If I use Carbonite to access a document from my PC on my laptop and I make changes to that document on the laptop, will those changes be transferred to my PC?

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October 12th, 2010 - Posted by Kent

The following is an actual user-submitted question:

Q: If I subscribe to Carbonite and back up my PC, if I understand correctly, I will be able to access my files from my laptop. Is that correct? If I use Carbonite to access a document from my PC on my laptop and I make changes to that document on the laptop, will those changes be transferred to my PC?

A: Yes, you can use your laptop to access files on your desktop with Carbonite. However, because a Carbonite subscription is only meant for one PC, the remote access is really meant just to access those files, not keep them synced. Of course, you can make changes to any document that you download and then send it via email back to your desktop (you can also buy a subscription for both of your computers and share files that way, but it's still not quite syncing). If you're primarily looking to sync files between multiple computers, the product you want is SugarSync. In fact, its specialty is keeping computers in sync in real time.

Check out our full online backup reviews and comparisons to see which one is right for you.

Do identity theft protection services stop soft and hard pulls of credit?

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October 11th, 2010 - Posted by Tasha

Q: Do identity theft protection services stop soft and hard pulls of credit?

A: Yes, the are certain identity theft protection service that let you to set up your account to prevent soft and hard pulls of your credit reports.  In order to do this, you would need to place what's called a "security freeze" on your credit reports.  A security freeze prevents your credit report from being accessed by third parties (such as in a hard or soft pull) without your permission.  

Equifax ID Patrol includes a cool feature called Credit Report Control, which allows you to lock your Equifax credit report.  A locked credit report is basically the same as a security freeze, in that it restricts access to the report, preventing soft and hard pulls.   The difference is that this particular services allows you to set exceptions for companies that you still want to have access to your credit report.  For example, if you're applying for a mortgage and want a specific bank to have access to your file, you can set it online.  Then only the bank (and whoever else you want to access your information) will be able to see your information, while everyone is prevented.  The only downside is that it doesn't let you place security freezes on your 2 other credit reports at Experian and Transunion.

Trusted ID offers an add-on service to their existing identity theft protection service called Credit Freeze.  The service is an extra cost (the cost varies by state), but it allows you to lock/freeze all 3 of your credit reports.   However, unlike Equifax's Credit Report Control, you can't allow specific entities access to your credit report.  Trusted ID's Credit Freeze is more like a true security freeze, as no one will be able to access your credit reports.

Although setting a security freeze or lock on your credit report is a strong identity theft prevention step to take, you should be aware that it literally prevents anyone from accessing your credit report.  This means that if you actually want someone to see your information, such as a potential lender, you will need to go through the steps to unfreeze your report (unless you're using Equifax's Credit Report Control, which allows to you set the people you want to see your report).  The unfreezing can take up to a week.

If you haven't actually been a victim of identity theft, you may want to consider just signing up for one of our top reviewed services instead.  These services will actively monitor your credit reports 24/7 and alert you of any changes, thereby helping to prevent identity theft.

I'm interested in Norton's 2011. How do I purchase this with the $20.00 discount you referred to?

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October 11th, 2010 - Posted by Kent

The following is an actual user-submitted question:

Q: I saw your reviews on spyware products and I'm interested in Norton's 2011. How do I purchase this with the $20.00 discount you referred to?

A: This is a deal exclusive to NextAdvisor; all you have to do is follow any link from NextAdvisor to Norton. The $20.00 discount will happen automatically, bringing the normal price of $69.99 down to $49.99. We think it's excellent security for the money.

Check out our Internet security software reviews to see how it stacks up against the competition.

Chemistry.com Free Communication Weekend

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October 8th, 2010 - Posted by Tasha

It's that time again!  Chemistry.com is one of the largest and most popular online dating services, and this weekend you can enjoy a complete Chemistry.com dating experience for free. From Friday October 8 to Sunday October 10, you can sign on, create a profile and starting contacting and flirting with other members at no cost. It really is free – you don't even need to provide a credit card.  You'll be able to take advantage of all the great features and have the same access as a paying member, so go for it and see what all the buzz is about!

Facebook quietly fixes Groups invite problem?

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October 7th, 2010 - Posted by Kent

Um, no, they haven't. Consider this a correction:

Groucho Marx famously quipped, "I wouldn't want to be a part of any club that would have me as a member." If Groucho was on Facebook, however, he wouldn't have any choice.

Originally, we thought we'd seen evidence of Facebook fixing its bizarre opt-out groups functionality.  This is because Facebook rolls out its security settings. It seems we're on the late list. Having played around with it further, it seems to work exactly as it shouldn't. Which is to say, it works just as it was designed.

Here's the story: No sooner had Facebook launched groups on October 6th, then people learned how to use it for ill. Two high profile tech personalities were added to an inappropriate group unbeknownst to them as a prank/demonstration of the feature's chief problem: anyone you're friends with can add you to a group and you appear to be a member. Heck, you are a member. But you have to be added by someone you're already friends with.

Some people have reportedly felt themselves spammed by this functionality. Personally, it hasn't made a difference to me. None of my friends seem to be using this functionality as I've yet to receive any such notifications of group membership. Or, perhaps, they are, and they just don't want to have me as a member. That's fine with me. I'm with Groucho.

NextAdvisor launches virtual phone service reviews

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October 6th, 2010 - Posted by Kent

We're happy today to announce the launch of our newest review category: virtual phone services. A virtual phone service allows you to set up a virtual phone number for your small business so you can receive and route calls to a variety of phone numbers without the purchase of new equipment. This way you can give out a toll-free business number separate from your personal or cell phone, but still receive business calls on those phones. Additionally, these services employee virtual PBX technology, so you can set up customer greetings, a touch-tone phone menu, multiple mailboxes, and custom call routing behaviors based on the time of day.

