How much is your identity really worth to you?

Identity is Everything!

I’ve been talking about this my whole life about security and you but it seems it might of happened to me.   I am sending off my information snail mail to Equifax to get my mail version of the Credit report!

If it wasn’t for Lastpass and their Free Credit Monitoring that you get with your 12$ a month subscription to their lastpass Mobile service.  I was alerted earlier than I ever thought possible.   Almost as soon as it hit the credit monitoring services.  I am so glad I took the option of having them monitor my credit report for me.   It reminded me through pop ups and push notifications on my phone and tablet.

Identity theft and you!

It can happen to anyone and at any time.   I found out that I might be a victim and I put a Credit Reporting Freeze on my account on Equifax, Experian, and Transunion.   It only cost me 15$ on all three credit bureaus that prevent it from going any further than that!  I also went with LifeLock (affiliate link) to help protect my identity for 10$ a month.   Currently I am going to offer peope a 30-Day Free Trial + 15% Off 6 Months LifeLock Service with code SHAREASALE15S30 (affiliate link) to encourage you to keep your identity safe.

I will be talking more in depth on what to do if your identity is stolen, but first I have to fix the problems I have and see if I can make it even better for myself.   This post will not be long but the ones that come up with be more in depth on how to avoid this misfurtune fro yourself!

How password security will change in 10 years!

Passwords are going out the Window!

We’ve seen in the past where people have used such words as ninja, jesus, 12345678, and password!  I’ve talked about Lastpass in the past and I really believe they are the best possible combination of the two. With the recent questions of Password Length and Password Strength, I have come to the conclusion that in the coming years.   People will be doing a 3 factor authentication and having the passwords as a back up.   It really would be nice to have two ways to authenticate and not have to put in a password.

3 factor authentication!

I know your Password! Click image to see!Three factor authentication is a simple concept.   Since we have a password we can simply use two other ways to authenticate for example a cell phone and maybe a Yubi Key.  The password will be the backup for one or the other.  If you lost your phone and still would need to authenticate you password would be one you can use in an emergency. Thus it really becomes a 2 factor authentication but since we could use all three to authenticate it would make it that much harder for a hacker to brute force an attack and get your sensitive data.

2 factor authentication!

Although most people don’t think of this but having a limited number of possible access to the important data can make it just that much harder and maybe get the hacker to go somewhere else.   What about social networks?  Do we really need that for social?  I am thinking maybe and it just depends on how you login in the first place.   I would love most of them to to maybe let me authenticate with Google and come back to them but that leaves a large hole.   It just depends on how valuable your social status is and what the possible outcome of someone getting a hold of that social network.  

Elite passwords!

Some would call it “leet” speak,  and I’ve heard people say this is something we should do in reguards to making a password.   I tell you know, we already have a 2,000 most common passwords and I am betting it has some really good leet passwords already.  So what makes a hacker no try those to hack your account.   I would think these would be tried after the primary just because this would also be the easiest way to gain access to an account.

In Ten years!

I am pretty confident in ten years we will see something like this happen and we will no longer be depending on a system that was developed in the late 1990’s.   We have to be ready for change and keep it.  I just hope it happens sooner rather than later and that most companies should jump aboard and help us get this implemented.   I don’t know how hard this will be but it will be nice to not have to worry about a password anymore with my bank or other financial institution. 

Paul Sylvester

Playing around with Google Authenticator and the 2 step process!

2 Factor Authentication and You!

When I started this experiment looking to enhance my security.  I was thinking about Yubi Key but It isn’t like I have the 25 dollars for it.  I do suggest it to anyone who might not have any other options available to you.   It however works really well from what I have been told with Lastpass and I wanted something that would do just that.   

It isn’t like I have a lot of money to throw around!

So I went to Lastpass security settings to see if there was something else.   When I found the Google Authenticator Tab!

Google Authenticator?

Well it looks like Google came up with a way to have a two factor authentication available for you when you login to sites that you may want more than one way to protect your identity or privacy! So even though I could protect my privacy by having a One Time Password it isn’t going to be the easiest way to keep my security safe.  

I installed Google Authenticator on my Kyocera Rise and it is working really well.   I will have to do even more figuring out of this little app but I am wondering how hard it would be to change to another phone when the time comes and how hard it is to get it installed.

I’ve printed up a few One time Passwords and they are safely hidden away for those times I might need them because something happened.

My next step is to find out which if any social media sites are two factor compliant and which ones I would want to have this available to.   I am hopeful that Facebook will have this to help keep my identity safe and people from gaining access to stuff they shouldn’t have.

