Category Archives: Privacy

Social Media Isn’t Safe and McAfee Has a Solution

As the way we use the internet evolves, so do the tactics of hackers and scammers. More and more, social media is becoming the preferred channel for the bad guys.

It’s a goldmine for them because it’s where the eyeballs are at. As of 2024, there are over 5 billion social media users in the world. On average, people spend 2 hours and 23 minutes on social media apps per day.

Security software suites protect you from the type of threats that have been around for many years such as phishing and scam websites. Protecting people on social media has been a blind spot for software developers.

It’s only recently that companies like McAfee have stepped up their games and offered a solution developed to deal with the pitfalls of social media specifically.

As the name implies, their Social Privacy Manager allows users to adjust their privacy settings for the social media apps they use in one place. This keeps their private information out of the wrong hands. It’s a proactive approach, and a step forward for making online privacy accessible.

It won’t protect users from scams and deceptive content that continue to be a widespread problem on social media. Only awareness and continued education can boost one’s safety in this regard.

Security Software is Adapting

Big tech companies have given people the tools to manage their online privacy, but the reality is not enough people are taking advantage of them.

If you use Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X (formerly Twitter), and YouTube, that’s five places to adjust privacy settings alone.

Additionally, apps change their menus to manage privacy settings all the time. You can start following a guide online to tweak your privacy and find that how they’ve organized and labeled the options has shifted.

McAfee’s idea to simplify changing privacy settings by giving people presets and the ability to make changes across many apps at a time solves a timely challenge for people who value online privacy.

McAfee’s Social Privacy Manager: The Start of Something Big?

Nearly everybody uses smartphones and social media, but most people aren’t geeks when it comes to configuring their social media apps.

The reality is maintaining better online privacy needs to be easy, or most people won’t find the time for it. Although people have mastered the basic functions of apps, privacy settings are known territory for many.

There isn’t one approach to privacy for all that’s right for all people. That’s why McAfee allows users to describe their usage, from names ranging from ‘unplugged’ to ‘socializer.’ This allows users to change their privacy settings across platforms with a few clicks so they can quickly get back to being entertained and educated.

To learn more about the features of Social Privacy Manager, see this blog post announcing its release.

Why Cybercrime Growing on Social Media

Apps like Facebook brought social media to the masses many years ago. Why is protecting your privacy and security on social media apps more important now than ever?

In short, cybercriminals have moved with the times.

Practically everyone has an old email address they rarely check.

Why would scammers continue to focus on email when people check apps like Instagram and Facebook several times every day? Users are more likely to engage on their favorite app, whether the content is legitimate or not.

Many have grown accustomed to phishing attempts found in their email inbox, and they’re able to identify shady websites. Spotting attacks on social media isn’t always routine because the bad actors are using new techniques.

Social media was pretty safe in comparison to other online channels in its early days. Thus, a lot of social media users have a false sense of security.

Trust is a Double-Edged Sword

Building an audience online is all about gaining trust.

For big companies like Microsoft and Apple, trust and reputation are the backbone of their business. It’s no different for the public figures you follow on social media. They also realize if they don’t have people’s trust, posting on social media won’t get them anywhere.

Nobody wants to get people’s trust more than scammers. They can cheat their way to it, but can rarely earn trust.

Scammers often pretend to be people you follow and companies you do business with because trust has already been firmly established. Once they have established a phony veneer of legitimacy, some people they reach will put their guard down and fall for their schemes. It’s a numbers game.

Traps to Avoid on Social Media

By familiarizing yourself with common pitfalls on social media you won’t be caught off guard. Education is the first line of defense.

Here are some tactics nefarious social media users have been using in recent years.

Fake Accounts Pretending to be People You Follow

Search for any popular influencer or celebrity on social media and you’ll see a genuine account and under that an avalanche of fake accounts.

Imitators use the same profile pics as the real accounts, have deceptively similar user names, and even repost content pulled from the genuine account.

These doppelgangers will typically follow accounts in an attempt to get a follow back from people who believe it’s the real person.

It isn’t clear what their objectives are at first glance. Fakers commonly send DMs containing scam offers.

Compromised Accounts Posting Scams

Influencers can post scams when their followers least expect it. This happens when an account that has gained a big following and credibility is compromised.

