Helpful episodes to listen to first10 Spam Per Year (https://makanimason.com/p/17)Episode summaryThe second priority of our email workshop is eliminating spam. It’s one of the biggest sources of email stress -- see episode 86 (https://makanimason.com/p/86) for why this matters so much.Cutting out spam also removes most phishing attempts before they ever reach you. Yet many people see spam like death and taxes: unavoidable.I’m here to tell you that spam IS avoidable. With the right tools -- and the skills to use them effectively -- you can beat spam. I’ve done it myself, keeping my spam to just 10 messages a year (see episode 17 (https://makanimason.com/p/17)).Join me in the workshop and learn how to make spam a thing of the past.Get the FREE Bulletproof My Identity Starter Kit (https://bulletproofmyid.com)Get help from Makani (https://forum.makanimason.com)

Episode summaryThe first priority of our email workshop is simple: reduce your email stress.It might sound surprising, but I see lowering email stress as a vital -- and often overlooked -- security improvement. When we’re stressed, we think less clearly and are more likely to click on something we shouldn’t.Some people are so overwhelmed by email that they check it as little as possible. That’s also a security risk -- most security alerts arrive by email, and if you aren't checking your email, you may not see them until it's too late.Get the FREE Bulletproof My Identity Starter Kit (https://bulletproofmyid.com)Get help from Makani (https://forum.makanimason.com)

Episode summaryIn this episode, we’re exploring who can benefit most from our email workshop. If email causes you stress, frustration, or fear -- this workshop might be for you.But improving your email situation requires doing things differently, and you need to be ready to do that. There are many strategies, and I’ll work with you to find the ones that best match your needs and priorities.The hardest change I recommend? Setting up a new, paid email account. If you can't or won't, I'll still do my best to help you, but in the world of email, the saying holds true: you get what you pay for.Get the FREE Bulletproof My Identity Starter Kit (https://bulletproofmyid.com)Get help from Makani (https://forum.makanimason.com)

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 (https://bulletproofmyid.com)Get help from Makani (https://forum.makanimason.com)

Helpful episodes to listen to firstDo I Need to Upgrade to Windows 11? (https://makanimason.com/p/79)Should I Upgrade to Windows 11? (https://makanimason.com/p/82)Episode summaryIf you are sticking with Windows 10, I highly recommend installing the InControl app (https://www.grc.com/incontrol.htm) 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 (https://www.grc.com/incontrol.htm)Get the FREE Bulletproof My Identity Starter Kit (https://bulletproofmyid.com)Get help from Makani (https://forum.makanimason.com)

Helpful episodes to listen to firstDo I Need to Upgrade to Windows 11? (https://makanimason.com/p/79)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 (https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/how-to-use-the-pc-health-check-app-9c8abd9b-03ba-4e67-81ef-36f37caa7844).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 (https://makanimason.com/p/79).LinksThioJoe talks about Windows 11 upgrade (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cIFU_3WcbY4&t=803s)Leo video about Windows 11 upgrade (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBc3POYSuAk)Leo article about Windows 11 upgrade (https://askleo.com/should-i-update-to-windows-11/)How to use the PC Health Check app (https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/how-to-use-the-pc-health-check-app-9c8abd9b-03ba-4e67-81ef-36f37caa7844)Get the FREE Bulletproof My Identity Starter Kit (https://bulletproofmyid.com)Get help from Makani (https://forum.makanimason.com)

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 (https://bulletproofmyid.com)Get help from Makani (https://forum.makanimason.com)

Helpful episodes to listen to firstThe Safe Website Checklist Episodes (https://makanimason.com/podcast?specific_episodes=70,71,72,73,74)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 (https://bulletproofmyid.com)Get help from Makani (https://forum.makanimason.com)

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 (https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/end-of-support)0 Patch offers 5 years of bug fixes for Windows 10 (https://0patch.com/Win10.html)Get the FREE Bulletproof My Identity Starter Kit (https://bulletproofmyid.com)Get help from Makani (https://forum.makanimason.com)

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 (https://sell.amazon.com/blog/brand-registry-requirements)How Long to Register a Trademark (https://www.uspto.gov/trademarks/basics/how-long-does-it-take-register)NY Times - How Amazon is causing us to drown in trademarks (https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/11/style/amazon-trademark-copyright.html)Why Amazon Products Have Those Weird Names (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4UrqlMfwUC4)Get the FREE Bulletproof My Identity Starter Kit (https://bulletproofmyid.com)Get help from Makani (https://forum.makanimason.com)

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 (https://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 (https://camelcamelcamel.com/tools/bookmarklet)Three Colts - The makers of CamelCamelCamel (https://www.threecolts.com/)Get the FREE Bulletproof My Identity Starter Kit (https://bulletproofmyid.com)Get help from Makani (https://forum.makanimason.com)

