Road Map Out Of
Lockdown
Thanks to Phil for a link to this Cabinet Office
document showing, in simple terms, the road map out of the Covid-19 lockdown:-
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/965011/COVID-19_Response_-_Spring_2021___Summary_-_Easy_Read_.pdf
LastPass
LastPass
is a popular password manager which I have recommended. Although there is a paid version which has
additional features, the free version is generally adequate for most
individuals, allowing cross-platform access to your password vault.
From 16th March, a new restriction will apply to the free
version. This will mean you have to
choose between using LastPass on PCs/Macs or using it on mobile devices - you
will not be able to do both. Whichever
you sign into after 16th March will establish your choice,
although you will be allowed to change up to 3 times after that. This article in The Verge explains more:-
https://www.theverge.com/2021/2/16/22285531/lastpass-free-tier-mobile-computer-device-premium-family
If
you want to consider other free password managers, this article by PC Magazine
reviews alternatives:-
https://uk.pcmag.com/password-managers/39332/the-best-free-password-managers-for-2020
Bitwarden
is an open-source alternative which is reviewed in the TechRadar article:-
https://www.techradar.com/uk/reviews/bitwarden
The
free version of Bitwarden is very similar to LastPass and data can be exported from LastPass
(and many other password managers) and imported into Bitwarden.
There are mobile apps in addition to browsers extensions and a web portal. You can download the appropriate browser
extension for Bitwarden here:-
https://bitwarden.com/download/
Of course, you can allow your web browser to store your log-on credentials. However, a password manager has the advantage of working across all browsers and also on mobile devices using apps. They can generate and store long and complex passwords which significantly increases security.
Linda asked if data could be deleted from Lastpass if you cease using it. Since the meeting, I have found that you can do this by going to:-
https://lastpass.com/delete_account.php
Here you can Reset the account or completely delete it along with all data.
Tracking
Pixels in Emails
Brian
brought this to my attention.
Marketing emails often use a feature known as pixel tracking. This involves inserting an image into the email, and that image can be a single pixel which could be the same colour as the background, so it would be invisible.
Most emails use HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) which is the same language used to create web pages. In HTML, an image is inserted by specifying the web address (aka URL) that the image is fetched from. So, when you open the email with an image in it, a server somewhere will receive a request to supply that image. That request can have some unique identifier attached to it, so the server will know that you have just read the email. It will also know when you read it and possibly your location. If you open the email again, that server will know that too.
It’s a bit creepy, but it seems to be a very common practice. You can, in most webmail and email apps, prevent images loading until you click to allow them. In some email apps, you may be able to load all email messages in plain text, rather than HTML. However, either of these approaches may make your email less convenient to use.
You
can read more about this in this Mashable article:-
https://mashable.com/article/how-to-block-email-pixel-tracking/?europe=true
Windows
Update – Delivery Optimisation
Following
a query from Linda, I thought I should mention this topic.
When Windows performs an update, you might assume that all the data comes from the Microsoft Update Server. However, some data may come from other PCs on your network, or other PCs on the internet. Equally, your PC could be providing data to other PCs on the internet that are performing updates. The purpose of this is to reduce the load on Microsoft’s servers and possibly reduce the bandwidth you use.
You
can control the settings for Delivery Optimisation by going to:-
Start,
Settings, Update & Security, Delivery Optimisation.
Here,
you can turn Delivery Optimisation on or off – I believe it is on by default.
If
this option is turned on, you can choose whether data is shared just with other
PCs on your local network, or with other PCs on the internet.
By clicking on Advanced options, you can limit the bandwidth used for downloading or uploading updates.
Microsoft
explain this in more detail at:-
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/windows-update-delivery-optimization-and-privacy-bf86a244-8f26-a3c7-a137-a43bfbe688e8
Spam
and Phishing in Gmail
Gmail
uses AI (Artificial Intelligence) to recognise spam/phishing emails which it
separates into a Spam folder instead of your Inbox. It does not always get this right and you can
‘educate’ it. If something goes into the
Spam folder that is not spam, you can open that email and click Not Spam. You can also do this by clicking on the 3-dots (at the top right of the email) and clicking on Report not Spam/Phishing.
Similarly, if you open an email in the Inbox which is spam, click the Report Spam button, or click the 3-dots and click Report Spam, Report Phishing or Block. This will help to teach Gmail how to handle this type of mail in the future.
Windows
Restore Points
This
is a feature that has been built into Windows for a long time, certainly as far
back as Windows XP. However, I believe
it is turned off by default in Windows 10, so you may want to check, and
possibly enable it.