Attackers hijack accounts to spread their scams or endorse products that the real person would never endorse.

Sometimes influencers post content that’s off-beat or out of place when compared with their usual content. However, if a post is suspicious and pushes people to take action quickly, there’s a good chance someone managed to get into their account.

Scammers post salesy messages in this context. They add links to their offer and hope for quick results before the owner of the account discovers the post and removes it.

The Treat of Deepfakes

In the past, seeing was believing. People have used Photoshop to concoct fake images since the early days of the internet, but manipulating video footage required a high degree of skill.

Deepfake technology allows anyone to create fake video footage of influential people saying anything the creator desires. It uses deep learning to study the facial expressions, movements, and speech of its subjects.

The output is convincing on a technical level. However, for now, many of the scammers who leverage deepfakes fail to craft a message that convincingly replicates how the real person would communicate. In short, bad writing and their predatory motives give them away.

Any video that pushes you to take immediate action should be viewed with suspicion whether it’s a deepfake or not. Messages that promise the viewer some type of gain rely on the oldest trick in the book. it if sounds too good to be true, it almost certainly is.

Conclusion

McAfee’s Social Privacy Manager is an important step forward for online privacy. It’s a great idea for people who lack the time or technical chops to tweak their privacy settings on each platform.

Undoubtedly, other software developers will follow their lead.

Still, social media privacy settings alone won’t protect people from scams. Innovations that aid people in spotting bad actors and scams should be developed. If community notes can be added to fake news, so can community-driven warnings that content is believed to be a scam.

The power of community is the best way to keep people safe moving forward. Let’s build upon what’s already there.

VPNs Have Exploded in Popularity in Canada, Here’s Why

A recent VPN usage survey commissioned by NordVPN found that over one-quarter of Canadians use VPNs.

As a country, Canada landed in the top five in terms of VPN awareness too. Nearly seven Canadians in ten have heard of VPNs. Other countries with above-average awareness include the U.S., United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Poland, Singapore, Taiwan, Spain, and Brazil.

Demographics of VPN Users

If you’re wondering what the typical VPN user looks like, I’ve got you covered. They’re more likely to be male and the largest age group is between 25 and 44 years old. This group leads the way in most other countries as well.

There are two big factors intersecting here: being old enough to have a budget for the extras in life and young enough to recognize the need for better online privacy. Millennials, Gen Xers, and Xennials are right in the sweet spot.

So, getting to the main topic, why are Canadians adopting VPNs faster than countries such as France, Italy, Japan, and South Korea?

What Canadians Say About Their VPN Usage

HelloSafe surveyed Canadians across the country about their VPN usage and there are some notable differences in their results compared to NordVPN’s findings.

First things first, here are the reasons Canadians said they use a VPN:

To secure a Wi-Fi connection – 68%
To enjoy content from other countries – 36.8%
To hide an IP address – 31.5%
To avoid censorship – 26.3%

Interestingly, they found that only one in ten Canadians use a VPN at least once a week. That’s a big difference from what the study for NordVPN found. However, how HelloSafe phrased the question pushed the figure down. How many people are aware enough of their VPN usage to give an accurate response?

Although general adoption is undoubtedly higher, HelloSafe’s study could indicate that Canadians are using VPNs with a purpose in mind. While there are plenty of reasons to have your VPN enabled all the time, it’s common for people to use their VPN only when they want to achieve a specific outcome.

Reasons Canadians Should Use a VPN

Now that we’ve looked at the responses Canadians gave about their VPN usage, let’s look at the benefits in detail.

1. Safeguard Your Data

Companies and Institutions want your data to make informed decisions. Data about customers and potential customers is a valuable resource to them.

When you use online services, data about your usage and behaviours become part of a massive data set. It often happens without the user’s knowledge and their ongoing consent. Rather, the details about data collection are buried somewhere in the companies’ terms of service or privacy policy.

Additionally, malicious users and cybercriminals are always looking for ways to gain personal information to aid in their agenda.

VPNs give you a powerful way to opt out of excessive data collection which is now the norm. It protects your identity online by hiding your IP address. This makes it difficult or impossible for others to pinpoint your device and your location.

