Tag Archive for Wi-Fi

| October 4, 2024
Comments Off on Secure Your Printer: Protect Personal Data from Hackers

Secure Your Printer: Protect Personal Data from Hackers

Secure Your Printer: Protect Personal Data from HackersDid you know your printer could be a gateway for hackers to access your data? I have been writing about safeguarding personal data since 2005. By now, everyone should know how to protect personal data on computers and phones—meticulously encrypting emails, using passkeys, and regularly updating software. Despite the hard work, one vulnerability often gets overlooked: the printer. Figuring out how to dispose of a printer safely can make or break online security.

New revelations about certain printers recently highlighted the unforeseen security risks lurking in our offices and homes.  However, with the following tech tips from cybersecurity experts, you can combat the unexpected threat found in many printers and fortify your data against hackers.

Why Printers Pose a Security Risk

Any digital device that connects to Wi-Fi, including printers, stores data about the network on its hard drive.  This is usually beneficial since it allows the printer to automatically connect to the network without requiring you to re-enter the information every time. However, Chris Pierson, CEO of the cybersecurity company BlackCloak, warns that when you sell or recycle a printer, you should delete this saved data by performing a memory wipe or factory reset. The reset prevents cybercriminals from discovering and exploiting the information on the printer.

There’s just one problem: Canon has announced a security flaw in several printers. The security flaw leaves behind the stored Wi-Fi information even after the reset process.  If a hacker gains access to the printer after you sell it or throw it away, they could find these wireless settings simply by going to the Wi-Fi option in the main menu.  Canon reports that this issue affects several printer models, including the E, G, GX, iB, iP, MB, MG, MX, PRO, TR, TS, and XK series.

What information is at risk?

Printers store data about the network on it's hard drive.Data about your wireless settings—including your Wi-Fi name, Internet Protocol address, and network password—could all stick around even after resetting your Canon printer.  Once hackers find that information through the menu commands, they could easily log in to the Wi-Fi network and spy on your online activity, including sensitive information like your bank account login, credit card numbers, and personal photos.

Is this a problem with all printers?

BlackCloak CEO Pierson says the current notice is specific to Canon’s printers and “serves as a reminder [of the risks] to everyone with any electronic device that connects to a … network.” That includes other Wi-Fi connected printers and smart devices like Ring doorbells, refrigerators, dryers, and light bulbs.

You might be surprised by all the devices in your house that access and store your Wi-Fi settings—and consequently might leave your data vulnerable.  “Wi-Fi-connected devices have proliferated, and [they include] things that we may not think of,” says Alex Hamerstone, a director at security consulting firm TrustedSec.  “A lot of low-priced consumer electronics from previously unknown manufacturers have Wi-Fi access now, and I would be more worried about those.”

Steps to Safely Dispose of Printers

Before you throw away, donate, or even send your printer in for repair, you should always perform a factory reset to erase all stored information.  The specific steps for a factory reset will vary depending on your printer model.  Still, the reset function resides under the “General” or “Setup” setting in the main menu.

Canon printers

For Canon printers, follow these steps for a factory reset:

  1. Canon printersGo to the Setup option in the main menu.
  2. Select Device settings > OK, then select Reset settings > OK.
  3. Find Reset, then choose OK.
  4. Select Yes to restore the printer to factory settings.

In addition, users with one of the affected Canon printers must follow these additional steps to remove their Wi-Fi data.

  1. In the menu, go to Reset Settings> Reset All.
  2. Enable the wireless LAN.
  3. Follow the first step again: Reset settings > Reset all.

