Honda data breach: 2.2 million customers at risk
December 29th, 2010 - Posted by Kent
It used to be that Honda owners just had to worry about their cars being stolen. Now it seems that some of their personal information has been as well. It may or may not be related to the earlier breaches that compromised McDonalds and devintART customer data. The stolen information includes: 2.2 million customers' names, login names, e-mail addresses and vehicle-identification numbers. The company notified affected customers via email, and specifically warned them about the possibility of phishing attacks. Even though the data theft did not include social security numbers or passwords, it does allow for some very targeted emails from cybercrooks. Customers were advised that:
American Honda Motor Co., Inc. will not send you e-mails asking for your credit card number, Social Security number or other personal information. If ever asked for this information, you can be confident it is not from us.
It's been a banner year for data breaches. Gawker, CitiBank, McDonalds, deviantART, and other companies have found themselves apologizing to customers. Since companies and their various subcontractors are not as vigilant as we wish, it's more important than ever that customers protect themselves by choosing good passwords, being skeptical of emails, installing Internet security software, and investing in an identity theft protection service.
The Girl Who Played with Fire: Audiobook download
December 28th, 2010 - Posted by Kent
The Girl Who Played with Fire
Looking to download The Girl Who Played with Fire? The second book in Stieg Larsson's Millenium Trilogy is proving just as popular as The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Here's our rundown of your cheapest options for downloading the Scandinavian thriller.
Audible.com: While you can get it for $27.39 without a subscription, new subscribers can get it for only $7.49. A subscription gives you one book-buying credit per month, as well as a 30% discount on additional titles. After three months, membership goes up to $14.95, but you can cancel at any time. Click here to get it.
eMusic: With eMusic it will cost you a bit more. While the normal subscription price is cheaper than Audible.com's (only $9.95 per month, versus $14.95), the title will cost you two book credits. With a subscription, this will cost you around $20.00. Click here to sign up with eMusic.
Simply Audiobooks: Here you can get The Girl Who Played with Fire for $20.00 as a one-off purchase, or $14.95 if you sign up for a membership ($13.00 per month if you sign up for an annual plan). Click here to go SimplyAudiobooks and search for the title.
iTunes: Here it can be had for $20.95, no membership required. Click here to get.
Barnes and Noble: This is the cheapest single-download price at $16.00, though when we tested the service we found the checkout and download process a bit cumbersome. Click here to go to BarnesandNoble.com.
My wallet was stolen a month ago. What should I do?
December 27th, 2010 - Posted by Tasha
Q: My wallet was lost or stolen about a month ago. It had my credit cards, debit cards, medical insurance card and Medicare card in it. I don't know the account number on my credit cards, but I canceled the debit cards. There hasn't been any action on my accounts yet. What should I do?
A: When your wallet is lost or stolen, you should immediately cancel all your credit, debit and insurance cards to prevent theft. If you don't know the account number on your credit (or debit) cards, you can still call the banks you had the credit cards with in order to do. If you explain the situation, they will require some verification information from you, but you should be able to cancel them.
You also need to call your medical insurance company and Medicare to let them know your card has been lost/stolen. They will usually cancel your current account number and reissue you a new card with a new account number. Canceling your medical cards may seem excessive, but medical identity theft is on the rise, and someone with your wallet and cards can easily impersonate you in order to use your medical insurance.
Although it is a good sign that there has been no activity on any of your accounts, you should still cancel all your cards. Account numbers for credit, debit and medical insurance can be sold on the Internet black market, which means you can't be sure when they might be used. Additionally, bills for medical insurance often don't get posted for 1-2 months after the date they occur. So it's always better to be safe than sorry.
Finally, you should order and carefully review all 3 of your credit reports in case there has been any suspicious activity. If you see anything out of the ordinary, quickly take action to determine if it could be identity theft. A stolen wallet is a great foot in the door for identity thieves. If you are, or think you are a victim of identity theft, read our blog on what to do if someone has stolen your identity.
You should also consider signing up for an identity theft protection service like Trusted ID. Trusted ID will help protect your credit/debit cards, bank accounts, social security number and even your medical insurance against identity theft. It also provides 24/7 monitoring of your credit reports for further prevention. Plus, you can protect your entire family for only $10.42 per month. Right now they are even offering a free 30-day trial, so you can find out if the service works for you free of charge.
What if I don't want certain files backed up on Carbonite?
December 21st, 2010 - Posted by Kent
The following is an actual user-submitted question:
Q: What if I don't want certain files backed up on Carbonite?
A: Carbonite will accommodate you. The easiest way to remove a file from backup is to right-click on the document's icon, and select "Don't back this up." If the file has already been backed up, it will be removed from your Carbonite storage within 72 hours. If you haven't yet run your first backup with Carbonite, you'll want to right-click and deselect the file first.
Is a credit score the same as a FICO score?
