Are You At Risk Because of Weak Passwords

I have the pleasure of knowing Scott and Jen Gingrich of Piggybank Technology. They are a wealth of information on anything web.

This morning Scott sent through this article which he has graciously given me permission to use, thank you Scott…

 

Governor Palin’s Email got hacked…Is Yours Any Safer?

Governor Sarah Palin’s Yahoo Email account got hacked. That means someone got into it. Someone who shouldn’t have. And apparently it was relatively easy (especially for someone motivated to do harm) and involved using Yahoo’s password reset feature which asks for such information as your Birth date.

Lesson 1: Don’t use Email services like Yahoo, Hotmail or GMail for sensitive or business communications! Use a proper Email service…like your Business Email.

When I set-up passwords for my Clients, I usually get a look of disbelief when they see something like “3oL0B~vm$x”. “How am I ever going to remember that?!”

They’d much rather see something simple like “martha”. The problem is that when you use common words for passwords, they can be hacked much easier than “strong passwords”. Strong passwords are ones that are very difficult for humans (and computers!) to figure out. They have:

• at least 6 characters,
• use a combination of letters, numbers and special characters
• don’t repeat characters
• use a combination of upper and lower case characters

Lesson 2: I recommend that you use a separate strong password for everything; don’t re-use the same password.

There are many password utilities available to help you keep secure passwords safe. There is one really handy and FREE utility I use called “Password Tools Bundle“. Not only will it generate strong passwords for you, you can use it to securely store your passwords too.

 

Technorati Tags: Piggybank Technology,Scott Gingrich,Gingrich Group,Email,Yahoo,GMail,Hotmail,Passwords

Beat the Daily Crash & Burn – Workstation Ergonomics

I had a much needed appointment with my Chiropractor, Sheila Keber of Align Chiropractic Health Centre in Newmarket. Sheila gave me a sheet on Workstation Ergonomics and she also gave me permission to use this here on my Blog:

THE WORK AREA should be large enough to accommodate you, allow a full range of motion for daily tasks, and have room for equipment/materials.

• Use a headset for lengthy or frequent telephone work.
• Place the items you use most frequently directly in front of you and organized to avoid excessive extending and reaching.
• Place the phone on the side of your non-dominant hand.
• Position you desk lamp so that it illuminates source documents without causing either glare on the computer screen or direct illumination to your eyes.
• Use “Dynamic sitting”, don’t stay in one static position for extended time periods.
• The angle of the backrest should ensure the trunk and legs should form an angle between 90 & 115 degrees.
• Adjust height of chair so feet rest flat on the floor. Feet, legs, thighs and hips should all be at 90 degrees.
• Hands and wrists should be kept in a straight wrist posture when typing and should not be resting on a pal rest, table, or lap while typing. Wrist and palm rests are designed to provide support during keying and breaks from it.
• Repetitious static work (working at the computer) is very fatiguing on your upper extremities as well as your eyes.
• Schedule breaks every 20 – 40 minutes in order for your body to rest and recover.
• Taking a short break (3 – 5 minutes) does not = stop working. Do other activities such as networking, making copies, filing etc. as breaks from typing.

MONITOR

• Make sure the surface of the viewing screen is clean.
• Adjust brightness and contrast to optimum eye comfort.
• Position the monitor directly in front of you to avoid extra neck twisting.
• Position the monitor at a comfortable viewing distance approximately 18 – 30 inches.
• Position monitors at right angles from windows and light fixtures to reduce glare. Close blinds as needed.

MOUSE, TRACKBALL, OR OTHER INPUT DEVICE

• Placing the mouse, trackball, or other input device too far away, too low, or too much on one side can cause shoulder, wrist, elbow and forearm discomfort.
• Do not bend your wrist upward – sit high enough so the desk is slightly below the elbows. This way the hand rests naturally on the mouse.
• Mousing demands a certain level of surface stability; if used on a keyboard try, the tray should not wobble or tip.
• Test different mouse models. Consider size, shape, comfort and special features that could make your job easier.

LIGHTING: Use the following recommendations to reduce eyestrain and eye fatigue:

• Close drapes/blinds to reduce glare.
• Adjust lighting to avoid glare on screen (light source should come at a 90 degree angle, with low watts).
• Avoid intense or uneven lighting in your field of vision.
• Place monitor at 90 degree angle to windows (where possible).
• Reduce overhead lighting (where possible).
• Use indirect or shielded lighting where possible.
• Walls should not be painted with a reflective finish.
• Use a glare screen or monitor shield to reduce glare from overhead lighting.

LAPTOP COMPUTERS: A laptop is still a computer so use a docking station, with proper ergonomics as above, for prolonged use. Laptop transport is important. Consider using wheels, getting rid of extra weight and using a padded shoulder strap.

If you are experiencing any pain or discomfort from working too long at your computer, I would highly recommend visiting your Chiropractor.

If you are in the Newmarket area and are looking for a great Chiropractor I would highly recommend Sheila Keber, Sheila can be reached at the Align Chiropractic Health Centre

Technorati Tags: Align Chiropractic,Workstation Ergonomics

at: 905-953-1008.

Google Has Launched New Browser

Google has launched it’s new Browser, Google Chrome. You can read all about it in the comic book that announced the Browser here: Googlebooks Chrome 

You can download Google Chrome here: http://www.google.com/chrome/

I’ve just downloaded it myself and from playing with it for a few minutes this morning it looks pretty good. It states that your pages will load faster, and it does.

There are some things that you will miss from other Browser’s like my favourite, Firefox, but all in all it does look promising.

Technorati Tags: Google,Google Chrome