2. Get Access to Geo-Restricted Content

It’s normal for Canadians to feel left out when their favourite TV shows and movies aren’t available on streaming apps. Harry Potter, Good Fellas, and Seven are just a few examples of classic movies that aren’t available on Netflix Canada.

Canadian subscribers typically get access to less content overall than Americans on streaming sites such as Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime Video. It works the opposite way too as shows like The Office and Fargo are available for streaming in Canada but not in the U.S.

Websites and apps sometimes use geo-targeting to determine which content or content libraries to display to the user. It’s annoying when music in social media posts, videos on websites, news, etc. are blocked in specific countries.

VPNs replace your IP address with a different IP located in the country of your choice. This allows you to view content intended for people in any country in the world.

3. Make Public Wi-Fi Safe

Public Wi-Fi is notorious for its slow speeds and spotty stability, but it’s security that people should be most concerned about. A survey by All About Cookies found that one in four experienced a security issue from accessing the internet through unsecured networks.

It’s best to assume the Wi-Fi you use in restaurants, hotels, or at the airport isn’t secure. That means your private data, including login credentials associated with sites you visit, is being transmitted with no encryption and could be intercepted.

Any time you use a VPN, the data being transferred from the network to your device and back is protected with the highest level of encryption.

4. Protect Your Identity When Playing Online Games

Online gaming is huge, and while it’s incredibly fun to explore digital worlds, being connected with so many other players has its risks.

Gamers have to watch out for malware, account takeover, phishing attacks through messaging, data breaches, and many other threats.

Gaming platforms like Steam and PSN collect plenty of data about their customers. While you can drill down into the privacy settings and make changes, there are certain types of data collection you might not be able to opt out of.

VPNs make it impractical or impossible for malicious gamers, gaming platforms, and third parties to see the IP address of your PC or pinpoint your location.

Looking for the Best VPNs?

It’s getting more common to see VPNs packaged with other software and services such as comprehensive online security suites. However, there’s power in choosing the best VPN for you rather than settling for solutions that try to do everything.

If you’ve never used a VPN before or are looking for a new one, have a look at LetMeBy’s top 3 VPNs.

Conclusion

There’s been a big boost in awareness and usage of VPNs. At this point, most people have heard of VPNs and they have a rough idea of what they do. Canadians are pushing forward and taking control of their destiny online.

Still, we’re in the early days in terms of leveraging privacy enhancement tools like VPNs. Canadians are using VPNs to achieve their goals but if the data from HelloSafe is accurate, most haven’t jumped in with both feet yet.

VPNs Protect You but Aren’t a Substitute for Antivirus

VPNs get a lot of praise for their ability to boost one’s privacy online. Many wrongfully assume that because VPNs hide their IP address and offer a high level of encryption, they’re protected without antivirus software.

In actuality, VPNs and antivirus software serve completely different purposes.

Although using a VPN makes it nearly impossible to determine your identity through certain means, it won’t stop other methods to get hold of your private data such as phishing.

It’s estimated that one-fourth of PCs have no virus protection. That’s a camp you don’t want to be in. Unprotected machines are 5.5 times as likely to get infected.

Cybercriminals have gotten craftier and bolder than ever. On top of that, bad actors are taking more action than ever. Cyberattacks increased 125% in 2021 compared to the previous year. And there are no signs of it slowing down.

The bad guys have adapted and so will internet users. Those who use both antivirus and VPN are being proactive and are best prepared for threats now and in the future.

How Antivirus Software Protects You Online

One of the key components of antivirus software is its database. Online threats are always evolving so antivirus software downloads the latest threat database automatically before scanning your computer.

Security software either detects threats in real-time as soon as they appear or during a scheduled or manual scan of your hard drive. If malicious code is detected it’s either quarantined or deleted.

Malware is a generic term that includes many types of harmful software such as viruses, trojans, worms, and spyware. The next category everyone needs to be aware of is phishing. This is when bad actors pretend to be legitimate companies and services to extract personal data such as login details and credit card numbers.

Security software such as Norton 360 and Kaspersky Internet Security have a comprehensive approach so you’re defended from information security threats, network attacks, phishing attacks, and spam.

How VPNs Protect You Online

Data is incredibly valuable to businesses and institutions. There’s a whole industry dedicated to it, often referred to as big data. In 2022, the big data analytics market size was estimated to be worth USD 272 billion.

