Geoarbitrage is a way of cutting costs and gaining free time by outsourcing mundane time-sucking tasks and using resources where they are found at a lower price. Many are familiar with Tim Ferriss, the author of the best seller “4-Hour Work Week”. Ferriss was largely responsible for popularizing geoarbitrage by demonstrating that a person could get more out of a busy day without working harder. Since his book became a best seller, geoarbitrage has become a common term amongst businesspeople and travelers. It has become a way to work smarter, and easier.

Outsourcing is a common tool that life hackers use to increase their daily productivity and maximize their free time. Life hackers do this by calculating the dollar value of their time, and hiring virtual assistants overseas to accomplish any tasks that can be completed for less than the value of their time. By outsourcing the less-important tasks in their day, life hackers are able to focus on important tasks and accomplish more with their day.

Life hackers also use geoarbitrage to reduce their cost of living. They do this by relocating to countries where living costs are lower and benefits are higher than in their home country. For example, a U.S. citizen running an online business may benefit from moving to Panama or the Cayman Islands, where the cost of living is much lower or the tax benefits are much higher than in the US.

Geoarbitrage is also used to acquire resources and use services at lower prices. In “4-Hour Work Week, Ferris uses the example of getting dental surgery while on vacation in a country where dental bills cost significantly less than in the United States – hitting two birds with one stone so to say. Other examples may include buying diamonds duty free in the Cayman Islands at prices well bellow retail prices or traveling to countries like Vietnam where nice hotels can be found for less than $15 a night.

Outsourcing is a concept where you make use of services other people are willing to perform at a lower rate than what you are getting paid doing the same task. Outsourcing any given task is an excellent way to illustrate how the quality of your life may improve. Example: You have an important meeting to attend, but someone else paid you to complete an important task and it clashes with your meeting. But, you are in luck as you have a virtual assistant elsewhere that are able to do fulfill the given task. She does it for $10 while you are being paid $20 for arguments sake.

Geoarbitrage Helps You To Be More Productive

It is not a case of ripping anybody off when you outsource work that was originally assigned to you, it is a matter of being efficient. Just because you are paying someone $10 for doing a task that you are being paid $40 for, does not mean the person you allocated the task to is losing out. Ten dollars an hour can be good money for someone in a country of lower financial resources. Geoarbitrage is very useful as a life hack that helps you to be more productive, and enjoy longer days. Leveraging geoarbitrage as a life hack will certainly improve the quality of your life. It is no wonder that life hackers everywhere are now starting to use the power of geoarbitrage as a lifestyle hack.

Everyday, thousands of people experience identity theft which leads to vast amounts of resources and money being stolen. In order to prevent identity theft, various guidelines should be followed by users to prevent this disruptive cyberspace crime from occurring. Security and protection against online hackers could be attained by simply availing the latest security software.

Online users should be constantly aware and vigilant in their use of different programs, websites and services on line. We have to consider that despite the ease and practicality presented by on line processing, they are susceptible to hacking by technically proficient and knowledgeable hackers.

Customers and clients should only avail services from online service providers with a secure and developed system of cyberspace business transaction. It is a joint responsibility of the users and service provides to be careful in order to prevent identity theft.

The basic principle used to prevent identity theft is preparedness and attentiveness. Majority of people being victimized of identity theft are unaware of the rampant activities of hackers to install hidden programs such as worms and viruses.

Hacker employs these malicious programs by attaching them to different websites and disguising them as credible tools. Online users are tricked into downloading them. These programs actually steal information and use them against the users. In the United States alone, thousands of cases regarding password theft which lead to stolen online bank funds are reported at a regular rate. When people discover of the theft against them, most of the damages are already done.

The second principle to prevent identity theft is prudence. Before committing sensitive transactions in a web site, it is the responsibility of the user to know how effective is the security measure set in place to protect his passwords, resources and investments. Reliable websites usually offer firewall installations during online payment and wire transfer.

The third principle to prevent identity theft is to be updated regularly. This could be easily done by downloading and installing all the latest security programs such as internet security software, registry cleaners and virus scanners. It is easy to find these utilities since thousands of websites are set in place to provide free and trial downloads.

