Category: <span>Computer Corner</span>

There is a problem well-known among computer techs, one that I call “brain lock.” Your laptop can become temporarily frozen, and therefore unable to respond.

Almost everyone who uses the internet today is aware of the ubiquitous surveillance by big tech. Amazon, Facebook, Google, and others want to track everywhere you go and everything you do online.

The toxic political climate now existing in 2021 has prompted some people to start investigating alternatives to “big tech” and its censorship.

Thirty years ago computer viruses were still uncommon. Those were the days before the worldwide internet made it possible for all kinds of malware to be instantly and widely disseminated. In the late 1980s and early 90s if you were infected by a computer virus it almost certainly arrived on an infected floppy disk, and that is what happened at the Biblioteca.

Using SSL, you can usually be assured your communications are secure unless someone inserts another SSL certificate into your local device.

I will attempt to shed light on that shadowy underworld of crooks and con artists responsible for the malware plaguing today’s computers.

Tis the season to be jolly, and this might be a good time to consider giving your older electronics with some life left in them to someone who could put them to good use.

A question comes from a reader who wants to use a Virtual Private Network (VPN), specifically for security when traveling.