Etsy Jam Episode 6: Tools to Keep You Safe Online

Staying Safe Online

It’s no secret that the web is becoming more and more riddled with spyware, viruses and malware. Every day is a cat and mouse game between malicious parties and the people trying to help us stay safe online. We focus on two tools to help YOU stay safe online:

Ad Block Plus and LastPass

What is Ad Block Plus?

Ad Block Plus is an advertising blocker that can block tracking, malware domains, banners, pop-ups and video ads – even on Facebook and YouTube.

Why Use Ad Block Plus?

1. Safety – There have been an increasing number of people affected by ransomware and other dangerous types of malware recently. A large number of these take advantage of problems with Flash to infect your machine.
2. Privacy – It’s no secret that your value to ad companies is your data. They want to know more about who you are, where you go online and what you like. Ads are built to track your habits across the web and ad companies can learn a LOT about you without you even knowing they are doing it.
3. Freedom – Flash is used by over 97% of the internet. While it is being replaced by HTML5 in a lot of places, lots of sites still make heavy use of Flash. By using Ad Block Plus, I’m free to still access tools and features of sites which are using Flash without exposing myself to Flash Ads – which are a common way for attackers to get malware onto computers.

What is LastPass?

LastPass remembers your passwords in one secure spot so that you can focus on the more important things in life and still being able to access your accounts accross multiple devices.

Why Use LastPass?

1. Security – LastPass helps you create super secure passwords for all the sites you use – passwords so complicated that you couldn’t remember them on your own. Instead of needing to write them down, LastPass encrypts them and keeps them safely on their servers.
2. Multi-Device – What good is a password manager if it only works on one computer/device? LastPass keeps your credentials in sync across multiple devices and even allows you to easily share access to sites with other people WITHOUT sharing your actual password with them.
3. Safety – Ok so I know we said this one with Ad Block Plus but it applies to LastPass too. It helps you stay safe by only prefilling your account information on recognized sites. This means that if you accidentally click a link to a phishing site (one that is meant to LOOK like a real site but ISN’T a real site) LastPass won’t pre-fill your account information and it will help you avoid giving your password to a malicious party.