Private data is also valuable to shady third parties and cybercriminals which is the most immediate threat to the average internet user.

Thus, with each passing year, it’s more and more important to be mindful of how you protect your privacy online. There are plenty of improvements you can make by drilling down into the privacy settings of the online services you use. However, companies will never give you full control of your privacy. By using a VPN, you easily and effectively level up your privacy across all the apps and platforms of your choice.

VPN is short for Virtual Private Network. Essentially, you can think of a VPN as a tunnel that encrypts all data that moves between your internet connection and your device.

It replaces your true IP address with an IP associated with the location you select. This makes it nearly impossible for people and organizations to determine who you are and where you’re located by viewing your IP address.

To learn about the top 3 VPN services recommended on LetMeBy, visit this page.

Using Both Antivirus Software and a VPN is the Best Defence

Antivirus software and VPN apps complement each other perfectly. One if your best defense against malware and the other is your best defense against companies, third parties, and organizations compiling data about you based on your actions online.

VPNs have security benefits as well as it encrypts data during transit. This protects you from attackers that aim to intercept data going to your device or network. Once the data has reached your device, it’s up to antivirus software to deal with threats.

Antivirus software is essential. This is why Windows Defender is pre-installed on any current Windows machine. VPNs have seen an incredible boost in adoption in the past several years, but not every internet user needs a VPN. Everyone can benefit from using a VPN, but you need to value your online privacy to want it.

Wide-ranging security software is becoming more common. These solutions include both antivirus and VPN software.

Is Windows Defender Enough?

You might be old, but are you old enough to remember downloading McAfee on your new PC after installing Windows XP?

Windows has come a long way since then in terms of security features. Before the release of Vista, Windows users had to get third-party antivirus to protect their computers. Today, Windows Defender is preinstalled and Windows automatically downloads and applies the latest security updates.

Windows machines don’t really need third-party antivirus software since Windows Defender is perfectly capable.

The main reason to get third-party antivirus software is you find its features compelling. For example, gamers appreciate “gaming mode” which is found in software such as Kaspersky Internet Security. By enabling it, functions such as system scans and notifications won’t interrupt your gaming experience while the antivirus works in the background.

Full security suites provide the most added value. These software packages protect you from spam, unsafe websites, shady applications, webcam breaches, and more.

Conclusion

It’s easy for Windows users. Simply add a VPN to complement the antivirus software already preinstalled: Windows Defender. This gives you protection where it matters most. Still, when something is easy, we sometimes lose sight of what’s working for us in the background. Antivirus software is essential and VPNs are in no way a replacement for it.

Online privacy and protecting yourself from malware are related and more than ever there’s overlap between the two. However, for the best solution is to use both a VPN and antivirus.

Why Gamers Should Keep Their Antivirus On

Some disable their antivirus before playing online games because they believe it gives them smooth gameplay, the highest FPS (frames per second) possible, and reduced lag.

Some functions of antivirus software can indeed interfere with your gaming experience, such as scheduled system scans, notifications of stopped threats, or virus database updates.

Disabling antivirus software might seem like a viable option in the short term. But at the end of the day, it can’t be justified due to advancements in antivirus software and the introduction of “gaming mode.”

Studies have shown that the normal functions of antivirus that monitor for viruses and malware don’t diminish system performance when you’re playing games.

Keeping your PC protected with antivirus software during gaming sessions helps you avoid many threats that are specifically affecting the world of online gaming.

The Rise of Online Gaming

Once dismissed as a fad, online games have become the dominant form of entertainment. Did you know that online gaming revenue dwarfs both movie box office and recorded music revenue?

Games like Minecraft and Fortnite have hundreds of millions of active users alone.

Harnessing the power of the internet has changed gaming forever. It’s opened up astounding creative possibilities for game developers.

Online gaming also exposes people to a variety of dangers. The internet has provided the means for these threats. The explosion in popularity of gaming has made gamers an attractive group to target for bad actors.

Gaming Mode to the Rescue

To give gamers the best possible experience while keeping their systems safe, a lot of security software offers “gaming mode.”

This ensures that scans and updates are delayed until the gaming session Is over. Additionally, gamers aren’t interrupted by notifications when it’s enabled.

