An organization was conducting its annual security exam, which included auditing the strength of passwords used by its clients. The auditor stumbled on one password so unique he just had to call the customer to question how he thought of it.
He identifies himself on the phone and asks "Mr. Smith, I just have to know. I've never seen a password anything like yours. Where did you ever come up with the idea of using 'mickeyminniegoofiedonaldplutodaffyTrenton' as your password?
Mr. Smith replies "The instructions on your site were clear. It said I had to use six characters and a capital!"
Don't be concerned. We really don't know your password. It's encrypted on our server. If you should forget it and need to contact us, we cannot provide you with your original selection. After confirming your identity, we'll give you the ability to reset it to something you can access. The story depicted above is merely a joke.
But the importance of using a strong password is no joke. And Mr. Smith's code is better than what most computer users are still choosing to protect their accounts today.
The most commonly used password in 2010? According to a January 21st New York Times article, it's 1-2-3-4-5-6. Despite warnings from the security community, folks have only made a slight modification to what they had been previously using. Last decade's password of choice was the five character sequence of 1-2-3-4-5, which now ranks number two. Not far behind is the word "password" itself.
Many sites have set strict criteria to prevent users from choosing something quite so obvious. They'll require a mixture of capital and lowercase letters as well as numerals. This is good advice in creating a strong password for whatever your purpose. But how can you possibly remember the specific criteria for each site you visit in order to login successfully?
The strongest password will be something you will remember and hackers can't guess. Don't use your own name or that of your spouse, children or pet. Your street name or town you live in should also be avoided, as well as any alpha/numeric string. Don't pick a common word from the dictionary.
The longer your password, the harder it will be for anyone to steal. You'll make it easy for thieves if you write it on a sticky note taped to your monitor.
Create a mnemonic phrase that means something to you. You might think of your favorite song or Bible verse. Maybe you'll remember the first venues on this season's NASCAR schedule. Take the first letter of each lyric, phrase or track. Add a relevant number and pick a letter or two to capitalize. You can replace a symbol or character to represent a letter to add a little more challenge.
For example, if you chose "The Star Spangled Banner" as your favorite song your password could contain "oscUc." Insert "76" within to represent the birth date of our nation.
Don't use the same password for every application. I standardize a password to use on all the various sporting sites I visit, using a standard code along with my favorite NASCAR driver's car number. These aren't secure sites, and the worst that could happen would be someone posting a bogus comment in my name. I use something different for professional blogs, another version yet for shopping sites and save the most creative strictly for online banking. Should my code fall into the wrong hands, a thief could only gain limited access.
Change your key passwords regularly. If you suspect someone has detected your password, change it immediately.
Do NOT send a password to anyone via email, including a banking representative. They don't need your credentials to help with any account issue you may have. And email is not a secure mechanism. It can be intercepted.
Guard your password as if your life depended on it. While you won't likely suffer mortal consequences if it's compromised, it will wreak certain havoc on your quality of life. That's not a risk worth taking.
Does your PC seem to be losing its zip? Does it take seemingly forever to download anything? No, it's probably not time to buy a new one. There are a lot of ways you can boost performance without spending a bundle.
Can you upgrade your RAM? Even if you don't do much more than browse the Web, today's software takes much more memory to perform properly than it did just a couple of years ago. Adding RAM can be a low-cost answer to your problem.
Check your PC manual to learn what type of RAM modules your system uses. There are a lot of different varieties. The manual should also give you instructions on installing the modules. Before you attempt any hardware upgrade, move your PC to a clean, uncarpeted workspace and discharge any static electricity from your body.
Open the PC case to find the memory slots. Release the clips at each end for the module to pop loose. Once removed, gently insert the new module by seating one corner first and then press the other end into place. When properly inserted, the clips will automatically lock back in place.
You'll find memory slots on laptops or netbooks under a removable panel on the bottom of the machine. Press the end with the metal leads into place first. Then press down until the clips snap tightly around the ends.
Windows offers many features that serve a useful purpose. But not for everybody. Turn off those that you don't use and disable unwanted startup programs for an instant boost in speed.
