Newsletter Archives

• Easiest way to make it easy for attackers

  Posted on November 18, 2020 at 21:37 CST by Susan Bradley • Comment in the Forums

  https://www.zdnet.com/article/the-worst-passwords-of-2020-show-we-are-as-lazy-about-security-as-ever/

  We are really bad at picking passwords.  Truly we are.  I’ve also seen that many folks use the same passwords in many web sites.  So attackers only have to get a data dump from one hacked database and then they can try to reuse these passwords in other places.

  Do yourself a big favor:  Over the holiday season see if you can 1. pick better passwords (passphrases) and 2. see if the site allows you to add two factor authentication.

  Windows Security 2FA, Passphrases, Passwords, Patch Lady Posts, Two-factor authentication

• Living in a time of digital obsolescence

  Posted on August 9, 2020 at 23:00 CDT by Tracey Capen • Comment in the Forums

  ON SECURITY

  By Susan Bradley

  Recently the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation released a document warning about unpatched Windows 7 machines.

  That alert reinforced what we already know: using an unpatched copy of Win7 is risky. According to the FBI, cybercriminals are targeting network infrastructures containing Win7 systems. And the document pointed out past problems with obsolete operating systems. For example, after Windows XP’s end of life, the healthcare industry was slow to upgrade to a supported version, leading to increased exposure of “records.”

  Read the full story in AskWoody Plus Newsletter 17.31.0 (2020-08-10).

  AskWoody Plus Newsletter, On Security AskWoody Plus Newsletter, FBI alert, IoT threats, Jailbreaking, Two-factor authentication, Win7 vulnerabilities

• Conference showcases a tsunami of security products

  Posted on March 16, 2020 at 01:10 CDT by Tracey Capen • Comment in the Forums

  SECURITY

  By Michael Lasky

  If you needed proof that Web security has become a major industry, you need only to have walked the acres of booths at the RSA Conference 2020.

  More than 36,000 attendees, 704 speakers, and 658 exhibitors gathered at San Francisco’s Moscone Center this past February to explore the “Human Element” in cyber security. The conference included hundreds of keynotes, track sessions, tutorials, seminars, and special events. Protecting the Internet has become a veritable military-industrial complex.

  Read the full story in AskWoody Plus Newsletter 17.11.0 (2020-03-16).

  Security AskWoody Plus Newsletter, RSA security conference, Two-factor authentication

• ‘Tis the season — for holiday scams

  Posted on November 25, 2019 at 01:05 CST by Tracey Capen • Comment in the Forums

  ON SECURITY

  By Susan Bradley

  This year, give your friends and relatives the gift of digital security.

  Ah, the holidays … a time when you can eat until you groan, watch sports until you fall asleep on the couch — and take an equally guilt-free break from relatives by heading off into the back room and quietly cleaning their PCs. (This process should always include running the Microsoft Safety Scanner tool.)

  Providing a bit of IT support for friends and family is well and good, but with smartphones, tablets, Windows 10, and wireless “assistants,” our digital world has become far more complex — and dangerous. So this holiday season, I suggest you spend a little time telling those you care about how the bad guys really are out to get them — and what they need to do to stay safe. Here are a few simple points to help with that discussion.

  Read the full story in AskWoody Plus Newsletter 16.43.0 (2019-11-25).

  On Security AskWoody Plus Newsletter, Holiday scams, Two-factor authentication