Lastpass Plus Google Authenticator equals AWESOME.   Even though this just the beginning of my journey into exploring this.   I will do another blog post about this later on when I have explored this with greater detail and discuss the benefits and draw backs of this but for right now I am more secure then I was and I am happy!

Paul Sylvester

Protecting your personal information!

Image via Wikipedia

People will steal your information in a heartbeat!

If you have had your head in the ground lately, you would let people see your information without you even knowing it.  If your one of those people who use your Ipad, kindle Fire (Affiliate link), or some really good Android device to check your emails or browsing the web, then your information is vulnerable to people reading or getting your information.

There are several ways to get your information, I've already talk about one way that someone hacked an account on one of my favorite science fiction site.   I actually had to help solve the problem and get the site running without redirecting visitors to another site.   This isn't always about scaring people but to help them do what is needed.

Security starts with simple stuff!

To protect your personal information is a simple as one, two, and three.   Nothing in this article is going to be very hard but I intent to help you make it even easier to for those who are untrained.   Having to help a couple of my customers with this, I've pretty much come up with a way to safely browse the web without leaving footprints for those really hard to find viruses.

Portable Apps -- This is a great little tool that you can customize and install Lastpass.   I thoroughly recommended it in the past and still do, it is a great deterrent for key loggers and phishing attacks.  Lastpass even has a portable(Mobile) application so you don't have to install anything on the computer in questions.

Create a Live CD -- Making a Pen Drive can go a long way to prevent from getting a virus or even someone getting your personal information, but that won't help if your using a wireless hotspot.

Install Ubuntu -- This the easiest way to have a Linux system on your computer.   Now I am not going to say Linux is worry free from viruses, but that does make it less likely to get them.   I really think Linux is OS is something that will stand the test of time because of it being an Open Source and not a closed projects like Apple and Windows.

Create a Virtual Machine --  this is like creating a live CD but not having to reboot.   You can create a virtual machine and run the live cd in the virtual machine.  This is however not as secure as rebooting because some program could be watching the network and logging everything.   I don't recommend this as much but it is something useful if you are worried about getting a virus.

Don't forget to use a VPN(Virtual Private Network)!

Now I already talked about some VPN's for Ubuntu/Kubuntu but that doesn't work with Windows or Macintosh, but I will talk about some alternatives for those who want to use Windows or Macintosh!

PublicVPN -- This works with Macintosh and Windows but have not tried this so I am only showing alternatives and thus you will need to determine if this is right for your situation.

Hotspot Shield -- This is one of the ones that I have used in the past and still recommend it and it now seems to work with Ipads and Apple products.

Android VPN -- The Android Market Place has some great choices for several different VPN's that may work well with your situation but I have yet to test them out and see which one is the best but yet this is something that may require some testing on your Android Device.

 Do you use a VPN?

This is something that I thought I would ask and thought I would ask it as a poll.   I would love to hear if you use a VPN and how much.   I encourage everyone to use a VPN when ever you are at a open wireless hotspot.

 

Paul Sylvester

Need Glasses? Try GlassesUSA!

Related articles

• Prediction: Tech Gifts for 2012 to look for! (paulstechtalk.com)


• Set Up Your Kindle Fire for Tiny Tablet Awesomeness (gizmodo.com)


• Why Opt-in is better than Opting-Out! (paulstechtalk.com)


• 6 Months Free LastPass Premium For University Students [Grab it Now] (madrasgeek.com)

Three ways on how to NOT waste your Money!

Another Job email!

I know it can be hard to find a job but this email from crmglobalresources.com was one of those that I thought I would talk about even more.

Here is what she said in the email:

Are you still available and looking for a new position? We were forwarded your resume and based upon your background and geographic location it may be a good match. Our Human Resources Department is currently scheduling company overviews this week for several of positions that we have open. I would like you to consider what we have to offer as a company.

We've recently launched a new Consulting Division and need individuals for Human Resources, Marketing, Recruitment, and Business Development. Experience is not required, although having a background in any of the above mentioned is helpful.

they also tried to have me join this web conference of there's.   I didn't want to  say this is a scam but every time I get these types of emails something just sounds the sirens.   I thought it would be nice for a change to tell you how to find out if a website is trust worthy or not.

Checking out the Business!

Having done this several times, I have come to use Whois.net to check out the background of the domain in question.   The site in question has only been made in the last few months.   No mater where your from you will always want to check out if a site is brand new or has been in business for quite some time.

