Look, your credit score is important in every phase of your life. It can dictate how much you pay in interest on credit, what car you drive, what apt you rent or house you buy. It’s a big deal and you know it. Yet, yet! All you do is “keep an eye on it” and get a rough idea on how it is rising or falling once a year or so when you may run your credit for some purchase or loan. That’s not keeping an eye on anything, that’s just sitting back and hoping for the best. It’s time to get proactive about your credit score, and it only takes two steps: Check your score today, then freeze your credit. Let’s discuss:

Check your credit score

This part is the easiest – 10 minutes max. Discover has rolled out Credit Scorecard, a free online service that enables everyone to check their FICO® Credit Score for free. You don’t even have to be a Discover customer. I’m not, but when I heard about this service I wanted to check it out. Log on, give your credit details, and boom – instant credit score. Credit Scorecard is also a “soft pull” of your FICO® Credit Score, meaning it will not impact your credit score in any way. This is just a free tool that is seriously useful for protecting your credit and knowing what’s up with this uber-important metric in your life.

Freeze your credit

Did you know it was possible to freeze your credit report? To stop new lines of credit from being opened in your name while still being able to use your credit card or pay your loans? I sure didn’t, until one of my three Facebook friends who doesn’t post about his kids/dog mentioned it. Then I went ahead and froze it so I could tell you how to do it. Simply go online to any credit reporting agency websites and navigate around till you find “Credit Freeze” or “Security Freeze.” It prevents ne’er-do-wells who have stolen your identity from actually opening new lines of credit in your name. This means they can’t open new credit cards, make new loans, or open any accounts until your credit is unfrozen. PS, you should still monitor your bank accounts or credit card accounts as fraudulent transactions can still occur. Your credit score continues to improve (or worsen), but no new liabilities can be accrued. When you actually need a new loan, simply find out what credit agency the bank or firm is using and unfreeze in about 10 minutes. Easy!

I feel so much better now that I’ve done this, and the whole process took me about 45 minutes. Now I’m aware of my current credit score, and have confidence that it is secure until I need it. Who needs 3 steps when you can have just 2 to financial security!

Now go do it.

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The post Two Easy Steps to Protect Your Credit appeared first on FactoryTwoFour.

This morning, we found out that there was a breach of over 5 million Gmail accounts, all hosted in a plain text file on Russian hacker forums.  Naturally, we wanted to see what the data was like, and there it was, plain as day for everyone to see.  We started to look up our various accounts, and out of my whole team, I was the only one to appear.  Right in front of me, on a list with 5 million other people, was my information.  My heart sank a little, followed by the sort of nervous laugh I get at times all while I played through the major steps I had taken to protect myself prior, and what I needed to go change.  Luckily, at the beginning of the year, I did my own security update and implemented two-factor authentication across all my major accounts, changed my standard passwords, and updated my security settings.  And there is no reason we shouldn’t all go back and just do a quick audit to make sure.  In this case, there are two major steps I took to ensure my security online with this breach; changing my passwords and making certain that I have two-factor authentication turned on.

Change your passwords:  Every three months is the average for a company for changing of passwords, often not allowing you to repeat for at least 10 passwords.  This may be an annoyance, but with breaches like this occurring on a daily basis, it’s a necessary step that you should be following at home as well.  It’s no longer simply about someone figuring your password out, but rather the idea that any level of breach can grab your standard password and e-mail address, and attempt it across multiple channels until success is found.  Changing your password removes this ability.  Need help figuring out a new password you can remember?  Take your standard password and move one key left or right for each letter.  The keystrokes will be similar and it will help product a difficult password. Remember, characters and numbers should be intermixed to increase the difficulty.  Reminding yourself with a calendar note to change all your passwords on the same day every three months.  I would also recommend looking into a password manager, such as the one included in Webroot SecureAnywhere Internet Security Complete for home users, to help with the difficult passwords you now have to remember.

Enable Two Factor Authentication:  I cannot stress enough the importance of this level of security.  With cell phones being at the ready in almost all aspects of our daily lives, this is one of the most convenient and easy layers to implement.  By adding this layer, the service will authenticate any login attempt through an independent channel, allowing you to know if someone is attempting unauthorized access.  Below are links to the sites listed above for their steps on enabling this step.

• Gmail: https://www.google.com/landing/2step/
• Amazon: http://aws.amazon.com/iam/details/mfa/
• PayPal: https://www.paypal.com/us/cgi-bin?cmd=xpt/Marketing_CommandDriven/securitycenter/PayPalSecurityKey-outside&bn_r=o
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=10150172618258920
• Twitter: https://blog.twitter.com/2013/getting-started-with-login-verification

While we are still unsure how the hacker was able to get all this information, it’s clear as day that it is out there, and because of that, vigilance is key.  Just as you wouldn’t leave your credit cards laying around, you shouldn’t risk your passwords being out there either.  Data is valuable, and the more private or financially focused it is, the more we need to take it seriously.  So take these simple steps, get another layer of security established, and make it a habit to change passwords so you don’t become another name on the list as I did.  In the mean time, you can check and see if your e-mail is apart of the breach by following this link: https://isleaked.com/en.php

The post I Was 1 of the 5 Million in the Gmail Breach appeared first on FactoryTwoFour.

We store a handfull of bikes outdoors at our beach headquarters – the garage is too full of car projects – so security is always top of mind for our bikes. And any security expert will tell you that at least 75% of the battle is preventing an attempt from ever happening by appearing to be secure. You can’t get much more intimidating than the Lou Ferrigno-grade steel chain on the Ionus 1190 wrapped around your wheel.