If you have a Canon printer model that does not have the “Reset all settings” function, do this instead:

  1. Select Reset LAN settings.
  2. Enable the wireless LAN.
  3. Select Reset LAN settings one more time.

HP printers

For HP LaserJet Pro 4001n printers, follow these steps from HP for a factory reset:

  1. HP printersTurn Off the Printer: Turn the printer completely turned off.
  2. Turn On the Printer: Turn the printer back on and wait for the HP logo to appear on the screen.
  3. Access the Preboot Menu: As soon as the HP logo appears, press and hold the “Cancel” button (usually marked with an “X”) until the “Preboot” menu appears on the display.
  4. Navigate to Administrator Settings: Use the arrow buttons to navigate to “Administrator” and press the “OK” button.
  5. Restore Factory Settings: In the “Administrator” menu, find and select “Restore Factory Settings.” Confirm your choice when prompted.  The printer will begin restoring factory settings.
  6. Wait for the Process to Complete: The printer will restart during this process.  Wait until it fully restarts and displays the home screen.

Additional Tips for Printer Security

  • Disable or limit the printer’s network connectivity, such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or cloud services, if you don’t use them.
  • You can also turn off the printer’s memory or hard drive to erase your data after printing.
  • Enable the printer’s password, PIN, or biometric authentication to prevent anyone from accessing its data without permission.
  • Keep your printer’s software up to date.  Patches will close any security vulnerabilities that hackers could exploit.
  • Avoid connecting your printer to public Wi-Fi, which could make it vulnerable to spyware and other security risks.

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Ensuring the security of your personal data extends beyond computers and smartphones to include often-overlooked devices like printers. Following the steps outlined in this article, you can effectively decommission your printer and protect sensitive information from potential cyber threats. Stay vigilant, keep your devices updated, and always perform a factory reset before disposing of any electronic device. Secure your printer today to safeguard your data and maintain your online privacy.

 

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Ralph Bach has been in IT for a while and has blogged from the Bach Seat about IT, careers, and anything else that has caught my attention since 2005.  You can follow me on Facebook or Mastodon.  Email the Bach Seat here.

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| January 28, 2022
Comments Off on 4 Things To Do On Data Privacy Day 2022

4 Things To Do On Data Privacy Day 2022

4 Things To Do On Data Privacy Day 2022Today is Data Privacy Day. Data Privacy Day commemorates the first legally binding international treaty dealing with privacy and data protection, signed on January 28, 1981. It is observed annually in Canada, the U.S. and Europe. In North America,  Data Privacy Day campaign is officially led by the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA). 

Data Privacy Day Tips

The more information you share about yourself (as well as your friends and family), the greater the risk of exposure to online threats such as identity theft, cyber-stalking and cyber-bullying. Here are some simple tips on how to protect your online information, identity and privacy on Data Privacy Day 2022.

Secure access to your devices

Use strong passphrases, passcodes or touch ID features to lock your devices. These security measures can help protect your information if your devices are lost or stolen they can keep snoops out of your business. Strong passwords tips from Cnet.

Think before you share

Big tech loves your dataBig tech loves your data. This data privacy day, take  steps to protect Information about you, such as the games you like to play, your contacts list, where you shop and your location. It all has value to Facebook. Treat your info – just like money. Be thoughtful about who gets that information and how it’s collected through apps. Tips to protect yourself from Facebook.

Be smart about Wi-Fi

Public wireless networks and hotspots are not secure. Anyone can potentially see what you are doing on your mobile device while you are connected. Limit what you do on public Wi-Fi. Avoid logging in to critical accounts like email and banks on these networks. Consider using a virtual private network (VPN) to be more secure on the go. Safe VPN apps according to Tom’s hardware.

Keep your mobile phone up to date

Patching all your devices is the best defenseYour mobile devices need regular updates just like your PC or laptop. This data privacy day, install the most up-to-date security software, web browser, operating system and apps. This is the best way to protect you privacy. Patching all your devices is the best defense against viruses, malware and other online threats.

Stay safe out there!

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Ralph Bach has been in IT long enough to know better and has blogged from his Bach Seat about IT, careers, and anything else that catches his attention since 2005. You can follow him on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. Email the Bach Seat here.

