How to Create Secure Passwords

With just about every merchant and service on the Web requiring a password, it’s very tempting to use one, easy-to-remember word or phrase across all of them. Hackers know this, and it’s one of the reasons they’re able to hijack accounts so easily. If a hacker determines the password you use for, say, your Facebook login, he’ll likely try it on your bank account too. For this reason, among others, it’s vital to use different passwords for each service you use. Yes, it requires some extra work to keep track of them all, but it’s a far more pleasant experience than having your bank account drained.

However, using the above strategy won’t help you much if your individual passwords are easy to guess or crack. One common, simple-to-execute method for cracking passwords is what’s known as a “dictionary attack.” A dictionary attack is a type of brute force attack, whereby the hacker, using a computer program, tries all the words in the dictionary from A-Z in rapid succession until he finds the one that works. However, this isn’t your typical desktop reference dictionary. It also includes lists of proper nouns like common first names, names of celebrities, fictional characters, movie titles, sports teams, cities, common pet names, well-known quotes, and the like.

In order to thwart this known method, create passwords that don’t appear in such a dictionary by adding numbers and symbols to strings of characters. For example:

Weak password: Travolta

Stronger password: 3Trav#olta1547

Very strong password: 3pnle#r5th!po34

Generally speaking, the longer the password, the stronger it is, since each character is one more variable that the hacker must determine. But IT’S ONLY STRONG IF IT’S NOT EASY TO GUESS, so don’t choose something like “fourscoreandsevenyearsago” either.

CMIT Solutions is pleased to announce that it has won the top prize in the Computer Services category of the Best of Long Island 2012 Contest! We are also very proud to have placed second in the Green Business category. We care about the environment and we strive to give our clients excellent service, and the results show that we are achieving our goals. Over a million Long Islanders voted for their favorite businesses in a variety of categories, and the CMIT Solutions Long Island team would like to thank everyone who nominated us, and voted for us.

Window 7's Snipping Tool

The Snipping Tool Captures Screen Shots in a Snap

In the past, people who wanted to take screen shots had several options, none of them great: paid software like Techsmith's SnagIt, which works well but costs a pretty penny; or Alt+PrintScreen (which captures full screens) or Alt+Shift+PrintScreen (which captures the active window), but require remembering keyboard shortcuts and don’t give you much control.

In this week’s Video QuickTip, we show you how to use Windows 7’s “Snipping Tool” to capture screenshots in a variety of methods.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AeRrGInbGtE&feature=youtu.be

Anti-virus Alone is Not Enough

Unfortunately, keeping your computers and network secure isn’t as simple as merely installing an anti-virus (A/V) program. Cyber criminals have multiple potential points of access, and they all need protection. At minimum, this is what you need:

Firewall – A firewall sits between your network and the Internet and is the “doorman” for your infrastructure. Everything that goes in or out of your network passes through the firewall. Properly configured, a firewall keeps your data and sensitive information safely within your network, while keeping unauthorized intruders out.

Spyware scanner and removal tool – Spyware are small applications or cookies that reside on your computer and report on your activities to a third party. Spyware may watch for which websites you visit or what you’re shopping for and may even redirect you to websites you don’t intend to visit. More nefarious versions may log your passwords. Spyware removal tools compare the files on your computer to a long list of known spyware, identify suspicious items, and wipe them from your computer. Like A/V programs, these tools work best only when updated to the most recent list spyware definitions.

Acceptable use policy – Acceptable use policies (AUPs) address the biggest security risk of all—the human sitting in front of the computer. An AUP consists of a set of guidelines and procedures that you and your employees must follow to avoid compromising your network’s security. AUPs may include rules about connecting personal devices such as cell phones or USB drives to the company’s network, protocols for choosing secure passwords, and/or reminders not to inadvertently reveal sensitive information to hackers using social engineering to gain access.
For in-depth advice on employing multiple layers of security to protect your business from hackers, malware, and even accidental disasters, contact CMIT Solutions.

