[IT tips for ] 🎄 New Web Browser Features | Keeping Your Passwords Safe from Prying Eyes

Happy Holidays from your tech experts at Computer Techs Reno! As the year wraps up, we want to thank you for trusting us with your technology. December is a busy time for shopping, travel, and celebrating, but it’s also when online dangers increase. While you are busy preparing for the holidays, we want to make sure your computer and devices are secure for the season.

As a reminder about last month's newsletter topic, in November we saw quite a few computer take-overs by scammers using a remote control Trojan disguised as an email invitation or document from a friend. We urge you to (re-)read the article about the latest scams.

🖥️ Your Web Browser is Your Online Shield
When you go online using Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge or Safari, that program is called a web browser. Our first article, "Browsing Made Easier and Safer: What's New in Your Web Browser," explains that modern web browsers now include smart features like Artificial Intelligence (AI) to summarize long articles and answer questions directly. Additionally, some browsers now offer stronger security by automatically blocking tricky fake messages (scareware) and introducing Passkeys to replace passwords with simpler, more secure device-based log-ins like a fingerprint or PIN.

🔒 How to Safely Keep Track of Your Passwords
It's tempting to have your web browser remember all your passwords for you, but this can be risky if someone gains access to your computer. In our second article, "Do This Now: Protect Your Browser Passwords from Prying Eyes" highlights the danger of relying on your browser's default password autofill feature, which creates a "single point of failure" if an unlocked computer is accessed. The immediate solution is to enable a security setting—available in Chrome, Edge, Firefox, and Safari—that requires re-authentication (like your computer's PIN, password, or fingerprint) before any saved credentials are automatically filled.

The holiday season brings a huge increase in emails about shopping, shipping, and special sales. Unfortunately, cyber criminals know you’re busy. They use this time to send phishing scams—emails designed to trick you. They often pretend to be from USPS, Amazon, your bank or other well-known company to lure you into clicking a bad link or calling a bogus phone number.

Your Quick Holiday Security Checklist:

Watch for Tricky Emails, Calls or Texts: Be very suspicious of any unexpected contact about a delivery or account problem - especially if it demands you act right now.
Verify, Don't Click: If you get an email from a company (or person) you trust, do not click the link inside it. Instead, open a new browser window and type the company's website address yourself to check on your order or account. Or call the person at their known number.
If you get a pop-up taking over your entire computer screen telling you to call a number about a security problem - it's a scam. NEVER call the number. "Scareware" is designed to get you to react irrationally. Instead, shut down your device the way that you normally do, or if that doesn't work - press and HOLD the power button until it shuts off. Read more...
Keep a Backup: Make sure your important files and photos are backed up (copied) to a safe place, like a cloud service or an external drive. This protects you against mechanical failure or if malicious activity locks up your computer.

Don't let the holiday rush distract you from security—staying educated and vigilant about scams involving technology is the new frontline of defense. Contact Computer Techs Reno now for help deploying essential tools or a security check-up of your computer and online accounts to ensure a safe and secure end to the year.

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