Episode summaryAfter recording nearly 80 episodes, I've learned a lot about how I like to teach. So it's time for my next experiment.I want to try again to make episodes of about 10 minutes. I want it easier for you to find what you're looking for, and catch up on just the parts that are of greatest value to you.I also want more flexibility, so we are dropping the opening questions, and the call to actions will only happen sometimes.I'd love to hear your thoughts on our experiment. Thank you for listening!Get the FREE Bulletproof My Identity Starter Kit (https://bulletproofmyid.com)Get help from Makani (https://forum.makanimason.com)

Helpful episodes to listen to firstIntroduction to Privacy.com (https://makanimason.com/p/14)Questions we answer in this episodeWhat is Makani's most used online shopping tool?What are 2 key features it provides?What 3 subscription problems does it fix?Episode summaryPrivacy.com offers super powered Privacy Cards that you can use to shop online. You create a unique Privacy Card for each business, then pause and set a spending limit for each card as needed.No more free trials that turn into surprise bills, no more forgotten cancellations, and no more awkward phone calls just to say no.Call to actionIf you've ever been burned by a subscription, this is the tool you didn't know you needed. Start by listening to Episode 14 (https://makanimason.com/p/14), so there's no surprises when you signup.Then click here (https://app.privacy.com/join/W3239) if you want us both to get a $5 signup bonus. Or click here (https://app.privacy.com/signup) for the non-referral link where neither of us get a bonus. Either way is great, I just want you protected.LinksTODO: create my official referral policy somewhere and link to it hereSignup for Privacy.com here and we both get $5 (https://app.privacy.com/join/W3239)Signup for Privacy.com here and neither of us get $5 (https://app.privacy.com/signup)More tips from Privacy.com on subscription management (https://www.privacy.com/tag/subscription-management)Get the FREE Bulletproof My Identity Starter Kit (https://bulletproofmyid.com)Get help from Makani (https://forum.makanimason.com)

Helpful episodes to listen to firstCheck #1 - Is the website less than a year old? (https://makanimason.com/p70)Check #2 - What does Trustpilot say? (https://makanimason.com/p73)What is a Protection Partner (https://makanimason.com/p/4)Questions we answer in this episodeWhy does this check sometimes get skipped?What’s one super simple way to spot a fake shopping site?Why might a scammer want you to contact them?Which red flags in a reply should make you walk away?Episode summaryThe third item on our Safe Website Checklist is all about communication: Can You Get an Answer?Reputable shopping sites usually offer multiple clear ways to get in touch - a phone number, social media, and live chat - not just email. If those channels are missing, broken, or fake, that’s a big red flag.But even if you can reach someone, don’t let your guard down. Scammers can and do reply - sometimes quickly. The key is how they respond and whether it feels trustworthy. If you’re unsure, bring in your Protection Partner for a second opinion. Trust your gut, or as I call it, your spidey sense.Call to actionPick a trusted shopping website and check which contact methods they offer. Is there a phone number? A real social media presence? Maybe a live chat? Get curious - and the next time you’re on a new site, you’ll know exactly what to look for.Get the FREE Bulletproof My Identity Starter Kit (https://bulletproofmyid.com)Get help from Makani (https://forum.makanimason.com)

Helpful episodes to listen to firstEpisode on Safe Website Checklist Item #1 (https://makanimason.com/p/70)Questions we answer in this episodeWhat is Trustpilot?How did they help Makani identify a highly enticing scam?How can you use Trustpilot to help you stay safe while shopping online?When does Makani use Trustpilot?Episode summaryTrustpilot helped me avoid a scam for a bogus body scale, called Body Pod and sold by Hume Health.Trustpilot is a fabulous, independent source for website reviews.Anytime you are considering shopping at a new website, please look it up on Trustpilot first.Call to actionGo test out Trustpilot by looking up a website, or searching by category. This will help you remember to use it the next time you are thinking about shopping at an unfamiliar website.LinksSearch Trustpilot (https://www.trustpilot.com/)Browse Trustpilot Categories (https://www.trustpilot.com/categories)Trustpilot review of humehealth.com (https://www.trustpilot.com/review/humehealth.com)Trustpilot review of myhumehealth.com (https://www.trustpilot.com/review/myhumehealth.com)Get the FREE Bulletproof My Identity Starter Kit (https://bulletproofmyid.com)Get help from Makani (https://forum.makanimason.com)

Helpful episodes to listen to firstDon't Let Websites Send You Notifications (https://makanimason.com/p/71)Give Every Website a Unique Email (https://makanimason.com/p/17)Questions we answer in this episodeWhat bad stuff can happen when you are browsing a new shopping website?How has browser safety changed over the years?What are 4 rules to stay safe while browsing the web?Episode summaryBrowsing the web today is safer than it's ever been, as long as you're not doing anything shady.To stay as safe as possible, there's 4 rules I recommend you follow:1 - Only use a modern browser, and always keep it updated.2 - Do not give a website any permissions it doesn't need, including the ability to send you notifications.3 - Do not download or install anything, especially browser extensions.4 - Do not enter any personal information.Rules 2-4 can be broken the more you get to know and trust a website, but start with following them strictly until you are confident they are worthy of your trust.Call to actionMake sure that you are using a modern, updated browser.If there's any question in your mind about this, please come to the forum (https://forum.makanimason.com) and I will help.Get the FREE Bulletproof My Identity Starter Kit (https://bulletproofmyid.com)Get help from Makani (https://forum.makanimason.com)