A Restore Point is a backup copy of the System Registry and other key system files. Restore points can be created automatically when some software or updates are installed, or you can create one manually at any time. For example, perhaps you installed some new software or an update, and now Windows won’t boot. If you created a Restore Point prior to the install/update, you could effectively go back in time by reverting to that update.
You can access or create Restore Points by using the Start Search process. Click the Start button and then begin typing Restore. Click on Create a Restore Point highlighted in the search results.
In the System Properties box, you should find the System Protection tab selected. First, look at your system drive (usually drive C:) and check that protection is turned on. If you need to change this, select the drive, and click the Configure button. You can then turn protection on (or off) and select a percentage of drive space that should be allocated to storing Restore Points.
Also, in the System Properties box, you can click on Create to create a Restore Point, or click on System Restore to revert back to a previous saved Restore Point.
This
Verge article explains more:-
https://www.theverge.com/21266665/windows-10-restore-point-how-to-security-pc-software-registry-configuration
If
the PC won’t boot, you can still try reverting to a Restore point either by:-
- Booting from a Recovery Drive. (Note that you can create a Recovery Drive,
clicking Start and begin typing Recovery Drive.) or
- Do a forced power off three times in a row (by holding down the Power button) as soon as you see the spinning dots on start up. This forces Windows into Automatic Repair mode. Then select Advanced Options, Troubleshoot, Advanced Options, System Restore.
Digital
Signatures
Allan had a requirement to send some documents using Yoti Sign, a system for digital signing and transferring documents across the internet. Similar services are provided by other companies including Docusign. These services offer safe, secure and legally accepted methods for signing and sending documents. Although these services are based on asymmetric cryptography, you do not need to understand that to use them.
If you want to understand more, have a look at this video:-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JR4_RBb8A9Q
A similar process, using asymmetric cryptography, is used every time you open a web page, assuming it uses https, which the majority of web sites now do. We did delve into this at the February 2019 Club, under the heading Web Site Encryption:-
https://computerclub100.blogspot.com/2019_02_10_archive.html
BT YouView Box
Tony had a YouView TV box supplied by BT. A YouView box can receive Freeview channels through an aerial, but can also receive BT TV via an internet connection (subject to a subscription payment). It was failing to record the second part of a movie which was split into two parts by the news. Rebooting the box cured it for a while, but the problem returned. It sounds like a hardware issue, so a replacement box from BT is probably the best bet.
We had a brief chat about scam phone calls. Often, these calls spoof the Caller ID so that it may appear to be from a local number. You may be able to block this number, but the scammers tend to create a different spoof number every time, so blocking by number will only have a limited effect.
https://www.bt.com/help/landline/calling-features-and-security/nuisance-calls-and-phishing/bt-call-protect----how-to-----guide#listen
There are efforts among the telecoms companies to prevent Caller ID spoofing. We discussed this proposed protocol, known as STIR/SHAKEN, at the Computer Club back in September 2019:-
https://computerclub100.blogspot.com/2019_09_08_archive.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/STIR/SHAKEN
Which? offer some advice on dealing with nuisance calls here:-
https://www.which.co.uk/reviews/cordless-phones/article/how-to-block-nuisance-calls-aHkHz1m7wCes
Next Windows Update
Phil asked if there was any date for the next feature update to Windows 10. As you know, there is usually a big 'feature update' to Windows 10 twice a year, in Spring and Autumn. These will be numbered 21H1 in Spring and 21H2 in Autumn. The current version of Windows 10 is 20H2. You can check the current version on your PC by going to Start, Settings, System, About.
21H1, although being a 'feature update', will contain very few new features. It is expected to be released in May and will be a small, quick process, similar to the regular monthly security updates.
Chrome Hogging Resources
John raised this issue. The Chrome web browser has a reputation for hogging system resources. I found, on my Android phone that Chrome was responsible for a considerable amount of my battery usage - even when I wasn't using Chrome! I have switched to another 'Chromium-based' browser, namely Brave, and this does not consume so much battery power. You could also use Firefox, which one of the few non-Chromium browsers.
You can check what is using the battery on an Android phone by going to Settings, Battery, 3-dots, Battery usage.
Google Language
Linda had an issue where, on the Google sign-in page, the language was always shown as "English (United States)". You should be able to change the language by signing in and clicking on your Account Circle (top right), Manage your Google Account, Data & personalisation, Language. However, this did not seem to work for Linda. I have since seen a suggestion that clearing the browser's cache and cookies may fix this.
Next Session
Wed
14th April 2021 at 2 pm by Zoom.