December 20th, 2010 - Posted by Tasha
Q: Is a credit score the same as a FICO score? I recently checked my credit and had no score, but I've only had a credit file for 3 months. Maybe this was the credit report agency's score and not a true FICO?
A: The FICO score is a type credit score, but all credit scores are not FICO scores. A good analogy would be to think of credit scores as a car, and a FICO score as particular make of car, like a Porsche. There are many other types of branded credit scores out there, but there is only one brand called the FICO score. The FICO score was created by Fair Issac & Co back in 1956, and uses it's own "secret" algorithm to calculate credit scores. You can learn more about the FICO score and how it's calculated in this previous post
Regarding not having a credit score, it may have something to do with how new your file is, but it's a little hard to tell based on the information you provided. However, if you are obtaining a credit score from a credit agency it may not be a true FICO score. As mentioned above, there are many different brands of credit scores and it is likely that the score you were accessing was not the FICO.
But good news, we have partnered with FICO to offer a free FICO score when you sign up with myFICO credit monitoring service. myFICO monitors your Equifax credit report 24/7 and will alert you if there are any changes, which is a great way to know what's going on with your credit file. And right now we are running an exclusive 10 day free trial, which will give you your FICO score for free!
Will Carbonite back up my portable hard drive as long as it is attached to my computer?
December 17th, 2010 - Posted by Kent
The following is an actual user-submitted
Q: I have a portable hard drive attached to my computer to store photos and other information as my computer hard drive has limited space. Will Carbonite back up my portable hard drive as long as it is attached to my computer?
A: Unfortunately, Carbonite does not backup external drives, however Mozy does. You will probably have to select that drive for backup when you configure Mozy, but this is a very easy process. The two products are comparably priced. In fact, we're currently reviewing Mozy's most recent product changes, including improvements to its remote file access options and we're pretty pleased.
Give Mozy a try, we think you'll like it.
If I enroll just myself in an identity theft protection service, will my wife's identity (and our shared accounts) be 'secured' as well?
December 17th, 2010 - Posted by Tasha
Q: If I enroll just myself in an identity theft protection service, will my wife's identity (and our shared accounts) be 'secured' as well?
A: Trusted ID offers a family plan that will protect both yourself and your wife, as well as any family members living at your address. Once you sign up, it starts immediately monitoring the social security number you used in the sign up process. After you're signed up you should immediately add your wife's social security number, and all your bank account and credit card numbers, so Trusted ID can protect you by monitoring the Internet black market and public records for the use of any of these account numbers. If any suspicious activity is found, Trusted ID will alert you right away.
In addition to their robust identity theft protection tools, Trusted ID provides 3-bureau credit monitoring, credit reports and scores. They even have medical record protection, to make sure no one has been receiving benefits under your name. All-in-all, it's a great service and a great deal at $20 per month for the family plan (prepaid annually).
Do I have to have Internet service to use VoIP?
December 16th, 2010 - Posted by Kent
The following is an actual user-submitted question:
Q: Do I have to have internet service to use VoIP?
A: Yes, VoIP requires a broadband Internet connection to function, whether it's a cable, DSL, or satellite/wireless. VoIP stands for Voice over Internet Protocol; it's a technology that utilizes your regular telephone, but sends your calls over the Internet by turning voice into data. Traditional phone service turns the callers' voices into electrical signals which are sent over copper wires. This is why you need both an Internet connection and a special converter box. You do not necessarily need to have to have a computer, though it is very helpful for setting up and customizing the service. However, since broadband Internet service runs about $50.00 per month, it's probably not worth having it just for VoIP.
Find out more about VoIP by reading our VoIP Frequently Asked Questions.
How do I determine who is inquiring about my credit report and why they are doing so?
December 15th, 2010 - Posted by Tasha
Q: We are in the process of refinancing our mortgage. The lender has requested an explanation of two inquiries on our credit report. How do I go about determining who the inquirers are and why they sought credit information about us?
A: You need to obtain copies of all 3 of your credit reports. If your lender won't give them to you, you can get them yourself for free from a variety of sources, including annualcreditreport.com or by signing up for one of our top-rated credit monitoring services.
Once you have your credit reports, carefully review them for errors or suspicious activity (this is just to be safe). The "Inquiries" section of your credit report will let you know who has been requesting access to your credit files. Although it won't tell you why they wanted access, once you have this information, you should be able to track down the culprits and ask them why they wanted to see your report. This is also a good time to learn the difference between hard inquiries and soft inquiries.
New McAfee discount code: 50% off McAfee Total Protection 2011
December 14th, 2010 - Posted by Kent
Those looking to save on McAfee Total Protection 2011 are in luck. The popular Internet security software suite can now be had with a 50% discount, using the coupon code: nextadvisor50MTP. This is an exclusive NextAdvisor coupon code that you'll enter at checkout. Just follow any links from NextAdvisor to McAfee. It comes out to $44.99 versus the full retail price of $89.99.
Check out our full Internet security software reviews to see what we though of McAfee Total Protection 2011, or visit the McAfee website to purchase.
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