But it’s not all looks. This chain is a full 11mm thick, comes wrapped in a nylon sleeve to prevent tools easy purchase (and protect your bike’s paint and chrome), and has an integrated locking mechanism harder to crack than Putin’s scowl. It’s tough is what I’m saying… But generally strength comes by paying the price with heavy weight, but not so with the Ionus. Built to be as leightweight as possible, this is a chain you can sling around your waist and ride without cutting off circulation to your favorite bits of yourself.

It will take a bike rustler with a serious angle grinder, a torch, or enough leverage to lift a small garage to get through this Abus motorcycle lock and get to your precious ride. While no security measure is ever 100%, the combination of this chain’s intimidatingly beefy looks and hardcore engineering means we feel safe with the FactoryTwoFour bikes out amongst the hobos and neerdowells of Venice Beach. If it can do that, it can protect you anywhere.

The post Chain Up Your Lover – Abus Motorcycle Lock Review appeared first on FactoryTwoFour.

The Ring Video Doorbell partners with your existing iOS or Android devices.  As long as the device is connected to the internet, you can monitor the Ring.  The product designers planned for most install scenarios.  The packages includes the hardware needed for a new install or an upgrade.  This well thought-out assortment even includes a micro-level.  The level is attached to the mounting plate and makes an aesthetically pleasing install simple.  I was activating my installed Ring only 22 minutes after I removed the old doorbell button.

My first test subject arrived a few hours after the install.  The notification popped up and I accepted the ‘call’.  I spoke into my phone and greeted him with, “How can I help you today?”.  A slightly spooked dealer of wares turned his head to my Ring and said, “This is interesting.”.  The conversation did not go much further.  I politely assured him that I was not interested in Arizona beach front property and pressed the end button.

What if your visitor decides to knock instead of using the doorbell?  Motion sensors are included for this very purpose.  The app allows complete customization of the motion sensor range.  Adjusting the zones and range to match your front stoop will make sure that all visitors are announced.  This feature alone sets Ring apart from competitors.

This addition to your home will provide the luxury of a high-rise intercom system without the price tag.  Eliminate lengthy conversations with unwanted visitors, document exact times of package deliveries, or you know, tell the food delivery person that you need a few minutes to put your pants on…

The post Ring: Your Front Door Watchman appeared first on FactoryTwoFour.

Luckily, the good team over at ABUS have worked to calm me down. They explained that while motorcycle are much easier to steal than a car, there are two main things you can do to protect your property. The first is to not be an easy target. DON’T park your bike night after night in hidden or dark areas behind an apartment or property. DON’T leave clear room for trucks to back up to your bike and roll it onboard. And DO have obvious security measures to dissuade even an attempt at grand theft auto. Abus’s full lineup of motorcycle locks are brightly colored, obvious, and many come with stretchable cord to secure from the tire to your handlebars. This not only reminds you to disengage the lock before hurting yourself, but also shows everyone that the bike is protected with a bright neon yellow “Aw hell no!”

Beyond scaring away bike thieves, you do also need to have an actual security device. ABUS sent us out two of their models, the Sledg and the Granit brake disc lock. Both immobilize your bike by securing your front brake and preventing the wheel from making a full revolution. They are both also disengaged by use of a standard-sized key. The Sledg brake disc lock certainly looks more heavy duty, but is also larger to carry around. The Granit could be called dainty, but it comes with a very convenient carrying pouch meant for under your seat or inside a tool pouch if your bike comes so equipped. We installed ours on the outer frame of bike, but that isn’t recommended for obvious reasons.

In reality, either of these locks will effectively stop your bike from going anywhere. We preferred the Granit for its quick and simple operation, as well as its ability to hide on the bike when not in use. These locks are clearly high tech and would require much more than brute force to circumvent. If you’ve got a moto that you leave outside, we can’t recommend enough picking up a solid bike lock and thwarting these crazy streets.

The post Lock Em if You’ve Got Em appeared first on FactoryTwoFour.

The most exciting thing to happen to the simple door lock occurred when a crowdfunding campaign launched for a bluetooth-enabled lock that could be operated by your phone. Keep your smartphone in your pocket, as the door already knows you’re there. The whole world collectively thought: “its about time!” Kwikset smartly snapped up the company and have released the device under the Kevo brand. Right now, the Kevo is the best and the brightest of this new breed of smart locks. The device even lets you assign short-term “keys” to others so they can unlock your door with their phone inside a 24 hour period.

If you’ve got a stranger at the door, Brinno has stepped in with their Peephole Camera that snaps a quick video of anyone who sets off a peephole mounted motion sensor and camera. The idea is that you can arrive home after work and review everyone who has come to your door during the day. The device nicely works with the existing peephole insert already in most doors, so installation is a snap. This cool device can be up and running in your house inside 10min. Now you’ve got yourself an easily browseable video log of every visitor who comes to your door.

But what if you want to bring video protection to more than just your front porch? Enter Dropcam and their easy to set up and expand series of home security cameras. Dropcam has become the go-to name in simple to set up home camera systems. Whether you want 1 or 15, these cameras are easy to set up and get working together. If you’re looking elsewhere for another camera, stop. Drop it in the trash and go buy a Dropcam. ‘Nuff said.

Home security has seriously stepped up in the last 5 years, and the next 5 are going to be even more interesting as more and more major manufacturers roll out their internet of things brands that truly connect you home and give every homeowner an end-to-end security presence. Now that’s peace of mind. Even if it is just for your next Amazon package.

The post Home Security 2.0 appeared first on FactoryTwoFour.