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Talk to Rotary, 7 September 2021
Please note that most of my recent experience is with Apple equipment. I have some Android equipment which I use for testing but haven't used Windows for over a decade. I've tried to ensure that these general principles are applicable to all modern systems. If I've got it wrong, then some Google searches should help. But beware Google ads for apps that you probably don't need. (See below).
The biggest risk is - YOU
and, of course, you are also your best protection
Phishing
emails or phone calls, you've probably attended a police presentation on internet safety. I'm not going to repeat that.
all the usual clues: unexpected, unlikely, threatening account closure or legal proceedings, too good to be true, poor grammar and spelling, parcels you didn't order
if it's an email and asks you to click on a link Don't unless it's an expected and clearly genuine email. If there's the slightest doubt, hover your mouse over the link or rest a finger on it on your phone or tablet and you should see the web address that the link will take you to. If it's apparently from Barclays, for example, then the web address should be something including barclays.co.uk. If in doubt consult a friend who understands these things.
Example, just got HomeSecurityOffer unsolicited email. Would I buy a home security system from an unknown supplier advertised on a leaflet pushed through the door? Hovering over the email address on my Mac revealed:
MklNqHV-JU6coQ1evZ2-noReply@rfxob.betffqalxxh.prismdot.com
Keep taking the updates
Updates to the operating system, Windows, iOS, iPadOS, Android, ChromeOS, FireOS... continually bring important security fixes which remove vulnerabilities that could allow hackers to target your devices, perhaps just by clicking on a link. Most devices have an automatic update setting. If you prefer to stay in control, check regularly for updates.
Most systems automatically update apps by default. Don't change this setting unless you know what you're doing.
Installing apps
on iPhone and iPad you must install from the AppStore
on Android, MacOS and Windows you can install from either the official app store or from other sources on the Internet
Try the app store first and check the reviews
Install apps from the internet only if you have good reason to trust the source and certainly don't install apps that were recommended in an unsolicited email allegedly to fix issues.
Loss or theft
all too easy to leave your phone, tablet or laptop at the café; sometimes you get it back; often you don't
If you have another device use Google to ask "what should I do when I lose my iPhone" (or whatever you've lost)
most modern systems have built in tracking and features that let you mark the device as lost and lock it. If you're quick enough, you may even spot it disappearing down the street!
For iPhone use the FindMy app on another of your Apple devices or visit icloud.com/find and login with your Apple account details on a friend's device.
For Android, visit android.com/find and sign in with your Google account details
For Windows, visit https://account.microsoft.com/devices
None of the above may be of any use at all if you don't know your Apple, Google or Microsoft account details. If you don't know them, find them soon and record them and, if necessary reset your password. Do this soon, before the crisis.
Password managers
Other people's forgotten passwords waste huge amounts of my time.
Scraps of paper with out of date or illegible passwords.
Easily remembered passwords are probably easily guessed passwords.
It's usually not very difficult to reset a forgotten password but it's much better not to forget it in the first place and it's very unwise to use the same password everywhere.
Most systems now have a password manager built in which stores passwords securely and offers them when required.
Keychain is built in on Apple devices; stores your passwords securely in iCloud and on your devices. It can auto-fill protected by fingerprint or facial recognition. Now available for Windows using the Chrome and Edge browsers. I use Keychain.
Passwords can be stored in your Google account for Android, Chromebooks and the Chrome browser on your computer.
Windows - keeper password manager is built in.
There are numerous 3rd party password managers available for purchase that work across most operating systems.
Backup
Backup is set up by default on iOS , iPadOS and most Android.
iPhones and iPads backup to iCloud and Android can back up to Google Drive (Settings/Google). You usually only have the most recent backup. If you lose your phone or tablet or it breaks then your replacement phone or tablet can be set up using this backup.
Mac desktops and laptops can use TimeMachine to backup automatically to an external drive.
Windows 10 has the similar File History.
These so-called incremental backups are more powerful than the simple phone and tablet backups. They allow you to restore individual files from a specific date or to restore the computer to a specific date.
The TimeMachine external drive on my iMac, for example, can take me back to 29 April 2019. (I probably reset it then).
Consider the physical security of an external backup drive positioned alongside your computer.
Alternative cloud backup solutions. I use livedrive, also sold rebranded as Cloud Backup by Currys, PC World.
I saved my Mac when both its internal disk and the TimeMachine disk failed simultaneously.
The Cloud is your friend
iCloud, Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive
Secure and convenient
Contacts, Photos, Notes, word processing, spreadsheets...
All information available on up to date on all your devices
All immediately available on your new device.
Anti-virus and anti-adware... software
Never install this in response to an alert that there is a virus or other malware infection. The alert is probably bogus and may lead you to install expensive and probably dangerous software
Opinions vary on the need for anti-virus software. Computer professionals tend to recommend it since they don't want to be sued if your device is infected.
I'm not a huge fan; I've managed fine without them, but don't let me stop you installing trusted brands; you'll find many enthusiastic users. Judging by the experience of others whom I help, some of them are not very effective against the threats that are most commonly encountered today, social engineering phishing and to a lesser extent exploiting operating system vulnerabilities. However, you'll find many in the app stores for your device. Check the reviews and decide. If you do install, don't let your guard drop. Bad stuff may still get through.
Transferring information to a new phone, tablet or computer
Follow the instructions on the web from Apple, Google, Microsoft or whoever and most of your information will be copied without any hassle. If you aren't careful, your Google search will present you with ads for apps that you don't need.
Do a Google search like "apple support transfer to a new Mac" or "Microsoft support transfer to a new PC"
Everything in the cloud will reappear automatically, of course.
Need to be careful with some messages - brief notes.
Apple Messages app will have a mix of SMS (ordinary text messages) and iMessages. If you set them to be in iCloud, they will appear on all your Apple devices and will pop up on your new device from iCloud. If you don't store them in iCloud they will transfer automatically to your new device during the standard transfer process. Nothing special to do.
Android only recently introduced Chats, which are similar to iMessage. Backups to Google Drive include messages but if you aren't using that you may need to use an app like SMS Backup to transfer text messages to your new Android phone. The Android help web page on transferring to a new Android device gives instructions.
WhatsApp needs a little care both on Android and iPhone. Make sure that you are backing up your chat history.
Here's the advice from WhatsApp
A few random links:
Last updated September 8, 2021
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