I get a cell phone call about once or twice a month from a blocked number...a man who says he is from "Windows technical support."  It sounds like the call is coming from a loud international call center.

I always stop him at that point:  I am not sure what scam he is part of but I know that Microsoft is definitely NOT calling me for unrequested tech support.  From my quick online research, this is happening to lots of other people...and some of them (remember my 94-year old grandmother....people like her!) are apparently granting them online access to their computes.  Even Consumer Reports mentioned this scam.  Don't fall for it.  Don't give anyone remote access to your computer!

Unexpected bill:  Another area where I see lots of smart people getting confused...about their domain registration. 

When you first registered your domain (also called your URL, your web address) with an official registrar like GoDaddy or Network Solutions.  You should have kept a record of which company you used and your user name and password.  You are vulnerable if you don't know---companies go find out when your domain is due to expire and they send you a letter, a bill or an email for renewal, or maybe for search engine optimization---but you've never done business with this company.  You should stay on top of this.  If you have forgotten, look up your own domain on www.whois.com and you'll see the name of your registrar. 

Protect yourself from hackers:  I received an email from a family member this week telling me that he'd had his email hacked and was changing his account...in the same week that I heard horror stories about several website failures due to malicious hacking.  What can you do to protect yourself?  The first and best thing you can do with all of your online accounts is to have a strong password.  Not "password."   Here is a link to Microsoft's best practices tips for creating a strong password.

Of course, you also should have a secure, password-protected wireless network, virus protection and a spam filter for your email. Synch your phone with your computer and BACK EVERYTHING UP.  (I like Carbonite).

Remember the web is still a wild frontier and protect your data and personal information!