We tend to visit a lot of websites throughout the week. However, it's important to keep an eye on what kind of websites you visit or even links you click on: you can compromise your computer when visiting unprotected websites or click on malicious links. Here are some tips you can follow to more securely browse online:
Julian is TWIT's resident accessibility expert, and he's calling in because he heard Leo talk about accessibility with a previous caller. Some have had difficulties using the web for booking their vaccines. Julian says that VaccinateLA offers a phone booking at 833-540-0473. They'll ask several questions, but pressing 1-1-1-1 will get you to a phone operator who can search for you. It is a lot easier.
Dwayne is concerned that he won't know if a website he visits is safe. What if it's been compromised by a hacker? How would you know until it's too late? Leo says that most of us aren't really the target of a hack unless it's a mass attack. And those are a lot easier to defend against. Website attacks are a very common attack, where a hacker will forge the look of a website in an attempt to get you to log into it and steal your login credentials. This happens with bogus bank links. So it's important to be very careful on the links you click on.
Walter has an old Dell i7 laptop that he loaned to a friend. But lately, the Firefox browser won't load a page until you move a mouse and the page pops up. What is that all about? Leo says it sounds like a bug in Firefox that is waiting for an input. It's called a "signal event loop." It may be a failed install of Windows 10 is likely the culprit. So back up the data, wipe the drive, and reinstall Windows 10. That should solve the issue.
Rusty is building a website and wants to know how he can get a good bright orange color for it. Leo says that there's a new standard that supports colors that are "web-safe." But there are over 4 billion shades of colors. But a shade of orange that is too bright is out of the question, even though any display can handle it. So talk to the web developer about what they're using. If he's got a websafe mindset, maybe he isn't the developer needed.
You can also go to this site and get the proper color code.
Jeff's company missed the domain renewal date and then lost the domain. It keeps getting bought up automatically by holding companies. Rich says that cybersquatting is a real thing, and sadly, there's not much that can be done if the domain expires. The only thing one can do is keep an eye on it and hope they forget.
Jeff hates airpods. Leo agrees. They're awful. Very uncomfortable and way too easy to lose. Jeff also gets frustrated that his iPhone always seems to slip into silent mode. Leo says that's why he has a plastic case that has a lip on it, so the switch won't accidentally slip into it. Jeff is also perplexed that he can download a 30-minute chunk of air traffic control animation from WebTrack, but when he downloads another, he loses the first one. How is that happening?
Jim uses Norton Secure VPN, and sometimes his internet website will say "we can't find your server." So he'll turn it off and it works. Leo says that sometimes internet security can get in the way and prevent connecting. The hotel he's connecting to may be blocking VPNs at the server level. But if they're using https, and Google is pushing most sites to do so, then he'll be OK. Just look for a small lock next to the URL. That means the traffic is encrypted.
Ed is worried that his passwords can be read when he logs into a website. Leo says that's largely why Google is now requiring all websites to be updated with encryption via https. What about apps that use TouchID? Leo says that they are likely supporting encryption too. Leo says that with https everywhere, we are far safer than ever.
Michele is about to launch a startup, and she has a website for it, but she found out that her website has been copied from another company. What can she do? Leo says that unfortunately, that kind of stealing can't really be prevented. She does have intellectual property copyright and it would help to have that expression on the website to spell it out. But the bottom line is it is difficult to prevent. She could write a cease and desist, but it's kinda like "wack a mole." Shut one down, and another pops up. If they're a well-known company, she can shame them or threaten to sue.
