July 17, 2021

Tech advice you can trust™

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This week on my show

18 must-have items that help you survive any emergency

Emergencies come in many forms. A winter storm could smash your power out. A tornado could try to lift your house. A burglar could break in; you could drive into a lake and need to escape immediately. One way to prepare for life's worst-case scenarios is to create a solid plan. These tech goodies help you do just that.

Tap or click here to protect yourself from the world's wildest threats. →

Skimmers: How to spot them and new ways to pay to avoid getting ripped off

Skimmers are devices installed on payment terminals that intercept the information on your card's magnetic strip. Shimmers take things a step further by reading the information on your card's security chip. We'll show you how to spot skimmers and give you some more secure payment alternatives.

Tap or click here to avoid being ripped off by skimmers. →

LET'S BE FRIENDS

Over on my Instagram page, I share photos of my life. I keep my profile private, but I'll add you!

JOIN ME →

🎧 AUDIO BRIEFING

Your smart devices are leaking private info – Steps you can take

When you put a cheap smart bulb in your shopping cart, no one warned you it might be susceptible to hackers who could use it to break into your entire network. With more and more of our devices connected to the internet, we're all at risk. I brought in cybersecurity expert Ricoh Danielson to help you lock it all down. Find out more about Ricoh at 1stresponder.us.

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Video from the show

Kim Komando Show Rewind: Feb. 12, 2021 (Hour 1 of Kim’s show)

You're watching the first hour of The Kim Komando Show, recorded Feb. 12, 2021. You might have heard that a small town’s water plant was hacked, but you won’t believe how easy it was. Plus, a massive database of 3.2 billion leaked email and password combinations was just dropped online and your data is probably involved. And a new documentary explores why more Americans are stripping down online.

WATCH NOW →

Kim answers your questions

Got a question for Kim? Email her here.

Antivirus vs. VPN

What is the difference between virus protection and a VPN? Do you need both for total protection or only one?

Good question! While antivirus software protects you from online threats, a VPN hides your IP address and protects your privacy. Both are important, and they do very different things. My recommendation is to use both. It's worth it if you care about security and privacy.

For antivirus and online protection, check out TotalAV. It protects you from all the latest threats. Get an annual plan of TotalAV Internet Security for only $19 at ProtectWithKim.com. That's over 85% off!

My VPN of choice is ExpressVPN. Get 3 months free when you sign up for a year at ExpressVPN.com/Kim.

Is cloud backup safe?

We used to do a lot of file backup online but with all of the hacks and ransomware, we're trying to figure out the best way to back up personal and business files in 2021. Any suggestions?

Cloud backup is still the way to go. You just need to make sure you're using a safe, reliable company to get the job done. My pick is IDrive. Your data is encrypted with 256-bit AES encryption on transfer and storage. You can set your privacy to the highest level by creating a private key for your account during signup. That means no one but you will have access to your data.

For personal storage, you can get 5 TB of storage a year for just a few bucks. Get your exclusive discount at IDrive.com and use promo code Kim at checkout.

Drowning in all these resumes

I need to hire someone, but I can barely manage all the resumes I get when I post a job online. I stick to the free sites to save cash, but I'm feeling like that's the wrong move. Any advice?

You can attract a lot of candidates on those sites, but as you've found, you won't necessarily get the right ones. It's a ton of work sorting through all of that! You might not even find anyone who fits the job.

When I'm hiring, I use LinkedIn Jobs. It can help by matching your role with qualified candidates so you can find the right person quickly. LinkedIn screens for skills and you can use a ton of different tools to narrow down your search. That means so much less work on your end.

Right now, you can post a job for FREE at LinkedIn.com/Kim.

Streaming tip: Get your money's worth with ExpressVPN

You know what’s not fair? Netflix hides thousands of shows and movies from you based on your location and then has the nerve to increase prices yet again. Make sure you’re getting your full money’s worth by using ExpressVPN.

What’s on Netflix in the U.S. is completely different from what someone in the U.K. or Japan has on theirs. ExpressVPN has over 90 countries to choose from, so every time you run out of stuff to watch, just switch to another country to unlock new shows.

Stop paying full-price for streaming services and only getting access to a fraction of their content.

Go to ExpressVPN.com/Kim and get three extra months free. →

Kim's weekly column & tech tip

Can cellphones cause cancer? 5 steps to minimize the risk

One of the great debates that spawned from cellphone technology is, do they cause cancer? Well, it's been 14 years since the first iPhone was released and we're finally getting answers from the science community. I'll give you my take on the subject and a few pointers to take as precautionary measures.

Tap or click here for answers to this critical question. →

This great freebie from Google stops annoying robocalls and gives you a second phone number

One thing we can all agree on is we can't stand all the robocalls we receive. Not only are they annoying, but they could be from crooks trying to rip you off. That's why I'm here to share a helpful tech tip that will finally put an end to them.

Tap or click here for a clever way to stop robocalls. →

WEEKEND JOKE

My husband blocked me on Facebook because I post too many bird puns ...

Well, toucan play at that game

I thought that was a pretty good joke. I feel like we all could use a good laugh right now. You know what else we all could use? To stay up to date on everything going on in the digital world. Why not sign up for one of my daily newsletters so you can keep your finger on the pulse of tech?