Online security used to be simple. All you needed was a good password and, in the early days, you didn’t need a ton of numbers, letters, and special characters to achieve that goal. No need for antivirus software to verify you were logging into legitimate sites, either. Privacy also wasn’t quite as fragile as it is today. Your email wasn’t constantly being lost to yet another data breach. But AI has helped hackers and criminals become sneakier with their attacks, so now the recommendations for best security practices have become more sophisticated, too. Currently, experts recommend the use of unique, random passwords (and the more characters, the better) plus two-factor authentication as a strong baseline. (Passkeys also work great.) But you can go further—and companies on the frontlines of cybersecurity have made that easier.  the best ANTIVIRUS SUITE Norton 360 Deluxe Read our review One such step is called masked email. (You may also hear it referred to as email masks or email masking.) It formalizes a long-available feature known as email aliases as a privacy and security measure. A randomized email address is created to hide (aka mask) your true email address for an online account. Any correspondence sent to the masked email address gets forwarded to your actual inbox. The sender doesn’t know about the email’s final destination. They’ll only find out if you accidentally reply to a message as your main account. The benefits are twofold. You get better privacy, because the more you use different masked email addresses (ideally, one per online account), the more you limit the potential damage of the information leaking in a data breach. That email address won’t work on other websites as a login ID or for a password reset. Nor can someone take over the address as they could with an actual account. It’s just a forwarding address, and a disposable one at that. Masked email vs email aliases Masked email is a more specific (and automated) take on email aliases. Mozilla / PCWorld If you already filter your incoming email and/or guard against spam by using email aliases, masked email may sound like an empty marketing term for a familiar feature. But there is a slight difference—email masking is a narrower use of email aliases, with a particular style in how the aliases are created. With masked email, the focus is on auto-generated random, unique identifiers. Think 4k9xkeo@emailservice.com or even siftflask.3242@emailservice.com. You don’t need to come up with your own aliases, thus streamlining their use. The suggested aliases also completely obscure your email address, unlike with inserting periods into your username (e.g., random.username@gmail.com) or adding a + sign and an extra phrase (e.g. randomusername+alias@gmail.com) don’t achieve. You should also get streamlined controls to block incoming mail or disable the forwarding address if it gets flooded with unwanted email. The result is a faster, easier way to maintain anonymity in your contact info—and for sites that default to email addresses as usernames, your login info too. With the added benefit of integration with some browsers and password managers, email masking saves time and reduces the hassles of the DIY route. Ways you can start using masked email Some email providers offer masked email as part of their plans. Fastmail takes that one step further by offering integration with password managers like 1Password and Bitwarden for super-simple creation and storing of aliases.PCWorld Two common ways to get email masking is through an email provider or a dedicated service. Email providers offer the feature as an integrated part of the service. Access often requires a subscription, though. Only a few providers offer masked email, typically bundled into paid plans (e.g., Apple iCloud+, Fastmail, Proton Mail). That said, Proton Mail does offer basic hide-my-email aliases for free to all users, and prices otherwise start as low as $0.99 USD per month (iCloud+). a password manager that supports email maskS 1Password Read our review Dedicated services can be used with any site, main email address, browser, password manager, etc. You create an account using the email address you want to receive the forwarded email, and then create masks through the web interface or a browser extension. Some services also offer premium plans that allow sending and replying from an email mask, support larger file attachments, and generate email masks for multiple email addresses. All email masks are managed through the service, which is less convenient than with an email provider. You won’t have a single spot to control your direct and forwarded email. To really simplify using email masks, choose a service that integrates with a password manager. Once you connect your email account or masking service, you’ll be able to create the email masks directly within the password manager. It eliminates the need to copy and paste the new forwarding address when saving login info. Currently 1Password has a partnership with Fastmail, and Bitwarden has relationships with Fastmail, SimpleLogin, Addy.io, DuckDuckGo, Forward Email, and Firefox Relay. Apple users can use the company’s Hide My Email feature; email masks automatically save to iCloud Keychain if you actively use the latter. Alternatively, you can pick a password manager like NordPass or ProtonPass that directly handles email mask generation. Free email masking services SimpleLogin is the most generous with the features available to free users. SimpleLogin / PCWorld While getting masked email through an email provider usually costs money, dedicated services usually offer a free plan. They’re more limited in scope but still a great start. SimpleLogin offers 10 free forwarding addresses. There are no bandwidth limitations, and forwarded emails can be up to 25MB each. The service also allows you to reply to email from an alias, too. Firefox Relay lets you create just five free forwarding addresses, with a 10MB size limit per email and no bandwidth limitations. You can’t reply to email on the free tier, however. This service makes the list for a couple of reasons: It works across devices, and upgrading to the paid tier with unlimited addresses and the ability to send email from aliases is just $12 per year. (You will need to switch to Firefox if you want to use the browser extension for maximum ease of use, but that’s not a bad thing given Firefox’s greater commitment to privacy.) Addy.io allows you to create unlimited “standard” email masks. These are based on your Addy.io username, however—so if you want more privacy, you can then use one of your 10 free shared domain email masks. You can send and reply from your aliases, too. The catch: You’re limited to 10MB (yes, megabytes) of bandwidth per month. The company estimates that to be roughly 140 emails max. (Start adding in attachments and that drops very, very fast.) Live exclusively in Apple’s ecosystem? Sign in with Apple is a free way to get started with the company’s take on email masking.PCWorld Apple users also have an alternative option called Sign in with Apple. For apps and websites that allow you to sign in with your Apple ID, you get access to a limited form of Hide My Email, the company’s email masking service. Apple will generate a random forwarding email that will pass messages from the site or app to your Apple ID’s linked email address. Unlike the version of Hide My Email that comes with iCloud+, you can’t change the generated aliases or create ones independently. Also, as a general security note, signing in with this method can carry risk, since anyone with access to your Apple account could also then access linked services and apps, too. P.S.—Unique user IDs help online privacy and security, too The general concept behind masked email can be applied to creating user IDs, too. For sites that ask you to create a dedicated username (e.g., randomuser1), going with a new identifier each time makes it harder for people to track you across the web. Unauthorized access to your other accounts is less likely, too, when your username and password are different for every site and app. And you can combine masked email with a unique user ID so that you’re really hard to trace—useful when signing into sites that have yet to implement passkeys, a more secure alternative to passwords. (Or when, in the name of saving your future bacon, you still keep a username/password combo as secondary method of logging into an account with passkeys enabled.) Sounds complicated? This is why a password manager is so handy. It lets you continually level up your security with very little mental burden, especially if you pick one with support for email masking and passkey storage. Choose a paid password manager or a free one—either will make life easy. Read...

