1.   For crying out loud – how often do we have to say it . . . never respond to one of those threatening pop-ups that demand you give your credit card information to buy a utility that will rescue your computer from some dreaded virus!  This is invariably some version of a scam that is still victimizing an increasing number of clients, who are then calling us, after the damage is done.  In addition to the obvious high risk of divulging your credit details to these shady operators, the fact is that the software they are selling will do nothing except to cause even greater damage.  Instead:
: Become familiar with the settings and workings of your own day-to-day automatic virus protection utility, so that you know that it is updating itself regularly.  This also means that you will recognize it if it legitimately reports a threat, and then know how to deal with it safely.
: Install Malwarebytes (free version) as a backup, so that you can run it manually if a virus fools your automatic protection.

2.   If you are traveling, don’t make John’s mistake of relying on a brand new device for communication on the road.  I thought I had taken adequate time in advance to master my shiny new iPad and it would do the job for a recent trip.  In the end, the combination of a slow device, slow Internet service and a slow owner, resulted in ridiculous expense and frustration.  Not only was the iPad the wrong machine for me to rely on, but also I had obviously seriously misjudged my level of expertise with it.   Far from home is also not a good place to discover that a new device isn’t working properly.

3.   Another travel tip is to use Skype (or a Voice-over-Internet competitor) to save yourself long distance or roaming charges.  Skype is entirely free if you talk from computer to computer, but Skypeout is a related service that allows you to call from your computer to regular telephones.  Skypeout rates are extremely reasonable, allowing you to call almost anywhere in the world, usually for less than 5 cents per minute.  Take a moment to install the Skype software and create an account (totally free) before you leave home, so that you can use both Skype and Skypeout from WiFi hotspots on the road.