The fourth principle is to be always careful and watchful. An online user should always be wary of where he inputs his important passwords and data such as public computers and random person’s laptop. Computers which are accessed by the general population could be infected with illegal software that steal and save data to be used for degrading and damaging purposes.

The fifth principle to prevent identity theft is consistency. People tend to forget to scan foreign drives and devices that are integrated to their system. This could lead to installation of hidden programs such as viruses which are common hacking tools for identity theft.

By following these five basic principles, an online user could easily prevent identity theft and its damaging effects. As computer users, it is the responsibility of the owner to be careful in utilizing it in different purposes especially online payment. Hackers only victimize those who are unaware and ignorant.

Virtual private networks (VPN) have been around for long, but many people don’t understand them. Due to the misunderstanding, there are many myths surrounding them. Here are the most common myths:

All VPNs are slow

While it’s true that VPNs slow down browsing speeds, this isn’t common in all services. The problem is common with free VPNs. The reason why the services are slow is because many people are using them.

Paid versions are usually faster and more secure as few people use them. If you want high speeds, avoid the free VPNs

VPN services are 100% secure

Although, service providers will show certificates from trusted certificate authorities, this doesn’t mean that your information is secure. An amateur may not be able to penetrate a link, but a professional hacker won’t have any problem getting access to secured data inside a VPN.

One of the most interesting cases is that of Iranian hackers that were able to get SSL certificates for Yahoo, Google, Mozilla and other online giants. They did this by spoofing Comodo.

If the hackers can be able to access certificates of these sites, there is no reason why they can’t access those of VPN service providers.

Before you use a VPN service take your time to understand the technology used by the service provider. As rule of thumb stay away from sites using secure socket layer (SSL) technology and early versions of transport layer security (TLS). The two are insecure.

To be safe, use service providers using the latest versions of TLS. In addition to this, encrypt confidential or sensitive data.

All VPNs are the same

This is very wrong. There are many types of VPNs in the market. The most common being: site-to-site, intranet-based and extranet-based VPN. Every type has its pros and cons. To choose the right service undertake plenty of research. It’s also wise that you get advice from professionals.

VPNs provide 100% anonymity

While the services allow you to access the internet anonymously, VPN service providers still keep some of your data.

The service providers keep your IP address, location, operating system and browser. They keep the information as in-house requirements or for legal reasons.

The services are for those hiding something

There are many reasons why you can use a VPN service. Some of the reasons include: accessing restricted sites, maintaining privacy when accessing the internet using public Wi-Fi, or making your online activity untraceable.

Two of the top reasons why you should consider using VPN are for security and anonymity.

Conclusion

These are the common VPN myths that you need to know about. VPNs come in handy when to the enhancement your security, but remember that one size doesn’t fit all. Do your research and find a service provider that is ideal for your needs.

When it comes to projects around the house, whether working with a professional or doing it yourself, the one that sends most homeowner's stress levels through the roof is the selection of paint colors.

A friend recently shared the story of his sister and her paint selection saga. After loving the three tones he had used in his living room, his sister decided that it was time she repaint her living and dining rooms. Since she was very fond of the colors used by her brother it appeared a fairly straight-forward that she would choose a shade or two from the same color family and painting would ensue. Three years later she is still putting up samples then standing and staring with eyes wide in terror; fearful that she will make a mistake. Her brother refuses to enter her home until this madness is concluded which, I'm certain, only adds fuel to her fires of insecurity.

While extreme, this story represents the all too familiar look of fear shared by home-owners when it's time to paint the walls of a room in their home. Baffled by where to start, nervous about picking something that everyone will hate and somehow convinced that the safety of the free world rides on this one single decision; it's no wonder that people are ignored by paint.

As with most fears, rational or irrational, anticipating over them is a process. For those DIY's who would like to feel more confident about their paint color decisions I'd like to introduce you to The Color Wheel.

If you enjoy shopping locally then head down to your nearest art supply store and pick-up one up or if Amazon is your preferred shopping method there are many options to be had and they'll deliver right to your door.

