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Mobile Data and How Excessive Ads Are Costing You Money

Do you find it annoying to run out of mobile data or get charged an outrageous amount for exceeding your monthly allowance? You may not realize it, but an ad blocker could prevent this from happening on your smartphone.

Most people are unaware of the impact of ads on the performance of their devices. Ads, especially pop-ups containing various types of multimedia content, use your mobile data to load. We are seeing an increasing number of ads on webpages and apps when using our mobile devices, so this problem is becoming more alarming. Every time one of these ads loads, it uses our mobile data, and the amount of data drained is dependent on the length of the ad and the size of the file. For example, a video ad would use more of your data.

These advertisements can have a substantial cumulative impact over time and hasten the rate at which we use up our mobile data quota. This can become a problem if you have limited data on your mobile plan and are billed absurd amounts for extra data.

Many of us now consider mobile data to be necessary to stay connected and informed, so it is important to protect our allowance and not be charged excessive amounts. An ad blocker may be a solution, which works by either removing ad containers or preventing them from loading completely. This could effectively reduce the amount of data you consume in a month and, more importantly, reduce unnecessary overcharges.

10 Tips to Speed Up Your Smartphone

Are you having a hard time waiting for your smartphone to catch up? We’ve all experienced the gradual slowing down of our phones. Have you tried any of these top 10 tips to make your phone faster?

  • Digital Declutter: Use software to tune up your system, which can find and remove duplicate files and photos to clear up space.
  • Uninstall Applications: Remove apps that you don’t use anymore or that are unwanted.
  • Update Your Phone: Ensure you are using the latest operating system version.
  • Clear Browser Data: Doing this regularly will ensure your phone works smoother.
  • Remove Unwanted Music, Films, and TV Shows: These take up a large portion of your storage and aren’t worth keeping if they are no longer required.
  • Consider Battery Replacement: If you want to keep your smartphone going for longer, ensure you have an efficient battery.
  • Ad Blockers: Use one to disable unwanted, annoying ads which drain battery from loading multimedia content.
  • Clear Cache: Of individual apps, as over time your device stores data (cache) which is normally unnecessary to keep.
  • Delete Text Messages: These clog up your device’s storage and drain data.
  • Have a Clean Home Screen: When your phone has a small RAM, loading various live photos and widgets on your home screen, and updates in the background are probably having an effect on your battery life.

Malicious Links and How To Avoid Them

Malicious links continue to pose a serious danger to online security despite advancements in cybersecurity technology. Cybercriminals use these links to fool users into clicking on them and redirect them to harmful websites, steal sensitive information, install malware, and conduct other forms of attacks.

Your most effective way to tackle malicious links and the various problems they cause is to download antivirus software. An effective antivirus will perform more than just virus removal; it will also operate automated URL checks and immediately block any links that could be detrimental to your device. There are settings as part of popular antivirus software, such as TotalAV, that enable blocking “Low Trust” websites, such as those with poor reputation, using unethical and deceptive methods to coerce you into giving up money or personal information. There’s also a special feature that allows you to block “Cryptomining URLs,” which can use your device to mine cryptographic coins, utilizing more of your device’s energy and diminishing its resources.

You can further avoid malicious links by following a few easy steps:

  • Check Site Security: Make sure the website you’re visiting has an “https” and a little padlock icon in the search bar. For extra protection, check the provided SSL certificate by clicking on the padlock and ensuring it states “extended validation” – this ensures the website is legitimate.
  • Be Vigilant with Emails: Hackers frequently email false URLs. Simply don’t click on the link. Hacking emails are becoming increasingly sophisticated and are beginning to look more and more realistic, taking you to a site that can look nearly identical to the one they are replicating; whether it be your bank, social networking sites or a random person pretending to be your friend. Simply enter the relevant web address into your browser to securely access your account, and check for contact.
  • Avoid Pop-Ups: Perhaps install an ad blocker to eliminate pop-ups which pose as components of a website that could potentially be legitimate. Clicking on these pop-ups can redirect you to unsafe websites or download malware to your device.

If you want to avoid becoming a victim of malicious attacks, you should invest in cutting-edge antivirus software and stay informed about phishing attempts.

Password Managers: What are they and why do you need one?

Does Password123 look familiar? A recent study by the NCSC uncovers how millions of people still rely on passwords including their pets’ names, football teams, and simply the word “Password”! Yet, this leaves you vulnerable to attack. Weak passwords may be cracked quickly by fraudsters using automated methods, with length and complexity becoming far more important factors to strengthen your password. Some hackers use automated tools, which can guess multiple passwords per second.

