Tag Archives: Tony Anscombe

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Are Facebook’s new guidelines for inappropriate content enough?

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The new policy, which runs to 2,500 words is designed to remove the confusion over why some content gets removed and some doesn’t.

So what kind of things are included in the new  guidelines?

Several things that you would expect to be deemed inappropriate were listed, for example:

  • Bare buttocks
  • Female breasts that show a nipple
  • Text that contains vivid detail of a sexual act
  • Praising or supporting terror groups
  • Altered images or video considered bullying
  • Hate speech
  • Criminal activity
  • Self injury

 

The list goes on and is a step in the right direction for users, but does it go far enough?

For example you could still post graphic images or video and if, and only if, someone complains then an interstitial page will be shown warning viewers that there is a potentially graphic or upsetting graphic image.  Why should this content be on the site at all?

It seems that while many of the obvious things that we would not expect to see in normal life are being blocked, some still are allowed. I recently saw a clip spreading around that showed the murder of the French policeman in the Charlie Hebdo attack earlier this year.

While no terror group can exist on Facebook, that doesn’t seem to stop people sharing graphic inappropriate content relating to violence, discrimination or other unwelcome things.

While I applaud any move that reduces the amount of inappropriate content on a social network used by minors, I still feel that they could do more.

I wonder whether there is a revenue motive at hand. Graphic videos are accompanied by ads around them and when they go viral then so do the ads around them.  And remember kids of 13 could be watching this content legally!

Can you imagine if a major news network showed the actual murder on TV, there would be public outrage and complaints to regulators, so why are we allowing it to happen online.

I believe we should look further into why some issues seem acceptable online but not in the real world. In my eyes, the rule should be as simple as “if you can’t see this offline in a public place then it is unacceptable to allow it online in a public place”.

Follow me on twitter @tonyatavg

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AVG AntiVirus Wins Top Rated Security Product 2014

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“Does exactly what it says on the tin” was an advertising slogan that appeared in the UK in the 90s. It resonated well with consumers due to its simplicity. Today, it’s a common term referring to something that is straightforward and does the job.

I am reminded of this phrase when I read the recent independent test results for the AVG AntiVirus products. The results show that AVG products are delivering our promise to protect our users from malware. Lets take a moment to review the recent results…

 

VB100

Virus Bulletin (VB) tested 39 Anti-malware solutions running on Windows 7 Professional and AVG AntiVirus received the top RAP result with 91.6%. The test measures a products detection rates on the newest samples available as well as an unknown sample to see how quickly and accurately they detect it. Click here to see the full test results.

But it’s not just about An important part of providing the best protection is that the detection engine doesn’t slow down the performance of the machine. VB tested the performance impact slowdown vs detection and there was nothing to worry about here either, as you can see here.

VB100

AV-Comparatives

Detecting malware is of course extremely important but its also critical that malware is removed once detected and AV-Comparatives conducts a test that measures the quality of removal and AVG AntiVirus achieved ‘Gold’ status in this test along with ‘Top Rated Security Product 2014’.

AV Comparatives

 

In summary the above tests show that the AVG AntiVirus products really do ‘exactly what it says on the tin’ for detection, performance and in the removal of malware.

It should give you the confidence to use the Internet without worry as AVG has you covered.

Follow me on twitter @tonyatavg

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My employer is stalking me online!

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Would you know if your employer is stalking you online? Fortunately, I do.

There’s nothing shady going on though. I agreed to be the subject of an experiment conducted by AVG CEO Gary Kovacs for his keynote speech at Mobile World Congress 2015.

In the keynote he highlighted the growing need for consumers to understand the great wealth of their personal data that is available online.

I offered to be the victim of this experiment as I consider myself a fairly private person online. I rarely use Facebook and Instagram and when I do, the accounts are very much set to friends only.

Other than my very public profile and work for AVG, there should not be a huge amount of information on me as I’m very conscious of not sharing too much.

The team set about looking for me and sure enough, old articles from the print era and other public sources gave them a good picture of who I am, where I have lived, how much my house is worth, and a whole lot more.

Much of this data is a matter of public record. For example, my property in the UK is listed on the electoral register and a scan of Companies House shows I have held company directorships.

Once these little snippets are discovered, they can be used to search with more specific terms that meant relevant articles started to appear at the top of search results.

Before long, the team had built out a profile of me including pictures, data, family, assets, arrests (fortunately none for me) and many other personal details that we generally consider private or safe from public view.

So what can you do to help keep your data private and under control?

