If you use Google for anything (and who doesn’t), it is a good idea to periodically check your your Google account security settings. If you have an Android phone, then there is a Gmail account attached to the phone, whether you use it or not. This account is tied to the GPS location history generated by your phone. It is also attached to Google Calendar, Google Contacts, Google Photos, any G-Suite ...
I have been predicting the death of the password for several years now, but all of us are still using them, even if they are easily stolen, cracked, or bypassed. A password by itself is not all that secure anymore. But there are several simple steps you can take to make them more secure.
Do not:
A quick Saturday digest of cybersecurity news articles from other sources.People Are Searching for Answers
After a night of confusion and uncertainty in which no results were reported for the Iowa Democratic caucus, people are searching for answers. As a cybersecurity journalist, I probably consider the hacking possibilities more than most, but it was hard not to wonder. Adding to the fire ...
There is only one person that you can rely on to keep you protected in your online life – and that person is YOU! Because the bad actors on the network target people more frequently than machines, this means that we more likely to be the first point of contact in an exploit. We are ultimately responsible for keeping our online life secure. ...
If you are using one of these passwords or PINs to “secure” your computer, smartphone, or online accounts you are in danger of having your digital life cracked and compromised. The passwords have been cracked, are on sale on the Dark Web, and will be the FIRST passwords tried by an attacker. If you are using one of these, please change it now.
The ...
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Someone has stolen your user ID and password from a website where you have an account. Are you at risk? What are they going to do with it?
Unfortunately, even with the best security, passwords are stolen all the time from websites and cloud service providers. There are over 15 billion stolen credentials. Usually the passwords are solved using off-line brute force password cracking methods, and then packaged up and sold on ...
Continue Reading →No matter how good a job you do of creating long, strong, unique passwords, keeping them secret and secure in a password manager, it all goes awry when a vendor site we have used gets breached, and has our user names and passwords stolen. This is where a web site such as Troy Hunt’s HaveIBeenPwned.com comes in.
I have set up an account at HIBP, and get regular ...
Continue Reading →A quick Saturday digest of cybersecurity news articles from other sources.Last week, the FBI, that bastion of sage privacy and security advice, issued a blog post out of its Portland field office warning cyber Monday shoppers that their smart TV is a little too smart, and likely watches you as much as you watch it. The ...
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Your Personally Identifiable Information (PII) is one of the top targets of cyber-criminals. This information is valuable because it can be used for identity, fraud, tax refund fraud, loans and credit card applications, money transfers, phishing and spam campaigns, blackmail and extortion, fraudulent medical insurance claims, online shopping, and so much more. This information is packaged and sold on the Dark Web, and ...
Creating and remembering strong (long) passwords is a chore, and leads to poor security practices such as shorter passwords, reuse of passwords, and writing down passwords in a password list or book that could be stolen. The best way to create strong passwords and store them for use is a password manager.
The easiest password managers are found in popular web browsers such as Chrome, Firefox, and Edge. Safari uses the Apple ...
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