OPINION: If I’m guilty of anything, it is having bad general knowledge. And that is better than being a cheat, writes Monty Panesar. Read...

Eight new MPs have been elected to Tonga`s parliament in the general election amid a continuing decline in voter turnout. Results released by the electoral commission overnight show six people`s... Read...

OpenSSF has welcomed Target, Thread AI, and OSTIF as general members, enhancing efforts to improve security across the open source software ecosystem. Read...

Voting continues for the general public to elect 17 people`s representatives, who will join their nine noble counterparts in the Legislative Assembly. Read...

The online storage service Internxt secures data with encryption in accordance with the AES-256 standard, ensuring strong protection for sensitive files. The tool is based on open source technology and is available on GitHub. According to the provider, it’s GDPR-compliant. The internet storage has also been verified by Securitum and is said to be 100 percent secure. The service includes a free plan with one gigabyte of storage capacity and the option to share sensitive data with encryption via the cloud. Internxt Drive online backup Read our review Best Prices Today: Free at Internxt Here’s how it works: On the service’s website, go to registration via the blue Select Storage button. Scroll down on the following page and you will find the Internxt Free option. Now click on Select Plan and confirm the free offer in the following pop-up. Enter a valid e-mail address and a password in the field. You’ll then be taken to the interface of your online drive. Switch to your e-mail inbox and confirm your registration there. Use the cogwheel icon in the top right-hand corner of the browser window to configure your workspace. Under General, you can change the language for the interface, if desired, and use it to determine the design. In the Account section, you can customize your avatar and user name. Below this, you can see how much of the free storage space you’re already using. Next, switch to the Security category on the left, enter your password there, and download your key for restoring your account to your computer under Backup Key. This is essential in case you forget your password. Due to data encryption, Internxt passwords cannot be reset in the conventional way by e-mail or security code. You can now upload your first file to the cloud via the user interface. In the file selection, navigate to the directory on your computer, select one or more files, and confirm the transfer by clicking Open. Alternatively, install the Internxt Drive desktop software. There are also mobile apps for Android and iOS. Files can also be moved to folders in the web version using the mouse; this works with individual entries and multiple selections. To create a new folder, simply right-click in the interface, and select New Folder. Alternatively, use the folder icon with the plus sign in the top right-hand corner. By right-clicking on a file, further functions appear. These include renaming and previewing information or moving to the recycle bin. When sharing the data, enter the e-mail addresses for the recipients in the new window. Internxt users then receive a direct message, while users without an account are automatically sent an invitation e-mail by the service. Read...

