A convenient feature of any operating system or software application is its ability to save login credentials so you don’t have to repeatedly enter the same user name and password. Although it may be convenient, there are some potential security concerns with saving login information on your computer, especially if it is shared with others. Windows manages a user’s login credentials th...
While I’ve never personally worked in the IT field, I have a number of friends who have, and I can appreciate their efforts to keep a network secure and functioning well. Sometimes, though, the cost of network security can be pretty annoying. The university where I work is home to a top-notch group of IT guys that keep the wheels greased for over 15,000 network users. Just like many other univer...
If you’re anything like me, you probably have all your passwords jammed into a text file or stored in your browser somewhere for easy retrieval when you need them. While convenient, you may want to consider more secure ways to store your passwords to prevent your account(s) from being hacked. The following applications and services are free, easy to use, and absolutely capable of protectin...
There are very simple reasons why password security is so important: 1) We can now access most of our private, confidential information online (bank accounts, email, and social networks), and 2) We’re lazy. I’m not trying to make anyone feel bad with that last point. I’m really lazy, too. For years, I used only a few passwords and rarely changed them. It doesn’t take a lon...
Facebook, for the most part, is a safe place to meet friends and talk to people. However, it’s good practice (and simply common sense) to stick to conversations with people you actually know. Recently, I’ve been receiving messages from complete strangers asking seemingly-legitimate questions about my livelihood, such as programming or brewing, since both are listed on my (up until today) publ...
After the Firesheep fiasco of last October, most people became keenly aware of how insecure they were on unencrypted websites like Facebook and Twitter. (In case you missed it, Firesheep is an add-on for Firefox that allows a malicious user to take control of your account on unsecure non-https websites when browsing on wi-fi) Firesheep is very easy to block; all you need to do is access websites...
Techerator team: My (techie) husband mentioned that he can track the location of our laptop with a “dynamic DNS”. He also said something about being able to remotely connect to it with this tool. Should I be worried? Is this spyware? The service he is referring to is indeed called dynamic DNS. This service can tell you a computer’s IP address wherever it goes (as long as it is connect...
One commonly used feature in Firefox is the ability to store usernames and passwords for websites you frequently visit. Saving login information removes the needs to enter it every time you visit a site. A feature that was added in the Firefox 3 release is the ability to update saved passwords for sites you visit. This removed the problem of having duplicate usernames with different passwords. ...
Prepare to be impressed: Facebook is rolling out some great new features that will help protect your account from unauthorized access. They might not have the whole information privacy thing figured out yet, but they are definitely taking the right steps when it comes to keeping your account safe. Generate Temporary Random Passwords via SMS First up is the ability to generate a temporary, random...
Never before has a website been so blatantly obvious and honest in it’s function. HowSecureIsMyPassword.net asks that very simple question; it’s response is something more or less dramatic, depending on what you type in. The capital letters are kind of goofy, but it definitely works with the site’s straight-forward approach to telling you how secure (or insecure) your passw...