Switchfast Blog: The Future of IT
Passwords and Privacy : 3 Tips to Better Manage Your Private Content
Monday, April 26, 2010 by Bryan Anderson
The latest activity involving Google's questionable Buzz roll out and Facebook's reduction in controlling personal
information has sparked major debate among writers and bloggers
regarding security. These two companies may hold some of the
largest user bases throughout the internet, but when users utilize
their services they rely on establishing a username and a password
that protects their content from alteration or theft. Identity
theft is a serious and increasingly obvious problem going forward,
as more companies turn to "cloud" services. How secure is the
'combination' for your lock?
Here are 3 tips to improve your password management and creation
skills:
1. Install the latest software and activate a
firewall. Although a study done by Cormac Herley, a principal
researcher for Microsoft Research, suggests that changing passwords
is "a waste of time" or "not worth following." He elaborates on the
importance of company-established security measures. Two-thirds of
computers have outdated software protection, according to a
Microsoft spokesman. Herley points out that a "piece of malicious
key logging software on your machine can grab all of your passwords
- it makes no difference at that point whether they are strong or
weak."
2. Use creative ways to improve password
strength. There's a reason why certain websites and
companies encourage a password to contain letters, numbers, and
symbols - this battles the common-password tendency that most users
prefer. No matter how "emotionally attached" you are to a word or
phrase, it may be an easy guess for potential identity thieves. Lifehacker.com, understanding that
"complicated passwords just aren't something our brains get excited
about memorizing," suggests (via one of its readers) shifting your
fingers one set of keys to the right, which would turn a simple
password like "money" into ".pmru".
3. Use a secure online password manager. A
single user may use up to 10 different passwords a day. Various
passwords may be good for protecting data, but it is also a burden
to memorize a different 'combination' for every piece of protected
information. A good idea for several users today is an online
password manager, one with access from anywhere and trustworthy
security. Passpack.com helps to keep track of all your
passwords in one place - for no cost.
Until next time -
Matthew Hymel
Switchfast Technologies
Chicago IT Support &
Consulting
Rochester
IT Support & Consulting
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