All Ask Marian posts

Cool Cash from Kal-El: Norton and "Man of Steel" Contest! Enter Today and You Could Win!

marianmerritt — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 19:07:59 GMT

Back when I was in high school, I used to wear a gold “Superman” logo on a necklace. I told people it was because my last name began with an “S”, but the real reason was that I thought Superman was cool. I loved (and still do) the idea that hidden among all of us “regular folks” is a superhero with the potential to keep us safe from our enemies; who rescues innocents from everyday harm and rocks his everyday job as a journalist. How vivid the symbolism was for the Cold War era but it still resonates today when you consider how easily any of us can be destroyed by the evil lurking online.

Summer Time Can Be Internet Danger Free If You Pay Attention

marianmerritt — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 15:00:00 GMT

June is a funny month for most moms and dads of school-aged kids. You are so happy to be getting near the end of a school-year’s homework assignments, classroom activities, field trip permission slips, and carpool arrangements. OK, maybe that’s just me. There’s also the slight sense of panic most of us feel as we try to line up a healthy assortment of summer activities – enough to keep the kids busy but still enjoying the break from formal education. Maybe that means summer camp, swimming lessons, art classes, sports programs or a long family vacation, but for most kids, the summer months also means a significant increase in time spent online. Even with the best of intentions, there will be hours, days, weeks where your child may not have an organized activity to keep their interest from wavering. So they will naturally gravitate to the online world where so many new adventures await.

Today's Modern Fan Increasingly Dependent and At Risk with Mobile Devices

marianmerritt — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 20:01:02 GMT

It’s been a few years since I attended a destination music festival, but going to the second US festival in 1983 was one of the highlights of my college years. I remember it was very hot, we saw an incredible array of stellar performances, toured some exhibits with cutting edge personal computers and other technology and had a simply wonderful time. Hard to believe, but back then, we bought our tickets at a ticket broker’s office, we carried wallets and cameras and it was only days later we could show people our photos once we’d had the film developed.

Now, of course, the Modern Fan enjoys (if they want to) a connected experience they can share with their friends in their social networks. You can purchase your tickets online. (Take care, lots of people get scammed in dodgy online ticket schemes. Stick to trusted ticket vendors and online shops). You can download apps created just for the event to help you schedule what acts you’ll see, where you’ll buy food, even to arrange meet-ups with friends or fellow fans. I tried out a specialty app like that at the most recent Presidential Inauguration. It was a great way to find good routes for taking the Washington DC Metro, planning our viewing spot for the Inauguration itself and later, making our way to our viewing spot for the parade. Apps can be tricky though; the one for the Inauguration kept texting alerts about closed streets and missing children, running my phone’s battery down until I reconfigured the settings. Make sure you configure the alert and update settings to avoid that problem.

Re: Debunking Cyber Security Myths

Quads — Sun, 26 May 2013 04:04:15 GMT

You may want to re think how this sounds,

"Free antivirus is a great way to provide a basic level of PC protection, but it’s simply not enough for the bad stuff like ransomware (where cybercriminals lock you out of your computer unless you pay their “ransom”). The Internet Security Threat Report shows ransomware threats have increased substantially in the last year. In actuality, people who get their computers tied up with malware that their free AV didn’t block, too often have to spend more in repair bills than security software would have cost in the first place."

It doesn't matter the AV including Norton / Symantec, the "bad stuff" has got past Norton also FBI, Spamhaus, met police etc. then the likes of Pihar, MaxSS, Zeroaccess, TDSS, 2, 2+, 3, 3+, 4 etc etc, just look at what happens when the forum and Tech support has many ZA and Pihar systems appear.

Although Norton / Symantec has a Higher detection percentage and more layers of protection, it is not immune to letting the "bad stuff" though and I am not meaning just one or two.

Otherwise I would not have done so many scripts and have many threads on the go at one time.

Some of it is also down to user being wise about where they are going and what they are downloading.

Quads

Re: Debunking Cyber Security Myths

Sunil_GA — Sat, 25 May 2013 23:57:31 GMT

This post has been moved to "Malware Discussion" board for better exposure.

Study Shows Teens Adopting New Social Media and Reducing Facebook Dependency

marianmerritt — Thu, 30 May 2013 18:02:02 GMT

“Teens Getting Tired of Facebook Drama”

“Teenagers Hate Facebook but They’re Not Logging Off”

“Teens Cooling on Facebook but Warming to Twitter”

“Facebook Losing Ground with Younger Audiences”

Many of the headlines for the latest Pew Center research study of teens and privacy and social media have mistakenly described teens as leaving Facebook for Twitter. That’s not the story. Facebook’s market penetration continues to grow, though very slowly, while Twitter has gained significant momentum. The very reasonable explanation from teens themselves is that there are too many parents and other adults and Facebook tends to harbor peer-driven “drama”. This has made it
sometimes a difficult environment, and teens are mixing it up with new apps and sites . They are joining social media services like Twitter, Tumblr, Instagram and enjoying the more immediate or more fun activities each of those are known for.