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| January 3, 2022
Comments Off on The End of the Original Smartphone

The End of the Original Smartphone

The End of the Original SmartphoneIt’s time to bid goodbye to that old BlackBerry smartphone sitting in your junk drawer. The original smartphone company, initially known as Research In Motion (RIM) announced that it is ending support for BlackBerry OS on January 4, 2022. The former Canadian tech powerhouse will be end support for BlackBerry 7.1 OS and earlier, BlackBerry 10 software, BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.1. This means all non-Android based BlackBerry’s will useful. The last version of BlackBerry OS was launched in 2013.

BlackBerry logoBlackBerry (BB), was the most popular smartphone brand before the iPhone. It was an icon beloved by wall-street types as they clutched the smartphone with a keyboard and trackball. It was dubbed CrackBerry hinting at how dependent people were on them. POTUS Obama refused to give his up when he entered the White House in 2009. BlackBerry’s appealed to professionals who wanted the flexibility of work from anywhere before the pandemic.

The last BlackBerry original smartphone

BlackBerry stopped shipping phones and tablets with its own software years ago. The last device to run BlackBerry OS was the BlackBerry Leap, introduced in 2015. BB jumped on the Android bandwagon in 2015. The firm continued to license its brand to phone manufacturers. Licensees included TCL and OnwardMobility, an Austin, TX-based startup, for a 5G Blackberry device running on Android software. It has previously promised a 5G BlackBerry device in 2021, but it’s now since it’s 2022 – there are doubts it will ever be released.

Until now you could hack an older BlackBerry phone running BlackBerry OS to maintain limited capabilities. With some work BlackBerry Curveyou With some work you could:

  • Connect to the internet over Wi-Fi and mobile data;
  • Make phone calls, Including 9-1-1 emergency calls; and
  • Send SMS.

All that is over. BlackBerry says Wi-Fi and mobile data might become unreliable. The apps that really made the BlackBerry unique including BlackBerry Link, BlackBerry Desktop Manager, BlackBerry World, BlackBerry Protect, BlackBerry Messenger, and BlackBerry Blend “will also have limited functionality.”

Market Share of BlackBerrry Globally

https://www.toptal.com/

The company has rebranded itself as BlackBerry Limited to focus on providing security software and services to enterprises and governments around the world.

 

Stay safe out there!

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Ralph Bach has been in IT long enough to know better and has blogged from his Bach Seat about IT, careers, and anything else that catches his attention since 2005. You can follow him on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. Email the Bach Seat here.

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| March 8, 2021
Comments Off on 8 Hacks to Reduce Your Cell Phone Bill

8 Hacks to Reduce Your Cell Phone Bill

8 Hacks to Reduce Your Cell Phone BillAre you spending too much on your cell phone bill? The average cell phone bill for a family of four on unlimited data can reach up to $2,670 a year. One of the reasons your cell phone bill is so high is the data plan. All those video chats, streaming services, and data-hungry apps mean you are using a lot of data on your cell phone. Statista says that the average smartphone user will use almost 9GB of data per month in 2021. All this cellular data usage comes with unexpected overages bills, too. No one likes sky-high cell phone bills. Here are some easy-to-follow tips to help you find ways to reduce your data use and reduce your cell phone bill.

the average smartphone userThe first step to reduce your cellphone bill is to know what you really need. Research says that 66% of Americans with unlimited cell phone plans consume less than 10 gigabytes of cell phone data monthly. These cell phone user could reduce their cell phone bill by an average of $268.44 a year without running out of cell phone data.

Wi-Fi helps you reduce your cell phone bill

Consistently connecting to Wi-Fi networks will reduce the amount of cellular data you use, and reduce your cell phone bill. This is important because watching a Netflix movie while using cellular data will eat up anywhere between 1GB to 3GB per hour. Wireless carriers divert cellular traffic to Wi-Fi to save money – so should you. Here are some tricks to reduce your cell phone bill.

Turn on Wi-Fi to reduce your cell phone bill1 – Turn on Wi-Fi – Make sure your Wi-Fi settings are turned on, and you are connected to an available Wi-Fi network.

2 – Turn off Wi-Fi Assist (iOS) and Smart Network Switch (some Android models). These built-in settings try to boost a spotty or slow Wi-Fi connection by using your cellular connection. These settings can use a lot of data.