In Windows XP, click the System listing under Control Panel. Choose the Advanced tab, and click Settings in the Performance section. Select the option labeled "Adjust for best performance." This will turn off certain visual effects like drop shadows under your menus and make Windows a little quicker in the process.
In Vista and Windows 7, you can turn off the Aero environment to better utilize memory and processor power. Right click the desktop and choose Personalize. In Vista, choose Window Color and Appearance and uncheck the box for Enable Transparency. In Windows 7, select the theme titled Windows 7 Basic.
To respond to slow load times, many popular programs offer an app that preloads certain files just ready and waiting to be called to action. The problem is that these apps are loaded in the background, whether or not you're launching the actual program. They hog some of the memory you can be using elsewhere.
You can choose which apps load with Windows. In Vista or Windows 7, type "msconfig" in the 'Search programs and files' field on the Start menu. XP users will type the same command using the Start menu's Run feature. Select the Startup tab from the config dialog box. Scan the list for any item you don't need running full time.
Periodically clean out your browsing history. From within Internet Explorer, choose Tools, Internet Options. Select Delete from the General tab's Browsing history section. You'll be presented with an option list to check which items you want cleared. In Firefox, choose Tools and Clear Private Data. From the same menu, selecting Options and the Privacy tab allows you to configure the handling of your browser data. Chrome users can select The Tool wrench, Options and Personal Stuff tab to find the same features.
Unless you're familiar with doing so, avoid playing around with the Windows Registry Editor. You can do more harm than good.
It isn't hard to restore performance power to a sluggish system. You'll be amazed at the difference these few, simple steps can make.
The economy has been showing a steady growth in production sectors. Production has grown in the United States for the sixth month in a row according to the Institute for Supply Management. A manufacturing index above 50 indicates growth. The current level of 55 is equivalent to gross-domestic product growth of 4.5%. This level of growth results in improved employment figures. Unemployment is a lagging indicator, which means that it will be one of the last areas to improve.
The Wall Street Journal quotes the chief U.S. economist at Morgan Stanley, Richard Berner, as saying "Our view is companies have gotten so aggressive in cutting hours and payrolls that we're now going to see some improvement." Morgan Stanley is predicting a gain of 75,000 jobs in January compared to a level consensus.
Improved employment numbers impact the price of the dollar against other currency, particularly the Euro and Japan. Other factors impact the currency price of course. Concern over economic instability in Europe impacts the exchange rate as fear that the severe financial strain in Greece will spread to Portugal and Spain. The price of the Euro has fallen 8.4% since November. For those traveling, it is a good time to watch these currency rates!
Dow Jones Industrial Average 10,296.85
(+1.09%)
(Down 131.20 or 1.26% since 12/31/09)
9,171.61
7,936.83
10,596.79
S&P 500 1,103.31
(+1.30%)
(Down 11.79 or 1.06% since 12/31/09)
987.48
825.44
1,193.19
NASDAQ 2,190.06
(+0.87%) (Down 79.09 or 3.49% since 12/31/08)
1,673.79
1,494.43
2,075.06
10 Year
Treasury Bond Yield
3.635%
3.50%
2.72%
4.14%
British Sterling 1.5975
1.6718
1.4540
1.8838
Euro
1.3964
1.4262
1.2814
1.3046
On The World Wide Web
Not sure what upgrades are available for your computer? Visit crucial.com to run a scan. You'll get a profile of what's already installed in your system along with available upgrade options.
Are you victim to any of America's biggest ripoffs? Find out here.
Answer a daily trivia question and, right or wrong, freekibble.com will donate 10 pieces of free kibble to an animal shelter.
Tip of the Week
Does your internet connection feel too slow? Test its speed for a quick analysis. If you're not getting the speed advertised by your carrier, call to complain. They may have a newer modem available.
Quotable
"It's easy to make a buck. It's a lot tougher to make a difference." - Tom Brokaw
Today in History
1882 - Knights of Columbus forms in New Haven, CT.
Flash Fact
Japanese Burger Kings sold Windows 7 Whoppers to help promote the operating system's launch.
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