Gaming mode is one of the top features gamers should look for in antivirus software. Understandably, people don’t want to compromise gameplay to protect their PC, and with this feature, they don’t have to.

Bad Tech Experiences Dictating Future Actions

Some gamers have experienced headaches with antivirus and games conflicting in the past, thus it’s driven them to disable their antivirus to avoid reliving them.

One surefire way to make antivirus a nuisance is to install third-party antivirus software while keeping Windows Defender enabled. In this case, two is not better than one. Having two security solutions running won’t double or even increase the level of protection. However, it will almost certainly double the number of scans, notifications, and actions taken by each piece of antivirus software.

It never hurts to check how your antivirus is configured to make sure it considers your gaming habits. A full system scan once per week is sufficient for many, and it’s far less likely to interrupt a gaming session than daily scans. Schedule scans at a time when you don’t play games.

Forgetting to Reenable Your Antivirus

Another reason disabling your antivirus isn’t a good strategy is there’s always the possibility that you forget to reenable it after a gaming session. Let’s face it, after a particularly long or intense stretch of gaming, it’s easy to exit the game and move on to thoughts that couldn’t be further than your antivirus software.

You can certainly forget to disable “gaming mode” in your antivirus too. However, your PC is still well-protected if you do.

Common Threats that Gamers Face

Phishing: Many are familiar with phishing as it relates to email, social media, and the web. Fewer people are aware that scammers also use gaming platforms or even the games themselves to trick people. If someone messages you and asks for confidential information it isn’t legitimate no matter how credible they may appear at first glance.

Malware: Here’s another reason to avoid downloading cheats: it’s a common way to get malware. Malware can integrate itself into legitimate pages, so it can be tricky to spot.

Viruses and trojanized games: Some files that are labeled as games aren’t games at all, they’re viruses. These trojanized titles can be found on shady websites offering free games and even legit app stores at times. On online stores, check the date of release and read the game’s reviews to confirm it’s genuine. Beware of players you don’t know offering you in-game equipment, weapons, or downloads. They could be using bait to infect your PC.

Data breaches: Any website you have an account with can be hit with a data breach. This means that cybercriminals have successfully stolen private data from a massive list of a company’s customers. The games you play and gaming platforms you use don’t need to be affected for this to become a threat. The data can be used for credential stuffing. This is when hackers use data obtained from a breach to attempt to get into your gaming account.

Spyware: It isn’t always individuals and other players you need to defend yourself from, it’s also untrustworthy gaming operations. Spyware is deployed to track the actions of unsuspecting gamers. It then can be sold to third parties they’ve never interacted with.

In-game currency theft: If you’re dedicated to an MMO and have amassed an in-game fortune and legendary items, this one is for you. Some bad actors are breaking into people’s accounts specifically to get a hold of their inventory and in-game currency. Players who have invested countless hours into advancing their characters should protect their accounts accordingly with unique, particularly strong passwords.

Conclusion

Disabling your antivirus during online gaming sessions isn’t the solution it may seem to be. If there’s a time you need that protection the most, it’s when exploring online worlds.

Check to see if your antivirus supports “gaming mode.” Once you get into the habit of using it, you’ll wonder how you managed to live without it.

How to Protect Your Privacy When Playing Online Games

From MMORPGs to battle royale shooters, it’s fun and thrilling for gamers to immerse themselves in a digital world filled with millions of other players.

Once an online game reaches the highest level of popularity it becomes like a world of its own—with its economy, massive variety of items, and culture. And while most of the dangers and challenges are merely a part of the game, there are also real threats gamers need to protect themselves from.

Online privacy is a hot topic these days. When digital experiences provided by social media, games, and apps exploded in popularity your average person wasn’t ready for the privacy ramifications of it all.

Like most tech companies, gaming companies want to collect data about their customers to improve their games, to better understand what gamers want, and of course to increase profits by selling the data or using the data themselves.

Savvy gamers are now deciding for themselves how much data collection is too much. More than ever, gaming platforms like Steam, PSN, and Xbox Live are giving people the tools to protect their privacy and specify which data they’re comfortable sharing and which data they aren’t.

So, let’s dive in. Here are the things you can do to improve your privacy in online video games.

