Many people are concerned about their privacy, and some days it feels like it's under attack from all different directions. While not common, at least in most countries, add your isp to the list. (Reminder: your ISP is whomever provides you your internet: a company, a workplace, a neighbor, a parent....)

Also this week:

UEFI is both a good thing and a frustrating thing. Why did UEFI come to exist? (Spoiler: security.)

Windows 10 keeps ... growing ... it seems. What can you do to put it on a RAM diet?

Paypal is perhaps the largest target of phishing attempts we know of. So why do they continue to encourage it?

Have a great week!

Can My ISP Monitor My Internet Usage?

Can employees at a local telephone ISP read my e-mails and monitor my web surfing and tell others about what they read/see?

Yes. Yes, they can.

The real question is, would they? Probably not. And yet … there are new concerns that they might occasionally even be required to.

If it's of real concern to you, what might you do? I have some ideas.

Continue Reading: Can My ISP Monitor My Internet Usage?
https://askleo.com/3004

Still no big ad this week

Maybe...

Small suggestion: help Ask Leo! grow by forwarding this to a friend!

Why UEFI?

UEFI is a replacement for the original BIOS that's been running computers for almost a quarter of a century. UEFI allows manufacturers to take advantage of the security capabilities of the machines they produce.

Continue Reading: Why UEFI?
https://askleo.com/23705

•

Why is Windows 10 Using More and More RAM?

I manage a small fleet of Dell Optiplex towers running Windows 10 (4 x 790 Core i5, 2 x 990 Core i7, 2 x 980 Core i5) and even with 8GB RAM it seems (particularly since 1809 onwards) Windows 10 is consuming more RAM just in running the base OS. We recently ‘replaced' 1 x 980 with an Optiplex 9020 Core i7 and 16GB RAM (making the 980 a spare machine) and it copes quite well (for now) but most of these machines started out at 4GB RAM and were quite happy even 12 months ago.

It's actually a topic I touch on briefly in my article Why Is My Machine Slowing Down?

As we get older, we tend to gain weight. The same seems to be true for most software, Windows included.

But more than Windows can make your system seem bloated and slow.

Continue Reading: Why is Windows 10 Using More and More RAM?
https://askleo.com/87665

•

Why Does Legitimate Email from PayPal Instruct Me to Click a Link?

As you've stated and I've preached to my own family, you should never click a link in an email that purports to be from PayPal – never. If there's something that needs to be checked out, go to the PayPal site yourself by typing paypal.com in your browser's address bar or clicking on your bookmark – never click on an emailed link to PayPal – got that? And yet my monthly email statement from PayPal includes a link to log in! Why is PayPal practicing business in this manner? We both know that they know that they're not ignorant of the risky behavior fostered.

You are 100% correct. I agree with you — I wish PayPal didn't do this.

I can guess why PayPal might choose to behave this way, but I can't justify it.

Let me throw out a few ideas.

Continue Reading: Why Does Legitimate Email from PayPal Instruct Me to Click a Link?
https://askleo.com/6811

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