Virtual phone services are crucial tools for businesses with ten employees or less, and with costs of under $10.00 per month, they're pretty affordable. Give your small business the functionality and professional polish it deserves. Check out our virtual phone service reviews to find a service that suits your needs.

If I give my name, but not my home address, to someone who is going to send me something, is it possible they could steal my identity or anything else?

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October 5th, 2010 - Posted by Tasha

Q:  If I give my name, but not my home address, to someone who is going to send me something, is it possible they could steal my identity?  If I use a P.O. Box for them to send the item to then am I safe?

A: Normally, simply giving your name to someone wouldn't be a problem.  But it seems from your question that you don't really trust the entity to whom you're giving your name, which worries me.   If you're referring to an online purchase on a site that seems suspicious, you should use your best judgment.  This means that if you're worried about the site, don't provide any personal information, and especially don't give them your credit card.

If you're referring to a different situation, having someone mail items to a P.O. Box instead of your home address is a good idea.  Once again, don't provide your personal information (credit card, home address, etc) to anyone you're suspicious of, whether it's over the phone or online.  And if you really want to safeguard yourself, sign up for one of our top reviewed identity theft protection services like Identity Guard.

Log out, log out, I repeat: LOG OUT

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October 5th, 2010 - Posted by Robert Siciliano

Robert Siciliano is a NextAdvisor.com Expert Guest Blogger

One of the most common yet underreported causes of data breaches is users’ failure to properly log out of public PCs.

Is your work computer accessible to others, perhaps after business hours? How about your home computer? Does its use extend beyond your immediate family, to your kids’ friends or babysitters, for example? Do you ever log in to a hotel’s business center PC, or take advantage of free Internet at a bank of sponsored PCs at a conference? Or pay per minute at an Internet café? Maybe you’re you a college student; do you use the PCs in the computer lab, or friends’ PCs?

Any shared PC is at an increased risk for spyware, viruses, and other malicious activities of a criminal hacker, the PCs administrator, or just the dude that happened to use the computer before you. But many people increase their vulnerability simply by failing to log out.

A few months ago, my sister-in-law used my family’s PC, logging in to her Facebook account. After she left, I checked Facebook myself, and quickly realized I was still logged in to her account. To teach her a lesson, I changed her profile picture to something she didn’t appreciate. (Being my sister-in-law, she forgave me.)

This past weekend at a conference, a colleague borrowed my laptop to check his email. Four days later, after having turned the laptop on and off a half dozen times, I attempted to check my own email and found myself still logged in to his Gmail account. In this instance, I quickly logged out, since Gmail notifies users when their accounts are open at multiple IP addresses, and I wasn’t about to hack a colleague.

Web-based email services, social networking sites, and other websites that require login credentials generally provide an option to “Remember me,” “Keep me logged in,” or, “Save password,” and will do so indefinitely. This feature often works with cookies, or codes stored in temp files. Some operating systems also include an “auto-complete” feature, which remembers usernames and passwords.

I’m not entirely sure if my colleague left Gmail’s “Stay signed in” box checked, if Gmail left a cookie on my laptop, or if my operating system remembered him. Either way, he was hackable.

Protect yourself.

I may log in to a PC that is not mine once or twice a year. And when I do, I make sure I log out of any program I logged in to. On the rare occasion that I use someone else’s computer to log in to an account containing sensitive data, I make an effort to change the password. Generally, though, I lug around my own laptop wherever I go, and I use an iPhone.

Never check a “Remember me” box, and if it’s selected by default, remember to uncheck it.

If you get an auto-complete pop-up while logging in, read it carefully and be sure to click the “no” option.

Some PC administrators install password managers that prompt the user to save login credentials. If you are on someone else’s PC and get this kind of pop-up, read it carefully before just clicking buttons to dismiss the pop-up.

Most importantly, PLEASE, for heaven’s sake, LOG OUT. Do I need to repeat myself?

>> Check out NextAdvisor's Internet security software reviews.

Robert Siciliano is CEO of IDTheftSecurity.com, an identity theft expert, professional speaker, security analyst, published author and television news correspondent. Siciliano works with Fortune 1000 companies and startups as an advisor on product launches, branding, messaging, representation, SEO and media. Siciliano's thoughts and advice on all these matters appear often in both the televised and print news media including CNN, MSNBC, CNBC, FOX, Forbes and USA Today. He has 25 years of security training as a member of the American Society of Industrial Security. He is the author of two books, including The Safety Minute: Living on High Alert; How to take control of your personal security and prevent fraud. He's also partnered with McAfee to help raise awareness about the growing threat of identity theft and to provide tips on how you can protect yourself.

Is Webroot good software? I was thinking about Norton.

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October 4th, 2010 - Posted by Kent

The following is an actual user-submitted question:

Q: Is Webroot good software? I just had my lap top repaired. I had a worm and it crashed. The Geek Squad says it is. Let me know please. I was thinking about Norton.

A: Thank you for your question. Webroot is good, but really you can't do better than Norton. The Geek Squad, those Best Buy computer repair guys, probably have a deal for promoting Webroot, so they have a bit of a bias.

We've always liked Norton, and we're not the only ones. I was recently looking at testing results from AV-Test, a German antivirus certification company. They rate Internet security software on three main categories: protection, repair, and usability. On Windows 7, Webroot scored 3.5 on protection, 4.0 on repair, and 4.5 on usability respectively, out of a possible 6. Norton, on the other hand scored a 5.5, 5.0, and 5.5 respectively.

Check out our review of Norton and see if you think it'll work for you.