While looking at Whois, I also see something quite interesting about domain.   Having been around the block and knowing about proxy security.   You get to wonder why this business would be proxying their address and number.

Let Google be your friend!

Never have a once not used a KEYWORD to find out more about company then when I am looking to find out more information about a company.   Never be afraid to ask words such as scam, pay, and whois.  Although these are just a few good keywords there are a ton of ways to find out information that you otherwise would never of found had you only searched for a certain term.

Nothing you put in search is ever going to be 100% right but it will give your more of an idea of what people and news are saying about this.   You can find out everything you might want to know about a business or website just by adding those to your search terms.

Check the website out!

Having been making my websites in the past, I know all to well that there are going to be people who may want a site template and just use that as their website and not change anything else.   You'll have to check out the site and make your own determination about if it looks like a template website with stock photos and words or if they actually put a lot of effort and time into the website.   The more questions you ask about the website and find out the more you can avoid being scammed.

After doing my research for the site in questions I must say that according to others, you will have to pay them money 199$.   That really isn't a deal in my mind and I suggest people go someplace else so as to not get ripped off by this so called company.

Paul Sylvester

 

Amazon really is Confusing some times!

Your Amazon.com password has been changed!

Dear [First] [Last],

This is an important message from Amazon.com

As a precaution, we've reset your Amazon.com password because you may have been subject to a "phishing" scam.

Here's how phishing works:

A scam artist sends an e-mail, which is designed to look like it came from a reputable company such as a bank, financial institution, or retailer like Amazon.com, but is in fact a forgery. These e-mails direct you to a website that looks remarkably similar to the reputable company's website, where you are asked to provide account information such as your e-mail address and password. Since that web site is actually controlled by the phisher, they get the information you entered.

Go to amazon.com/phish to read more about ways to protect yourself from phishing.

To regain access to your Amazon customer account:

1. Go to Amazon.com and click the "Your Account" link at the top of our website.

2. Click the link that says "Forgot your password?"

3. Follow the instructions to set a new password for your account.

Please choose a new password and do not use the same password you used with us previously.

Thank you for your interest in Amazon.com

Sincerely,

Amazon.com

Please note: this e-mail was sent from an address that cannot accept incoming e-mail. To contact us about an unrelated issue, please visit the Help section of our website.

This Happened a Few Days ago, and I thought I would talk about the security implications of this email. Some users and people are thinking this is fake. Obviously, I was concerned like everyone else so I contacted Amazon to find out about this. I talked on the Phone, and talked to a Representative that didn't really know why my password was changed. So they told me the she'd give my email address to a specialist and that was it.

Account Alert: Please Read

Greetings from Amazon.com.

Please take the time to read this message - it contains important information about your Amazon.com account.

After careful review of your account, we believe it may have been accessed and used by a third-party to attempt to make purchases without your permission. It seems that someone obtained your personal account and/or financial information elsewhere, and used it on Amazon.com to access your account. Please note that no unauthorized charges were completed as we were able to cancel the order(s).

We have taken immediate steps to secure your account. We’ve assigned a new, temporary password to prevent further access by the unauthorized third-party, and removed any credit cards or other payment methods from your account. Additionally, if any information was added to your account by someone other than you, it has been removed. Your account access has been restored and is available to use at your convenience.

You’ll need to reset your password when you return to our site. Just click “Your Account” at the top of our Home page and select “Forgot your Password?” in the Settings section.” Enter your email address as prompted, and once completed, we'll send you an e-mail containing a personalized link. Click the link from the e-mail and follow the directions provided. Your new password will be effective immediately. Please note that you will need to re-enter your complete credit or debit card number during the checkout process.

It is important to know that Amazon.com accounts can only be accessed by those who know personal, specific information about you and your account, including your email address and Amazon.com password. As mentioned above, it appears someone obtained this personal account information elsewhere and used it on Amazon.com to access your account.

While it is not clear how this happened in your case, we do know that personal account information is often obtained by scam artists who send unsolicited email to unsuspecting users asking them to "update" their account information. The email usually contains a link to a website that is controlled by the thief asking the user to submit personal information including email address, password, credit card number, and other relevant information. Once the information is obtained, the scam artist can then gain access to numerous online accounts since many internet users frequently use the same user name, email address, password, and financial information at multiple web sites.

Please know that Amazon.com employees will *never* ask for your password, nor will we ever send an email asking you to verify personal information.