  • Android devices, go to Settings > Connections > Wi-Fi. Tap the three dots, select Advanced, and tap the slider for “Switch to mobile data.”
  • Apple devices, go to Settings > Cellular or Settings > Mobile Data. Then scroll down and tap the slider for Wi-Fi Assist.

Limit your data usage

3 – Cap your monthly data usage – Android has a built-in feature that allows you to limit your cellular data to a set amount based on your billing cycle. Here’s how to set that up:

  • Go to Settings > Network & internet > Data usage > Data warning & limit (or Data limit & billing cycle) to set the maximum amount of data you want to use for the month.
  • Or, tap “App data usage cycle” to set the first day of your billing cycle.

Apple devices don’t include the same built-in feature to restrict your data usage. To keep an eye on your cellular data use on your Apple iOS device go to:

  • Settings > Cellular or Settings > Mobile Data. (On an iPad, it may be Settings > Cellular Data)
  • You can also reset your data usage for the “Current Period” here every month so you know how much you’re using each billing cycle.

4 – Update apps over Wi-Fi only – If your apps are set to update automatically, they may be draining your data over a cellular network.  You can set your device to update apps over Wi-Fi only to reduce your cellphone bill. Once you do that, the apps will only update and use data when you’re connected to Wi-Fi.

  • Android, go to the Play Store and tap Menu > Settings > Auto-update apps, then select “Auto-update apps over Wi-Fi only.
  • iOS, go to Settings > App Store > scroll to “Cellular Data” and toggle “Automatic Downloads” to the off position.

Disable background app data

5 – Disable app data in the background – Some apps will continue to gather data in the background while you’re not using your phone. This may be a good feature for a news app, but not every app needs this feature. To turn this feature off for your apps

  • Android, go to Settings > Data Usage to see which apps are using the most data. Tap on the app you’d like to restrict and disable background data.
  • iOS, go to Settings > General > Background App Refresh. Here, you can choose whether you want this feature on or off completely, or just WiFi only. You can also toggle this on and off for individual apps.

6 – Disable display ads for your browser. Display ads auto-play videos that stream to your phone, so if you have a browser that helps you disable these ads, you save plenty of data and reduce your cell phone bill.

Turn off your phone

7 – Turn off your phone while asleep. It is likely that throughout the night, data will be used on the phone, especially if applications are running. You could save a lot of data and money over time by trying out this hack.

8 – Compress your updates. There are applications that can make your data usage around 5 times more efficient by compressing it. Take a look at the apps.

The downside, however, is that the company will be aware of the data you’re accessing. It all depends on if that is a price you’re willing to pay.

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If these hacks fail to reduce your cell phone bill, you have the option to change to a plan with a data limit in order to reduce your cell phone bill.

Stay safe out there!

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Ralph Bach has been in IT long enough to know better and has blogged from his Bach Seat about IT, careers, and anything else that catches his attention since 2005. You can follow him on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. Email the Bach Seat here.

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| November 27, 2020
Comments Off on Does that Doggy E-Toy Protect Privacy?

Does that Doggy E-Toy Protect Privacy?

Does that Doggy E-Toy Protect Privacy?Thanks to COVID it is the virtual silly season. No more jamming into malls it is online shopping now. Half of shoppers spend some of their money on pet treats and other supplies this holiday season. If your virtual gift list includes presents for your four-legged buddy – be careful, there are some puppy toys out there that can compromise your privacy while Fido is entertained. Mozilla’s “Privacy Not Included” project analyzed the security of pooch-gifts, and the results are not good for your privacy.

Internet of ThingsAll of these technologies can become part of the Internet of Things (IoT). IoT technology interconnects them. For example, IoT connects the camera in your living room with the smartphone on your desk, allowing you to monitor your pet while you’re at work. IoT enables the collection and interconnectivity of data, which is extremely important when considering your safety and privacy.