Tweak Your Privacy Settings

When it comes to privacy settings, there’s almost always room for improvement from the default settings.

You need to drill down into menus and sometimes make decisions that prioritize either privacy or features and convenience.

Thankfully, once you tackle it, you’re in good shape for years to come until the gaming platform you use overhauls its approach to managing privacy.

To learn how to tweak your game console settings, see LetMeBy’s guide to protecting your privacy on PS5 and protecting your privacy on Xbox Series X/S.

Unlink Your Social Media

Many big game companies such as Blizzard Entertainment and Bethesda Softworks allow their users to connect their social media accounts to their gaming accounts.

It might seem like an interesting feature to explore if you post content about gaming, but linking to social media may grant the game company access to parts of your personal data such as your name, profile photo, or even what you post and in-game conversations.

It’s almost always preferable to log in with a password specific to that gaming account rather than something like Facebook as there is typically a privacy cost.

Keep Your Antivirus Active and Up-to-Date

Good virus protection is always a must on Windows, but for avid online gamers, it’s even more essential.

Some gamers disable their antivirus software to play online or don’t protect their PC at all because they believe it affects performance. Studies have found that in four out of five cases there’s no reduction in frames-per-second (FPS) when playing games with security software running. And in the rare case it has an effect, it’s not a noticeable one.

The hurdle is antivirus software can sometimes launch automated actions that interfere with your gaming experience. Some examples of this are antivirus database updates, notifications of stopped threats, or scheduled hard drive scans.

Choose antivirus solutions that allow you to delay updates and scans while you play games. Some security software such as Kaspersky [Amazon] have a game mode to ensure it doesn’t start using system resources during an intense boss fight.

Manually Block Data Collection

The services that collect data about you during a gaming session are stealthy indeed. These processes take place in the background so you don’t ever notice them.

Windows users have the power to block servers from collecting data about them. Open up your hosts file and add the IP address and hostname associated with the service you want to block.

Managing these connections manually requires research and tech skills, but you can’t always achieve the desired effect from the game or platform privacy settings. At times it’s better to take matters into your own hands.

Don’t Save Your Credit Card Info

Gaming platforms and consoles make it easy for people to save their credit card info for future purchases. Simply put, it’s more likely you’ll make purchases if you can do it in a few clicks. And companies like getting those frictionless sales.

While it’s no doubt convenient to have your credit card on file, it has risks that come along with it. If somebody gains access to your account, they could manage to collect your credit card info or even make purchases.

More and more, credit card companies are requiring confirmation that changes to your card are genuine. However, it’s still best to play it safe and enter your card info each time you shop for new games.

Use a VPN

VPNs create a secure tunnel in which all data flows between your internet connection and your gaming device.

Your real IP address is hidden and replaced with the IP associated with the VPN service. This makes it either difficult or impossible for companies and malicious users to pinpoint your location or gather data about you.

If you’re looking for a VPN, see LetMeBy’s top 3 VPN picks here. Alternatively, if you’re low on time, here are the VPNs most commonly recommended to gamers on this blog:

Avoid Using Cheats

Offering players cheats has become a common tactic used to trick unsuspecting gamers.

Here’s how it’s done.

Players looking for cheats and hacks will Google terms that bring them to an untrustworthy website. The site could use aggressive and misleading tactics to get players to click ads, complete surveys, or download malicious files.

Additionally, the cheat tool itself could use covert methods such as malware to obtain private data or it could use phishing to gain access to the gamer’s account.

Never download cheats as it not only goes against the terms of service in online games, it also puts your private data at risk. If you choose to download mods, do so from legit apps such as Steam or Epic Games and never from third-party websites.

Conclusion

Online gaming opens up incredible possibilities for players to compete and collaborate with other gamers, explore breathtaking environments, and acquire items that give their character a distinctive appearance.

It’s important to keep in mind that online games have greater risks as well.

There’s always a population of players looking for new ways to cheat and break the rules for their own gain. Online gaming has become so widespread that players are attractive targets for cybercriminals. On top of everything, many big gaming companies have become prying eyes.

Better online privacy doesn’t happen on its own. It’s something gamers need to strive for. And if you do, there’s a good chance your future self will thank you.