Google
had a good Friday in July. It's safe to say it had a better Friday than you did on July 17,
even if your day was fantastic. The company set a record for the largest
single-day increase in value in the history of American investing at nearly $67
billion, breaking the previous record held by Apple. Google did well
enough that if it wanted to relax with a weekend of video games, movies, and
pulp novels, it could simply buy Nintendo, Loews, and Barnes and Noble with the
money it made just in that one day.
That same week in July was less enjoyable for Google's customers, though. As investors were thrilled
by YouTube's growth, Gmail users were beset by faulty spam filters which hid so
many legitimate emails that Linux founder Linus Torvald took to an online op-ed
calling out the tech giant. The misstep was a rare occurrence from Google, but
considering it followed a much-ballyhooed revision to its Gmail platform, it
was worrisome for many. When considered in the context of major hacks of the
U.S. government and infidelity website Ashley Madison this summer, the Gmail
problems had people wondering what security Google has in place for the largest
privately-held collection of American's data.
Don't
leave your cyber security in doubt. We're here to answer your questions about
your online safety.
Question:
Everyone is always going on and on
about online security, but nothing has ever happened to me. Should I even care?
What's the worst that could happen?
Answer:
If you've never paid attention to
your Internet security and never had a security problem, you're probably fine.
You clearly have a rabbit's foot offering you magical protection from scammers,
spammers, spoofers, and identity thieves. Or maybe you have been compromised
and just don't know it yet.
If black
hats get their hands on your machine, there's no telling what they could do. In
some cases, you're looking at spyware and malware that's merely annoying. In
others, your personal and financial information could be compromised. You might
even have had your identity stolen. Online security is crucial, and you really
can't be too careful.
Question: What is Google doing to protect my financial information?
Question:
I don't have Gmail. I use Outlook. I
don't use Android. I have an iPhone. I'm good, right?
Answer: Internet security is like a 1980s slasher flick: The
instant you let down your guard, something bad is going to happen. No, you're
not safe and Google isn't bad at security. They're actually pretty good at it.
Their cyber security task force is responding to the perception of a
problem, not an actual problem.
Conversely,
consider the products offered by Apple: Apple is slow to offer security updates
for OS-X and sometimes bizarrely laconic when it comes to iOS apps. While
Google and Microsoft update their iOS apps every two weeks or so, Apple often
waits months. Apple also doesn't support security updates for older versions of
OS-X, so if you're still running Snow Leopard or anything older, Apple stopped
updating security on your machine last year, leaving about 1 in 5 users behind.
When El Capitan comes out this fall, it will likely mean that security
updates will end for machines still using Mountain Lion.
Question:
How do I know if my security is up to
date?
Answer:
Every reputable piece of software
you use, on your computer or on the Web, should allow you to view your security
settings. If you can't find your security settings, Google it or look for
help on the site. If you still can't find your security settings,
consider using different software.
Question:
What do I do if I think something
fishy is going on with my account information?
Answer:
Let Pen Air know right
away. The sooner we know, the sooner we can protect your important
financial information. You may have your credit or debit card information
stored at your favorite shops and you don't want anyone to mess with your
cards. After you've gotten in touch with us, get in contact with whomever
is in charge of the site where you have suspicions. See what they
recommend. It may be a good idea to notify the police. Anyone who
has access to your online profile is likely to have your home address, too.
Now is a
really good time to protect yourself. Update your password for all of
your main accounts and any others you can think of. Don't write your
password down, try not to make it obvious, and try to keep your passwords
separate. It may be a lot of work, but it will pay off in peace of mind.
Sources:
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