Although it appears someone did access your Amazon.com account, they would not have been able to view your full credit card numbers as they are never displayed on our site. However, it is possible your credit card numbers may have been compromised at the time your other personal information was obtained. Therefore, we suggest you carefully review recent credit card statements to check for any unusual activity or unauthorized charges.

In the future, you can protect your Amazon.com password and account by following some of these safety tips:

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

1. Choose a good password: Use at least 8 characters and a combination of letters and numbers. Do not use single dictionary words, your name or other personal info that can be easily obtained, or a password that contains part of your email address.

2. Password protection: Avoid using the same password at multiple sites or for your email account. Do not share your password with others.

3. Account protection: Be cautious of unsolicited emails that appear to come from reputable online shops or services that ask you to submit personal information such as your credit card number, email address, and password. Often these emails will look as though they come from the company you're familiar with, and the email will ask you to click on a link and "sign in". You should never provide this kind of personal information in an unsolicited email.

I don't know if this isn't just an automated message because anyone who know me, knows I do listen to Security Now and other such security podcasts. So I know about phishing attacks and other such ways of how someone can get your password. I've recommended Lastpass in the past and still recommend it. I don't get what happened but it looks like they were concerned with my account and decided it need to be restricted until I changed my password. I even like the fact that Lastpass now uses Yubikey as a second factor of authentication, which I am quite glad they have implemented this. Great Going Laspass guys.

Don't Click Links in Emails!

I've talked about in the past but I thought it was something that we should at least remind people. If you get an email with a link to your account and you're not expecting it then don't click it. You can click links if your resetting your password but those are expected. I always tell people if your not expecting it, talk to the person who sent it to you because they might have a virus or some link that will compromise your account or get your passwords. Remember, surf safe and think about your security.

Security is #1

Paul Sylvester

Five Essential Packages for Ubuntu/Kubuntu!

Why do I need these packages?

There is no right or wrong answer but when I say it is needed, it is because us as a community should be ready. I know I already talked about people getting a Virus on Linux, and that some people think you can't get a Virus. In all aspects, the Linux community is in a holding when it comes to security and viruses. I will not discuss this enough but for today we will discuss what packages you should have already installed when you first start using Linux. Even the Ubuntu developers have talked about viruses on their main website, so it isn't something that I am not a little worried about when people start to use Linux.

The Packages I have installed!

While there is no right or wrong package for your Linux system, I thought I would at least recommend the ones that I did install not just for security but also for convenience. It will be your decision on which ones you will be install and which ones you think you'll need. This list is for those who are serious about security and want to avoid any chances of being compromised.

• VLC Media Player -- Although this has nothing to do with security it is something that will prevent those nasty attempts, claiming your don't have the right Codex to play this streaming Video. At least, if you have this installed you are one step closer to and knowing that this is a fake because I have found to be very affective having all the codex I will ever need.
• AVG Antivirus -- I have personally installed means I am a little more safer but not out of the woods just yet. Although, I am much safer having installed there is a long way to go before there is a good enough Antivirus program for linux and that I hope that changes in the future.
• Firewall -- Although this is your choice, I picked arno-iptables-firewall, which seems to be what I need right now. It however is something of a personal choice and probably even an OS choice.
• Password Manager -- Yes you heard it right, if you have a good Password manager then you are less likely to give out your password to sites that look like the real thing, which is called phishing attacks. With a good Password manager, you can go to right the right site with a click of the manager. I personally recommend Lastpass, but it is all up to your which one you want to use. I really don't know if there are more linux based password manager but I am sure you can find them.
• VPN -- Although this isn't really a package per say, but one that talked about in the past. How to get a VPN on Ubuntu/Kubuntu. I am sure there are others out on the internet. I just don't want to make it to complicated for beginners, so I did make my own tutorial on getting a free VPN. You really don't want anyone listening in while at a public hotspot do you?

Your one step closer!

As you can see these are what I call essential because of most of these will make you a little more security conscience and that in turn will make you a better Linux user. for the most part your be more ready than a lot of Linux user but that doesn't mean your invulnerable, just more educated the rest. If you have a recommendation, I encourage you to leave a comment and let others know, but for the time being these are just what I have installed on my Kubuntu 11.04 right now and I'm really happy.

See you on the Flip Side

Paul Sylvester

Are your ready for your last post??

A Great post by Derek K. Miller!

I was reminded by a great post by Derek and it was yes sadly his truelly last post.    If you didn't know Derek and kept reading blog you'd have heard nuances of his problems.   You also have grown to know about his family through his blog post and yet you'd only touched the surface of this man by reading his blog posts.   I didn't know him personally but that last blog post made me want to know him.   It was inspiring and well written and made everyone cherish the person he once was.   I come to think each blog should have something like this to let our readers know that there will be no more blog posts from us.   This is one reason I thought about making an educational post about getting ready to die posts?