Advance Preparation for Disaster is a Must for Every Small Business

marianmerritt — Tue, 21 May 2013 17:10:18 GMT

Note: this blog entry was written and posted before Monday's devastating tornado in Oklahoma. My family has been in Oklahoma since before Statehood and I care deeply for its people. Please join me in sending thoughts and prayers to those hurt by the storm's fury. And if you are moved to donate financially, please be sure to select charities with care and avoid falling for Internet scam efforts.

Small businesses are the economic backbone of this country. Yet, in the aftermath of manmade or natural disasters, an astounding 40% of small businesses never reopen. It doesn’t have to be this way; with preparation, organization and practice, owners and employees of small businesses can secure their future, despite what may come their way. In this 50th year of National Small Business Week, it’s the right time to put your plan together and into practice. The tips and advice here and at the websites I link to are also terrific resources and ideas for your home life, to make sure your family is safe and your important personal information secured.

56% of small businesses lack an emergency plan (source 2012 Ad Council survey)

Re: Let's Stop Child Identity Theft Now!

marianmerritt — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 16:57:09 GMT

Shane Sarver, Delegate Zucker's Legislative Director wrote me to add:

"The bill was designed to create a tool for parents to protect their kids, so its effectiveness is based on how many parents actually use it. Unfortunately, I don’t have any statistics as to how many parents have used it. I’ve spoken to legislative staff in Florida and Texas who were working on duplicating our bill, and possibly Oregon as well.

We did make a pretty big change to the law this session by requiring Social Services to freeze the credit records of all youth in foster care. The bill number for this is HB1297 of the 2013 legislative session."

Exciting developments in the fight to protect minor children from the problems of identity theft! - Marian Merritt

Happy Earth Day!

marianmerritt — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 16:30:53 GMT

Earth Day is celebrated around the world each year on April 22^nd. It’s a great opportunity to consider what we each do in our daily lives that may negatively impact the environment, either through pollution, excess use of precious natural resources, or other unthinking actions. None of us would purposely damage our home but it’s easy to get busy living life and working hard and missing the small ways we can each make a difference.

Given the amount of time I spend in airplanes, I know that my street “cred” in the environmental world is likely null. I do enjoy my work and vacation travels so I do what I can to offset all that jet fuel being burned. I’ve always been interested in the technology of electric cars and went on my first test drive of one back in 1997. I finally got one last year, selecting the zippy little Nissan Leaf. I’m the first to admit that having an electric car, with its limited range, might not be for everyone. Yet, I love it! And in 12 months, I haven’t had to visit a gas station except for refueling a rental car on a trip. We estimate it costs us about $5/week to charge it, assuming I charge it twice. We also supplement our family’s power needs with solar panels on our roof, so I like to think I drive California sunshine to work. And the solar panels supply nearly 50% of our total energy need.

Cyberbullying (a presentation you can use)

marianmerritt — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 21:00:26 GMT

Cyberbullying - the scourge of today's Internet connected teen but what can you do about it?

Cyberbullying by Marian Merritt, Norton Internet Safety Advocate from Marian Merritt

Boston Marathon-Related Cybercrime - Be Careful!

marianmerritt — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 21:26:46 GMT

In this hyper-connected world, even if you were thousands of miles from Boston, you were impacted by the blast of vicious bombs at this week’s Boston Marathon attack. Many of us were riveted by television coverage or online reporting of the terrible tragedy. Undoubtedly, some of you may have already received malicious spam emails that started flooding global inboxes, and malicious links appearing in your social networks. Be cautious and be careful about what you open, link, promote or click on! (In the case of the malware-laden emails we’ve seen, you can be sure your Norton and Symantec products will protect you!)

Let's Stop Child Identity Theft Now!

marianmerritt — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 15:00:00 GMT

Imagine you are graduating high school and you’ve just celebrated your 18^th birthday. In anticipation of starting college in the fall, you begin applying for student loans. The first loan application is returned as “denied” because apparently you have too much debt already. You think it must be a mistake and with your parent’s guidance, you order your very first credit report to see what is going on. What you find chills you to the bone; someone has been using your credit information to take out loans, purchase cars, and use credit cards. Several accounts are in collection and the score is very, very low. Your credit is ruined!

Child identity theft is a growing problem yet one with a solution. Let’s consider how the stage is set for such bad actors to perform against us. Since 1986, with the passing of the Tax Reform Act, a child over the age of 5 claimed as a dependent on your income tax required a Social Security number. In 1990, the age was lowered to 1 year, and now most parents apply for the Social Security number via the birth certificate paperwork. As the child grows up, various organizations and institutions require the parents to provide the Social Security number to prove the identity of the child. Elementary schools, doctors’ offices, summer camps and banks all may ask for this information on their documents. This increases the number of hands through which this very private information flows, allowing people with criminal intent to gain all the private information necessary to access your minor child’s information and untapped credit file.

