BreachAlarm Data Security Blog

Google Drive and Docs are a great way to share work amongst teams and across devices. It even provides a free alternative to the Microsoft Office suite, for those so-inclined.

These days, it appears that some of us are taking it a step further: using Google Docs as an alternative to a password manager.

While this isn’t exactly Security Best Practice, it can be a DIY solution to storing passwords when there’s nothing better at hand. Here’s how to use Google Docs as a makeshift password storage system.

Malware comes in many different flavours – none of which you’re going to want on your machine.

However, there’s another type of potential threat. Riskware describes software that’s, well, risky. Much of it is also highly useful, and depending on your needs, uninstalling it might not be an option.

(Image) A safety sign warning about a slip hazard.

While all completely legitimate, the riskware category includes programs that can present a potential threat: their functions can be used for good as well as malicious purposes.

What sort of programs fall under the Riskware label?

It’s a fact of life: scams are rife in the tech world, particularly on the consumer side.

An office phone. — Image credit: Karolina Krabat via Flickr (see footnote).

While almost anything from shopping to gaming can turn out to be less-than-legit online, it’s particularly worrying when security-related software and services can’t always be trusted, either.

When it comes to staying safe on the Internet, remember that healthy skepticism is your one big advantage.

With the ever-increasing amount of fraud online, the pages you visit might not always be as they seem. More than ever, identifying whether or not you’re connected securely to a website has become an essential skill.