Episode summaryKem humbly shares his "epic fail" (his words, not mine!) story so we can all learn from his mistakes. As the story opens, Kem searches for a nice picture of Wellington, New Zealand for his wife's computer wallpaper.As he was speeding along, he accidentally clicked yes on a popup he shouldn't have, giving some malware backdoor access to his computer. As it tried to spread farther through another popup, he realized his mistake.Thankfully at that point with just a few minutes of effort, he was able to kick the malware out and shut the door. I love happy endings! A couple of days later, he took the time to document his story here (https://forum.makanimason.com/t/my-alludesgroup-com-adware-fail/118) to share with the world. Thank you, Kem!This was a powerful reminder that we all need to take time to Read the Signs. When we're driving, road signs are vital to our safety.On a computer, signs are also vital to our safety, including popups. We need to take time to learn what the signs mean so we can avoid the hidden dangers.Call to actionTake time to read popups, and especially learn what they mean so you can respond to them wisely. If you don't know what one means, please come to the forum (https://forum.makanimason.com/) and ask!LinksKem's story with all the details (https://forum.makanimason.com/t/my-alludesgroup-com-adware-fail/118)Get the FREE Bulletproof My Identity Starter Kit (https://bulletproofmyid.com)Get help from Makani (https://forum.makanimason.com)

Helpful episodes to listen to firstMakani Leaks His Own Data (https://makanimason.com/p/64)Questions we answer in this episodeWhat's the first skill we need to stay safe shopping online?What are the two buckets of bad shopping websites?What are the two buckets of phishing websites?What is the first item on our "safe website" checklist?Episode summaryA vital skill in staying safe while shopping online is knowing how to tell if a website is safe. You need to be on the watch for not only phishing sites, but scam websites too.We usually think of phishing websites as clones of specific websites, like gmail, where the objective is to steal your password. But with shopping, the objective of a phishing website is to gather as much personal information about you as they can, including your credit card.The first question on our safe website checklist is this: is the website less than a year old? If the answer to that question is yes, my advice is: run away, do not shop there, do not even browse there.Call to actionVisit linklantern.com (https://linklantern.com), put in any website, then look for the answer to the first item on our checklist:is the website less than a year old?LinksLink Lantern: shine a light on an unfamiliar website (https://linklantern.com/)Find out when a website was registered (https://lookup.icann.org/en)Get the FREE Bulletproof My Identity Starter Kit (https://bulletproofmyid.com)Get help from Makani (https://forum.makanimason.com)

Helpful episodes to listen to firstWhat is a Security Stack (https://makanimason.com/p/66)Questions we answer in this episodeWhat are the 6 layers in the Bulletproof Stack Formula?How are they grouped?What are the most neglected layers?Episode summaryThere are 6 types of layers we can review to help us build a Security Stack. They help us build redundancy into our Security Stack. Yes, that's a good thing! We want as many layers of defense as we can to keep the bad guys out.We divide the 6 layers into 2 groups of 3. We have the solo layers: knowledge, skills, and habits.And the team layers: people, tools and services.Call to actionHelp me build a system that is going to work for you by sharing your thoughts. What layer do you feel like you depend on the most? The layers are: knowledge, skills, habits, people, tools, and services. Let me know on the forum (https://forum.makanimason.com).Get the FREE Bulletproof My Identity Starter Kit (https://bulletproofmyid.com)Get help from Makani (https://forum.makanimason.com)

Helpful episodes to listen to firstSeven Critical Router Security Settings (https://makanimason.com/p/55)How DDoS Attacks Affect You (https://makanimason.com/p/60)Questions we answer in this episodeWhat are the 5 questions in the Bulletproof Stack Formula?How do they help us?Episode summaryThere are 5 questions we can ask to help us build a Security Stack. These questions help to ensure that our Security Stack is relevant.This means there is a legitimate threat that I care about, and I'm willing and able to take the steps necessary to defend myself.The 5 questions can be remembered with 5 words: assets, threats, risks, options, tradeoffs.Assets: What am I protecting?Threats: What are the threats?Risks: What are the risks?Options: What are my options for defense?Tradeoffs: What tradeoffs am I willing to make?Call to actionHelp me build a system that is going to work for you. How do you feel about the 5 words I chose to represent each question: assets, threats, risks, options, tradeoffs. Are there any you would replace? Let me know on the forum (https://forum.makanimason.com).Get the FREE Bulletproof My Identity Starter Kit (https://bulletproofmyid.com)Get help from Makani (https://forum.makanimason.com)