Race's PSA for the day

[Race]

Lately there have been a rash of very popular website databases getting hacked and having their troves of user id's and passwords plundered.  I knew about this, my forebrain acknowledged it, but I didn't think much about it.

No, I didn't get hacked.

I did read this article at ArsTechnica and it really opened my eyes about why these attacks are so important to you the individual.  http://arstechnica.com/security/2012/08/passwords-under-assault/

For those that don't want to read the piece, think on this:  The people that gleaned that information from those big sites (LinkedIn, Battle.Net, etc.) didn't just get your current userid/password.  They contributed to a tool that can make cracking other existing sites that much quicker and easier.  They added all those password possibilities to an ever-growing application whose sole purpose in life is to figure out what a given password is.  The scary thing is these tools are now ubiquitous and drop dead simple to use.  It won't be long before anyone with even a passing interest of getting to your personal information, for whatever reason, will have a quick and easy way of doing just that.

Its a big deal.  Change your passwords.  Make them secure and different per site.  If you can, get a good password manager.  I'm using LastPass and I really like it.

/cue "The More You Know" music

[Edward Crosby]

Good one, Bob.

That is why I encourage Google users to enable the 2-step verification. Now, if we can get other online services to use something like Google's 2-step verification would make our live a little more secure.

LastPass is highly recommended and respected amongst the tech community. I like and use KeePass. There's an installer and a portable app from Portable Apps.

----------------------------------------
Have a Better One,
Edward Crosby
http://about.me/edwardcrosby

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[Luke Jaconetti]

Does 2-step verification require giving Google your cell phone
number? I don't like giving my cell phone number to vendors I do
business with; I sure as heck don't like giving it to Google.

On Aug 21, 3:24 pm, Edward Crosby <ecro...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Good one, Bob.
> That is why I encourage Google users to enable the 2-step verification.
> Now, if we can get other online services to use something like Google's
> 2-step verification would make our live a little more secure.
> LastPass is highly recommended and respected amongst the tech community. I
> like and use KeePass. There's an installer and a portable app from Portable
> Apps.
>
> ----------------------------------------
> Have a Better One,

> Edward Crosbyhttp://about.me/edwardcrosby

> >http://groups.google.com/group/theuniquegeek?hl=en.- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

[Edward Crosby]

I think the option is a mobile number or a second email address.

Edward via Samsung Galaxy Nexus