[CCC News] Assorted News 51: Time to change your password?
Michael Kean
michael at auzzie.net
Sun Apr 13 20:08:20 AEST 2014
*In this edition:
**
*This edition comes to you from Black Mountain.
*Latest News:
Time to change your password?
How to remember all your passwords? (LastPass, etc.)
Windows XP and Office 2003 no longer supported. What to do?
Windows 8 - is it good or bad?
Wireless NBN now in Guyra.
**
Other Stuff
* ** Blog Rebuilt
My Irish Lass
Busy Busy...
Wheelchair Van for sale, $6890.
Hate your Dentist?
*
*
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*Time to change your password?*
By now you've probably heard of the "heartbleed" problem on the
Internet. In short, it can allow hackers to occasionally get people's
passwords.
Here's a great little comic that explains how it works...
http://xkcd.com/1354/
This bug has actually been around for a long time, but not publicly
known. Some fairly major sites have been affected.
If you want to know which sites are affected, have a look at
http://mashable.com/2014/04/09/heartbleed-bug-websites-affected/?utm_cid=mash-com-fb-main-link
So, the general advice is that it's probably a good time to change your
password... I even received a notice from Gmail that someone tried to
bet into mine!
*How to remember all your passwords?
*Lately when I go to people's homes and businesses to repair and install
computers, they tend to come forward with a book full of scrawled
passwords. There are a few ways to save you the hassle of having to
remember them all.
It's not a good idea to use the same password on more than one site,
because if a hacker gets that password from one site, they usually try
it along with your username or email address on multiple other sites.
/*Let Internet Explorer, Chrome or Firefox save them.
*/On most websites, when you enter a name and a password your web
browser will ask you if you want to save the password for that site.
There can be some annoying exceptions however a some sites turn this
feature off.
If you do use this feature, be aware that anybody who uses your computer
could click into the settings area and view all your passwords. You can
prevent this in most cases by ticking the "Use a Master Password" box.
For Firefox and Chrome users, you can also enable 'sync' either by
choosing "set up sync" in firefox, or by 'signing in' to Chrome.
*/LastPass.
/*LastPass is a program you can put on your computers for free, and
optionally onto your phone or tablet for $1 a month.*/
/*
One of the main advantages of LastPass is that it works between browsers
- so if you're using Firefox on your laptop, but prefer Dolphin on your
Android phone or Safari on your iPad / iPhone, you can have your
passwords available on all of them.
Another advantage is that it can create passwords for you.
Your passwords are never visible by LastPass' server because they are
encrypted before they leave your computer.
You can get it from https://lastpass.com/
*/KeePass/
*LastPass is believed to be very secure, but if you aren't willing to
trust them, then there's KeePass. With KeePass your passwords are only
stored on your computer, again with a master password. It can also
generate passwords for you. Free from http://keepass.info/
/
/*/Microsoft Word./
*Don't want to install anything new? You could just type all your
passwords into Microsoft Word (for example) and then use the "Save
Options" from Save as... to set a password on that document. Note that
this isn't entirely secure since if someone takes that file from you.
Versions before 2007 were easy to crack. Later versions are much more
secure provided your password is not something obvious.
*Windows XP and Office 2003 No Longer Supported. What to do?*
Now that Windows XP and Office 2003 are no longer supported, people who
have these programs are, over time, going to become exposed to a higher
risk of attack as time passes; although it remains to be seen exactly
how this might play out in the future.
As per my last short message, here is my advice in order of importance.
1 - Stop using Internet Explorer, and instead use either Firefox
<http://getfirefox.com> or Chrome
<https://www.google.com/intl/en/chrome/browser/>. They all do the same
thing.
Firefox tends to be faster than Chrome on older computers with limited
memory.
2 - Use a free or paid antivirus.
