My Techie Buddy, Rochester, MN
My Techie Buddy, Rochester, MN
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Using the Cloud Securely - from Sans Securing the Human

9/4/2014

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A timely article, given the recent "exposure" reported on Apple's iDrive.  Secure your data, use strong passwords (and multi-factor authentication), and beware of anyone asking for your credentials (pass
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Encryption Description - from SANS Securing the Human

8/6/2014

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Parental Control - Software?

8/3/2014

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I was recently asked about parental control software for computers.  While NetNanny has been the market leader for years, we have to step back for a minute and look at the big picture.   We have two reasons to want to use parental control software to protect our children:  to avoid inadvertent web sites (oops!) and to prevent intentional visits to web sites.

The problem today is the many different ways our kids can get onto the Internet.  Of course they can get on from the family laptop or desktop, but what about from their iPad/tablet?  Cell phones?  Their gaming systems: XBox, PlayStation, Wii?   Your Smart TV?  More devices are coming out that will connect to the Internet (Internet of Things): soon your refrigerator will update your web-based shopping list automatically!  Do their friends have Internet at their house?  Public wi-fi is also becoming widespread - just last night my son connected to a public wi-fi network from his cell phone while in the Buffalo Wild Wings parking lot!

So how do we automatically protect young eyes from inappropriate web content?  We can putting protection software on all the devices I talked about above, and that would help to some extent (at least for the devices that even have protection software).  For that case, take a look at NetNanny - they are very highly rated, and have a Family Protection Pass for $80/year that includes 10 licenses for Windows, Mac, and Android.  But it doesn't cover everything, so we need to do more.

You (or My Techie Buddy!) can configure your wireless router to block certain devices from using the wireless network connection during certain times - from 10PM until 7AM, for example.  Of course, this doesn't work for cell phones with a data plan, as they don't necessarily use the wireless network in your house, they can use the Cellular network to get to web sites. 

Keep computers in "public" areas of your house.  Don't allow them in bedrooms, or at least behind closed bedroom doors.  Keep the computer screens visible to the hallway, so that you can see what web sites they are on as you casually walk by (and observe their behavior when you do walk by!).

Teach your kids to surf responsibly.  Teach them right from wrong, what to do if they go to a site that they shoudn't, how to stay away from bad sites.  I can hear you now: "that sounds like a good idea, but won't work for my teenager!"...

It's a tough problem.  We want to protect our kids as much as we can.  The best solution is a combination of everything above.


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Safely Manage All Your Passwords

7/22/2014

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How many passwords do you have for web sites, Facebook, e-mail?  How many of them are in a dictionary, or are your last name, or something else about you that would be easy to guess?  How many of them are the same?

Your passwords should be strong: at least 8 characters (more is better), and a mixture of upper case, lower case, numbers, and special characters.  Not in a dictionary, or "12345" or "qwerty", or the name of your dog.

You password should be unique: different for every web site.  If you use the same password on multiple sites, and your account is compromised, all your accounts will be compromised.

But how can you manage dozens or hundreds of different passwords, so complex that you can't possibly remember them all?  A fantastic program called LastPass will manage them all for you, and in fact will automatically fill them in for you!  It will also offer to remember passwords for new sites, detect password changes automatically, store form information (name, address, phone number, etc.), and securely store sensitive information like Social Security numbers and credit cards.  It can share this data across multiple platforms (Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux) and multiple browsers (Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, Opera, Safari, Firefox).  And best of all, it's Free!  Well, unless you want to use it on a mobile device, then it costs $1/month.  All you need to remember is one, secure, password to get to your vault.

LastPass has beeen tested and verified to be secure - they only store encrypted data on their servers, never unencrypted.  I've personally been using it for a number of years, with no issues whatsoever.  Check it out, post back here what you think, or what you use to manage your passwords!
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RIP, Windows XP

7/8/2014

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Microsoft Windows XP was released in October, 2001.  Yes, nearly 13 years ago!  It enjoyed tremendous success, but reached end-of-support status from Microsoft on April 8, 2014.  Not sure if your computer is running Windows XP?  This site will tell you.

So what does this mean to you?  If you're currently running Windows XP, read on.

Most importantly, it means that Microsoft will no longer release security patches for Windows XP (you ARE automatically applying Microsoft security patches, aren't you?).  Many anti-virus vendors will still release anti-virus definitions for XP, but that just isn't the same.

Do you keep running your old XP computer, or get a new one?  Most computers today are significantly faster than your 5+ year old XP system.   And likely cheaper than your old system originally cost.   Should you upgrade the operating system from XP to, say, Windows 7?  Probably not.  But My Techie Buddy can help assess your system and advise you on the best path to take.

If you decide to update, you have several decisions to make.  Start with analyzing how you will use the system. Will you use it on the couch, or only at a desk or table?  Will you take it with you everywhere you go?  Do you play graphics-intensive games, or store huge amounts of data?

What about Operating Systems (to replace Microsoft Windows XP)?

  • Windows 7: The interface is similar to Windows XP, and is widely used.   Microsoft end-of-support for Windows 7 is currently January, 2020.  This is the easiest transition for non-technical users, or those that don't want a completely different computing experience.
  • Windows 8 (8.1): The interface is very different, more like the Microsoft Windows phone with tiles and a touch interface.  Not very popular with users, but this is the future for Microsoft.
  • MacOS: if you have bought into the Apple ecosystem (iPad, iPhone, iTunes, etc.), then you should consider this as well.
  • Chrome OS: a very lightweight, very fast, web-based Operating System.  Requires an Internet connection to be useful.  Runs applications and stores data "in the cloud".
  • Android, iOS: some people will do just fine replacing Windows XP with a tablet.  If you use your smartphone for many things, or primarily just do e-mail, web surfing, and Facebook, this may be for you.


Confused?  No one-size-fits-all solution exists.  My Techie Buddy can help with all your computer and technology needs, from assessing your old XP computer, to helping you select the proper replacement, to installation, configuration and training.  Contact us!

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Email Do's and Don'ts, from SANS Securing the Human

7/2/2014

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