While on a trip to New Orleans, I accidentally triggered recovery mode for the Microsoft BitLocker full disk encryption on my laptop. Once triggered, recovery mode requires that a recovery key be provided before the machine will boot. Recovery mode is intended to protect against a variety of attacks including bootkits. Unfortunately, accidentally triggering recovery ...

The BitLocker GUI in the Windows 7 Control Panel supports TPM + PIN and TPM + USB StartupKey but not TPM + PIN + USB StartupKey. This configuration requires editing Group Policy and using the command line tool manage-bde.

This guide is intended for home computer users who have little or no experience with computer security. Virus infections can be prevented by taking specific steps during setup and by avoiding specific actions during use. Start with a minimal amount of software from reputable companies Microsoft Windows 7 Microsoft Security Essentials Google Chrome

I visited a Verizon Wireless store recently. While my girlfriend worked with tech support to repair an issue with her phone, I spoke with a Verizon salesperson who tried to sell me Verizon FIOS internet service. I told the salesperson that I would switch from Comcast, my current provider, if and only if Verizon offered ...

This is the third in a series of posts that explain the need to properly secure your home computer and that provide recommendations to do so. My post on Basic home computer security presents non-technical recommendations that you can follow to enhance the security of your computer. Those recommendations focus on altering behavior that attackers ...

This is the second in a series of posts that explain the need to properly secure your home computer and that provide recommendations to do so. This post does not assume that you have a technical background. Each recommendation presented can be followed without learning any new technical skills. My post on Intermediate home computer ...

Why would anyone want to attack my computer? Amateur attackers usually write and release viruses for their own amusement or to impress others. Viruses written by amateurs often behave in ways that make it apparent to the victims that their computers have been infected. Files may be deleted or moved. Images may be displayed. The ...