Security, scams & parental controls
Locked down, without making it unusable
Most people don't get hacked. They get talked into it — by a pop-up, a phone call, or an email that looked close enough to real. Here's how to make that much harder.
The threats that actually reach people in North Jersey homes are not sophisticated. They're a full-screen warning claiming your computer is infected with a number to call. A message from "Microsoft" or "Apple" or your bank. A grandchild in trouble who needs gift cards. These work because they're designed to make you act before you think.
I set things up so the obvious attacks bounce off, so a single stolen password doesn't cost you an account, and so you know what a real warning looks like versus a fake one. And if something already happened, I'll help you contain it.
Symptoms
Worth a conversation if
You got a pop-up with a phone number
Real security software never asks you to call anyone. That screen is the entire scam.
Someone called about your computer
Microsoft, Apple and your internet provider do not call you about a virus. Ever.
You reuse the same password
One breach anywhere becomes a breach everywhere. This is the single biggest risk most people carry.
You've no idea if you're backed up
Ransomware and dead hard drives are survivable with a backup and catastrophic without one.
The kids need limits
Content filters, screen time and age-appropriate settings, without turning the house into a fight.
Something already happened
You clicked, you called, you gave someone access. Fast containment matters more than blame.
- Account protection. Two-factor authentication on email, banking and the accounts that matter — set up so it's a small daily nuisance rather than a lockout risk.
- Password manager, properly explained. Set up, filled in with your existing logins, and taught in plain English until you're comfortable using it.
- Scam recognition. I'll show you real examples of what these look like, and the two or three rules that catch nearly all of them.
- Built-in security configured. Windows Defender or macOS protections set up correctly — usually better than the paid subscription you've been auto-renewing.
- Backup that runs by itself. Automatic, verified, and tested by actually restoring a file so we know it works.
- Parental controls. Content filtering, time limits and per-device rules across computers, phones, tablets and the router.
- Cleanup after an incident. If someone already got in: remote access tools removed, passwords rotated, accounts checked, and a clear list of who else you need to call.
What it costs
$100 an hour, flat
Billed for actual time on site. No diagnostic fee, no call-out charge, and quick questions are always free. If the problem comes back, so do I — at no cost.
- Same-day and next-day visits usually available
- No trip charge inside Passaic, Morris or Bergen county
- You get me on the phone, not a call centre
- Remote support by text, phone or video: $25 for up to 20 minutes
- Monthly and annual support memberships available
- Licensed New Jersey LLC, carrying liability insurance
Before you call
Questions about security & parental controls
I think I was scammed. What do I do first?
Do I need to pay for antivirus?
Will parental controls stop my kids getting around them?
Is a password manager safe? It feels risky.
Related
Other things I help with
Virus & Malware Cleanup
Pop-ups, browser hijacks, fake warnings and machines that have slowed to a crawl. Removed properly — and then…
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Read more →Tech Tutoring & Guidance
Not a repair. Just an hour with someone who will explain it properly, as many times as you need, without…
Read more →Get in touch
Tell me what's not working.
Call and you'll get me, not a menu. Or send a note and I'll come back to you the same day — usually within a couple of hours.
Request a visit
The more you tell me, the better prepared I'll show up.