Data Security!! Stay Safe On Line!!

I travel quite a bit, I work from hotel rooms a LOT! I work at the library and at coffee shops. I use the free wifi a lot! It does worry me that hackers could see my information. These cyber crooks steal your private information, everything from credit card information to emails!

Let’s face it, after the Target mess, with so many credit card numbers being stolen, we should be worried!! As bad as Target and Nordstom hacks were, the largest amounts of cyber crimes are aimed at hotels! Actually in 2011 Willis Group Holdings, a global insurance broker found that 38% of all cyber attacks were aimed at hotels!!  The biggest risks is to travelers who submit credit card information and other personal information to hotel websites. 

So, what can you do to protect your information?

Well, Private WiFi has some awesome ideas! Here are a few.

• First, make sure you use strong passwords!! A capital letter, a character and most importantly change them often!!  Use a different password for each account!! Do NOT use a universal password!!
• Use your computer’s firewall! Make sure your virus and malware protection package is up to date!
• Disable your file sharing, peer to peer networking and remove sensitive data from your laptop!
• Be sure you are logging into your hotel’s Wifi Network and not a fake hotspot!! Bad guys are SNEAKY!!!
• Don’t pay bills while you are using a hotspot!
• Turn off your wireless network when you’re not using it.
• Very important!!! Monitor your credit card statements after each trip!!  You really should be checking those each month!!

I know I’m going to look into using a virtual private network. One that will encrypt the information going to and from my computer. One that means my information is hidden from hackers!

I’m off to change passwords again! I would love to know what steps you use to stay safe online!! 

I Am Giving My Content a Facelift

I’m sitting on a mountain of old posts, so here is the official Peanut Butter and Whine guide to a quick blog refresh:

1. Exorcising the 404s: I’m using a plugin to hunt down dead links and point them somewhere that actually exists.
2. Updating the “Now”: If I mentioned a “must-have” product from five years ago, I’m swapping it for the 2026 version.
3. Spruce up the Metadata: I’m ensuring my focus keyword is in the headers and the first paragraph so the algorithms know exactly what’s up.

While You’re Here…

Don’t let your visit be a “one and done!” Since I’m already tidying up the place, why not stay a while?

• Win Big: Check out the sidebar for my current giveaway—I promise this one is actually alive and kicking!
• Earn Cash: Some things never go out of style. Rakuten still pays you to shop, and in this economy, why wouldn’t you take the free money?