Debunking Cyber Security Myths

marianmerritt — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 04:01:00 GMT

How did you decide where to live? You probably wanted a good neighborhood close to your work or local shops, maybe in a top school district. I’ll bet you gave it a lot of thought and did your research. But, even if you are lucky enough to live in a safe area with low crime rates, you probably still lock your house when you go out and check the door before you open it to a stranger. We take certain precautions to ensure our safety.

It’s the same for our lives online. There are Internet “street smarts” you have to learn in order to stay safe and protected from the growing threat of cybercrime. What many of us believe about cybercrime is often hearsay, and can be out-of-date or simply untrue, and believing those cyber security myths can lead to big security problems. The latest version of Symantec’s Internet Security Threat Report is out today, bringing new insights on the latest online threats and debunking some persistent myths about cyber security.

Spring Cleaning for Your Digital Life

marianmerritt — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 15:00:00 GMT

When I was a young working mother and email was still relatively new, there was a popular e-newsletter with easy household cleaning ideas for harried moms (and dads). Each day, you’d get a tip or an idea of something in the house to clean or organize. The idea was if you addressed one or two items per day, you’d never get overwhelmed and your house would have minimal clutter and mess. At least that was the idea, since I’d usually ignore the emails for days at a time and then go overboard in a frenzy of once-a-month cleaning.

These days, we’re a much more organized family, and with the kids helping us (and the regular weekly visit from our cleaning person), we’ve got the dust bunnies and cobwebs at bay, the laundry folded and put away and the hint of lemon scented furniture polish in the air. Where I still need to stay on top of household chores is with our computers and our so-called “digital life.” Whether it’s emptying my trash folder, running a full security scan or making sure our family photos are backed up, I try not to let digital devices slip off my list of things to clean and maintain.

Top Ways to Avoid Digital Dangers During Your Spring Travel

marianmerritt — Sun, 24 Mar 2013 21:29:37 GMT

I can feel it, can’t you? Spring is coming! We’ve reset our clocks, had the official first day of spring and I’ve even seen a few tulips blooming in the front yard. For some of you lucky folks, that might also mean you have some family travel coming up for Spring Break. Whether you’re headed for beach fun, snow slopes or a city break – and whether you’re going with friends, family or on your own – a little research and some preparation can make traveling with your technology a breeze.

Re: Cyber Bullying in Asia: Notes From My Trip

shannons — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 13:06:51 GMT

Moved to Forum Feedback for better exposure.

Cyber Bullying in Asia: Notes From My Trip

marianmerritt — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 22:54:59 GMT

A few weeks ago, I traveled to meet with cyber bullying experts and media in three Asian cities: Tokyo, Hong Kong and Beijing. I also had several conversations with parents in each market that furthered my knowledge of just how similar the online safety issues are around the world. For example, in each city, at least one parent had cause to state a version of “my child knows more about technology than I do.” Even in the high-tech capital of the world, Tokyo, I met parents who were unsure of how to manage the devices and mobile access their children have to the Internet. At the very least, maybe we can all stop beating ourselves up at failing to be full time experts with technology and reassure ourselves that through application of time-tested parenting techniques, we can get a handle on this 21^st century issue.

Join Together and Open The Sky: International Women’s Day

marianmerritt — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 00:59:40 GMT

I know I’m blessed and lucky to have been born in the United States. Our country, though far from perfect, offers so many wonderful opportunities for women. I’ve certainly benefitted from these freedoms: I attended public schools through high school; had thousands of colleges and universities to consider for my higher education and was able to move into a new career as my interests evolved. And I’m indebted to the women who preceded me who fought for the vote and for equal rights in the workplace. As a woman with a family and a full time career in the high tech industry, I have a front row seat to the changes the Internet has brought in our lives. I can order groceries from a website and have them delivered to my home. I can search for a new job online. The economic impact of having the Internet at home, on my mobile devices and at work is significant. I can be more productive using my computer to work; I have a wider network of colleagues using social, alumni and professional networks; I’m able to be a smarter consumer by researching purchases and investment opportunities; and potentially I can learn to be a better parent, simply by accessing the wealth of information available online.

Re: About To Send a Kid Off to College?

BoredConsultant — Sun, 03 Mar 2013 14:55:53 GMT

$50 Is Actually The Price And 9 Dollars Might Be The Taxes And Fees And For The 8.99 That Might Be The Virus Removal Assurance We Can Always Review The Purchase Before We Made It, I Know Its Boring To Read Agreement And Licenses Terms And All Of Those But Its Worth Reading Especially If Your Spending Money On It :)

Re: Why Patching Your Software Matters!

Mohan_G — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 12:10:36 GMT

Post moved to "Norton Internet Security / Norton Antivirus" board for better exposure.