//Things are moving on in the world of passwords because more powerful computers means they’re easier to crack.
The golden rule is LENGTH – use as long a password as you can.
The article on Trustwave’s web site says a password like ‘N^a&$1nG’ can be cracked in about 4 days but ‘GoodLuckGuessingThisPassword’ would take 17 years to crack.
And yes – many people still use ‘Password1’ or their pets, children’s or city name…….just don’t!
More here
//The UK National Crime Agency has launched an joint initiative with the UK Cyber Streetwise campaign to highlight the dangers of cyber criminals.
The NCA says in the last year more than 10,000 people in the UK have been victims of cyber crime and 40% of people don’t have basic protection for their devices.
More here
And there’s lots of good advice on the Streetwise web site.
//Everybody seems to be off on holiday at the moment and most people take their phones and tablets with them. No one wants the headache of losing their password, bank details or confidential work stuff when their away.
Some good advice for using your device on holiday:
1. Try to avoid logging in – if possible stay away from websites where you have to log in to access information, as your personal history and any data entered into that site may be vulnerable.
2. If possible don’t enter sensitive data – logging onto a mobile banking site may be convenient, but if you are on unsecured WiFi, you could be giving hackers access to your bank account. If you have to enter your banking or credit card information, make sure that you are on a secure (https) website.
3. Use the phone network – use a mobile connection to avoid the use of public WiFi which is often insecure (but watch out for the roaming charges see here)
4. If you have to use WiFi make sure it’s secure – don’t log into unsecured WiFi.
5. Should the worse happen and your device gets stolen – before you go make sure you set a password or swipe code for your device and turn on location awareness.
Bon Voyage!
//Something to watch out for if you’re off on your holidays about now….
The Daily Mail reports that a parent received a bill for their daughter who was on holiday in Antigua for £9000!
The daughter had been checking Facebook and not realising she wasn’t connected to wi-fi.
So – check your roaming settings before you leave the UK and if you have to use data, speak to your mobile operator about deals/bundles and limits.
More here
//I haven’t posted for a while but getting back into the groove…
Have you received a phone call at home or at work about something wrong with your computer or your bank account?
This con is on the rise – hence a new word in our vocab: vishing – phishing by voice.
It’s just another form of social engineering. They usually want your payment card details – so be careful out there.
The UK government is launching a new campaign about it: http://www.getsafeonline.org/socialengineering/