Wheat State's February 2020 Newsletter

January 28 is Data Privacy Day Given the frequency and magnitude of identity theft, it’s vitally important to do what you can to protect your personal information. January 28 is designated as Data Privacy Day, which serves as an excellent reminder to stay vigilant. The National Cyber Security Alliance offers these tips to help manage your privacy: • Secure your devices : Use strong passwords, passcodes, or touch ID features to lock your devices. These security measures can help protect your information if your devices are lost or stolen and keep prying eyes out. • Think before you app :  Information about you—such as the games you like to play, your contacts list, where you shop, and your location —has value, just like money. Be thoughtful about who gets that information and how it’s collected through apps. • Stay up to date: Make sure your security software, web browser, and operating system are updated regularly, which is the best defense against viruses, malware, and other online threats. Learn more at staysafeonline.org . Click on “STAY SAFE ONLINE” and get tips on Online Safety Basics, Managing Your Privacy, and more. As you make New Year’s resolutions related to your finances, health, and personal growth, don’t forget to include your computer on that list. Sticking to the resolutions below can reduce the number of computer problems you experience. Do backups often. Hopefully you’re already doing this. If not, resolve to start now. You can keep this second set of your files on an external hard drive or an online storage service. Restart your computer weekly. RAM (Random Access Memory) is your computer’s main type of memory, and it’s con- stantly in flux. When you restart your computer, you flush out the random, unimportant, and temporary data bogging it down. This can allow your computer to run a lot faster. Stop eating and drinking near your computer. Granted, this can be a difficult habit to break. But it’s worth the effort. You don’t want to damage your computer by spilling a cup of coffee or dropping crumbs between the keys. Clean the screen and keyboard regularly. Dust, hair, and other debris can adversely affect your computer’s performance. Dust large areas with a microfiber cloth and use a small clean paintbrush to dust keys and small crevices. Canned air also works well to dislodge dust and other small debris that can be difficult to remove. Keep your passwords strong and varied. Make sure yours are as long as possible; contain a mix of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols; and have no personal information or dictionary words. It’s also important to use a unique password for each account. If this seems like too much work, get a password manager. Close programs you’re not currently using. The problem with running too many programs simultaneously is that your computer may slow down or even freeze. Need help with computer maintenance? Wheat State Technologies offers services including virus/spyware removal, software installation, and repair. Ask for Tech Home Support for $12.99/month or visit www.wheatstate.com for details. Wheat State Technologies • 1/800 442-6835 • www.wheatstate.com Your Computer Wants You to Keep These New Year’s Resolutions