If you’re wondering whether to cancel YouTube TV in favor of a cheaper live TV streaming package, your options are better than they used to be. Getting local channels, news, and even sports no longer requires a big bundle, with skinnier packages selling for less than YouTube TV’s $83 per month asking price. Smaller packages are also available for folks who don’t care about sports, some of which even include popular streaming services at no additional charge. Even though the carriage dispute between YouTube TV and Disney is now over after dragging into a second week, now’s the time to look at alternatives. You might be better off taking your business elsewhere. If you need sports I’ve already written a whole other article about sports-streaming options that are cheaper than YouTube TV, but here’s a quick rundown: Fubo Sports ($56/mo.): Includes ESPN, Fox Sports, Tennis Channel, NFL Network, Tennis Channel, and most local channels, but does not include NBC or TNT/TBS; and the only included cable news channel is Fox News. DirecTV MySports ($70/mo): Includes local channels, ESPN, Fox Sports, TNT/TBS, NFL Network, MLB Network, NBA TV, NHL Network, USA, Golf Channel, and the major cable news networks. You can add regional sports in some areas for an extra $20 per month. You don’t need a satellite dish and can stream via the DirecTV app on connected TV devices. Xfinity Sports & News ($70/mo.): This one’s for Comcast internet customers only, but it includes local channels ESPN, Fox Sports, Turner channels, USA, Tennis Channel, and Golf Channel; plus, the big three cable news networks. It also includes Peacock, and you can stream using the Xfinity app—no cable box needed. Hulu + Live TV ($90/mo.): It’s not any cheaper than YouTube TV, but it does include Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN Select and an otherwise similar channel lineup. It’s also on sale at $65 per month for the first three months right now. Sling TV Blue or Orange (starts at $46/mo): Sling can be an odd choice due to its patchy local channel availability, but its combination of cable news, national sports networks, and general entertainment are worth considering–especially if you use an antenna for local channels. Cheaper news and local-channel options If you don’t watch a lot of sports but still want local channels or cable news, have a look at these options: DirecTV MyNews ($40/mo.): Despite the name, this package is actually the cheapest way to get local channels without an antenna. It also includes major cable news networks. Local channels can vary by market, though, so check your zip code on DirecTV’s website. Sling Select ($20/mo. and up): This is a weird one. Depending on where you live, this package will either include no local channels or some combination of ABC, Fox, and NBC. The price increases to $25 per month in markets with at least two of those channels, and $30 per month in markets with all three. (CBS is excluded no matter what.) In all cases, the package includes 11 other cable channels including Fox News, FS1, FX, NFL Network, and MeTV. Check local channel availability here. Notable non-sports options If you don’t need local channels—or you can get them with an antenna—these options could save a lot of money: DirecTV MyEntertainment ($35/mo.): Includes more than 60 entertainment channels, the big three cable news networks, and free access to Disney+, Hulu, and HBO Max (with ads). DirecTV MyKids ($20/mo): Offers more than a dozen kids channels—including Disney Channel, Nickelodeon, and Cartoon Network—and access to Disney+. Philo ($33/mo): Includes more than 60 entertainment channels, plus access to HBO Max, Discovery+, and AMC+ (with ads). Frndly TV ($9/mo): A super-skinny bundle anchored by Hallmark and surrounded by mostly rerun-centric channels. The price jumps to $11 per month if you want DVR service. Maybe you don’t need a bundle at all Between ESPN Unlimited, Fox One, Peacock, Paramount+, HBO Max, CNN All Access, and Disney’s various bundles, much of the content that once required a pay TV package is now available in a somewhat a la carte form. I’m not saying you should subscribe to all of those services simultaneously—if you do, you might be better off with some of the bundles above—but you might be able to find two or three that meet your needs for less than a traditional pay TV package. And unlike with YouTube TV, there are no carriage disputes to worry about. If a company like Disney decides to raise rates, it’ll have to reckon directly with customers like you instead. This story is part of TechHive’s in-depth coverage of the best TV streaming services. Sign up for Jared’s Cord Cutter Weekly newsletter for more streaming TV advice. Correction: This article previously said that DirecTV MySports includes Tennis Channel. It does not. Read...

Official support for Windows 10 was discontinued last month, but despite that, there are features from the older OS that are still missing from Windows 11. One such feature? The detailed calendar view in the taskbar. Fortunately, this one’s coming soon! Microsoft announced during yesterday’s Ignite 2025 presentation that it will be adding a new “Agenda view” to the taskbar calendar that helps you streamline your day and prepare for meetings. The Agenda view will give you a quick chronological overview of upcoming events in your calendar, and you’ll be able to hop into meetings directly from this new view. Windows Insiders will be the first to get access to the Agenda view starting in December. Microsoft did not mention when the feature is expected to come to the general public. Read...

The prison`s deputy general manager said police conducted an extensive search but no bomb was found. Read...

A fuel shortage on the eve of the general election highlights a variety of challenges Tongans are juggling as they prepare to head to the polls. Read...