In today’s world, there is little chance of us avoiding a digital footprint short of disconnecting and living in the woods. But what we can do is better understand what is being shared and how we can control what appears in public.

Here are FIVE simple tips that you can follow to help you ensure your data doesn’t appear where it shouldn’t:

 

Check your privacy settings

Much of the information found online about us as individuals is found on social network. Photos, posts, groups and comments can be a great way to find out more about a person so make sure that your privacy settings are set so that only the activity you want shared is made public.

Set Up a Google Alert

Google Alerts are a great way to stay on top of any sites or news that may mention your name (or any other term). Setting one up is very simple and you can learn how in this video.

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How to set up a Google Alert

Pick your usernames carefully

When setting up an online account or email address, carefully consider whether it should include parts of your real name. Having an email address with your full name such as [email protected] makes it much easier for snoopers to build out a profile of your details. The same goes for account names on web services.

If you can, remove old accounts

When we stop using old web accounts, a forum for example, see if there is a way to disable or delete your account. While you may not be using the service any more, the data will remain there almost indefinitely and can be discovered with just a simple search.

Tick the box

When giving out your personal details be sure to understand what the company or organization collecting them may do with them. Where possible tick the box (or uncheck in some instances) to keep your data private and do not allow personal data to be shared with third parties.

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Lenovo and the Superfish

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This sounds like the title of a children’s book, but unfortunately the issue highlighted in the press this week is more concerning than a story. The pre-loading of the SuperFish software on the Lenovo machines introduced a vulnerability to users even before they unboxed their new laptop.

There are several issues with the pre-installed application, one is that it is an ad-injector which inserts adverts into your browser based on what you are searching for, and without being an expert at identifying these you might be directed to sites to purchase things without understanding why.

To do this more effectively, Superfish also installs a root certificate which allows them to see traffic on encrypted websites, like your banking website, that you might have considered private and secure.

This is a bit like me giving out the keys to your house and could be abused by other malicious people and used to capture passwords and other personal information.

AVG detects and removes the Superfish add-on. If you have attempted to download something it was bundled with then AVG would have detected and blocked it advising the user it was an ‘unwanted application’ and potentially harmful.

This means no part of it was ever installed – good for existing AVG users, but what about if you have purchased a Lenovo and then installed an anti-virus product, the risk here is that full removal of some parts are difficult to remove as they are embedded into the system.

This week Lenovo has been re-active to this and developed a removal tool which you can download here. There are also manual instructions available should you want to do this yourself.

There is a much wider issue for consumers though, it’s becoming very difficult to know which products and manufacturers to trust and who is doing what with our data.

There are discussions in the tech industry on improving transparency so that consumers can once again have confidence in brands.

I believe that over the next few months we will see progress in a more coordinated effort by the security industry to protect users from these types of applications.

If you are at all concerned then be sure to run a full system scan from you Anti-Virus product and ensure that the updates have been run. If you’re running an expired product then either renew it or download the AVG AntiVirus Free solution here.

Follow me on twitter – @tonyatavg

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Who’s dating who online & how do you get in safely?

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Like many services, dating has made the move from your desktop to your pocket thanks to mobile apps that help you find love just around the corner.

In fact, because of that move to pockets and purses worldwide, there’s been a massive popularity explosion in online dating.

The country with the most online daters by far is the USA, merely because of the sheer number of people using mobile phones and downloading dating apps, according to our own research. As the birthplace of the mobile app industry, this doesn’t really come as surprise.

However, Americans are not the most likely to be dating online when viewed as a percentage.

When you break down how many people per 1000 are downloading dating apps, Americans are blown away by the United Kingdom, Australians and Canadians, and are only marginally ahead of the Argentinians. But even the Saudis are getting in on the online dating tango.

Dating App Downloads Per 1000 People

 

 

Choosing a site

If you’ve ever been tempted to try your hand at online dating, choosing the right service is one of the most important decisions you can make.

Whatever your age, interests or demographic there will be a site out there catering to your needs. I would advise sticking to well-known sites so that you can get support if you need it.

Interestingly, AVG’s research showed that app popularity differed greatly between countries. For example, Tinder is neck and neck with Plenty of Fish in the USA, but is dominant in Argentina.

If you do your research, you can pick the right service that will give you the best chance of success in your country.