Use complex, lengthy passwords and never forget one again with a Password Manager. The Password Manager will take care of remembering these passwords for you, so they could be a completely random selection of letters and numbers, which are encrypted and not accessible without the master password.

Here’s how they work: simply create a master password, which needs to be strong, over 12 characters, and unique. Install the browser extension, which allows for ease of autofill login credentials. Begin adding your passwords. Some cool software, such as Total Password, allows you to import your passwords already saved on Google Chrome. Ensure you set up two-factor authentication for additional security.

By using the Password Manager to generate and store strong passwords, there is less chance of someone either guessing or hacking into your accounts. It allows you to use unique passwords for hundreds of different online credentials, preventing password reuse. If one account is compromised and the same credentials are used across multiple accounts, this puts even more data at high risk.

The benefits don’t stop there. Notice the time-saving and convenience of a vault to remember everything for you and generate new passwords in a safe and secure way: an upgrade from your existing password notebook.

5 Clever Ways to Speed Up Your Browsing

Whether we’re pressed for time or trying to complete a task quickly, slow browsing can be immensely annoying. However, there are several smart techniques to speed up your browsing and enhance your overall experience. This post includes five suggestions to speed up browsing and make the most of your internet connection.

  • Clear Your Cache: Your cache may become overloaded over time, slowing down your browsing.
  • Clear Your Cookies: Lots of cookie files can build up and negatively affect your browser’s performance.
  • Use an Ad Blocker: Ads can be a major cause of slow browsing, as they can slow down page loading times and take up valuable bandwidth.
  • Update Your Browser: Updated versions of your browser are more efficient.
  • Close Unnecessary Tabs: Tabs running in the background will slow down your browser.

These recommendations can ensure you’re not wasting your time, as a quick browser can ease your frustration and anxiety.

Dark Web: What Information Could Someone Find About You?

Did you know about the portion of the internet that is hidden and inaccessible using standard search engines or web browsers, known as the “dark web”? It is known for being an underground network hub of criminal activity, where individuals can buy and sell illegal goods and services, such as drugs, weapons, and, more importantly, stolen data. If your personal information has been exposed in a data breach or through other means, it could end up being traded on the dark web. Below are some examples of the most common data that gets traded on the dark web:

Personal Information: including your name, address, phone number, email, and other contact information. This can be bought to use for identity theft and phishing scams.

Financial Information: credit card numbers, bank account information, and sort code numbers, which can be bought to perform fraudulent purchases or steal money. Your credit card information can be sold for as little as $10 when there are low security measures in place.

Login Credentials: including passwords to give unauthorized access to your accounts and steal your data. That’s why a Password Vault is a good idea – to store them away from prying eyes.

Health Information & Social Security Number: both valuable to hackers who want to perform identity theft or insurance fraud.

What is an Ad Blocker and How Does It Work?

If you want a more pleasant, secure, and efficient browsing experience that is faster and cleaner, you should consider an ad blocker. An ad blocker is a piece of software that filters out online advertisements on web pages as they load in your browser. Recent advances have allowed this technology to extend to mobile devices, where ads can now be blocked while playing games and watching videos.

Ad blockers use different methods to determine which content to block, including analyzing the HTML/CSS structure of a page to detect ad containers, blacklists of known ad domains, or using machine learning algorithms to recognize patterns in ad content. When an ad is identified, the ad blocker can either remove the ad container so the user cannot see it, or prevent the ad from loading completely.

Ads can be intrusive, slow down the loading of web pages, and consume a lot of data, so there are endless benefits to using an ad blocker. Ads appear to be harmless and just annoying, but most people don’t realize that they likely contain tracking scripts, cookies, and malware, compromising your security and privacy. Ad blockers eliminate this risk by preventing malicious ads from loading and blocking tracking cookies to keep you safe.

You can also enjoy a faster browsing experience from the removal of digital clutter, and reduce data usage by blocking unwanted multimedia content. An ad blocker can reduce the amount of data that needs to be downloaded. Overall, this will contribute to an improved device performance, including surprising factors such as reducing the strain on your device’s precious battery life. Some ads use techniques such as auto-play videos or animations, which can drain battery life quickly. By blocking these ads, an ad blocker can prevent these power-hungry elements from running in the background and consuming your device’s resources.

