How-To Guides Security & Privacy
The first instinct when something feels off — weird login alerts, friends getting strange emails from you, your computer suddenly slow — is to panic. Don’t. The right response is calm, ordered, and quick.
Here’s the sequence we walk customers through.
1. Disconnect the suspect device from the internet
If you think a specific computer or phone has been compromised, the first move is to take it offline. Turn off WiFi, unplug the Ethernet cable. This stops any active malware from sending data out or downloading more. It buys you time without erasing anything.
Don’t turn the device off completely — we may want to see what’s running.
2. Change your most important passwords from a different device
From a phone or computer you trust (not the suspect one), change passwords for, in this order:
- Email accounts — whoever has your email can reset everything else
- Banking and financial accounts
- Cloud storage (iCloud, Google Drive, Dropbox)
- Work systems if you use the device for work
- Social media
For each: change the password AND turn on two-factor authentication if it isn’t already on. Two-factor is the single biggest thing standing between an attacker and your account.
3. Check what was accessed
Most major services keep a log of recent logins:
- Google: myaccount.google.com → Security → Recent security activity
- Apple: Settings → your name → Sign-In & Security
- Microsoft: account.microsoft.com → Security → Sign-in activity
- Banks: usually under “Account Activity” or “Login History”
Look for logins from places you’ve never been, devices you don’t recognize, times you weren’t using the account. Sign out of all sessions if the option is available.
4. Tell anyone who might be affected
If your email account was compromised, the attacker may have already sent fake messages to your contacts asking for money, gift cards, or login info. A quick text or call to family, your accountant, your team — “if you got a weird message from me, ignore it” — prevents follow-on damage.
5. Get the device cleaned (or replaced)
Once your accounts are secure, deal with the actual machine. The right cleanup depends on what happened:
- Phishing only (you clicked a bad link, entered your password): usually no malware on the device. Cleaning passwords is enough.
- Malware suspected: needs a thorough scan and removal. Remote support handles most of these in under an hour.
- Ransomware (files encrypted, demand for payment): don’t pay. Disconnect, call us. We’ll assess what’s recoverable.
- Bank/identity theft: file a report with the FTC at identitytheft.gov, place a fraud alert with credit bureaus, monitor accounts closely for 90 days.
Tools worth considering going forward
Once the immediate cleanup is done, two tools we recommend for everyday digital safety:
- A password manager — 1Password, Bitwarden, or similar. Generates and stores unique strong passwords for every site so a breach in one doesn’t cascade.
- A reputable VPN — especially if you connect from coffee shops, hotels, or any public WiFi. We use Private Internet Access (PIA) ourselves — runs around $40–$80/year, works on phones and computers. (Affiliate link — if you sign up through it, PIA pays us a small commission. We link it because we use it.)
Neither of these prevents every attack — but they meaningfully shrink the surface where things go wrong.
If you’re not sure what happened
Call us. Even just to talk through what you’re seeing. We’ll help you figure out what’s real, what’s a precaution, and what (if anything) needs hands-on attention.