Dogness iPet Robot – This doggy toy costs $299.00 and has all the bells and whistles to keep Fido entertained. It moves and chases your pooch. It has an HD video camera with night vision to record your pup, two-way audio to talk to your doggo, a laser to chase, and the ability to toss treats to your buddy with the click of a button in the app. The iPet Robot connects over Wi-Fi so your home network better be secure – otherwise, somebody could take over the rolling spybot and catch your pooch – or you – in a compromising position.

Dogness iPet RobotThe Dogness iPet Robot also comes with Mozilla’s “*Privacy Not Included” warning. The bot can roll around your house with a night vision camera and microphone while connected to Wi-Fi. Mozilla says that both the Dogness device and app can snoop on you. The researchers report the device doesn’t encrypt your data. Dogness doesn’t state what information is collected from the robot, or what they do with it. Dogness uses artificial intelligence, but the reviewers could not determine how the firm uses AI.

If that is not scary enough, in March 2020, it was reported that Dogness left its Amazon ElasticSearch server exposed, containing the usernames, emails, clear-text passwords, and session cookies of its users. The unprotected information has led to the complete exposure of its production SQL database and application source code and the complete takeover and control of its pet feeding devices and associated accounts.

Mozilla could not determine if the Dogness iPet Robot meets its Minimum Security Standards.

Cheerble WickedboneCheerble Wickedbone Interactive Gaming Toy For Dogs –This $78.99 interactive bone is next on the naughty list. You can control this interactive bone through an app on your phone that connects through Bluetooth. From the app you can make the bone roll around and change colors. When you get bored, a 20-minute interactive mode can entertain your pup without you.

The app requires access to your phone’s GPS location data—why? That’s a good question. Additionally, the reviews could not determine if the firm encrypted your data, required strong passwords, or used AI to make decisions about you. And like most IoT devices, it doesn’t seem to have a way to manage security vulnerabilities. Mozilla says this pet toy does not meet its Minimum Security Standards for these reasons.

Fitbark GPSFitbark– I first wrote about Fitbark back in 2013. The Fitbark GPS costs $99.95 + subscription + the costs of Verizon’s LTE-M cellular network coverage. It is a bone-shaped tracking device that goes on your dog’s collar and will track her just about anywhere in the U.S. It also connects to Wi-Fi.

The Fitbark monitors your dog’s activity, sleep habits, scratching habits, and stress 24/7. You can link it to your FitBit, Google Fit, or Apple HealthKit apps and you can stress about your doggo’s health too.

Mozilla reports that Fitbark tracks your dog’s movements and whereabouts with Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and GPS. With all that tracking, an attacker could keep tabs on you or your pup. The app does collect personal data, including name, email, phone number, address, date of birth, profile photo, dog’s health, and biometric data.

Felik Pet CompanionThe Felik Pet Companion—This mouse-shaped bot costs $129.00. It has a camera and artificial intelligence that tracks your pet, learns from their movements, and reacts to how they hunt so it can simulate real prey. Felik connects to the Wi-Fi in your house and has an app where you can schedule play throughout the day.

Mozilla says the firm seems to take privacy and security seriously. They built security and privacy-aware features into the dog toy, like the ability to toggle Wi-Fi on and off with a physical button, an indicator light when the camera is streaming, and even an on-device firewall.

Since it has a camera and a microphone, it could be sued to snoop on you. The app tracks your location. The product uses AI to analyze your personal data to make decisions about you. However, users can request an explanation about any decisions taken as a result of automated decision-making by contacting Felix.

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The Felik Pet Companion is the only online dog-toy that I would allow in my home.  

The Mozilla *Privacy Not Included buyer’s guide investigates the privacy and security of connected toys, gadgets, and smart home products. They flag products they think consumers should think twice about before buying. Mozilla looks at how well they can confirm a product meets a Minimum Security Standard.

 

Stay safe out there!

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Ralph Bach has been in IT long enough to know better and has blogged from his Bach Seat about IT, careers, and anything else that catches his attention since 2005. You can follow him on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. Email the Bach Seat here.

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