verizon, Comcast, Optimum, etc.) then you do not need to do anything at all, the companies already pushed out the updates and forced a reboot overnight before the news even broke.  If you have a store-bought router, then you will want to check a few things.  First, see if the automatic firmware updates are turned on.  This setting can usually be found on your router’s configuration screen and will probably be in a section called “administration” or just plain old “settings.”  You may need to consult the user’s manual to see these settings.  Most routers manufactured in the last 5 years have automatic updates as the default setting.  If not, you can turn it on and wait a day or click the option to update now.  Once it updates, it should reboot on its own.  If it does not, you can do a reboot by either clicking the “reboot now” option in the settings or simply unplugging or turning off the router and then turning it back on.  The good news about this hack is the target was not the end user, as the software was not meant to harm the PCs connected to the router, but target another network.  Still, it is wise to follow simple security measures to keep your WiFi protected, such as changing the default admin password, making the network name something other than the default, and turning off services you do not use.

EU Data Protection Act – Another big tech news story from the end of May was the go live date, May 25, of the new Data Protection Act that was passed by the European Union.  The act is a response to the numerous data breaches involving online shopping sites as well as issues like Facebook selling user data.  The idea behind the act is to make online companies let users know exactly what kind of data they collect and how they use that data.  You may have already received email and seen pop-ups regarding mailing lists and tracking cookies, which are part of the new law.  Each company needs to verify that the users want to be on their email lists and let users know about the use of tracking cookies and related privacy policies.  Keep in mind, however, these are only things that law-abiding companies will follow and your common spammer, for example, will still send you plenty of email about discounted drugs, Nigerian princes, and grandchildren in peril in some foreign country.  But, if you have some long-forgotten account that you opened up years ago, when you get the email notice you will be aware of that account and can close it.  This is a good idea, considering if you forgot about it, you really do not want to leave it open for someone to hack.  One of the biggest targets for identity theft are what are called “parked” accounts – ones you opened to buy one item or to see what the fuss was about on a new social site, but never went back.  Even if you plan to keep a main account, think about closing sub-accounts.  For example, if you have Gmail and started a Google+ page but never use it, go ahead and delete the Google+ page from your account.  While the European Union law does not specifically impact the United States, we indirectly benefit since tech companies need to comply to allow European users.

Windows 10 1803 Update – Microsoft used to have a pretty unpredictable schedule to their bigger operating system updates, randomly dumping what they called “service packs” onto users.  With Windows 10 they have aimed to be a bit more consistent by only issuing critical updates on a monthly basis and saving the larger feature updates for twice a year, in spring and in fall.  The latest such update, 1803 (2018, March) was released later than expected and started to show up on computers in early May.  Unlike the updates issued in 2017, the 1803 update is smaller and offers less drastic changes to the software.  The average user notices only cosmetic changes but you should check out the Windows website for a full list of new features.  One I am looking forward to using is clutter-free printing from the Edge browser – print without all the ads and other stuff that crowds out the useful text on a website.

Google Forces SSL for Websites – This is one of those boring, but important, topics.  For the end user, there is nothing for you to do but pay attention.  SSL is a way of securing a website and will show up as https (as opposed to http) in the site’s address.  Any time a website asks for some form of input, such as a log on, survey entries, or even just comments, SSL encrypts the data being sent from your browser to the website.  Starting on July 1, the Chrome browser and Google search results will be flagging insecure websites so you will start to see messages and warnings about sending sensitive information to the site.  Keep in mind that if you have no need to enter any information, the site is still safe to browse, the security warning does not mean that there is spyware or viruses associated with the site.  In the Chrome browser, secure sites will have a green lock and the word secure next to the address.  An open red lock and the words not secure will be on sites that do not use SSL but have data input areas.  Sites that do not have any input areas will not be marked as dramatically, but will have a button that can be expanded for more information about site security.  On the Google search page, SSL sites show the full address with the https prefix while insecure sites will start with either www or the domain name.  The most secure sites will also be ranked higher in the search results.  If you wish to read more about SSL, the Server Guy website has a guide for web developers that is easy to understand.

-        Laura N., Information Technology