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What the Living Social password breach means to you

xlrintblog — Fri, 24 May 2013 02:29:28 +0000

Itâ€™s a mistake too many of us make. We get lazy, and we rely on just one single password to gain access to several different Web sites. This, though, is a dangerous strategy. A recent story by ars technica on a serious password breach at daily deals site LivingSocial.com points out just why this is.

A LivingSocial.com breach

According to the story, LivingSocial.com — which offers users daily bargains on everything from restaurants and spas to amusement parks and museums — recently suffered a significant security breach. The breach exposed the names, e-mail addresses and password information for up to 50 million LivingSocial users, according to ars technica.

Aftershocks

According to ars technica, Tim Oâ€™Shaugnessy, the chief executive officer of LivingSocial, quickly responded by advising users to change their LivingSocial passwords. Oâ€™Shaugnessy took the additional step of advising the siteâ€™s users to change any other passwords that are similar to or the identical to those they use at LivingSocial. Thatâ€™s good advice. It remains to be seen, though, just how many LivingSocial users will take this step.

A Hassle, But Important

It can be difficult to remember dozens of passwords. And there are times when you simply want to log onto a site with a password that you've used dozens of times before because it's easier than creating, and documenting, a brand-new access code. Don't fall prey to this urge. If a hacker cracks your password at one site, it's not overly hard for this cyber criminal to use the same one to gain access to your other Web sites, too, if you're too lazy to make unique passwords at different sites. Yes, passwords are imperfect. But the more creative you are with them — and this includes creating separate passwords for every site you visit — the better off you'll be.

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Would the AP phishing scam have tricked you?

xlrintblog — Fri, 17 May 2013 06:24:38 +0000

You would never open a phishing e-mail that asks you to deposit $1,000 to acquire $1 million, would you? And you would certainly never open anything from a Nigerian prince needing the dollars he needs to flee to the United States, right? But how about the most sophisticated of todayâ€™s phishing e-mails? Think you would never fall for one of these? Think again. A recent phishing e-mail snared the Associated Press, the nationâ€™s top provider of wire-service news. If the AP could fall prey to phishing, so could you.

Syrian Electronic Army

Recently, a group calling itself the Syrian Electronic Army hacked into the Twitter account of the AP and posted a message saying that President Obama was seriously injured in an explosion at the White House. This Tweet was false, needless to say. But that didn't prevent the stock market from taking a big plunge. It shows, too, that even the savviest of us have to be on guard from state-of-the-art phishing attacks.

A real news story?

As Slate reports, hackers sent AP staffers what appeared to be a perfectly legitimate e-mail message containing a supposed link to a real news story in the Washington Post. Problem was, this e-mail was a scam. And when AP staffers clicked on it, the members of the electronic army group could nab the passwords that let them take over the APâ€™s Twitter account.

Your lesson

It's very easy to poke fun at the AP for getting hacked. Nonetheless, nobody is safe from the more sophisticated con artists behind the latest phishing attacks. These scammers no longer send phishing e-mails about Nigerian princes. Instead, they send out messages that look like they're from people we know. The lesson here? You need to be continuously vigilant if you want to safeguard yourself from today's trickiest online scammers.

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Not all computer monitors are the same

xlrintblog — Fri, 10 May 2013 01:44:02 +0000

Think size is the only thing that matters when choosing a computer monitor? Think again. Different types of computer monitors boast different features. Some react especially quickly to commands, and are, for that reason, favorites among avid video gamers. Others reproduce the sharpest colors possible, and are better-suited to animators and graphic artists. The message here? Purchasing a computer monitor takes homework. But if you do your research, you can find the LCD computer monitor that works best for you.

What matters

The Lifehacker Web site recently took a close look at the different monitors currently available. The lesson from this site? Monitors are far from created equal. Some, for example, boast lightning-fast screen response times. These monitors are favored by hardcore gamers who want their video screens to move as fast as their thumbs. Others do a tremendous job of reproducing colors and boast clear viewing angles. These monitors might be more effective for graphic designers and other visual artists, according to Lifehacker.