Dating App Popularity By Country

 

Staying safe while online dating:

If you’re ready to jump into online dating, I would advise taking a few precautions to ensure you have a fun and safe time. Here are five simple tips to help you stay safe:

  • Use throwaway accounts: Some apps require an email or a Facebook account to log in. It may be best to create a new email or Facebook account, so that if things go sour, you can always limit your exposure and just close them down.
  • Use secure messaging in app: Don’t rush to move to off-app communications (emails, phone, etc). Take your time and communicate through the app, it’s there to help you stay private and get support when you need it.
  • Be wary of fake accounts: Fake dating profiles are known as Catfish scams. Don’t give out any personal details unless you are sure you’re talking to a real person. And remember that until you actually meet in person, you can never truly be sure—so try to get on a video call.
  • Be careful what you share: Most people know that the photos you share on social media sites become their property, but you may still be surprised to become the “hot date of the week” promoted on the app. Make sure you’re for anything you share to be seen publicly.
  • If you want to meet, tell someone where you’re going: It goes without saying that you shouldn’t rush out to meet someone you don’t know in the middle of the night. Make sure someone knows you’re out there and check in with them from time to time to let them know everything is ok.

 

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Do your kids spend too much time online?

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Each country has its own initiatives for protecting kids online. In the UK, for example, we have “Active Choice” which makes adult content opt-in rather than opt out. But I believe, that around the world, parents should be the first line of defense and guidance for our kids.

When we talk about children spending time online, it’s important to remember that our children do not have what we term ‘digital lives’. Technology is normal to them and part of growing up in today’s world.

I often hear parents raise concerns about how much time their children spend online and on devices. Generally I observe that they are equally guilty of this digital overindulgence. As ever, children mimic their parents’ behavior.

AVG Digital Diaries research last year examined how the Internet is having an impact on how quickly kids grow up. Our findings showed that children are increasingly interacting with digital devices,and 42% of the parents polled by AVG said that they are concerned that their child spends too much time on devices, and a similar number (43%) said they were worried their child didn’t spend enough time outside.

So who is responsible for the time our kids spend online? I believe that parents are, yet 42% of them say they are concerned about it.

As Safer Internet Day has just passed, I challenge the 42% in our survey last year to take charge of the technology in their homes and to correct the balance.

You might not be popular today but introducing other life skills is a good thing to do. Remember, technology is not a babysitter!

We’ve put together more statistics from the AVG Digital Diaries research in this infographic below.

Is the web forcing kids to grow up too soon?

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Tony Anscombe and Maddie Moate discuss Internet Safety

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It’s also united me with Maddie Moate, a presenter and YouTube Educator who I had the pleasure of working with last year during the NSPCC / Child Helpline International Youth Shadow Conference.

To mark Safer Internet Internet Day, Maddie and I thought it would be great to discuss and raise awareness of some of the key issues – and potential solutions – to ensure everyone can enjoy a safer Internet experience at home, or when out and about.

In this short video below you’ll hear us discuss how parents can make sure the family is protected online, safer practices when using social media, ways to broach the subject of online safety with your children and much more.

You can find us both on Twitter too – @tonyatavg & @maddiemoate

Video

Internet Safety for Children with Maddie Moate

 

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Anthem ‘Medical’ Hack – What should you do?

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Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, a medical insurance provider in the US, was subject to serious data breach that included personal information of its members past and present.

The data stolen includes names, birthdays, medical IDs/social security numbers, street address, email addresses and employment information including income data.

The type of data that has been reported to have been stolen means that this breach is potentially much more serious than most of the large data breaches we saw last year. These hacks were primarily of credit card and transaction data.

Generally, when credit card account details are taken, victims can limit the damage by stopping their card and changing their password. Credit card companies will also cover most of the liability.

The difference with this theft though is that stolen data is a lot more difficult to track than a simple financial transaction. Social security and insurance information can be used for anything from a false insurance claim to collecting prescription drugs.

If you think that this data breach may affect you then you should carefully check your next health insurance bill. Be sure to check that all the claims are indeed yours and dispute things that seem strange.

It’s important to catch the misuse of your insurance quickly before medical debt notices are issued because of unpaid bills. That could lead to credit rating issues or in the worst case, you could be refused insurance due to a condition that you don’t actually suffer from.

As a precaution here some other actions you should take, not forgetting the above one of checking medical statements:

  1. Ensure your online accounts are not using the same email password combination that you may have had stored with Anthem; change any that are the same as your Anthem details.
  2. Keep a close watch on your credit reports. This will help you identify if someone is using your identity to take a line of credit in your name. Most credit scoring agencies allow you to run a report for free at least once.
  3. Spammers may send emails that look like they are coming from Anthem. Make sure to carefully scrutinize these emails – don’t click on links that look suspicious – and if in doubt contact Anthem to ensure it’s an official communication.
  4. Moving forward, avoid using the same email address or identity across multiple online accounts. For example, have a primarily email address used for recovery of forgotten passwords and account information. Have a secondary email address for offline and online retail transactions. Have a third for financial accounts and sensitive information.

