--- title: The CyberAdvisor Letter --- About survival and success in the digital age. | View in browser February Letter Please don't do this. Hi there,  I’m pretty sure one of the best things we did last year was to add Computer Coaching services. It’s been wildly popular and presents a lot of value.    Clients want to use and control their personal technology with confidence. And in some cases, the traditional IT support and service approach isn't enough anymore.   A personal approach with a talented coach can transform your relationship with technology. In a short period, command and confidence increase, and most importantly, critical thinking skills are enhanced - for life!   ✓ Contact us for more about the Computer Coaching service.   Our activity in January compels me to tell you ... Please don't do this   Please, never let someone "remote in" to your computer. In January, we had a handful of cases where otherwise intelligent and informed people let a stranger remote in and take control of their computer.   The remote-in scams we've seen include "technicians" purportedly from: Microsoft - most often. Apple - often. Dell - increasing. PayPal - first time in January. Chase Bank - all the time. Obviously, remoting in with a trusted party is fine. We do it with clients all the time. But we have a relationship, and the client knows who they're dealing with.   ✓ If someone contacts you to remote in, either ignore it entirely or contact us before doing anything else. Take screenshots where you can and send them to us at support@  Is it time to upgrade your Wi-FI router?   If your Wi-Fi router in the home or office is older than about 3 or 4 years, it's likely time for an upgrade. The good news is that W-Fi technology has come a long way over the last several years. But some really cheap routers are still being sold out there, and the inherent security gaps in their design are not acceptable.   Here are the facts: We know home and office networks pretty well and have a ton of experience with what works and what doesn't work in any given case.   ✓ If you have questions or need advice about your internet and Wi-Fi network, contact us, and we'll be happy to help. On scam texts   It's called "smishing," those irritating SMS texts you know aren't authentic, and you wonder why you're getting them in the first place. "It's not your phone that's the problem, it's your phone number.   If you’re being smished, it’s probably because your phone number has been sold to telemarketers by data providers."   Wirecutter The real problems with smishing are yet to come. The exploits will increase in sophistication and include elements of email and voice calls that can fool anyone that's not on their toes.   ✓ To find some steps to reduce smishing, find the news tile below "How to stop spam texts." Thanks for reading, Brad Deflin   Click for browser view   Take the ShieldTest Looking for a cybersecurity webinar or speaker for your group? Reply to this email or click below: Contact       Computer Coaching Services by TDS   Our approach is about learning life-long skills for increased satisfaction, privacy, and security with personal technology. Clean and optimize your computer or set up a new one. Learn to use a password manager and backup files. Set up your browsers for convenience and privacy. Contact us for more.       IRS Counts Down the Top 10 Financial Crime Cases of 2021   "Offenses include tax evasion, Ponzi schemes, COVID fraud, cyber crimes, and more"   Wealth Management        How to Stop Scam Texts   "If you’re being smished, it’s probably because your phone number has been sold to telemarketers by data providers."   Wirecutter       IRS Will Soon Require Selfies for Online Access   "If you created an online account to manage your tax records with the IRS, those login credentials will cease to work later this year. The agency says that by the summer of 2022, the only way to log in to irs.gov will be through ID.me"   Krebs - Jan. 19th       Scary Fraud Ensues When ID Theft & Usury Collide   "What’s worse than finding out that identity thieves took out a 546 percent interest payday loan in your name? How about a 900 percent interest loan? Or how about not learning of the fraudulent loan until it gets handed off to collection agents?"   Krebs - Jan. 22nd       Treasury Weighing Alternatives to ID.me Over Privacy Concerns   "The Treasury Department is reconsidering the Internal Revenue Service’s reliance on facial recognition software ID.me for access to its website, an official said Friday amid scrutiny of the company’s collection of images of tens of millions of Americans’ faces."   Bloomberg - Jan. 28th       Scammers stole $770 million through social media in 2021, says FTC   "The top line stat from the FTC is that more than 95,000 people reported about $770 million in losses to fraud initiated on social media platforms in 2021.   This apparently represents 25% of all reported losses to fraud for that year and an eighteenfold increase over 2017."   ✓ Crazy stat: nearly 9 out of 10 named Facebook or Instagram as the source of the scam.   telecoms.com Jan. 28th       Don't let your Roku, Apple TV or other streamer track you. Change these privacy settings   " ... their software platforms are often following what you're doing from behind the scenes."   CNET       Remove all your personal info from the internet: 6 steps to disappear for good   "It's not easy to disappear from the web, but we'll show you how to get started."   CNET       Staying Safe Online A concise guide. Checklists and best practices. Think you've been hacked? Smarter passwords. Use a VPN every day. Click to download.       For previous CyberAdvisor Letters: To view Blog posts: Total Digital Security, 7777 Glades Rd, Suite 100, Boca Raton, Florida 33434, United States, 877-643-6391 Unsubscribe Manage preferences | | --- |