A color wheel is just that – a wheel of colors that help you understand and quickly see (rather than guessing) how different hues look together. Becoming comfortable holding and using a color wheel will allow you to see how colors relate to each other quickly and efficiently.

The basics are like this; 12 colors – the primary colors (red, yellow and blue), the secondary colors (colors you get by mixing the primary colors such as orange, purple and green) and the ttiary colors (the results of mixing primary and secondary colors (red- purple, blue-purple, blue-green, yellow-green, yellow-orange, red-orange).

With thousands of paint colors on the market you might still be intimidated when trying to visualize those colors available to you while using a basic color wheel. If that's the case run to your paint supply store and ask if they have their own wheel. Many paint manufacturers create color wheels utilizing their own colors. This can put you ahead of the game specifically if you're comfortable with the basic concept.

The more comfortable you become playing with the color wheel (yes, play with it … you're not doing brain-surgery) the more fun you will have picking perfect paint colors for every room of your home.

Password safety should never be an afterthought. Period. Just this past week it was announced on the news that a popular online professional network’s data was hacked into and over 6 million passwords were stolen. The hackers, who were reportedly from Russia, used the stolen passwords to launch an email spam campaign for illegal pharmacy drugs by posing as the professional networking site and installing links within the emails.

Since we are living in an age where the threat of password theft and identity theft is very real, questioning how security your interactions are online, including within the realm of cloud computing is a very valid concern.

With the building popularity of cloud computing, it takes a high level of trust to willingly place your data in the hands of a cloud service provider. Releasing that important data into the cloud can be very intimidating at first; however, the following tips on passwords can help you keep your data more secure within the cloud:

Keep Them Complicated: When it comes to passwords, the rule of thumb is always going to be the more complicated the better. It may be easier to keep all of your passwords the same for each site you utilize, but it’s not beneficial. When creating a new password, try to combine numbers, symbols, and letters (both lower and uppercase) into a random fashion, for example: h7%4Gq#. Never ever use the password “123456,” “password,” or “iloveyou.” They are at the top of the list for most used password and can easily be guessed by hackers. It is also not wise to use your pet’s name or your child/ spouses name as a password because they too can be easily guessed by hackers.

Keep Them Unique: Do not use the same password for more than one site. Each password should be unique for each site you log in to.

Keep Them Private: Lastly, do not share you passwords with anyone. Even sharing a password with a close friend or loved one could potentially be harmful. So play it safe and keep you passwords to yourself.

Following the above tips will help protect your data in the ever-expanding world of cloud computing and are good advice for navigating your way around the internet. In conclusion, don’t take password security with a grain of salt. Developing more secure passwords may take some time and effort, but in the long run the benefits far outweigh the alternative.

At a gathering of professional computer and Internet hackers in the city of Las Vegas, Nevada, some computer and Internet security sector experts have unveiled an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) that can take to the air and tap into computer and network systems through their wireless links. The concept behind the UAV is not an original one as articles have been written long ago of such an idea, as well as Cold War-era rumors and stories of Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs) hovering atop reflected Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) silos and installations, causing them to close down inexplicably.

These stories about UFOs may seem to be a little farfetched and there is untrue, much in the same way that the best antivirus and anti-malware programs have been once considered. But whether they are valid or not is not the focus of this article. However, the hacking and surveillance method that is employed by the UAV is not relatively new; the American military is known to have knowledge of the method and is aware of its uses. One can assign its provenance way back over 40 years and it is new only in the sense that it is not often encountered. Even so, we will need to look further into this relatively new technological breakthrough.

An article dated on the 6th day of August, 2011 and created by Glenn Chapman for PhysOrg.com bears the title, "Hacker drone launches airborne cyber attacks." In it, Chapman wrote that computer security professionals and experts have produced a miniature UAV that is capable of initiating airborne-based cyber intrusions and attacks, and intercepting and recording calls made via mobile phone; it can even be modified to carry a so-called "dirty bomb" or miniaturized nuclear device. It can run software that can encroach upon wireless or Wi-Fi networks, cellphone and telecoms networks that follow the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) standard, and Bluetooth-connected networks. The miniaturized UAV can gain access to wirelessly connected networks and unprotected Wi-Fi "hot spots" by acquiring data packets that are sent within and through them and using these packets of information as access points to get inside the networks. It can steal the account information and data of mobile phones that use the GSM standard, data that is used by telecoms firms to bill users for outbound mobile calls that they had made. The creators of the MAV and experienced hackers can also enable it to mimic cellular phone and telecoms towers and have it "listened in" on calls made and received by unsuspecting users.