Follow me on twitter @tonyatavg

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Celebrity hacks – why do they continue?

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This week we saw yet another hack of a top celebrity, this time the Twitter account of pop star Taylor Swift.  The bad guys, whoever they are, hacked the account sent out messages, distributed personal information and claim to have personal pictures.

Taylor Tweet

 

Its not uncommon for accounts to be hacked, especially when the security is reliant on just a password, but Twitter offers users much more than this.

Most online services today offer two factor authentication as an additional layer of security. The concept of this is very simple as to login you need to have something and know something. The most common use of this authentication is your ATM card, you need the card and you need to know the number.

The same theory applies on online accounts. You enter your login and password, and then the service waits for you to type in a verification number that is automatically sent to your phone. The phone is something you have and the code is something you know. Of course your phone is protected with a pin which adds yet another layer of security.

Video

Video: What is Two Factor Authentication

 

Hacking a celebrity’s account would be difficult if they switched on this two factor authentication. Here lies the problem, celebrities may tweet some things themselves, but it’s likely that they have a team managing their social media accounts for them.

Having multiple people running an account prevents the use of two factor authentication as the code can be only sent to one phone.

I am sure I just upset many celebrity fans who thought that celebrities actually managed their own social accounts.  The reality is that celebrities are busy people and social networks are marketing tools that their teams use to keep them in the news.

In the case of Taylor Swift, the hack may of course be more complex and someone could have cloned her phone. This would take effort, access to the device and would have put the hackers in a much riskier environment. I hope that they have secured the data and account and that the damage is limited as no one should be hacked. Having the right security settings is the best protection.

How to set up two factor authentication

  1. Login in to Twitter and go to settings. If you’re on a PC then this entered by clicking on your picture in the top right corner.
  2. In the left hand menu select ‘Security and Privacy’
  3. There are a few options, SMS to a phone or using the app. Select the one of your choice.
  4. Scroll down and save the changes

I use the text to a phone option but either of the SMS or app options require you and your phone to be together to access your account so both offer effective protection.

Now that you have successfully enabled two factor authentication, your account should be a lot more secure.

Follow me on twitter @tonyatavg

Title image courtesy of billboard.com

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The dangers of relying on our smart devices

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As consumers, we continually hear about the ‘Internet of things’ and the positive changes that will come from our always connected world.

I recently read an article in the San Jose Mercury news that talks about the devices we are all expected to acquire that will make many of our life decisions for us, whether an automated butler, health gadget, thermostat or a driverless car.

It made me contemplate the amount of connectivity we already have in our lives and how it is set to increase. How much is enough? Can we have too many smart devices?

Let’s consider a potential scenario from the not too distant future:

Awoken at the optimal moment in your sleep pattern by your wearable tracker,  you are recommended a light breakfast that includes juice with added vitamin D due to your lower than normal levels.

While having breakfast, the news is reported to you by a service that selects what it thinks you will want to know.

The weather app recommends dressing cooler today as sunshine is forecast. Your driverless sends an alert that, based on traffic conditions, the optimal time to get on the freeway would be in 10 minutes time. It then alerts the household heating system to shut down as you are going to be leaving.

The first two hours of your day are led by suggestions made by gadgets and where the information you are offered has been pre-selected.

Facebook like

 

Some mornings this guidance might seem the perfect way to start the day. To me though, it seems like we are at risk of surrendering control to the devices of the future.

Our connected gadgets and services are being controlled or fed information that, of course, is open to manipulation by people and companies out to exploit our willingness to be led rather than to explore.

“We need to temper our reliance on technology and connected services, even though they can help make life easier”.

We need to keep our reliance on technology in check and connected services, even though they can help make life easier.

Imagine a life without open choice, where all options available have been preselected for you. It is starting to sound like the Truman Show.

Take an everyday task such as selecting a movie for the family to watch. On a busy workday, a recommendation made by a streaming company might be useful, but if I did not sit and browse for myself every now and again, I would miss things that I might also like.

Exploring the options for myself allows me to find things that would not have been on my list of recommendations and might just surprise me.

I love my gadgets and I don’t want to come across as negative. However, there’s a lot to be said for exploring.

I would encourage everyone to find some time in their busy schedule to go gadget free and try something new. You never know what you might discover.