NIST Recommends New Password Rules

NISTThe National Institute for Standards and Technology is working on new password guidelines which will be mandated for government sector users, and strongly recommended for businesses as well.  Still in draft from, the standards can be found on the document Special Publication 800-63-3: Digital Authentication Guidelines.   Here are some of the recommended changes, so far.  We approve, and in many cases have been ...

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US-CERT Advises Election Officials To Secure Voter Data

US-CERTAnother out of cycle post, this one directed to anyone who is running balloting operations for the upcoming elections.  I make jokes all the time about our next president being elected by the Russian Cyber Army,  the Chinese Peoples Liberation Army Unit 61398, the ISIS Cyber Caliphate, or the Syrian Electronic Army.  But this is ...

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FBI Asks Ransomware Victims to Report Infections

ic3The rare Tuesday post.  I got an announcement from the FBI on Friday that I thought was important enough to share that I am squeezing into to my regular publishing schedule on what is typically an off-day. Anyway, now is your chance to stick it to the criminals who have been distributing Locky, CryptoWall, CryptoLocker and other ransomware exploits.  If you or your business has been victimized ...

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What Is Your Data Worth?

penetration_test_436x270When you lose your login credentials to an online account, it can be devastating.  Depending on what was compromised and what was lost, you may have an expensive and time-consuming task on your hands.  So the bad guys took your user ID and password, or some other personal information.  Was it worth it?  There is an active resale market for this information, and ...

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Using Windows Defender Offline

Windows10We have been recommending Windows Defender as an acceptable anti-malware program.  What we like about it is that it comes baked into the Windows 10 operating system, and gets its malware definitions updates with the other Windows security and feature updates that users are already receiving.   And it is free.  Plus it keeps your system a little less cluttered than adding a third party anti-malware product.

Sure, it is not top ...

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100 Things Facebook Knows About You

facebookI read about this on Naked Security, and popped over to the Washington Post to read the full story and list.  I knew this was happening, but it is freaky to see the entire list.  Facebook collects this information to deliver ads that are targeted at your interests and preferences.  If it seems that some of the ads that show up in your feed are weirdly right ...

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Fun with Fake Tech Support

fake-tech-supportWe have written about the dangers of working with “tech support” people who call out of the blue claiming to be from Microsoft or possibly your Internet service provider.  Here are a couple of stories about people who turned the tables on these con artists.  As a precaution, please remember that attacking these guys back is just as illegal as what they are ...

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Never Forget

911It was 15 years ago that Osama Bin Laden carried out the most dramatic and successful attack against the United States since the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor in 1941.  The sacrifices made in New York, the Pentagon, and in the air over Shanksville, PA are not to be forgotten.

Solutions seem to be hard to find.  Regardless of what side you find yourself on in the larger picture of the continuing hostilities ...

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