With the expanded use of wireless networks connecting business computers, home computers, smartphone and tablets, and the ever expanding list of smart IoT devices, strong wireless network security is more important than ever. Fortunately there is a new wireless security protocol, WPA3, that will fix some of the weaknesses inherent in the current standard, WPA2.
Wireless security is all about ...
Continue Reading →
What devices are targeted for crypto-jacking and how can you protect yourself and your business from the problems and losses associated with crypto-jacking? Yesterday we learned about crypto-currency, crypto-mining, and crypto-jacking. Today we will learn how to secure our computers, devices, and networks from this new exploit.
Target devices. Really, any device with a network connection and a CPU is vulnerable to ...
Continue Reading →Tales from the Crypt was the name of a series of E.C. Comics in the 1950s. They were the inspiration for a TV show of the same name that ran for 7 seasons and 93 episodes on HBO from 1989 to 1996. In 2018, the new tales of the crypt involve weird sounding terms such as crypto-currency, crypto-mining, and crypto-jacking. Today ...
Two weeks ago when we started this series on password security, we revealed some sad statistics. 60% of people use the same password on multiple accounts. The average person has 26 password protected accounts, but only used 5 passwords across those accounts. And 85% of people keep track of passwords through memorization.
People reuse passwords just because it is easier. I get it, I have over 100 password protected accounts (not 26) and it is not possible for me to keep ...
Continue Reading →Did you know that the most popular passwords can be cracked in minutes? And that passwords with 8 characters or fewer can be cracked in a few seconds? This is why I say that passwords by themselves are no longer a useful form of security. Today is the second of a five part series on password security, and focuses on the methodology used by password cracking software programs.
Cyber-criminal groups who specialize in password cracking generally harvest huge lists of user ...
Continue Reading →
What do you think about a plan that would actually make it impossible for you to use the same password on two or more sites? Basically, when you set up a new web account, you would be forced to use a password that was truly different from other passwords you use elsewhere?
I am certain that if you are reading this blog, that you ...
Continue Reading →
The latest trend in the card payment universe are the mobile payment apps that let you use a smart watch or smartphone in place of a credit card. Just how secure are these payment systems? One of my regular readers, Eric Morley, owner of Big Frog Custom T-Shirts in Woodbury, MN, asked me that question via LinkedIn, and I thought it was a great idea for an article. ...
We all understand that HTTPS site are “secure” and HTTP sites are not. Google has been urging web site owners and managers to covert their plain HTTP sites to HTTPS for several years now, as part of an industry wide plan to use encryption in more places. Coming by July 18 of this year, Google’s browser Chrome version 68 will be flagging HTTP ...
A quick Saturday digest of cybersecurity news articles from other sources.Great story about dealing with creative content pirates on the Internet.
Great article from the Smithsonian takes a look ...
Continue Reading →
Did you know that most traffic across the Internet travels in an unencrypted state. And when you make an open wireless connection in a coffee bar or other public location, the radio connection is unsecured and unencrypted, too. This traffic travels as plain text, and can be read by anyone with the skills to intercept the traffic and open the data packets.
We know ...
Continue Reading →