Methods of Saving a Webpage for Later Viewing

Sometimes you need access to the contents of a webpage even when you don’t have an Internet connection. Or, perhaps you want to save something for later reading. Maybe you want to record the contents of a page before it gets taken down. Whatever the case may be, saving a copy of a webpage for later viewing is a snap.

Here are a few options:

The “Save As” method: While on the page you wish to save, press Ctrl+S to open the “Save As” dialog box. The drop-down menu gives you the option of saving “Web page, complete” or “Webpage, HTML only.” The former saves the HTML file as well as any images, links, and other elements on the page. The latter saves only the code, so for offline viewing, choose the “Web page, complete” option.
For advanced, browser-specific options, see Firefox Help or Microsoft’s Help & How-to page.

The “Cut & Paste” method: Sometimes referred to as “copy pasta” in web-speak, this method works well when you’re only interested in saving the text of a website. Press Ctrl+A to select all the text on the page, press Ctrl+C to copy it to the clipboard, then open Word or another text editor and press Ctrl+V to paste the text. Save the Word document as you normally would.

The “Print as PDF” method: Google Chrome has this feature built in, as does just about any Mac application. For Firefox and Internet Explorer, you’ll need to download and install the free CutePDF Writer. Then, when you want to save a webpage as a PDF, simply choose “print” from the File menu, and select CutePDF Writer as your printer. The computer will “print” the webpage into a PDF document, which allows for easy offline viewing.

Most Popular Quick Tips

A Roundup of the Most Popular QuickTips from the Last Six Months

As we prepare ourselves for 2012, let’s take a look at the most popular QuickTips from the second half of 2011.

Take Control of Your Cellphone’s Camera with These Handy Apps
One of the biggest gripes about Smartphone cameras is the clunky (or complete lack of) controls over camera functions like zoom, shutter speed, and aperture size. Fortunately, an army of apps awaits, offering tools and options to give you better control over these variables.
http://www.cmitsolutions.com/corporate/blog/take-control-your-cellphone%E2%80%99s-camera-these-handy-apps

Happy That You’re Still Running Windows XP? So Are the Hackers.
Despite being two generations old (an eternity in software time), Windows XP continues to be the most popular operating system in the world. According to security guru Mikko Hypponen, lead researcher at Finland’s F-Secure, more than 50% of all machines connected to the Internet run XP.
http://www.cmitsolutions.com/corporate/blog/happy-you%E2%80%99re-still-running-windows-xp-so-are-hackers

Using Google Alerts to See What’s Said Online About You & Your Business
In this video, we’ll show you how to set up Google Alerts to receive real-time updates on whatever topics or news stories might be of interest to you. Google Alerts are a great way to keep tabs on what’s being said about your company, your competition, developments in your industry, or any topic you choose.
http://www.cmitsolutions.com/corporate/blog/video-using-google-alerts

Using the Google Search Box for More than Just Searching
Let’s face it: Google is everywhere. Much to the chagrin of the company’s trademark attorneys, the name has become synonymous with “search,” but there’s much more you can do with that little rectangle than just search for content. Here are a few of our favorite tricks.
Part I: http://www.cmitsolutions.com/corporate/blog/using-google-search-box-more-just-searching-part-i-ii
Part II: http://www.cmitsolutions.com/corporate/blog/using-google-search-box-more-just-searching-part-ii-ii
Part III: http://www.cmitsolutions.com/corporate/blog/google-search-tricks-bonus-edition

Keep Your Inbox Clean and Organized with Outlook Rules
Even if your spam filter does a great job of separating the wheat from the chaff, chances are the volume of legitimate emails you receive sometimes overwhelms your inbox. Fortunately, Outlook has a powerful “rules” filter to help keep your emails organized.
http://www.cmitsolutions.com/corporate/blog/keep-your-inbox-clean-and-organized-outlook-rules

Not seeing eye-to-eye?
Conflict is unfortunately an inevitable part of life and business. In this week’s CMIT Business Advisor Series, Lisa McLeod explains how to compromise without giving up what you want.
http://www.cmitsolutions.com/businessadvisor