I got hacked — part 2
The last blog (click here) detailed how I got hacked (stupid me) and some of the steps I took to protect myself. Today I took some more steps:
+ I moved most of the money out of my main checking account into a savings account. The main account was accessed by ACH transfers and was therefore vulnerable. ACH transfers out of my bank account — like auto-pay — are very vulnerable. I’m beginning to think all auto-pay should go on credit cards.
+ I set up every alert that my bank, JPMorgan Chase, let me set up. I now get emails when money arrives and leaves my bank accounts.
+ I’m now putting extra virus protection on my laptops. Windows 10 (and 11) actually comes with virus protection called Windows Defender. Many in the PC world think it’s enough. It’s absolutely not. That’s my reasoned conclusion. Windows Defender should have stopped me being stupid. It didn’t. That’s a major flaw. A major flaw.
I’ll probably go with McAfee or Bitdefender. That’s for tomorrow.
The best decision I made was to assume that my laptop was infected (it was) and to remove it from the Internet. I’ll now reformat it and bring it back to where it was when it left the factory.
Don’t do stupid
+ If you don’t wear a mask on planes, you’re stupid.
+ If you don’t hold the banister going down stairs, you’re stupid.
+ If you don’t look both ways twice at a Stop sign…
+ If you don’t say NO to desert, you’re going to get fat, like everyone else.
+ If you don’t get your second booster, you’ll get sick.
Every day — and I mean every day — I hear of friends coming down with covid. All are vaccinated. All won’t be sick enough to go to the hospital. But all will have nasty , long-lasting symptoms, including high temperature, coughing and spluttering, aches and pains and low energy. None wish what they have on you and me.
So far, Susan and I have avoided it. Wearing masks, being careful and luck have helped.
Technology tweaks
+ I’m replacing as many old Ethernet cables as I can with new cat 8 cables from Amazon. The cat 8 are thicker, more substantial. They’re making an amazing difference in speed — manyfold.
Here’s a photo of the short ,old Ethernet cables I have replaced with new three foot Cat 8 cables. My speed increase has been three to four times. It’s amazing.
+ When your printer doesn’t print something off a web page, print the file to a PDF. Then use your PDF reader (I prefer PDF-XChange Editor) to print the PDF. Your web printing problem is not yours, it’s the web site that’s got the code wrong. PDFs are easy to print.
+ Frankly, I can’t see a single feature about Windows 11 that entices. I bought a new laptop because it was faster and had a touchscreen. It came with Windows 11. I had no choice. So far, only one of my favorite Windows 10 softwares doesn’t work on the new machine. But it was a great piece of software.
There are changes in Windows 11 that seem “bloody-minded” — done because they could –with no logic or benefit. A small example: you can’t drop the sounds icon from the taskbar, no matter how hard you fiddle. Before, you could cut the tashbar’s size by a simple command in “Settings.”
The worst? There’s no instruction manual for Windows 11. None. Niente. Nothing. The utter arrogance of Microsoft to leave millions of users stranded in Never-Never Land is beyond imagination. After all, Windows is not a lightbulb switch, which you turn on or off. It’s many thousands and thousands of choices. I wish there were more improvements to each version of Windows. But the few that are are often of dubious “benefit.” My “favorite” change in Windows 11 are rounded corners on windows boxes. The professional computer reviewers have gone crazy over the rounded corners. I suspect they lacked much else to write about.
My advice: delay your “upgrade” as long as possible. Better yet, move to Apple.. Their business software is actually much more user friendly.
Like all tech stocks, Microsoft’s has gone down recently — about 16% since November. If tech stocks ever come back in favor (please, God) it should do much better because of its cloud business, called Azure. I’m holding my MSFT stock.
+ Mesh routers work better in your house for your kids and your spouse. Fewer complaints. Remember, if you switch your old router for a new, faster mesh one, you’ll have to change a lot of wi-fi gadgetry around the house, including Alexas and Honeywells.
+ Roku’s older machines don’t work on many of the newer streamers, like HBOMax. Splurge and get the latest Roku. But you can also not use Roku or Apple TV and plug your laptop’s HDMI cable directly into your TV.
+ wwww.EyeBuyDirect.com is the best (and cheapest) place to buy prescription glasses and sunglasses.
+ YouTubeTV is getting better by the day. In abject contrast, DirecTV hasn’t changed in 500 years. Not only does it drop its signal when there’s a tinge of a cloud in the sky, but it takes the idiot DirectTV box ten minutes to reboot itself — which means I miss the best parts. DirecTV is constrained by its fixed satellite antenna. In contrast you can watch YouTubeTV wherever you are and wherever you have an Internet connection, including an Airbnb in Breckenridge, Colorado.
The greatest animal and nature documentary EVER
It’s on Netflix. Watch it with your kids and grandkids!
Today was nice. It bounced today (Tuesday) more than it fell on Monday. I don’t know why. But I’ll take it. Here’s the last two days.
I’m glad we dumped Netflix a while back. (It fell 21% today). I had one reason for dumping it — too much competition in streaming. It was the same reason I recommended against Disney. Netflix is down about 50% from its high in November. Disney is down about 35% from its high. Saying NO has its rewards. Or as Todd says, “When in doubt, stay out.”
Life is wonderful. — See you tomorrow, or so. — Harry Newton
