Your SSN Stolen! + Where're My Downloads?

We’re covering two topics this time. A serious data breach has occurred and we’ll cover that first then we’ll discuss where your browser puts downloaded files.

Your SSN has likely been stolen

I have to bring to your attention the fact that 2.9 BILLION phone numbers, addresses and social security numbers (yes, social security numbers!) have been stolen from a company named National Public Data. The chances that your information is in there is pretty high. All of my addresses, current and previous, are included. Time Magazine has a good article about it (https://time.com/7011872/social-security-data-breach-information/) with a link to a database where you can check if your information is included (https://npd.pentester.com/search). I urge you to read the article and also to check if your information is included. In any case, I encourage you to freeze your credit at all of the major credit services (EquiFax, Experian, and TransUnion) and sign up for an account at ssa.gov so you can watch your social security information for any changes that you haven’t made. Also enable multi-factor authentication on all of your accounts. For banks and other financial institutions I would recommend you set up notifications for transactions of any size. I have mine set to the minimum value they will allow. For some institutions it’s as little as a penny, for others it’s a few dollars. And pay attention to those notifications! Once you have enabled multi-factor authentication don’t just blindly respond to any authentication request. Make sure you yourself have requested authentication by the institution that’s requesting it. If you weren’t before, now is the time to be extra vigilant.

Where are my downloaded files?

Now, let us discuss where your browsers store your downloads. As far as I’m aware, all of the desktop browsers give you the option of selecting where you want your downloads to go or, alternatively, ask you for each download. I prefer the latter.

When it comes to mobile devices, it’s a mixed bag. A very few give you the option to specify where to store your browser downloads - most will automatically save to a specific location. That location differs between Apple mobile devices and Android mobile devices. And in many cases, that can be changed.

Browsers on Apple mobile devices

On Apple devices it really depends on whether you use Safari or another browser. By default Safari saves your downloads in a folder named Downloads on your iCloud drive but you can change that (see https://macreports.com/where-do-downloads-go-in-safari-on-iphone-or-ipad/). If you’re using a different browser you should try looking for the Downloads item in your browser’s settings (if it has one). If it does then you can likely change it to wherever you’d like to save your downloaded files. The files you’ve already downloaded will be in the location that were specified in that setting before you changed it. If your browser doesn’t have that setting you can use the Files app and look in the Recents folder or, if you downloaded something a while ago, go to “On My iPad” or “On My iPhone” and look for a folder named after your browser then look in that folder for your downloaded files. For instance, if you used Firefox, your downloads would, by default, be in a folder named Firefox on your iPad or iPhone. If you used the Brave browser, look for a folder named Brave and your downloaded files should be in there.

Browsers on Android devices

Every browser I’ve used on my Android devices has stored its downloaded files in a folder named Downloads or possibly a folder named after your browser in the Downloads folder. Most Android devices have a Files or My Files app that works similar to the Files app on Apple mobile devices in that you can see recently added and downloaded files and open, delete or do a number of other operations on the files displayed there.

That’s all for this time

I hope you’ll take action after this latest batch of stolen user data! And I hope I’ve helped you understand where your downloaded files are stored. Don't hesitate to write to me if you have questions!

As always, my intent is to help you understand the basics and equip you to search for more detailed information.

Please feel free to email me with questions, comments, suggestions, requests for future columns, to sign up for my newsletter, or whatever at [email protected] or just drop me a quick note and say HI!

If you like, you can read my most recent newsletter in the Hillsboro Times Gazette at https://go.ttot.link/TG-Column - I should have that link updated shortly after this edition appears in the online version of the newspaper.