On some computers I had in the past installed "Microsoft Security
Essentials" as it was a good free virus scanner; but Microsoft has
withdrawn support for it on Windows XP as well. My preferred free
product instead is Avast Free Edition from
http://www.filehippo.com/download_avast_antivirus/ (green button top
right, Download Latest Version.) If you prefer speed or are on a very
old computer, I suggest doing a 'custom install' - and only install the
File Shield option. It does require free registration with an email
address every year, and will of course try to upsell you into buying the
paid version. If you're an Outlook Express user, as mentioned below, the
mail shield option might be worthwhile too.
3 - Consider changing from Outlook Express to Thunderbird
<http://www.mozilla.org/en-US/thunderbird/> orWindows Live Mail
<http://windows.microsoft.com/en-au/windows-live/essentials>; especially
if you're using an ISP-Based Email address.
Outlook Express has Internet Explorer built into it for displaying email
content; so could potentially become a risk over time. If you're not
using Gmail or Outlook / Hotmail, there's a fair chance that your email
is not well filtered either. If you're determined to keep Outlook
Express (which I can understand since it is a nice simple program to use
compared to some of the modern stuff) then having your ISP email
forwarded to and masqueraded by Gmail will provide some protection.
4 - Microsoft Office.
Updating to a newer version of Office might be problematic since the
latest versions don't work on XP. I guess just be careful when opening
attachments from people you don't know well or if they are unexpected.
You could also ditch Microsoft Office in favour of LibreOffice, but it
will likely perform much slower than what you're used to.
5 - Change your account on Windows XP to a Limited Account.
This is a more technical solution but does give a high level of
security. Go to your Control Panel, choose User Accounts, and Create a
New User called something such as Admin. Give it a password you can
remember. Then, restart and log in as that Admin you've just created.
(This will take a few minutes the first time.) You can then go back to
Control Panel - User Accounts, and change your normal account to a
Limited Account. Restart again. Then, whenever a program wants to do
something to your computer that could affect its security, it will first
have to ask you for that password.
(Note that the above steps work 99% of the time, but on rare occasions
XP can go mental and you might get locked out of your account and need
help getting back in.)
6 - Y2K all over again?
Well, there's a fair chance that this could be like the Y2K bug, a storm
in a teacup. Time will tell.
*Windows 8 - Is it good or bad?
*If you're worried about buying a new computer because of the dreaded
Windows 8, I can assure you that it's not so bad. Once you install
"Classic Shell" or any of the other programs that gives you back a
Windows XP-->7 style Start Menu, life quickly becomes familiar again.
Windows 8 is faster than Windows 7 in my experience. You can think of
Windows 8 as being a bit like a normal desktop computer with a tablet
built into it as well, or like a VHS machine that plays DVDs too.
A couple of cautions. If you're on a limited downloads plan on your
Internet, be very careful when setting up Windows 8. If you enable
SkyDrive, your computer may try to put every file, photo, song you've
ever loaded onto the Internet. That's a lot of uploads! Not a problem if
you're on a decent plan, but a big shock if you're not! Also, the update
from 8.0 to 8.1 can clock in at 4GB.
Also, remember Windows 8 doesn't come with Microsoft Office. You have to
buy or hire that separately, unless you have a version that can be
migrated. If you have lost your CD key from the old computer, you can
use Belarc advisor to find the old key and try to install it on the new
computer. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Often Microsoft will
let you get away with it if you call them and explain; but it's not
guaranteed.
If that's too hard, you can try LibreOffice instead. It's OK for basic
Office work.
*Wireless NBN Now in Guyra.
*If you're lucky enough to live in about a 12km radius of Guyra, you
might be able to get on the NBN now. To find out, visit the NBNco
Website here and enter your address or GPS coordinates.
http://nbnco.com.au/when-do-i-get-it/rollout-map.html?icid=pub:hme:rollout:hro:img
If you can get it, I can help get you connected. Rates are from $40 a
month, $59 installation; and for an extra $5 a month plus a couple of
one-off expenses, you can move your landline number over to it as a VoIP
service too.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
*Blog Rebuilt...
