Turning on two-step sign-in for the accounts that matter
A password alone fails the day it leaks. A second step stops most of the people holding it, and the inbox is the place to start.
Section
Web, security and privacy
Certificates, private connections, inboxes and video hosting.
8 guides, 2019–2026
Two guides deal with the certificates behind the padlock in a browser’s address bar. One compares SSL certificate providers for a site owner buying a first certificate, and the other covers wildcard certificates, where a single certificate protects every subdomain of a site. VPN services get a page of their own, looked at for privacy on public Wi-Fi and for reaching services you already pay for while traveling, within those services’ terms.
Email takes up two pages. One compares free email providers for a personal or small-business inbox. The other explains disposable addresses for signing up somewhere without handing over your main address, whether to keep spam down or to test a sign-up form. The last guide lists places to publish video other than YouTube.
2026
2 guides
Shorter certificate lifetimes and what they mean for a small site
The longest a public certificate may last is coming down in steps until 2029. For a site renewed by hand, every step adds another date to miss.
2021
1 guide
Cheap wildcard SSL certificates: where to get one
One wildcard certificate can cover every subdomain at one level of a domain. It is cheap to buy, sometimes free, and has a few limits worth knowing first.
2020
2 guides
Affordable VPNs for travel and public Wi-Fi
A VPN protects your traffic on networks you do not control. It does not change what a streaming subscription lets you watch, and the services say so.
YouTube alternatives for publishing your videos
YouTube has the audience, but it is not the only place to host a video. Each alternative trades some reach for something else: cleaner playback, live audiences, looser length limits or independence from a single company.
2019
3 guides
Free email service providers compared
A free email account is paid for with ads, with data, or with limits that nudge you toward an upgrade. Knowing which one each provider uses makes the choice easier.
Choosing an SSL certificate provider
Every certificate trusted by browsers encrypts traffic the same way. What you pay for is the level of identity checking, the support around it, and sometimes only the brand name on the invoice.
Disposable email addresses: temporary inboxes and aliases
A throwaway address is useful for a one-off download, a forum you will visit once, or testing a sign-up form you are building. It is the wrong tool for any account you may need to recover.