The mere existence of this MAV should drive you to better protect your home-based or personal Wi-Fi network or those that you use at work and never leave them unprotected because at any moment, computer hackers would attempt to gain access to them. This should also force large firms and government institutions that run large-scale computer and network systems to restrict access to their networks and disallow their users to transfer too much data within them. The data that they may have might be a personal, secret, financial or high-level nature that may prove valuable to any experienced hacker. You can start doing this by installing and running the best antivirus product there is available.

Experienced computer users know that they can gain access to a Wi-Fi network by simply parking their car or van within an area that is covered by that network and attempt to infiltrate into that wirelessly connected network from there. This is a common practice for Silicon Valley-based computer experts and professionals who do these attempts to determine the level of protection that exists within the wireless networks of various firms and companies that work in the area. If you do not have the best antivirus program available to secure your PC or laptop from hacking attempts, there would be a high probability that your computer will be compromised soon. The American military's cyber warfare and intelligence section can also employ small-scale model planes, air vehicles, and even miniaturized UAVs to fly over areas that are covered by wireless-linked networks. Belligerent nations and countries are also expected to take interest in this technology and create copies of their own; at the same time hackers and other criminally-inclined individuals can use them to get into our wirelessly linked networks and make off with our critical and personal data.

So the next time you make calls on your cellphone or connect to the Internet using Wi-Fi or any wirelessly enabled network, you should think twice before doing so. Somewhere, somehow, there would be those who are capable of encroaching into your wirelessly connected network to steal away your pertinent personal and business data. MAVs are only the beginning; there would be other technologies and methods that will be discovered that can be more discreet and dangerous than the first. You should keep them all in mind when you are planning to further bolster your computer and Internet security, which you can do by installing best antivirus applications in your PC or laptop, and being more careful when you make your calls using your cellphone.

This is a fact that every web related application – even the web itself- is prone to attacks from viruses, malwares, hackers etc. Since, internet phone systems or VoIP also use broadband internet to function, therefore, it is not less of a victim to unwanted sufferings caused by these intrusions.

A Trojan horse is a virus that easily lets hackers, as well as other also law enforcement organizations including FBI, CIA etc, to record VoIP calls. As far as it is VoIP calls call recoding by law enforcement in the U.S., this is most likely nothing illegal and even they are only authorized to act on this if they have a court order to inspect suspected criminals’ VoIP calls. However, as for viruses and other hackers, it is undeniably illegal to breach the VoIP barriers. This is most likely is selfish act to cause inflictions to others and steal their important details such as banking account details, residential address and personal numbers and other details. This is an ongoing trend witnessed to grow every passing day.

There are some computer viruses, which do not cause much harm nevertheless; they spy on other people’s activities – purely an act of eavesdropping. But, now this drift has become a lethal weapon which professional hackers and law enforcement agencies use against others – a virus which eavesdrops on voice conversations and other data, particularly internet phone calls.

This is basic feature of a new Trojan horse is that it has the ability to records VoIP calls through various VoIP phone services. VoIP calls are almost free or low costing and can take place either between computers or between PC and a normal phone.

There are about a billion internet phone users in the world but it is unlikely many would be hit by the new virus. If used to capture targeted surveillance from law enforcement agencies, one can easily comprehend the need, owing to the global terrorism acts spread across, but imagine if the same technology gets in the hands of these terrorists and other criminals, this would give rise to mass violence and privacy threats.

Trojan Horse, doesn’t specifically target VoIP calls, instead it attacks the operating system of a computer that is responsible for managing audio processing. That way, when one is making internet phone calls, the virus intercepts with all audio data coming from the recipient. These audio in turn is saved in form of MP3 files and then is sent over to the computers managed by hacker, criminals or law enforcement agencies, for that matter.

