Security and Passwords

•Hard drive backups are highly recommended

•After backup, store hard drive elsewhere in house

• Protect your computer with Anti-Virus and Anti Malware software

•Keep your software current

•Share password list with heirs as you would a will

•I encourage you to review your passwords soon!

 Information sources / references

Guide to Online Password Security

• The MacMost.com Guide to Online Password Security

• January 2012 www.ConsumerReports.org

 •   50% of adults have more than 6 Password protected online accounts

•About half of those have written a PW (password) list in an unsafe place

•Chances of having PW stolen is probably slim

•But .. the risk is real and increasing

•^{How do Hackers get passwords?}

•^{They break into insecure Corporate sites; ie Sony}

•^{Many Corporations have poor protection}

•^{White Hat Hackers (good guys) help Corporations improve  their security}

•^{Banking and Healthcare are best at protecting their websites}

•^{Retail and Financial services are weakest}

•^{Sony Pictures stored their PW info in plain text format on their computers}

•^{Strong password is best chance to resist attack}

•^{Cheaper and more powerful PW cracking software available to the bad  guys}

•^{Any 8 character PW can be cracked in under 24 hours by the bad guys}

•^{3.7 million households were told last year that their info was lost}

 What to do?

•Use strong passwords

•Different Passwords for each account/site

•Change your Passwords every few months

•Your most important Account:    EMAIL

•Hide your Password list  

Why Email?

•Almost every account on websites have a “back door”

•It is called your “secret question”

•You pick question and give answer

•If you’re allowed to supply question and answer...

•Use “what is my backup password?”

•Then choose another Strong Password!!

 •Most popular Password?    123456

10% of those surveyed had more than 30 accounts requiring a password.

29% of respondents store passwords on a list they carry with them, near their computer or in an insecure file on their computer, tablet or mobile device.

75% of respondents did not use the strongest kind of password ( eight or more characters containing  upper case and lower case letters, a number and a special character. )

Best way to protect passwords

     •^{Don’t use the same Password twice}

     •^{Make them strong}

•Avoid the obvious

- Dictionary words

- Places and names

- Keyboard sequences; ie  qwerty

- Dates in any format

- Words disguised by letter substitutions

Keep them safe and up to date

•Secure your computer and browser

•Try to use a unique Password on each account

•So what should a Strong Password look like?

- Use letters and numbers

- Use upper and lower case letters

- It should be at least 8 characters long

- It should be completely random

- Use special characters if you can

•By now, you think I cannot be serious!

•^{There’s more!}

- Be careful with public computers or a friends

- Be careful about use of public wifi connections

Bare Minimum

•Use only Strong Passwords

•Take special care of critical accounts

-- Email

-- Bank Accounts

-- Investment Accounts

-- Retail site holding credit card # ie Amazon

•Create a password list in Excel

•Password protect that file with a password

•You need a list in case you forget

•It is for your heirs should they need it

•Be very careful with this list

•There are password storage programs

Test your password at this site

https://www.microsoft.com/security/pc-security/password-checker.aspx

Current Movies and TV shows include topics on computer security and hacking

Current Movies

Mission Impossible

The Girl with the Dragon Tatoo

Current Television Series

NCIS

Put your Password list in a safe place!!

Book Safe

Fireproof Safe

what might you put in it?