Gone Phishing

JustGetMyData.com is a site where you can easily find out how to get a copy of your data from many of the more popular websites. The site uses a stoplight coloring system to give you a quick idea of how easy it is to get data from each site, with directions on how to proceed. Their related site, JustDeleteMe.xyz, will help you get taken off many of those sites, but remember get a copy of your data before leaving.

Phishing is the act of sending an email that falsely claims to be from a legitimate organization. These emails are crafted to pull on your heartstrings, stoke your curiosity or scare you in order to get you to reply and reveal confidential information. (For example: “Your account has been hacked. Click the link below to reset your password.”) To see how these emails are created—which can help you avoid falling prey to them—check out a video tutorial from Sophos. (Go to fairviewtowncrier.com/links to find the link to the video.) And spend a little more time going back and forth through their related posts (use the “Next” and “Previous” links under the title image).

And it’s not just email. More people are seeing SMS phishing—or smishing—which are texts trying to get you to reveal logins and other information. Anytime you have even a fleeting doubt, such as “Why would they be asking or doing that this way,” pause and check it out through some other source or try to explain it to a friend, which will often make you realize it’s fake.

WhatsApp is updating their privacy policy on May 15 (previously February 8) to let you know that WhatsApp data will be increasingly shared and integrated with Facebook, their parent company. If you wish to continue using WhatsApp, your only course of action is to accept those terms. WhatsApp has clarified their policy to state, “We want to be clear that the policy update does not affect the privacy of your messages with friends or family in any way. Instead, this update includes changes related to messaging a business on WhatsApp, which is optional, and provides further transparency about how we collect and use data.”

In areas where 5G is not truly available, many iPhone 12 users are finding that turning it off will vastly increase their phone’s battery life. To do this, go to Settings, then “Cellular Data Options,” and then “Voice and Data.” Select “LTE” to turn off 5G, but remember to turn it back on if you are somewhere with true 5G.