Types

The Coding Horror blog recently ran an article outlining the advantages and disadvantages of different LCD computer monitors. For instance, TN monitors have the best screen response times out there, which is why gamers like them. They don’t do as good a job with color reproduction or viewing angles, though. They are the most widely used monitors since they're also the cheapest. IPS monitors are some of the most costly monitors on the market. That’s mainly because they do a brilliant job of color reproduction and offer the best viewing angles. Their screen times, though, are more sluggish compared to those boasted by TN monitors.

The affordable choice

Consider the VA monitor as being the sound middle choice. Coding Horror says that these monitors boast good color reproduction capabilities and good viewing angles. The response time, though, for these monitors is only average. Also, the monitors’ colors tend to shift when uses view them from the wrong angle. These monitors are more expensive than TN monitors but cheaper than their IPS cousins.

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Is your phone’s passcode really safe?

xlrintblog — Tue, 07 May 2013 23:37:37 +0000

Think your smart phone is protected simply because you make use of a passcode to stop others from logging onto its home screen? You better think again. A newly released story by the Lifehacker technology Web site takes a close look at the new wave of passcode exploits that have allowed hackers to gain access to consumers’ smart phones. As it turns out, not even a hard-to-guess passcode can prevent the most talented and patient of hackers from compromising your smart phone.

Passcode exploits

The Lifehacker story examines recent passcode exploits targeting the Samsung Galaxy and iPhone smart phones. According to the story, the attack against the iPhone allowed hackers to, utilizing the phone app, make phone calls, view photos and alter the contact lists of users. Hackers couldn’t gain full access to the phone, nevertheless they gained enough capability to cause plenty of problems for owners. The Samsung exploit worked differently. Hackers were able to flash the phone’s home screen for about a second. This gave hackers enough time to either launch apps on the phone or start downloading a more dangerous app that allows hackers to get full control over a smart phone.

No magic bullet

As the Lifehacker story says, none of these problems should surprise smart phone users. Passcodes offer protection, nonetheless they have never been failproof. As reported by Lifehacker, passcodes do no better a job safeguarding your phone than passwords or PINs do securing your bank accounts or membership Web sites. Hackers can either crack your phone's lock-screen passcode or, in the case of skilled cyber thieves, break into your phone's hard drive to access your data.

The protection you need

To defend yourself, first be sure that your lock-screen passcode is at least complicated to guess. Lifehacker recommends a passcode made up of letters, symbols and numbers. Next, always encrypt the data that you store on your smart phone. Lastly, consider paying for services such as Prey or Apple’s Find my iPhone. These services provide you with the ability to track your phone after it’s stolen or you lose it. Even better, it allows you to erase the data stored on it, so that hackers can’t get at it.

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Don’t hurt your peepers at the workplace

xlrintblog — Thu, 02 May 2013 23:01:51 +0000

How much time do you spend looking at computer screens at work? You most likely don’t want to know. But your eyes are undoubtedly being affected by it. The everon blog recently covered the important issue of eyestrain. Based on the story, workers who spend too much time staring into screens can suffer watery, dry or blurry eyes. They can also experience headaches, an inability to focus and an increased sensitivity to light. Thankfully, it’s not too difficult for workers to keep eyestrain at bay. As everon says, it’s all about following one simple rule.

The Secret

Workers seeking to prevent the problems of eye strain should follow the 20/20/20 rule. This rule states that employees should every 20 minutes take a 20-second break. And during this short break, they need to focus their eyes on something that stands at least 20 feet away. This forces your eyes to focus on something other than a computer screen. It also gives them a brief workout. The story on everon also indicates that employees can every 20 minutes spend 20 seconds or more walking 20 feet or more, something that will also give a boost to their mental and physical well-being.

Reminders

The everon story highlights several apps to help you remember to take these micro breaks. One such app, Workrave, will pop onto your screen to remind you to take your break. The app will also suggest exercises that will help boost the strength of your eyes, shoulders and back. The EyeLeo app blocks your computer screen every hour, forcing you to get out of your chair and do something else. The app will then demonstrate a simple exercise that you could tackle before your screen returns to normalcy.

The Coffee Break App

Another favorite reminder app is Coffee Break, although it is only available for Apple devices. This app will slowly darken your screen as a pre-arranged break time nears. You will be encouraged to take that important break as your screen gets darker and darker. Needless to say, no app can make you take a health break. Nevertheless, do it for your own benefit. The task will still get done, and the health benefits to turning away from the screen are significant.

