Can't Live with 'em, Can't Live without 'em

   They're dead.  They're here to stay.

   They're safe.  They're breached.

   They're encrypted.  They're visible.

   They're complex.  They're too simple.

   Once again, the topic we love to hate... Passwords!  And, you know what else???  It's also that greatest of holiday celebrations... US Cyber Security Month!

   In honor of US Cyber Security Month and the recently announced breach of 500 million Yahoo! account passwords and other info  (while announced in 2016, the breach actually took place in 2014, and is not the same as the password breach they had in 2012! - yes, I know... it's hard to keep up!), I'm re-running a post I wrote in... wait for it... 2012!  Not only is everything I wrote in that post 100% relevant today, but I even commented on that 2012 Yahoo! breach.  The more things change, the more they stay the same.  Happy Cyber Security Month!
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   Passwords are a mess!  A "good" password has these features:

• hard to create
• hard to remember
• hard to enter
• probably has to be changed as soon as you memorize it
• plus other inconsistent, random rules depending upon the site

   Perfect!

Online Self Defense - Passwords

   Next week I'll be presenting at the Cyber Security Summit in Minneapolis.  I hope to see you there!

   It's Cyber Security Month!  And the more things change, the more they stay the same.  The key advice for online self-defense I've given in the past is just as true now.  So to help us all celebrate, I'm "re-featuring" a few articles I've run in the past.

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   Last week I started a series on themes I covered in a talk entitled "Online Self-Defense".  In part 1 of that series, posted here, I talked about protecting your computer. This week we'll look at passwords.

   Passwords are a mess!  A "good" password has these features:

• hard to create
• hard to remember
• hard to enter
• probably has to be changed as soon as you memorize it
• plus other inconsistent, random rules depending upon the site

   Perfect!

Online Self Defense - Your Computer

   It's Cyber Security Month!  And the more things change, the more they stay the same.  The key advice for online self-defense I've given in the past is just as true now.  So to help us all celebrate, I'm "re-featuring" a few articles I've run in the past.

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   Happy US Cyber Security Month!  This partnership between Homeland Security, NCSA and MS-ISAC is an opportunity to recognize the importance of information security.  How are you celebrating?

   Last week I ran a couple of sessions at work on awareness and security.  Over the next few posts I will be reviewing some of the 3 themes I covered in a talk entitled "Online Self-Defense". You can view the slides on my slideshare page. (actually, the talk focuses on just 2 of the themes but that's OK!). Since everything comes in threes (omne trium perfectum), I will give 3 easy tips for each theme (and some bonus tips as well).

   The first theme is protecting your computer or device.

Putting the Face in Facebook

   As can happen in a month whose name contains an "a", "e" or "u" :-), Facebook has once again made
changes to its privacy policy and practices.  And, as always we all have two choices: accept the changes (and adjust our settings and practices appropriately), or; leave Facebook.

   Of course most people won't leave Facebook, and if anything they will add more users than those that leave.

   As I look through the changes (see Facebook's notice here with links to the details), I think there are three things to know...

Online Self Defense - Part 2 - Passwords

   Last week I started a series on themes I covered in a talk entitled "Online Self-Defense".  In part 1 of that series, posted here, I talked about protecting your computer. This week we'll look at passwords.

   Passwords are a mess!  A "good" password has these features:

• hard to create
• hard to remember
• hard to enter
• probably has to be changed as soon as you memorize it
• plus other inconsistent, random rules depending upon the site

   Perfect!

Online Self Defense - Part 1 - Your Computer

   Happy US Cyber Security Month!  This partnership between Homeland Security, NCSA and MS-ISAC is an opportunity to recognize the importance of information security.  How are you celebrating?

   Last week I ran a couple of sessions at work on awareness and security.  Over the next few posts I will be reviewing some of the 3 themes I covered in a talk entitled "Online Self-Defense". You can view the slides on my slideshare page. (actually, the talk focuses on just 2 of the themes but that's OK!). Since everything comes in threes (omne trium perfectum), I will give 3 easy tips for each theme (and some bonus tips as well).

   The first theme is protecting your computer or device.

Ineffective Security

   This is my 2nd favorite picture to use in a presentation. (I'll talk about my favorite picture in a future post!) It shows a classic security failure... the use of an ineffective security control.