Security Benefits of Antivirus Software

Take control of your digital world and keep yourself protected against harmful malware and viruses with trustworthy antivirus software.

Educate yourself on the benefits of downloading antivirus software and ensure your computer is always protected effortlessly against the latest threats:

  1. Real-Time Security: Allow antivirus software to run in the background and monitor all incoming and outgoing data to ensure potential threats are tackled in real-time. Antivirus software can catch harmful malware before it has the chance to infect your computer and data.
  2. Malware Protection: Antivirus is designed to find and eliminate several kinds of malware, including viruses, Trojan horses, worms, ransomware, and spyware, before they can do damage to your computer. These types of malware are capable of causing data loss and theft and damaging your computer’s operating system if not dealt with properly.
  3. Web Protection: Many AV software programs include features that can block websites that are known to be malicious or fraudulent. These types of websites can trick you into downloading malware or entering personal information for their benefit, and with the right antivirus, these websites will no longer be a worry.
  4. Email Protection: Similarly, antivirus can scan incoming and outgoing emails for harmful attachments or malicious links and prevent you from downloading malware to your device.

The protection doesn’t stop there. Most antiviruses allow you to adopt a comprehensive approach and protect more than just your computer. TotalAV is a great example of this, offering multi-device compatibility to ensure you can protect your phones, tablets, or even your family and friends’ devices.

Why do people use a VPN?

If you’re someone who values your online privacy and security, you may have heard of a VPN, or virtual private network. In a nutshell, a VPN provides an encrypted server, keeping your data private. In this article, we’ll explore the top reasons why people use VPNs and why you might want to consider using one too.

  • Protect Your Online Privacy

With a VPN, your internet traffic is encrypted, making it much harder for others to snoop on your online activity. Normally, when you connect to the internet, your online activity can be tracked by your Internet Service Provider (ISP), the government, and even the web pages you are on. This can lead to targeted ads, data breaches, and identity theft.

  • Secure Your Data

Using a VPN can also help protect your data from cyber criminals who may be trying to steal your personal information, such as passwords, credit card numbers, and other sensitive data. When you connect to a VPN, all of your data is encrypted and protected from prying eyes.

  • Stay Safe on Public Wi-Fi

Public Wi-Fi networks are notoriously unsecure, making them a prime target for cyber criminals. When you connect to a public Wi-Fi network without a VPN, you’re putting your personal information at risk. But with a VPN, you can encrypt your data and stay safe on even the most unsecure public Wi-Fi networks.

  • Work Remotely

In today’s world, an increasing number of people are working remotely. If this is you and you need to access delicate company resources away from the office, you can securely connect to your company’s network from anywhere in the world without putting sensitive data at risk.

  • Bypass Geo-Restrictions

Have you ever tried to access a website or online service, only to find that it’s not available in your region? With a VPN, you can bypass these geo-restrictions and access content from anywhere in the world. This is especially useful for people traveling who want to access their favorite streaming services or social media sites from abroad.

Take control of your digital footprint and consider investing in a VPN today.

iPhone Users Can Finally Turn Off All Annoying Ads & Get Faster Web Browsing…

The “Must Have” iPhone App of 2022 has just been updated, and it’s really setting the benchmark!

If you’re an iPhone user, and fed up of seeing constant ads, then this could be one of the most useful articles you will read this year.

iPhone users across the U.S are in a hurry to get a new app that will instantly remove annoying ads and pop-ups.

What effect do ads & pop-ups have on your iPhone?…

– Ads can consume an additional 80% extra data per page load; eating into your data allowance

– Pages load up to 4x faster when ads are prevented from loading

– Accidentally tapping on malicious ads/pop-ups can expose you to scams & theft

– Youtube ads can interrupt your viewing experience

– Advertisers can be tracking you between sites

The reality is mobile ads are getting worse. More intrusive, more annoying and more harmful.

The good news is, there is finally an iPhone app which blocks all ads to speed up your browsing by up to 400%.

Total Adblock makes your browsing faster, stops all annoying ads and removes any advertising tracking.

This will save you money on data usage as well as speeding up your web browsing.

Online scams and phishing sites are massively on the rise, Total Adblock will also help you to stay protected by not allowing scam adverts to show.

You can now start to enjoy video streaming sites like YouTube with no ads, so you will never have to wait for an irrelevant ad to finish again.

Millions of iPhone users across the U.S are now in a hurry to get this incredible app whilst they can at a special introductory price; less than a cup of coffee!