This virus was designed by Ruben Unteregger, a Swiss programmer who although started out as using it for himself but, later turned it into a project for his company, ERA IT Solutions.

Certainly, there will be people who dispute the idea of considering these two geniuses and current giants of science as ancient biohackers. However, when studying the techniques, methods, concepts, logic and methodologies for the performance of modern biohacking, it does not differ much from the initial action of these giants of science. Therefore, we can at least say that these are concrete models to the biohacking movement. The DIY and handmade technique is common in many segments, including for biology, to which many researchers and amateurs have made random discoveries and through logical methods of research.

The biohacking movement is the practice that fuses conceptual biology with the hacker movement. Although it is considered an amateur movement, the same, as in computing is on the way to professionalization, and even commercial uses and standardization of methods, such as a creation of a Hello World for biosciences and the biohacking movement, as a method for beginners. When one thinks that the biohacking movement is amateur, we must remember that the great computer hackers, for the most part, did not even have a university degree, and much of it came close to overthrowing large corporations with all their professionalism. The world changes and concepts must be rethought about what in fact is professionalization. In World War II, the elite force called the SS was considered an amateur grouping by allies, including historians specializing in tactics and war operations. When we observe the reason, we realize that they were right to consider them amateurs, not having rigid training, heavy weapons logistics, strategic tactics of mass annihilation as an army possesses. With this comparison we can realize that it is not equal to call the amateur biohacking movement, although in some cases it really is, compared to computer hackers, although they have been classified as amateurs, the damage and at the same time technological progress they brought is gigantic We may, in this case, consider that the biohacking movement is in this environment.

“We are at a time to understand more to fearless.” Marie Curie.

The reality is that the biohacking movement is having its spectrum of action and possibilities expanded. From Mendel with the peas, the discovery of the genes, the genetic sequencing, to date there has been much progress, but still incompatible with the needs, such complexity in biosciences. And the biohacking movement emerges as a third way, far beyond a world-wide brainstorm.

However, it is important to understand that at the beginning it is important to think of the alternative and low-cost tools for biohackers, and at the same time understand that this is not the focus of the biohacking movement. Pondering this detail carefully. Conform was exposed by Edsger Dijkstra: “computer science is no more about computers than astronomy is about telescopes”.

The movement of scientific progress, new tools and new means and methods of generating science and technology at lower costs is in progress. Who could even imagine someone doing genetic sequencing on the desk in their home, and even analytical software to study the results? This non-institutional movement, as a third way, equally as occurred in the progress brought by hackers in computing! The biohacking movement is an integral part of the concept of transhumanism. It is not the purpose of this article to list the possibilities of biohacking. We talk about new techniques, tools and access to high-level information in open mode, for more access. In short, more people and more brains are working and thinking in pursuit of the same and innovative goals and discoveries.

The popularization and new alternative methods for complex science is the strength of the biohacking movement. It will be through the dissemination of techniques, cost reduction of alternative equipment, materials and inputs, with methods of easy and moderate application. As include methods such as CRISPR, production of artificial bioreactors, a popularization of PCR, use of tools, such as centrifuges to separate components from blood or DNA material use of PDMS and works with tissues, cells, stem cells, serum and chemicals. Also, other diverse methods and techniques that the biohacking movement will grow.

Parallel to the biohacking movement, there are several advances and new concepts parallel to the biohacking movement. We can consider that high-definition, high-cost electronic and atomic microscopy already has the optical version, which resulted in a Nobel Prize. It will not be surprising that this equipment will soon have its cost and popularization spread throughout the land. What would Robert Koch be without the microscope?

A microscope or rather, a nanoscope capable of taking the micro/nanoworld to anyone’s access. By linking this power to computing, we will have widespread access through the earth of something that until then was restricted only to large laboratories. The biohacking movement is not amateurish! Be sure of this, things are getting messy and old concepts will soon be reviewed.

