Does your family have a password?
The holidays are here and unfortunately so are the hackers. Hackers have many tools available to them to deceive even the smartest tech savvy person.
Hackers sometimes use tools to help them create deep fake videos and voice emulation. With just a small voice sample, a hacker can accurately simulate the voice of anyone – including your friends and family.
The Hackers contact you and ask for money or bank account information for a variety of reasons. Many of the reasons are extreme emergency situations such as an accident or being arrested.
Does your family have a verbal password? A verbal secret password is a great way to verify if a member of your family or friend needs assistance.
Thus is a low tech way of making sure you do not get scammed!
And don’t forget, it is a secret.
Cyber Monday is here!
Cyber Monday started in 2005 as an online way to shop. Black Friday was made for brick and mortar physical stores and cyber Monday is online.
Make sure you are safe when shopping online. Choose reputable companies. The cool thing is you can shop online and pick up in stores. Some stores will even bring the items to the store.
Have fun shopping and be sure to check multiple sites to get the best deal!
Don’t forget to pick up something technical 🙂. We are!!
Tech Tip!
If there is a company you use often, save their customer service number as a contact in your mobile device. It will help you contact them easier in the future. 
Often when we start our business, the first few items on the agenda deal with building our brand. Tasks include building a website, choosing the business colors, and creating custom graphics, especially logos.
A quick tip we suggest is when you have your graphic assets created, especially your business logo request all versions of that logo. By versions, we mean web-ready extension types such as .jpeg and .png. We suggest the original file, Photoshop (.psd) or Illustrator (.ai). If you need to update the logo, doing it in the original file is far more accessible.
One of the most essential graphics files you should request is one with a transparent background. Transparent backgrounds are significant! A transparent background is one where when your logo or graphic is used on any color background, the illustration shows seamlessly on the page.
Have you ever tried to use a graphic on a page with a colored background such as red and you see the picture but is surrounded by white? I chose white because that is the background most people use. Have you tried to add a logo to a flyer with a colored background and you view the same situation? A transparent background will allow you to use the primary graphic or logo on your marketing without dealing with the background.
A good indicator of a graphic on a transparent background is that the background looks like the graphic for this blog post 😊.
If you decide to create your own graphics or logo be sure to indicator in the application you want a transparent background. This is typically done at the beginning of the creation process when the software application asks what type of background you desire.
If you have the originally created file, you can open it in the native application and make the background transparent.
If you need assistance with custom website design, logos, or mobile apps, allow On Your Side Technologies to assist you. At On Your Side Technologies, we make technology our life so you don’t have to make it yours!
Artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming increasingly sophisticated, and this is being used by scammers in new and innovative ways. AI scams are on the rise, and it’s important to be aware of how they work so you can protect yourself.
One common type of AI scam is the chatbot scam. In this type of scam, a scammer will create a chatbot that looks like it’s from a legitimate company. The chatbot will then contact you and try to get you to provide personal information or financial information.
Another type of AI scam is the deepfake scam. In this type of scam, a scammer will use AI to create a fake video or audio recording of someone you trust. The fake recording will then be used to try to get you to do something, such as send money or provide personal information.
AI scams are becoming more sophisticated all the time, so it’s important to be aware of the risks. Here are some tips to help you protect yourself from AI scams:
- Be wary of any unsolicited contact from someone you don’t know.
- Don’t provide personal information or financial information to anyone you don’t trust.
- Be suspicious of any offer that sounds too good to be true.
- Use a strong password and keep it safe.
- Keep your software up to date.
- Be aware of the latest scams.
If you think you’ve been a victim of an AI scam, you should report it to the appropriate authorities. You can also contact the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at ftc.gov/complaint.
By being aware of the risks and taking steps to protect yourself, you can help to avoid becoming a victim of an AI scam.
