Senior Tech Group
Getting Comfortable With The Basics

Program Notes for the 4th Week of the Month

Jun 22, 2026, 1 and 7 PM | Join Online Meeting > United States Post Office – USPS | Consider creating an account on USPS.com; they offer many services, including printing your package shipping labels with postage, receiving notifications of mail to be delivered, holding mail during vacations, and changing your address.
Your strong passwords mean nothing if your phone PIN is four digits – MakeUseOf

Q:  How can you brute force a 4-digit pin when the phone defaults to lock after a few failed attempts? Jay B
A:  Using a simple PIN code on a cell phone carries significant security risks, primarily because it serves as the master key to your digital life. The main dangers include:
Shoulder Surfing: |  Reused Combinations:  |  Predictable Codes:  |  Smudge Patterns:

You should be using a fingerprint or face recognition for the day-to-day unlocking of your mobile phone.

Q:  So, how many failed PIN attempts does a Pixel 6 or later allow before locking up?
A:  A Google Pixel 6 or later allows 5 failed attempts before locking you out. On the 6th attempt, you are locked out for 5 minutes, and subsequent failed attempts trigger progressively longer lockouts (ranging from 15 minutes to hours).

Note: A Bitwarden account allows 5 failed PIN attempts. Once you reach this limit, the application will automatically log you out, and you will need to re-enter your full Master Password to access your vault again.

This Week’s Tip or Trick

Bitwarden Tip

Why Use Two-Step Login? | Bitwarden

Two-step login (also called two-factor authentication or 2FA) is a common security technique used by websites to protect your sensitive data. Websites that use two-step login require you to verify your identity by entering an additional “token” (also called a verification code or one-time password (OTP)) along with your username and password. It’s typically retrieved from a different device.

Without physical access to the token from your secondary device, a malicious actor would be unable to access the website, even if they discover your username and password:

Q: Can we please go over the settings in Privacy in a future class?  Mark B
A: To access settings, open the Privacy app in the upper left, tap your thumbnail, then tap My Account. Account instructions are found on the Support page.

Where to Find & Adjust Your Settings
  • Card Settings: Located in your Card Library. Click on any specific virtual card to edit or review its features.
  • General Account Settings: Click your profile icon or initials (usually in the top-right corner on the web) to access your login, 2FA, funding sources, and plan tiers.

Key Settings You Can Customize

Card-Specific Settings
  • Spend Limits: You can limit how much a card spends on a per-transaction, daily, monthly, yearly, or total basis. If a charge exceeds your limit, Privacy automatically declines it.
  • Card Type: Choose between Single-Use (burns and closes right after the first transaction) or Merchant-Locked (locks to the first website that processes the card).
  • Card Status: You can instantly pause or close a card to block future subscription attempts.

Account & Profile Settings
  • Funding Sources: Connect or swap the underlying bank accounts or debit cards that fund your virtual cards.
  • Security (2FA): Turn on Two-Factor Authentication using an authenticator app or SMS to protect your account.
  • Billing Descriptor: Change how your Privacy.com purchases display on your main bank statement (e.g., hiding explicit merchant names). 

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