How to Get ready for Death!

We've all wondered how we'd have our last blog post published and who'd do it.   That part is yours to decide but I am going to talk about the fundelmentals and let you decide just how you'd it.   I personally feel there are three ways to it:

• Family -- This is the most trustworthy choice because the family members will almost always want your wishes carried out.


• A Will -- This is common in the United States and I am sure in other parts of the world but it is one way to let someone know you have a final post and to publish it.


• A Lawyer -- This is another common way to make sure your post is published by giving access to your blog through a lawyer.

As you can see these are my ideas of how to publish that last post.   All though these are just a few, I thought the list might give you an idea to publish in your own way.    I won't say these are the only ways but these are my ways and I don't see any other ways to do it.

How will they log in?

This problem is common for blog owners because they want to protect there blog from being used for wrong doing.   So you'd probably be one of those who has an really good password that no one has access to it.   I currently use Lastpass and would tell people even with the last problem they had, it is still the best password manager you could have.   One way to give people the access to your blog and all that information that they will need after you die is to give your families or lawyer  several one time passwords for your Lastpass password database.   Now I say that because some of us bloggers have affiliate sales and there may be a need to switch the commission to someone's elses name for them to use the money to keep the blog going.   It just depends on what you want the money to be used for.   A way you can think of it is, it will help pay for your funeral expenses and pay the persons back in the long run.    You'll just want to make sure they know that the domain and hosting should be paid first to keep the money coming in but is little from the money you'll be receiving each month.

Give Admins rights to someone you trust!

This is something that people will have to decide if it is right for you.   You can give someone who you trust their own account on your blog.   Although this is something that you have discuss well in advance.  I don't recommend this tactic because of the possibility that someone could brute force that account and no one would be the wiser.   It however is important to come up with your own way to have that last post publish that your readers can know that their won't be any more post by you and that they can morn for your death because you were part of their lives and you could very well be missed.

Paul Sylvester

 

 

Related articles

• Lastpass still the best there is! (paulstechtalk.com)


• The Last Post of Derek Miller - Blogging After Death (johnchow.com)


• I'm dead (offonatangent.blogspot.com)


• Derek K. Miller Says Goodbye With A Final Blog Post (laughingsquid.com)


• Derek K Miller's Last Post (adultonsetatheist.blogspot.com)


• RIP Derek K Miller (insideview.ie)


• The death of a skeptic (blogs.discovermagazine.com)


• Goodbye, Derek (nottobetrustedwithknives.com)

Lastpass still the best there is!

Lastpass had been broken!

In a recent blog post by the Lastpass team, they talked about how they saw data being sucked from one of their servers.   They hit the panic and Paranoia button because they know how important it is for our passwords to be safe.   They have inititated a password reset for some accounts.   There openness only shows me they want to be as plain as possible.   That is why I thought I should at least talk about this recent Lastpass Hack as some would say.  I have said it in the past but I will say it again.   Lastpass is the best there is and I support there efforts a 100 percent.

Lastpass has implemented a forced password on some users!

I’m not saying everyone is effected but if your one of the few who they have forced you to change your password, I would certainly do it.    The most part if your unsure, the best possible advice I could give you right now is to just hold tight.   We know that they working hard to resolve the issues and that you will probably be next in line.   Just hold off until we know more.

Are you in offline mode?

This is the other problem right now with Lastpass but don’t worry.   You can download the proper files needed to keep your self busy while they fix the problem.   I am using Linux but if your need to have access to your Lastpass passwords, go download the offline versions of Lastpass and use them until they have fixed the problems associated with the passwords.    I have installed the Pocket Password from Lastpass on my Kubuntu system without a hitch. This will be a valuable edition for when I am not able to get connected online.

Lastpass I am still a USER and I thank you for your hard work!

Paul Sylvester

Related articles

• LastPass Hack of the Day (geeks.thedailywh.at)


• LastPass Security Breach? (ghacks.net)


• LastPass Says Hackers May Have Stolen Password Data (businessweek.com)


• LastPass Users Urged to Change Their Last Password (techland.time.com)


• The Last News You Want to Hear is LastPass Hacked. Now What? (cloudave.com)


• LastPass forcing members to change passwords (news.cnet.com)


• Use Lastpass? Change your master password asap (sunbeltblog.blogspot.com)