Futurelawyer

Malwarebytes - It's Not Just For Computers Anymore.

Malwarebytes For Android. If you read this blog regularly, you know that I am concerned with digital security. I care about you. If you get hacked, I feel your pain. So, why aren't you following my advice? Your least secure device is the one you carry around with you. It is small, so it can be stolen. You keep it secure with pattern or digital PIN number security schemes. But, it has the same data on it, and the same cloud access, as your notebook computer. The more powerful your phone becomes, and they are like small computers these days, the riskier they are. So, protect yourself from viruses, ransomware, and other risks with Malwarebytes. Less than $50 a year per device. Be careful out there.

Do You Know Where Your Data Is?

Acronis True Image Is Where My Data Is. I am always preaching about data back up, because the digital space is invisible to us, and we keep our lives there. My question isn't completely rhetorical. I really do want to know where my essential data is, all the time, every time. Storage is key. I keep much of my data safe by storing it on Micro SDs, USB drives, and in the cloud. The more places it is stored, the better the likelihood I can find it in a catastrophe. One method I have used is to create a digital image of my drives on a regular basis. While I have recently been using the Windows based imaging app, it was failing on a regular basis, and I didn't trust it anymore. So, I spent $49.99 on an old faithful, Acronis True Image, now named Acronis Cyber Protect Home Office. I don't need the Anti Virus and Cyber Protection functions, since I have Malwarebytes for that; but, the imaging and other security tools are second to none. It keeps as running image of my drive on a 2 Terabyte USB external drive, and a backup image on my portable 2 Terabyte drive that I carry around. It works in the background, and, since I have it scheduled every night at 2 in the morning, I never have to follow it around. It never ceases to amaze me that otherwise intelligent people, who install security systems on their homes and offices, and fancy locks on their doors, don't do rudimentary things to protect their lifeblood data. No more preaching. I will just lead by example. If you don't follow, that is on you.

 

Give Me An Army Of These Robotic Dogs And I Will Win Wars.

It is unfortunate that it is sometimes necessary to wage war to protect our freedom. But, the world is what it is. So, I welcome our future weaponized robot dogs; but, I hope they are controlled by responsible adults. Do you feel lucky, punk?

 

 

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Why Isn't Everyone Using Signal?

Signal. I don't understand. Politicians, celebrities, and others in the public eye keep getting cancelled. Of course, cancelling someone for what they said years ago is reprehensible, and free speech is under attack; but, the fact remains that those who depend upon public approval need to be careful these days. So, why they aren't using Signal for every text message, and only sending texts to their clients and colleagues who are also using Signal, is beyond me. I suppose that the craving for fame is in all of us; but, be smart, people. Lawyers especially need to be careful, at least with confidential information. I am as guilty as the rest of you, and don't always insist that my text partners have, and use, Signal. But, I use it as my only text messaging app, and, if I were to need a specific conversation to be encrypted everywhere, I would insist the other person use it. It is important that we monitor our words carefully in the political environment in which we find ourselves.

Where Do You Keep Your Most Important Information?

Google Keep Cheat Sheet. We live in a time when the amount of critical information that we want to keep and save for easy access is exponentially growing. Computers and the Internet make it possible for the world of information to be available to us. Like War and Peace, however, we will not get to read it all in our lifetimes. Life happens. We get sidetracked. So, cherry picking the most important stuff, and keeping it handy, becomes even more important. As lawyers, we have two layers of important information, personal and professional. Google Keep is free, easy to use, as secure as your Windows installation, and has many features you wouldn't expect to find in a free application. It is worth trying out, and you will find yourself hooked after the first use. It is as secure as you can get these days, because it exists in the Googleverse, which means you can protect it with a password, and two factor authentication. I don't write about it enough; but, it is an ever present part of my computing day.

How To Tell That Civilizations Is Declining.

Civilization might be in decline, when we are less concerned about our physical bodies, and more concerned about our Internet presence. Some of us won't share our passwords with anyone, including our spouses.

Malwarebytes - One Back To School Sale Not To Be Missed.

Back To School Cyberprotection. Protection of kids going back to school from the Pandemic is on the minds of all Americans this month. However, protection against viruses isn't only biological. The computers on which our society rely are subject to attack from real evildoers, and viruses, ransomware attacks, and other assaults on our privacy. IMHO, the best of the best protection comes from putting Malwarebytes between your computer and the Internet. I never connect to the Internet without my computer having a copy of Malwarebytes installed and running. It is the best $40 I spend on my computer each year. I also install it on Diane's computer, and it greatly reduces the time I have to spend fixing problems. There are many other strategies available for computer safety, including, but not limited to, using VPNs (virtual private networks) and two factor authentication when visiting websites; but, the first, and foremost protection you can give your system, is a competent anti-virus, anti-malware, anti-ransomware, and anti-web intrusion software application. Malwarebytes is on sale for $23.99 for the first year now, and, if you want the best, I recommend it highly. They don't pay me to say that. Be careful out there.

Don't Want To Be A Ransomware Victim? Don't Look Like One.

This Is The Perfect Ransomware Target. This article talks about some of the ways than ransomware criminals pick their targets. As a first line of defense, try not to look like a target. Just as burglars look for easy places to get into, and criminals try to spot victims who flash cash, or aren't alert to their surroundings, you can make yourself a small target. Be safe out there.

Ms. Lawyer - What Have You Done To Protect Your Data? Darth Vader Is Out There.

I am still amazed at the number of lawyers who fail to adopt current technology in their practices. Whether it is the refusal to use scanners, online filing and signing of documents, or security protocols for data that are free and available, lawyers who delegate such tasks to other persons in the firm are taking a big risk. It is pretty clear that failure to learn and to use the tech tools available can become a malpractice risk; and, even tech savvy users can face the risk if we don't keep up with the advances and new methods available. My biggest peeves are lawyers who don't use two factor authentication at sites for which they enter confidential client data, and the failure to use the freely available research tools online. How are you using tech? Do you know where your clients' data is? Are you backing up your data regularly? Are you using online legal research properly? Do you use document processing tools efficiently? Do you sign efiled documents digitally? Are you using social media to reach clients and colleagues? Are you following your area of specialization online at expert blogs? Are you using a SmartPhone to keep up with emails, texts, and other practice specific data while away from your office?

TMobile Breach - Do This Now.

47 Million Hit By TMobile Data Breach. I love TMobile. But, millions of us now have our names, social security numbers, and other personal information out in the world. The good news is that there are things you can do to minimize the damage of a large data breach that affects your personal information. The first thing to do is to set up two factor authentication on TMobile and any other site that you can. The second, if you are a TMobile customer is to change your personal PIN. Data breaches are everywhere. The best thing you can do is to put up more locks on the door to your data. If you don't do it, you have only yourself (and the scammers) to blame.