In addition to nanotechnology, and various other terms, the transhumanism refers to the forced evolution of the human body using science and technology, with biohacking techniques, nanotechnology for better handling, material control and organization of matter. By forced evolution, understand to make people see in the dark, feel the magnetism of the earth, sharpen their noses to incredible levels, etc. Some consider transhumanism as post-humanism, human bodies after biology, as an artificial being of high technological advancement. As you can see, progress is exponential, it is where we are now. As an example, there is a growing movement to generate the first global method version for biohacking. It is not so current so, the biohacking techniques and methods have already been successful There are two giants of science who started their work as real biohackers, being: Gregor Johann Mendel and Robert Koch.

Gregor Johann Mendel: His works and curiosity in a garden led him to inevitably use biohacking techniques in understanding botanical biological functioning. Many experts say that their work was critical to the progress of today’s genetics.

Robert Koch – Today is known as the largest bacteriologist ever to go around the world. The precursor of the in vitro studies by Mr Petri. He was a farmer and doctor with the limitations of the time, however, his apex was possible by his performances like a biohacker, realizing experiments in his property. About to become the first specialist in Anthrax spores. However, its name today belongs to the greats of science due to its persistence and professionalization in the field.

The purest science is based on observation, deduction, and analysis. The Austrian monk Gregor Johann Mendel, always observed the plants during his free time in the monastery, in the Order of St. Augustine, around 1844. It was his position the supervision of the gardens of the monastery in the Czech Republic. As a professor of natural sciences, specializing in studies of crosses of plant and animal species, his great achievement came from his analytical observations with the peas. Analysed the results mathematically. At present, he is considered the father of genetics, by his precise observations in changes of colour, variations, mechanism of the flowers, soon the mechanism of the heredity, that today we know like the genes. His masterpiece dealt with; hybrid plant trials and artificial fertilization. It was practically the forerunner of the treatise on the laws of heredity, now known as Mendel’s Laws, which govern the transmission of hereditary characteristics, hence genes.

What the greats of science have done in the past, in the brief actuality, is possible to accomplish in a much deeper way, at reduced costs, in the domain of the subject. It is on this path that the biohacking movement and other disciplines of advanced science and technology are walking.

Multi-factor authentication (MFA) makes it much harder for a hacker to get access to your online stuff, and the most common form of consumer MFA is two-factor authentication (2FA). A very common form of 2FA is the debit card. One factor is the card itself, which contains magnetic identifying info (these days, a chip), and a PIN that you provide when you stick the thing in an ATM machine. It’s simple and fairly good at keeping others out of your ATM-accessible cash. 2FA is important for your online accounts, such as email and your iCloud accounts.

While I admit it can be a bit of a pain to have to do something additional to get into your account, it’s far less of a pain than having one’s identity stolen, losing access to your email, or answering to your friends who wonder why you have said such crazy things about them (unless, of course, you actually said those crazy things!). Or, heaven forfend, someone logging in as you on one of your gaming accounts.

Here’s how 2FA or two-step authentication works for a couple of different online account types. (Note, these services change things up from time to time, so it’s good to keep abreast of such changes.)

Setting up Google 2-Step verification

First you log in with user name and password (we’ll get to choosing smart passwords in Part 3) to your Gmail account. There should be an avatar in a circle near the upper-left hand corner of the window. Maybe it’s even a photo of you. Click on it and you’ll see “My Account.” (Incidentally, this changes every couple of years) On the new window that opens up, click on “Sign-in & security.” Click on “2-Step Verification,” then on “Get Started.” Time to enter your username and password again. Enter a phone number and click on whether you want to receive a text or a phone call. Then you magically get a text or phone call with a 6-digit verification code. Type it in and select the option to turn on 2-step verification. It’s that easy. Okay, it’s several steps, but not that hard.

It may be that you prefer to collect your Gmail with some other app, like Outlook, rather than using a browser to go to the Gmail page for your mail. If so, it may be that once you’ve turned on two-step verification, your Outlook (or other app) keeps telling you that you have the wrong password, even though you know darn well it’s right. This has happened to me. You probably need to have Google give you a specific app password that Google will generate for you. You’ll need to go to the App passwords page, which at the time of this writing is here.

Select the app you want it for (if Outlook, then you would select “Mail”), then the device you are using (Google magically presents a list of the devices you use with their services). Then select “Generate.” It will show you a 16-digit number in a yellow bar for you to use as your new password for that app (Outlook, eg) on that device (don’t enter the spaces). You can save that password in your app and you may need that number again in the future.