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Privacy is dead? It doesn’t have to be

xlrintblog — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 04:42:09 +0000

Smartphones, tablets and laptops are fantastic tools: They enable us to search the Internet, answer e-mail messages and watch video whether we’re sitting on the train or waiting for our flight at the airport. Yet these devices can certainly be dangerous, too. If they fall into the wrong hands, your personal information, from your online banks accounts to your e-mail messages to your Facebook pages, can fall prey to cyber thieves. And there’s little limit to the problems they can cause. Thankfully, there are steps that you can use to safeguard your privacy even in today’s age of mobile computing, and as Forbes says, these steps are very easy.

Password Protection is Key

Forbes recommends you always password-protect your mobile devices. This way, if you lose your tablet or someone steals your smartphone, the thief won’t be able to easily access your device and the private data stored on it. Forbes compares password-protecting your devices to locking your home’s front door; it’s just a wise practice.

The Power of Google Alerts

Google Alerts are a great tool. Just tell Google what you are interested in, and each time that thing is mentioned online, Google will send you an alert. You can even tell Google to alert you when your name is thrown about online. This is a good way to keep track of what others are saying about you on the internet. This way, you’ll know immediately if your privacy is being violated online.

The Sign Out Step

You just finished changing your Facebook page. You've just transmitted money electronically into your PayPal account. What should you do now? Make sure, before you leave the site, that you simply sign out. This is particularly important if you're using a computer at a library or other public space. You wouldn't want the next user to see your accounts and gain instant access because you're still signed in. We're all busy. But you're not too busy to remember to sign out.

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Mourning the death of Google Reader

xlrintblog — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 09:09:27 +0000

Google Reader, the widely used RSS reader, is all but gone. Google declared that it would discontinue the service once July 1 comes around. This has hit some of the service's biggest fans hard. The reality, though, is that there are alternatives. Google decided to close the service since its user base was steadily decreasing. Nonetheless the closing of Google Reader provides an valuable lesson to consumers: There's no guarantee that your favorite, cloud service won't go away, as well.

An ever-changing cloud

The cloud is a great service. It allows us to access programs without having to store them on our computers. Even so the cloud also isn’t all that permanent. Writing for Slate, Farhad Manjoo says that the demise of Google Reader ought to provide a lesson to all computer users out there: Nothing in the cloud is forever. When Google introduced Reader in 2005, it marketed the service as one that would be around forever. Obviously, it won’t be. And that’s a lesson that consumers need to keep in mind: Nothing in the cloud is certain.

When it’s gone it's gone

This can be regarded as a downside to the cloud. In the days when software came on discs and we downloaded it to our computers, there was more permanence. Sure, companies would close shop and manufacturers would discontinue software. But you still had access to software, even though the companies behind it terminated it. After all, it was saved on your computer and you still had the discs. This isn’t the situation with the cloud. When something is yanked from the cloud, it's gone.

Google’s challenge

The death of Reader isn’t just sad news for fans of the RSS service. It’s also a challenge for Google, as the Economist magazine argues in a recent story. Nobody is expecting Google to continue funding under-performing products. However, how will consumers react the next time Google unveils a cloud-based product? Are they going to flock to it? Or will they hesitate, wondering when Google might kill it off? The demise of Reader may seem like a small matter to a company as powerful as Google. Yet the RSS service’s end might post some tricky challenges for Google in the future.

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Protect yourself with two-factor authentication

xlrintblog — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 05:12:30 +0000

Think your company's computers are protected with conventional passwords? Guess again. Too many of your staff count on simple passwords that can be easy for hackers to guess. Others use the same password for multiple Web sites, computers and mobile devices. Consequently once cyber criminals hack that password, they can easily gain access to numerous other sites and devices. That's why a recent story by Biztech Magazine identifies two-factor authentication as a growing trend among companies that take cyber security seriously.

Two steps are better than one

Two-factor authentication works so well because it requires users to take two separate actions to log onto a machine or Web site, according to the Biztech story. That's good enough to chase away the vast majority of cyber criminals who will go on to concentrate on businesses with weaker protection. In a typical two-step authentication setup, end users must use both a password and something else to log onto their machines or Web sites. An end user might have to swipe a smart card or insert a token. A business could even rely on biometric identifiers as the all-important second step.

