Super Simple Security Principles

Makani Mason
  • 4.6 (11)
  • TECHNOLOGY
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Learn how to think not what to think.

  1. 2D AGO

    84. Conquer Your Email Woes

    Episode summaryEmail has never been more important. It’s the master key to all your online accounts and the universal way we communicate. But for many of us, email is also a constant source of frustration -- spam piling up, the fear of clicking something dangerous, or just feeling overwhelmed by the flood of messages. That’s why I’m going to be running a live, interactive group workshop over Zoom. We’ll meet in multiple sessions, with short educational videos and practical homework in between. By the end, you’ll have the skills and tools you need to take control of your inbox and conquer your email woes for good. Get the FREE Bulletproof My Identity Starter Kit Get help from Makani

  2. OCT 3

    83. Don't Accidentally Upgrade to Windows 11

    Helpful episodes to listen to firstDo I Need to Upgrade to Windows 11? Should I Upgrade to Windows 11? Episode summaryIf you are sticking with Windows 10, I highly recommend installing the InControl app from my favorite security podcaster, Steve Gibson. Fair warning: his website looks like it’s straight out of the early 2000s and is geared toward technical folks like me. If you poke around, just be ready for some serious computer geekiness. The good news: his app is dead simple to use. Download it, double-click to run, click the "Take Control" button, and the big red text will turn green -- letting you know that Microsoft can't trick you into accidentally upgrading to Windows 11 before you're ready. LinksInstall Steve Gibson's InControl app Get the FREE Bulletproof My Identity Starter Kit Get help from Makani

  3. SEP 26

    82. Should I Upgrade to Windows 11?

    Helpful episodes to listen to firstDo I Need to Upgrade to Windows 11? Episode summaryIf you’re wondering whether to upgrade to Windows 11, the answer is probably: yes - if your computer can handle it. If you have an older PC, it might not meet the requirements. You can check by installing Microsoft’s PC Health Check App. From a security perspective, there’s not a huge difference between Windows 10 and 11. But, if you decide to stick with Windows 10, please make sure you pay for security updates. I explain how and why that’s important in episode 79. LinksThioJoe talks about Windows 11 upgrade Leo video about Windows 11 upgrade Leo article about Windows 11 upgrade How to use the PC Health Check app Get the FREE Bulletproof My Identity Starter Kit Get help from Makani

  4. SEP 19

    81. Why You Should Start Checking the Amazon Seller

    Episode summaryWhen shopping on Amazon, how do you decide what product to buy? If you're like most people, you look primarily at the cost and reviews, and maybe the brand. What most people are missing out on is paying attention to the seller. You can find this just under the Buy Now button - each product has 2 sellers - the "Ships From" and the "Sold By". Anytime you are buying something "Sold By" someone other than Amazon, click on the seller link. It takes you to their mini website on Amazon. There you can find lots of useful information, the most important of which is their reviews. I personally avoid buying from sellers with anything less than 90% rating here, and seek for much higher than that. There's plenty that have 100% or close to it. Get the FREE Bulletproof My Identity Starter Kit Get help from Makani

    11 min

  5. SEP 12

    80. Which Brand Should I Buy?

    Helpful episodes to listen to firstThe Safe Website Checklist Episodes Episode summaryOne tool that can be useful to help you shop safely online for quality products is paying attention to brands. On the other hand, sometimes the brand doesn't matter much. If you can look at a product and determine for yourself if it's well made, then brand doesn't matter so much. My daughter knows how to sew, so she can evaluate the quality of dresses, so when we bought a dress online recently, we didn't stress the brand. Anytime I buy electronics, which is often, I care deeply about the brand. In large part because it is very difficult to gauge their quality quickly, even for a computer geek like me - it takes using them over a long period of time. When you are on Amazon, and you are wondering if a brand is a good one, check to see if they have a website. Then, apply all the lessons you learned in episodes 70-74. Also useful to ask when you are evaluating a brand on Amazon: are they mainly an amazon seller with their own website just to seem legitimate? Or, are they an independent seller that is trying to truly build a good brand, and just using Amazon to get more sales? Get the FREE Bulletproof My Identity Starter Kit Get help from Makani

    13 min

  6. SEP 5

    79. Do I Need to Upgrade to Windows 11?

    Episode summaryAfter October 14, 2025, Microsoft will no longer provide free updates or fixes for the many bugs found each month in Windows 10. That means it's time to make a hard decision. Option 1: Do what Microsoft recommends and upgrade to Windows 11. There's many good and valid reasons not to, and my personal plan is to avoid it for hopefuly 5 years still. Option 2: Pay Microsoft $30 for one year more of fixes, then upgrade to Windows 11. I may do this for a year, then switch to option 3 before moving to Windows 11. Option 3: Pay 0 Patch about $30 per year for up to 5 years, then upgrade to Windows 11. This is my most likely plan. Option 4: Don't upgrade to Windows 11, and don't pay any money for any bug fixes. Options 1-3 are fine, but this is the option I highly recommend against! One of the most universally important things you can do to stay safe online is keep Windows (and all software) updated with the latest bug fixes. LinksMicrosoft announces end of support for Windows 10 0 Patch offers 5 years of bug fixes for Windows 10 Get the FREE Bulletproof My Identity Starter Kit Get help from Makani

    12 min

  7. AUG 29

    78. What's Up With All the Strange Brands on Amazon?

    Episode summaryIf you shop at Amazon much, you've seen a lot of weird brands. I just searched for juggling balls, and here's a sample of the brands it showed: Duncan, Zeekio, POITOI, Schylling, GloFX, Elcoho, Leitee, GoSports, Lawei, URATOT, Cedilis, DSJUGGLING, speevers. Have you ever wondered why? If not, now's the time to consider it, because the way Amazon does business has massive implications for every American. The short version is this: Amazon actively recruits oversea sellers, particularly Chinese. Amazon incentivizes all sellers to participate in their Brand Registry program, which requires a trademark. Trademarks currently take 12-18 months to get, and picking random letters and smashing them together makes it faster because it's obvious there's no conflict with an existing trademark. We will be discussing some of the implications of this system, and strategies for finding quality products in the crowded Amazon marketplace. In the meantime, take some time to ponder what all this means to you. LinksAmazon Brand Registry Requirements How Long to Register a Trademark NY Times - How Amazon is causing us to drown in trademarks Why Amazon Products Have Those Weird Names Get the FREE Bulletproof My Identity Starter Kit Get help from Makani

    12 min

  8. AUG 22

    77. How to Spot Fake Sales on Amazon

    Episode summaryHave you ever looked at a supposed sale price on Amazon, and wondered if it was real? Wonder no longer! There's an awesome tool with a funny name - CamelCamelCamel. You just copy the internet address from the item you're looking at on Amazon, and paste it into CamelCamelCamel.com, and you get a detailed price history. To make it even easier, you can add a special "bookmarklet" that you can click on whenever you're on an Amazon page, and it will take you to CamelCamelCamel.com with that product selected. It's safe and free - install it now! LinksAdd the Camelet Bookmarklet Three Colts - The makers of CamelCamelCamel Get the FREE Bulletproof My Identity Starter Kit Get help from Makani

    13 min
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4.6
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About

Learn how to think not what to think.

Information

  • Creator
    Makani Mason
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2025
  • Episodes
    88
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2025 Super Simple Security Principles
  • Show Website
    Super Simple Security Principles