Finding Copyright Free Images on the Web

 

Where Do I Get the Images I use? Last week I did a training session and mentioned to the participants that there were places on the web where you could get copyright free images to use on flyers. Since I was talking about that I decided to look up some of the websites that I use and make a list that I could give them. Wow!! What a surprise! There are LOTS of places to get beautiful copyright free images on the Internet. It used to be that there were only a few and they were hard to find. Most images were from sites only had copyrighted images and charged by the picture, or you could subscribe to the site that provided them. Now there are quite a few places to find images that are shared. I even wrote one of them asking how they made money when they were providing all of the pictures for free. They said that people donated images. The people who donated the images got notoriety by getting their pictures online and shared There is always a link where you can Paypal directly to the artist. The site made income from having links to Stock Photography Websites which were paid money to be included! The photo above is from Pexels and is by Andy Vu. Here is a list of the sites that I found! Copyright Free Image Sources Wikimedia Commons- Like Wikipedia a collection of images that are free to use. Some very beautiful images. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Main_Page Flickr Commons-Images taken by people who are willing to share them https://www.flickr.com/ Google Images – search and then choose TOOLS-USAGE RIGHTS to set it to images that are free to use. Free Range – Requires registration https://freerangestock.com/ Unsplash https://unsplash.com/ Pexels https://www.pexels.com/ The Life of Pix https://www.lifeofpix.com/ Stock Snap https://stocksnap.io/ Pixabay https://pixabay.com/

The Best Ways to Secure Your PC

Thanks to The Tech Fools for the article about Macs which I followed and translated into an article for PCs.

The Best Ways to Secure your PC Last week I sent you an article on the best ways to secure your Mac. I have had a request for the best ways to secure your PC. I know that most of you who get this newsletter use a PC. I hope this is helpful. Here are some of the risks PC users face: ● Phishing Phishing is common across all operating software and is an attempt by hackers to steal your confidential information. This is because phishing scams do not target operating systems (Windows or Mac) but the users. Phishing scams fall into social engineering types of scams. They usually come in the form of links or email attachments. The message in the email is designed to manipulate your emotions and force you to act. Often these emails make you feel worried that your bank is overdrawn or that you have ordered something online and you cannot remember doing it. They also can make you feel lucky like maybe you won some sort amount of money and you just need to claim it. Once you click on the link or download the attachment, you are redirected to a fake website that solicits your info, such as password and bank details. Really watch out for these because they often have the correct logo or look like the real thing. If you feel worried or doubtful be sure not to click and instead call your bank or Amazon or whoever for information first. Most companies are aware of this and do NOT use email for important things like this. Malware Malware is software that can do damaging things to your computer. You may notice that all of a sudden you have a lot of pop up ads even when you are not on the Internet. Also, your computer might be running very slowly all of a sudden. Sometimes it comes from software that you have downloaded from the Internet. Most of the time it comes to your machine because you clicked on something in your email that automatically downloaded the software to your computer. This happens in the background, so you don’t notice it. It is highly recommended that you keep an up to date copy of Malwarebytes Software on your computer. ● Man in the Middle Attacks Man-in-the-Middle attacks happen when you are browsing on unsecured connections like public Wi-Fi. It is really important to always be aware that public Wi-Fi can allow others to access your computer. The hacker intercepts your communication with another person and alters or modifies your messages. You will think you are communicating with someone, yet you are both communicating with the hacker. How to stay safe 1. Install a VPN VPN means Virtual Private Network. When you are home anyone who uses your network must put in a password. When you have a VPN set up you have your own network with a password wherever you use your computer. Even in public spaces people cannot get into your computer. This makes you completely anonymous while online. A VPN also encrypts your communication and protects you from various attacks such as man-in-the-middle attacks. 2. Keep your PC and Programs updated. When developers roll out software updates, they patch up security vulnerabilities in the previous versions. If you do not update your Operating System, (https://support.apple.com/en-ke/HT201541) the hackers already know which security loopholes to use. Set up your Operating System to auto-update every time there is an update. Even though we have had Windows 10 for several years they are regularly coming up with updates that improve how it works. 3. Use a PC Anti-virus software There are numerous anti-virus software in the market. Windows 10 has its own security built in and for many people that is sufficient. Just to be sure though I always recommend that installing a known Virus Protection program like Norton or McAfee. This article from PC Magazine has detailed information on which of the Virus Protection programs is the best. https://www.pcmag.com/picks/the-best-antivirus-protection Conclusion Many of the things that were in the article on Macs apply equally to PCs. The weakest link is always the user. If you do not use good passwords, think about what you are clicking on twice before doing it, or allow anything on the computer to motivate you to fear or doing things you are not sure about you are in danger of getting a virus! Be careful and confident of yourself and you and your computer will be fine!

The Best Ways to Secure Your Mac

Thanks to The Tech Fools for this article. I highly recommend their website!

The macOS has a reputation as one of two very secure operating systems, the other one being Linux. This is true to a certain extent, but no operating system can call itself 100% invulnerable. However, due to its high level of security, more people are turning to macOS. Unfortunately, with popularity comes risks. Despite all the security efforts by Apple, the amount and sophistication of risks are growing. 

Here are some of the risks macOS users face: 

• Phishing Phishing is common across all operating software and is an attempt by hackers to steal your confidential information. This is because phishing scams do not target operating systems (Windows or Mac) but the users. Phishing scams fall into social engineering types of scams. They usually come in the form of links or email attachments. The message in the email is designed to manipulate your emotions and force you to act. Often these emails make you feel worried that your bank is overdrawn or that you have ordered something online and you cannot remember doing it. They also can make you feel lucky like maybe you won some sort amount of money and you just need to claim it. Once you click on the link or download the attachment, you are redirected to a fake website that solicits your info, such as password and bank details. Really watch out for these because they often have the correct logo or look like the real thing. If you feel worried or doubtful be sure not to click and instead call your bank or Amazon or whoever for information first. Most companies are aware of this and do NOT use email for important things like this.
• Malware MacOS does not allow its users to download any third-party apps or programs. However, that does not mean there is no malware or malicious software that attacks macOS. According to statistics, most of the US attacks were Trojans such as the Shlayer and Adware, which primarily target users with adverts.
• Man in the Middle Attacks Man-in-the-Middle attacks happen when you are browsing on unsecured connections like public Wi-Fi. The hacker intercepts your communication with another person and alters or modifies your messages. You will think you are communicating with someone, yet you are both communicating with the hacker. 

How to stay safe 

1. Install a VPN A VPN is like having your computer connected to a private network that only you can access. When you are home that is true anyway, but a Virtual Private Network sets up your computer to work like that anywhere. Use a Mac VPN to hide your IP address and prevent hackers from tracing your connection and actual location. This makes you completely anonymous while online. A VPN also encrypts your communication and protects you from various attacks such as man-in-the-middle attacks. 
2. Keep your macOS and Programs updated. When developers roll out software updates, they patch up security vulnerabilities in the previous versions. If you do not update your OS, the hackers already know which security loopholes to use. Set up your OS to auto-update every time there is an update. 
3. Use a Mac Anti-virus software There are numerous anti-virus software in the market, but few are suitable for software specifically targeting macOS. Apple’s inbuilt security features cannot do the job sufficiently, so you need to boost your security. Conclusion Most Mac users wrongly assume their devices are 100% foolproof. Hackers have become increasingly sophisticated and are designing macOS-specific malware. It is highly recommended you boost your Mac’s security to protect your data from theft.