*Well, it only took me two years to get to it! And it's probably not of
much interest to most people, but at last I have migrated my blog to a
WordPress installation. http://coolhelp.com.au/blog/ The great thing
about having a WordPress blog is that the software automatically
updates. A common problem with many older websites is that the software
they're written on (Joomla, etc) is a hassle to update and thus gets
forgotten about because it continues to work; but eventually hackers end
up attacking them or the server is upgraded and one day the site
disappears. With WordPress (and perhaps Joomla etc too, I've not done
much work with it lately) the software updates automatically.
*My Irish Lass :)
*As many of you know, Caroline my Irish lass came out to stay for a
couple of months earlier this year. It was an exciting time, and she
enjoyed meeting many of you while she was here. (By law she wasn't
allowed to work, and my finances and commitments are such that I still
needed to work sometimes while she was here; so on many days she opted
to travel with me rather than keep Molly and the cats company!) Thank
you to all of you who accommodated us both while I balanced work and
play; and for your patience in the longer times it sometimes took to get
to you all in Jan / Feb.
Caroline and I have formed quite a strong relationship over time, and
are slowly making plans into the future. (Slowly being the operative
word here as applying for partner migration typically takes about five
months!) In the mean time, it's likely I'll fly back to the UK and
Ireland for a few weeks again in July, with hopes that our applications
will be approved by October / November. It's quite unlikely I'd choose
to live in Ireland given how well I am settled here, so there is little
fear of you all losing your local IT guy :)
I will of course keep you all posted.
*Busy Busy...
*By now the word has certainly been spread that I'm back on deck; and
I'm pleased to say that yes I am almost back to normal now. I've been
through a whole stack of depression that almost seems surreal now. The
cruel insomnia cycle. The anxiety. The inability to think and function.
The inability to make a decision. The feeling of doom that there is too
much to do and no time to do it. The random grief. The occasional rage.
(Although that seems to be the way of life for us all once we 'grow up'
but when one fallen rusty garden arch seems like the end of the world
you know you're a bit off!)
I still struggle a bit with it at times and have the occasional
existential crisis - you assorted religious folk are lucky to have
confidence in your chosen purposes hehe - but while I'm alive and able
to help others; I'm OK with myself :) Thank you to you all for your
support over this past year - it's been thirteen months now.
*Wheelchair Van For Sale.
*I'm about to list my 1999 Mazda E2000 disability van for sale on the
Internet, but before I do; here's your chance. Please pass this
information on to anyone you know in the area who might benefit from it.
11 Months Rego remaining. Asking $6,890 - I've taken $100 off to save
advertising costs. You can see it here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uj0AY7b80Qw
*Hate your Dentist?
*I don't hate mine, She's a good one. But that said I'd rather keep my
teeth in good order. 30 years between trips and there were a few
problems that had to be sorted. Anyway, Reddit had a post recently
called What is something you have purchased and now can't live without??
<http://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/1wh7xx/what_is_something_you_have_purchased_and_now_cant/>
- and among the favourite items was a WaterPik
<http://www.harveynorman.com.au/waterpik-ultra-desktop-water-flosser.html?CAWELAID=1527178869&gclid=CKTC-emW3b0CFYZfpQodrFoAlw&gclsrc=aw.ds>.
I'd never heard of them before, so I decided to grab one. It's basically
a pressure cleaner for your teeth instead of having to floss; although
it can be used to pressure clean just about any small item. So if you
hate flossing, or if you are someone who doesn't drink enough water, you
could possibly find one of these to be quite useful :D
/Well, that's it for another newsletter. Sorry it's a bit later than
planned! Cheers, Micki./
**
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*Old Editions
*You can find old editions of this newsletter on the CCC Blog.
http://coolhelp.com.au/blog/
You can also subscribe or unsubscribe at
http://auzzie.net/mailman/listinfo/ccc-news_auzzie.net
*
*
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Michael Kean
*Proprietor, Cool Country Consulting.*
Trading Hours: 10am to 8pm weekdays.
http://coolhelp.com.au/
Tel: 02 6775 0239 Mob: 0427 644 825
Skype: cccons
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