Tuesday, June 13, 2017

Protect Your Online Accounts with Two Factor Authentication

Gaining access to our online accounts with just a few clicks brings both benefits and drawbacks.

Two Factor Authentication
Sure, you can log into your Google, Facebook or Yahoo accounts from wherever you are. 

But so can someone else.

That's why always using secure passwords is a must.

But what else can you do to protect your accounts from nefarious hackers and data breaches?

Two Factor Authentication is the answer.

What?

Two Factor authentication provides an additional layer of protection when you log into your online accounts.

When you login with two factor authentication, you'll receive a special code sent by text to your mobile phone that also must be entered to provide access to your account.

That prevents someone who doesn't know both your password AND this special one-time code from gaining access to your account.

Many of your most popular sites such as Google, Facebook, YAHOO, Twitter and LinkedIn all provide this valuable security feature.

Here's how to enable two factor authentication for Google, Facebook and YAHOO:

Google
  • Click HERE to start the Google 2-Step Verification set-up process for your Google account.
Facebook
To start the two factor authentication for your Facebook account:
  • Go to your Security and Login Settings by clicking  in the top-right corner of Facebook and clicking Settings > Security and Login.
  • Scroll down to Use two-factor authentication and click Edit
  • Choose the authentication method you want to add and follow the on-screen instructions
  • Click Enable once you've selected and turned on an authentication method


YAHOO

To enable two factor authentication for your YAHOO account:
  • Sign in to your Yahoo Account info page.
  • Click Account Security.
  • Next to Two-step verification, click the On/Off icon click the on-Off icon in the two-step verification process. .
  • Enter your mobile number.
  • Click Send SMS to receive a text message with a code or Call me to receive a phone call.
  • Enter the verification code | click Verify.
  • The next window refers to the use of apps like iOS Mail or Outlook. Click Create app password to reconnect your apps. See the section below for more info.
  • Want to turn it off? Simply click the On/Off icon Use the on-off button. under Two-step verification.
  • Using two-step verification with apps
  • Some apps (like iOS Mail, Android Mail, Outlook, and Yahoo messenger for PC) require a specific password to connect that app with Yahoo. If you enable two-step verification, you'll need to create a third-party app password to use in apps like these.



#twofactor #authentication #Google #YAHOO #facebook #twitter #LinkedIn #security #password #hacker 

Saturday, June 10, 2017

Trust with Verified Profiles and Pages on Facebook

facebook
With so much "fake news" on the internet, it can be hard to trust things you read on social media.

No where is this more true than on Facebook.

Scammers love to post fraudulent content that appears to be from reliable sources.  By slightly altering a person's or company's name, phony accounts and pages trick users into sharing personal information and clicking on spammy posts.  And your friends may share and share and share so much that it appears to be from a legitimate source.

So how can you be sure you are really seeing content from whom you think its from?

Facebook verifies certain public figures, media outlets, brands, businesses and organizations.

You can trust these legitimate profiles and pages on Facebook since they have been verified to let people know that they are authentic.

Facebook uses two icons to show this verification:

facebook authentic blue badgeThe blue badge on a Facebook page or profile means that Facebook has confirmed that this is an authentic page or profile for a public figure, media company or brand.

facebook authentic gray badge
The gray badge on a Facebook page means that Facebook has confirmed that this is an authentic page for a business or organization using public records information.

Not all public features, celebrities and brands have Facebook blue badges. And fortunately, the blue badge can not be bought.

Businesses and organizations that want a gray verified badge can submit a request that is verified with public information by Facebook.  If you own want your organization to be verified, read more information from Facebook here.

Twitter also offers a similar feature.  We'll cover that in a future post.

READ MORE

OneCoolTip.com
Cool Tech Tips for a Cooler Life!

#Facebook  #technology #verified #tech

Sunday, June 4, 2017

Amazon's Alexa Now Features Named Multiple Timers

Amazon Echo
Beep! Beep! Beep! What was the timer for?

That's no longer a problem for Amazon's Alexa  on Echo speakers..

Alexa now allows you to name your timers.

For example, you can create a timer named "laundry" and another one named "pizza".

Just use your device's wake word (Alexa, Computer or Echo) and then "Create a 30 minute timer called Laundry".

When the timer goes off, it will also tell you the timer's name.

You can also create named reminders for a specific date and time.

Alexa is our favorite personal assistant.

And with her growing set of skills, Google, Microsoft and Apple need to up their game to match Amazon's lead.

READ MORE

OneCoolTip.com
Cool Tech Tips for a Cooler Life!

#Amazon #Echo #Alexa #timer #timers #reminder #reminders

Apple News Link: https://apple.news/A2waRtXO5SYSai-VXjCgAwQ