Yahoo!

Yahoo! is similar: sign into your account, go to the account security page, click on “two-step verification,” and toggle the button there to turn it on. Select an option to get a text or a phone call for verification. Enter the code that comes to you via text or phone call. At this point, you can create an app password, similar to the Google process above for your various apps like Outlook or Apple (iOS) Mail.

iCloud

Now, let’s set up 2FA on your iCloud account. First, you have to have a passcode set on your iPhone or iPad.

Click on the Settings app. If your device uses iOS 10.3.3, click on your name (or the name of the account you use to sign on), then on “Passwords & Security.” Did I mention that this will change as Apple keeps us on our toes by changing everything up once we’ve gotten comfortable with the previous version? In the most recent previous version, you would have clicked on Settings, and then on iCloud, then your name, then Password & Security. But I digress…

Now tap “Turn on two-factor authentication.” Be prepared to answer some security questions – which we’ll be discussing in a future article – and then enter the phone number where you want to receive the code for 2FA, and as previously, select whether you want a phone call or a text.

Macintosh

For a Mac, open System Preferences, and select iCloud, and then “Account Details.” You might have to login using your Apple credentials. As above, answer your security questions if it asks, enter the phone number where you want to receive calls or texts for verification. Once again, a magical robot instantly sends you the code and you have to enter that into the field that awaits your answer.

Once it’s turned on, you’ll get a message asking for approval if an unknown device or location signs onto your account. Note that on a Mac, that notification can sometimes be on a window that is hidden behind another, so look for that if you find you’re having troubles with getting the approval request.

Speaking of troubles, it seems like a lot of work to have two-factor authentication, but once it’s set up, it’s not too much of a pain and will add considerable safety to your accounts, as well as considerable barriers to potential hackers. So do it!

Next time, we’ll discuss passwords, passcodes, and why you shouldn’t fill out those fun questionnaires that all of your friends send you.

Next, in part three: Choosing smart passwords and secret questions (aka, giving away the form).

The most important thing when choosing a computer security product is its effectiveness in protecting your PC from ransomware, viruses, Trojan, and other forms of malware. Not only is cyber protection important, but privacy is as well. The best PC security software will offer a good combination of both, as well as the security you need to perform tasks such as online banking and shopping.

If you have children, parental controls are an important consideration as well. You need tools to block websites and inappropriate content from your children. You can prohibit them from seeing potentially harmful phrases that cyberbullies and predators might use as well, such as “don’t tell” and “home alone”.

These days, hackers are becoming better at hacking into webcams and spying on people without the victims even being aware of it. If your PC is not properly secured, this could potentially happen to you. For this reason, webcam protection is a must-have feature in a security suite. Don’t allow hackers from viewing you or your family online. You don’t want any apps with spyware accessing your webcam either.

Another essential function of the best PC security software is the ability to protect without affecting performance. While having a lot of protection and privacy tools and processes is nice, what’s the point in having such software if it’s going to make your PC slow or even unusable? Look over the system requirements to make sure your computer is compatible. The more popular security solutions tend to require Windows 7, 8, 8.1, or 10, or Mac OS X.

What to Expect from the Best PC Security Suite?

In addition to low impact on system resources, you should also look for a program that has a high detection rate for viruses and malware as well as an easy to use interface. Good software should feature navigation that is easy for any PC user to figure out and understand. In the event that there is ever any problem, there must be reliable customer support.

The best PC security software programs usually offer web privacy tools, such as a VPN. When using a Virtual Privacy Network, a secure tunnel for your data is created. There is nothing you do online that could be traced or readable by others, including your ISP and advertising companies. Even if you don’t think you’ll need a VPN at home, you’ll definitely need one for your laptop when you leave your house and connect to any public Wi-Fi spot.

So many things can go wrong if your computer gets infected with a virus or ransomware. Think of how much money you could lose if you lack adequate protection. Luckily, the best PC security software can help prevent such problems from occurring – and you don’t even have to spend much money on it thanks to Kaspersky Lab promo codes.