The starting point

Once you decide to employ two-factor authentication, you'll want to take steps to ensure that the transition is a simple one for your employees. And, as Biztech Magazine says, this begins with choosing the right second factor. For instance, tokens might work nicely if the majority of your employees work in a central location. If your business relies upon workers who are spread across the country, tokens are probably not the best choice. Same for smart cards: These cards usually don't work with smartphones. If your employees rely on their smartphones to work, smart cards might be the wrong choice for a second factor.

Take your time

Give your employees time to get used to the concept of two-factor authentication before you officially launch it. You want to give your workers the chance to ask questions about how the procedure works. This also provides you with a chance to explain just why two-step authentication is needed and how it can provide better security to the company.

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Take the small steps to protect your business from cyber attack

xlrintblog — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 00:33:49 +0000

Think your small business is safe from cyber criminals? Rethink it. Most small businesses across the country are surprisingly vulnerable to hackers. It’s relatively simple for savvy cyber criminals to hack into your business’ Wi-Fi account, for example. After that, it’s an easy process for cyber criminals to steal your company’s data and money. The good news is, Entrepreneur Magazine recently ran a story offering tips for small business owners who want to shield their companies from hackers. The good news? Thwarting cyber crimes sometimes needs the simplest of steps.

Encryption

The best protection against hackers? Encrypt your data. This will make it more complicated for cyber criminals to access your company’s bank accounts, employee information and credit-card data. Hackers can crack encryption if they're skilled enough. But many will see encrypted data and just move on to an easier target. Best of all, it’s easy to encrypt your data. Simply turn on the full-disk encryption tool that is included with your computers’ operating systems. This tool is called FileVault on Macintosh computers and BitLocker on Windows. Once these tools are activated, it will encrypt every file or program on your computers’ drives.

The Lockdown Approach

Most computers have a Kensington lock port, a small metal loop that users can run a cable through to lock them to their desks. If you'd like to truly protect your business, require that employees take this protection measure. It may sound silly, but the Entrepreneur story said that businesses are often hacked after burglars break in and steal laptops and other devices. A cable strapping a laptop to a desk won't stop all thieves. But it might scare away those who want to strike especially quickly.

Wi-Fi Vulnerability

Many hackers break into the Wi-Fi networks run by businesses. This is why it's important for businesses to safeguard these networks with passwords that are improbable for hackers to crack, usually long codes featuring numbers, symbols and letters. Naturally, such passwords are hard for you to try to remember, too. Solve the problem by recording your passwords and storing them in a locked safe or other secure location.

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What happens to online accounts after the one person with access dies?

xlrintblog — Sat, 06 Apr 2013 08:37:45 +0000

Only one key employee has access to all of your small business’ important online accounts: your cloud-based payroll software, Twitter account, Facebook account and bank account. That’s fine. But imagine if that employee should die suddenly? Do you know the passwords to your company’s online bank account? How about that cloud-based payroll service? And even if you did, would you legally be able to access the online accounts after this employee dies?

Too much power?

The Wall Street Journal recently highlighted this issue on its Web site. It may not seem like a problem that your business will suffer. But if your business does have online accounts to which only one person has access, you might be tempting fate. If that person dies, are you able to access your online bank account in order to pay your vendors or cut a rent check to your landlord? How about your payroll software? Are you able to cut checks to your employees, all of whom want to get paid on their regular payday? And then there’s Twitter and Facebook. If your business relies on these tools to talk with customers, you’ll need to know the passwords that give you access.

A trust issue

The Wall Street Journal story points to a larger issue: Many business owners mistakenly think that once they store their files and records in the cloud, these documents and folders are secure. The truth is, they’re not. Hackers may still target them. And if no one can access this information because a key employee has died? Then you and your business are really in trouble.

Fixes

Of course, the most effective way for business owners to safeguard themselves is to be sure that several people know the passwords for these online accounts. Owners could also compile a list of passwords and keep it safely stored in a safe. But what if online accounts are in an individual's name rather than the company's? Then there might be trouble. Privacy laws and policies might make it so that no one other than that specific individual can ever get into an account. The Wall Street Journal story points to the terms-of-service agreement for Yahoo! It states that ownership ends if the account holder dies. No one else, then, can get in. The solution here? Make sure your online accounts are in either the name of your company or the names of more than one staff member.

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