Internet and Web

David wants to know if he can use a VPN on his tablet. Leo says that TunnelBear is a good one to look at. Leo uses Hotspot VPN with a hardware dongle called the Tiny Hardware Firewall that he can plug into the tablet and it creates a Wi-Fi access point that he surfs through. It's secure and easy to use.

Paul is wondering if the Eero router would give him greater security with his network based security cameras. Leo says that the most vulnerable items are those that are part of the so-called "internet of things" category because they are rarely updated for security. So if they get hacked, not only will the hackers have access to the cameras, but also the entire network. The Eero router has far greater security, because it's designed with internet of things devices in mind. But Leo says that we can also help by not buying devices that aren't updatable.

Steve would like to have access to his email from another device. Leo says he'll want to make sure his email client is set to IMAP, if his provider supports it. Then he can leave the email on the server when he reads it from his device. He should also make sure his port settings are properly configured. Leo also recommends setting up his own Gmail account, and then have it go get his email from Cox. Then he can have it on the Gmail server, which is accessible everywhere. It's also better for spam.

Alan wants to know if an antivirus utility is any good anymore for malware. How about on a mobile device? Leo says that all too often, an antivirus leaves people more vulnerable because most malware is a zero day exploit. Antivirus can't stop users from themselves, either. All antivirus utilities have to hook themselves into the OS at a very low level and the virus can actually use that as a door to more exploits. So at the end of the day, an antivirus really is only of limited benefit.