I was trying to buy a plane ticket online and bumped into something called the DHS TRIP. I once had some problems at airport security when the TSA people found a match for my name on one of their watch lists, and understand it's a way for me to avoid that problem in the future, but can you explain how it works, Dave?...

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The tech gossip blog TechCrunch had a hacker send them confidential business documents from Twitter, obtained by a European-based hacker who had broken into their servers. Not so good. How did he do it, though, and is there any risk of my Twitter account being compromised?...

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As a contributing author to a weblog about South Africa's upcoming World Cup 2010 (see The South Africa Project) I was rather surprised the other day when I went to log in to our Wordpress blog, just to see the following warning in my Web browser: What does it mean? How can we get this sort of warning from our own site, without ever opening up anything or getting any indication that we'd be hacked...

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I've been reading all of your extensive iPhone help on the site and found it a great boon to learning how to do things. I can't find any info on how to set up my phone to require a code be entered before it'll unlock, however. Do you have information on how to lock an Apple iPhone?...

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I read your explanation of how to password protect individual files or folders on a Mac (see How to encrypt folders on your Mac), but is there a way to do that easily in Windows? Thanks!...

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I need to send in my laptop Apple for repair. They asked for my password but I don't want to give it to them because that password is also the password for some of my file on my computer. What should I do?...

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A friend showed me how she can recover deleted files on her Mac OS X system using some utility or the other and it got me to thinking... how do I delete files on my own Mac so that she - or anyone else - can't recover them later?...

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I have a spreadsheet that I created a while back with both an open and modify password but now want to share it with someone without a password blocking access. How do I turn off the password protection in Microsoft Excel for Mac?...

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I got an email from eBay saying that there was a dispute over non-payment of an auction I'd won and I know I paid it, so it's very weird. When I clicked on the "dispute" link, though, instead of going to eBay, I got a big screen saying "Reported Web Forgery!" So has someone hacked eBay, or what??...

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Help! My friend lost his Google Gmail password because he used a password generator on his Mac, but when he copied the generated password to the clipboard, it didnt really copy. Then he closed the password box and effectively lost that new password for his Gmail. He tried filling out the Gmail technical support form to get access again but they said the info he gave them was "inconclusive" and they couldn't give him access...

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I thought I had turned off the "guest" account on Leopard, but was then darn surprised when a friend showed me that when he looked at the Network in our office my computer showed up. Worse, he could poke around on my file system as Guest!...

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My sister and I share a Mac computer and I'm tired of her looking at my files. Is there some way I can protect or hide my folders without downloading any software she'd notice?...

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After reading about the Gizmodo bloggers wandering CES and flicking off TVs left and right, my company is paranoid someone will do a similar stunt to our displays in our Macworld exhibit booth. That'd would be a huge problem. Short of duct tape, is there some way to prevent this problem?...

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Are you paranoid about the security of your data, and finding that the software-based solutions out there really aren't as seamless and transparent as you'd hope? Whether you're working for the Department of Homeland Security or lead programmer for a hot startup, there are good reasons for you to be aware of - and perhaps even paranoid - about your data security. Add the complication of a laptop and now things get even more tricky,...

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My parents are always checking up on what Web sites I visit and it's getting really old. Is there some way to have Firefox hide where I go so they can't keep tab on me?...

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I keep getting errors about not being able to establish a secure connection with my mail server in Entourage because of a bad root certificate. My ISP has sent me the necessary "trusted root certificate" file, but I have no idea how to install it. Help!...

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I know this is an old issue and I hope I'm not violating any blogging "netiquette" rules, but on the security issue you brought up on your business blog, isn't it feasible to just go into your network connection properties and unselect "File and Printer Sharing on Microsoft Networks" when you are connected to a hotel or cafe network? This should stop anyone from seeing your files, correct? Since I have a password protected Administrator...

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I have just set up a wireless connection at home - whenever I log on it says that the connection is unsecure - how do I secure it? I have a new Toshiba Laptop and a Phillips Router. I saw something about a WEP key....where do I enter this?...

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When traveling from home base & I am in a "wirless zone", like the Santa Fe airport, where access is free or visiting a residence that has a wireless system, I am always able to access the wireless to receive messages or use the internet, yet I am UNABLE TO SEND emails. I have talked to Apple & our web host, Crystaltech - but to no avail. Apple says that Crystaltech should support that function...

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I am a proud user of Windows XP. Not quite as cool as Linux, but hey, it's a family computer, and Windows is more widely used. Thus far I've only had one problem with it, my son put a password on the screensaver! Which doesn't bother me, because I know how to turn it off. My question to you is, how do I CHANGE that password? Because when I open control panel and click the...

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