Tips & Advice

Authored by Dennis Pang  Online protection software. Antivirus. The two words get used interchangeably often enough. But sure enough, they’re different. And yet directly related when you take a closer look.  The term “antivirus” has been with us for decades now, dating back to the first software that was designed to prevent computers from getting

It’s common practice to pull down the window shades at night. Homeowners invest in high fences. You may even cover the PIN pad when you type in your secret four-digit code at ATMs. Privacy is key to going about your daily life comfortably in your surroundings. Why shouldn’t privacy also extend to your digital surroundings?  

Written by James Schmidt  Editor’s Note: We often speak of online scams in our blogs, ones that cost victims hundreds if not thousands of dollars. This account puts a face on one of those scams—along with the personal, financial, and emotional pain that they can leave in their wake. This is the story of “Meredith,”

Are you an online oversharer? Do you give your full birthday to all your online shopping accounts? Have a few companies you have accounts with been breached but you didn’t take any action at the time? If you have bad digital habits, now is an excellent time to reset your digital presence.  In isolation, these

As technology weaves itself into our lives in new and unexpected ways, some of it will get quite personal and close to home. That made itself clear at CES this year, which makes a strong case for your security.  The more things we connect, the more data we create. Data about ourselves that companies and

It’s been a particularly busy and colourful week, scam-wise in our household. Between 4 family members, we’ve received almost 20 texts or emails that we’ve identified as scams. And the range was vast: from poorly written emails offering ‘must have’ shopping deals to terse text messages reprimanding us for overdue tolls plus the classic ‘Dear

Authored by Vonny Gamot  The official 40th birthday of the internet serves as a timely reminder that while it is a fantastic place, we must practice good digital hygiene to safeguard our privacy and identity so we can protect ourselves from the latest threats.   Since its widely recognized creation on January 1st 1983, the internet

It has a way of sneaking up on you. Credit theft and fraud.   Maybe it’s happened to you. Maybe it’s happened to a friend or family member. There’s a call from the bank, a notification in your financial app, or a charge on the statement that’s beyond explanation. Someone else has tapped into your funds.

Pledging to follow healthier habits is consistently the most popular new year’s resolution. That January 1st promise looks different to everyone: snacking less often, going to the gym more often, drinking more water, drinking less soda, etc. This year, instead of a juice cleanse subscription, opt for a healthier habit that’s not an unappetizing shade

Happy Download Day! (Yes, there’s a day for that.) Today is an excellent day to share downloading best practices to keep all your devices safe from malicious content. It’s tempting to download “free” shows, movies, and video games, but the consequences of doing so can be quite expensive. All it takes is for one malicious

There are no ifs, ands, or buts about it: A stolen identity creates a mess. Once they have a few key pieces of personally identifiable information (PII), an identity thief can open new credit lines, create convincing new identities, and ruin an innocent person’s good credit.  If you suspect you’ve been affected by identity theft,

‘It’s the most wonderful time of year’ – we’ve all heard the jingles and read the slogans. But the holiday season can also be a little overwhelming when you’re the one ‘in charge’. Whether it’s prepping for the inevitable influx of new devices, buying the gifts or booking the holiday – there are a lot

The number of new viruses grows every day. In fact, McAfee registers an average of 1.1 million new malicious programs and potentially unwanted apps (PUA) each day, which contributes to the millions and millions already in existence. While there is no way to know when or how cyberattacks will occur, it’s clear that antivirus software

For many Aussies, identity theft was always something that happened to other people. People on TV, usually. But the recent spate of data breaches at Optus, Medibank and Energy Australia has made many of us pay far more attention than ever to one of the fastest growing crimes in our country.   According to the Department

The smarts behind a smart home come from you. At least when it comes to keeping it more private and secure.  Without question, smart home devices have truly stormed the marketplace. We’ve gone from a handful of relatively straightforward things like connected lights, outlets, and cameras to a wide range of fully connected household appliances

Your phone is likely a daily companion, giving you access to work emails, chats with friends, weather reports, and more — all in the palm of your hand. You can also use your phone for browsing online, looking up everything from your favorite recipes to your most-read media webpages.  While being able to browse whenever

Our How I Got Here series spotlights the stories of McAfee team members who have successfully grown their careers. Read more about Brenda’s McAfee’s journey, what a day in the McAfee sales team is like, and what her superpower is.​​​​​​​ Embracing opportunities When I started my professional career, I was in technology but one of the few women

Payment applications make splitting restaurant bills, taxi fares, and household expenses so much easier. Without having to tally totals at the table or fumble with crumpled bills, you and your companions can spend less stress and more time on the fun at hand.  There are various payment apps available, and the company that may first

Happy National App Day! No, we don’t mean apps of the mozzarella stick and potato skin variety, but your mobile apps that let you order dinner, hail a taxi, stay connected to your friends, and entertain you for hours with silly videos. While they’re undoubtedly useful, mobile apps are also a weak spot in some

As 2022 draws to a close, the Threat Research Team at McAfee Labs takes a look forward—offering their predictions for 2023 and how its threat landscape may take shape.   This year saw the continued evolution of scams, which is unlikely to slow down, as well as greater adoption of Chrome as an operating system. It

Without doubt, the biggest criticism we all have of social media is that everyone always looks fabulous! And while we all know that everyone is only sharing the best version of themselves, let’s be honest – it can be a little wearing. Well, there’s a new social media platform that is determined to uproot our

You flick through some reels and an ad for “a more private phone” crops up. You scroll through your news feed and catch wind of yet another data breach at a major retailer. You see a post from a friend who says their social media account was hacked. Maybe you don’t think about security every

This time of year, the air not only gets chillier but a bit cheerier for everyone … including online scammers. Holiday scams are a quick way to make a buck, and cybercriminals employ several holiday-themed schemes to weasel money and personally identifiable information (PII) from gift givers.  Here are three common holiday scams to watch

Whether you’re standing around the water cooler at work, waiting for your kids at the school gate or sitting around the dinner table, data breaches are without doubt the hot topic of conversation. In late September, we were all shaken when news of the biggest Australian data breach to date broke – a record 10

Even with the holidays in full swing, scammers won’t let up. In fact, it’s high time for some of their nastiest cons as people travel, donate to charities, and simply try to enjoy their time with friends and family.  Unfortunate as it is, scammers see this time of year as a tremendous opportunity to profit.

Do yourself a favor: Open a new browser tab and head to your search engine of choice. Type in your full name and home address. Then, see what pops up.  Are the results sparking an ember of unease in the back of your brain? Whether you’re a private person online or you’re comfortable sharing your

Authored by Dennis Pang What is antivirus? That’s a good question. What does it really protect? That’s an even better question.  Over the years, I’ve come to recognize that different people define antivirus differently. Some see it as way to keep hackers from crashing their computers. Others see it as a comprehensive set of protections.

What color jersey will you be sporting this November and December? The World Cup is on its way to television screens around the world, and scores of fans are dreaming of cheering on their team at stadiums throughout Qatar. Meanwhile, cybercriminals are dreaming of stealing the personally identifiable information (PII) of fans seeking last-minute vacation

The joy of purchasing a new device is liberating. Now you can work, learn, and play faster — along with enjoying ample storage space. So, the last thing you’d expect is your apparently safe device being exposed to vulnerabilities, or “bloat.”   Exposure to unwanted software can derail its performance and hog its storage within a

Hackers have posted another batch of stolen health records on the dark web—following a breach that could potentially affect nearly 8 million Australian Medibank customers, along with nearly 2 million more international customers.  The records were stolen in October’s reported breach at Medibank, one of Australia’s largest private health insurance providers. Given Australia’s population of