Use It Better: The Smart Ways to Pick Passwords

    Four strategies for keeping your information safe

    By David Pogue, September 7, 2011

    If you want to be absolutely secure, you should make up a different password for every single Web site you visit. Each password should have at least 16 characters, and it should contain a scramble of letters, numbers, and punctuation; it should contain no recognizable words. You should change all of these passwords every couple of weeks. And you should not write any of them down anywhere.

    That, at least, is what security experts advise. Unfortunately, they leave out the part about the 15 minutes you’d have to spend with flash cards before bed each night, trying to remember all those utterly impractical passwords.

    There are, fortunately, more sensible ways to incorporate passwords into your life. You won’t be as secure as the security experts would like, but you’ll find a much better balance between protection and convenience.

♦     The “security through brevity” technique. My teenage son’s smartphone password is only a single character. It’s fast and easy to type. But a random evildoer picking up his phone doesn’t know that; he just sees “Enter password” and gives up − so, in its way, it’s just as secure as a long password. (Of course, I may have just blown it by publishing his little secret.)

♦     Password keepers. The world is full of utility programs for your Mac, PC or app phone that memorize all your Web passwords for you. They’re called things like RoboForm, Account Logon, and (for the Mac) 1Password. Each asks you for a master password that unlocks all the others; after that, you get to surf the Web freely, admiring how the software not only remembers your passwords and contact information, but fills in the Web forms for you automatically.

♦     The “disguised English word” technique. Having your passwords guessed by ne’er-do-wells online doesn’t happen often, but you do hear about such cases. The bad guys start by using “dictionary attacks” − software that tries every word in the dictionary, just in case you were dumb enough to make your password something like “password” or your first name. (These special dictionaries also contain common names, places, number combinations and phrases such as “ilovemycat.”)

     That’s why conventional wisdom suggests disguising your password by changing a letter or two into numbers or symbols. Instead of “supergirl,” choose “supergir!” or “supergir1,” for example. That way, you’ve thwarted the dictionary attacks without decreasing the memorizability.

♦     The multi-word approach. Another good password technique is to run words together, like “picklenose” or “toothygrin.” Pretty easy to remember, but tough for a dictionary attack to guess.

(Adapted from http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=pogue-use-it-better-smart-ways-pick-passwords)

    What Is the Definition of Online Banking?

    The brick-and-mortar bank is the bank customers may use for banking. It is the bank where customers go to deposit checks, withdraw money, transfer money, and it's also the bank used to pay bills by mail. Brick-and-mortar banks ..A.. . Today's world of banking is more efficient. With online banking, customers rarely need to walk into a bank. Most of their banking is available through their computer.

    Online banking is also called brick-to-click banking, according to bankrate.com, as well as electronic banking or Internet banking. It is a bank that gives customers the option of using checks, depositing money and transferring money at their physical location, or the option to do most of their banking on their computer. They can log on to their site and transfer between accounts, pay bills, use automatic deposits and check balances in all their accounts. If they need cash, they can make withdrawals using their ATM card or debit card. The only time they may need to enter an actual bank is to deposit a paper check or see a loan officer.

    History

    According to "Banking and Finance on the Internet," a book edited by Mary J. Cronin, online banking was first introduced in the early 1980s when four New York banks − Citibank, Chase Manhattan, Chemical and Manufacturers Hanover − offered home banking services. The systems were quite ..B.. to use and did not prove to be very popular. In the U.K., it was Nottingham Building Society that in 1983 offered the first electronic home banking system.

    How it Works

    In order to use e-banking, customers need access to a personal computer and Internet connection. When they register for ebanking, they are asked to provide a login name and password. Additionally, each time they want to access their account they might be required to answer a security question, which minimizes the risk of someone else accessing their account.

    Features

    Online banking allows customers to access their bank account from their computer 24 hours a day. With a password and a secure system, they can view all their accounts, move their money around, open new accounts, pay loans, access past months, print off transactions and electronically pay bills. With an ATM card, they have 24-hour access to ATMs across the country. With a debit card, they can pay bills at any store instead of writing a check. The bank automatically deducts from their checking account.

    Virtual Banking

    Besides the brick-to-click banks, there are virtual banks that do not have a physical location or personnel. They offer the same services as a regular bank and must follow the same federal guidelines. ..CONJUNCTION.. they do not have the overhead of buildings and personnel, they can offer better deals on loans and higher returns on savings.

    Advantages of E-Banking 

    For customers, convenience is probably the main advantage, because it allows them to access their accounts whenever they want, and perform transactions from the comfort of their home. Almost equally important is ubiquity, because e-banking is available from any internet-connected computer anywhere in the world. For banks, e-banking means lower operating costs, as they need fewer branches and staff. Last but not least, it means new revenue opportunities, because e-banking attracts new, usually higher-income clients.

    Disadvantages of E-Banking

    For customers, it takes time to learn how to use e-banking facilities and, more importantly, to trust their bank's website and stop worrying about security issues. For banks, it means investing more in equipment and highly trained staff to run the website and necessary software.

(Adapted from http://www.ehow.com)

    Use It Better: The Smart Ways to Pick Passwords

    Four strategies for keeping your information safe

    By David Pogue, September 7, 2011

    If you want to be absolutely secure, you should make up a different password for every single Web site you visit. Each password should have at least 16 characters, and it should contain a scramble of letters, numbers, and punctuation; it should contain no recognizable words. You should change all of these passwords every couple of weeks. And you should not write any of them down anywhere.

    That, at least, is what security experts advise. Unfortunately, they leave out the part about the 15 minutes you’d have to spend with flash cards before bed each night, trying to remember all those utterly impractical passwords.

    There are, fortunately, more sensible ways to incorporate passwords into your life. You won’t be as secure as the security experts would like, but you’ll find a much better balance between protection and convenience.

♦     The “security through brevity” technique. My teenage son’s smartphone password is only a single character. It’s fast and easy to type. But a random evildoer picking up his phone doesn’t know that; he just sees “Enter password” and gives up − so, in its way, it’s just as secure as a long password. (Of course, I may have just blown it by publishing his little secret.) 

♦     Password keepers. The world is full of utility programs for your Mac, PC or app phone that memorize all your Web passwords for you. They’re called things like RoboForm, Account Logon, and (for the Mac) 1Password. Each asks you for a master password that unlocks all the others; after that, you get to surf the Web freely, admiring how the software not only remembers your passwords and contact information, but fills in the Web forms for you automatically. 

♦     The “disguised English word” technique. Having your passwords guessed by ne’er-do-wells online doesn’t happen often, but you do hear about such cases. The bad guys start by using “dictionary attacks” − software that tries every word in the dictionary, just in case you were dumb enough to make your password something like “password” or your first name. (These special dictionaries also contain common names, places, number combinations and phrases such as “ilovemycat.”) 

    That’s why conventional wisdom suggests disguising your password by changing a letter or two into numbers or symbols. Instead of “supergirl,” choose “supergir!” or “supergir1,” for example. That way, you’ve thwarted the dictionary attacks without decreasing the memorizability. 

♦     The multi-word approach. Another good password technique is to run words together, like “picklenose” or “toothygrin.” Pretty easy to remember, but tough for a dictionary attack to guess.  

(Adapted from http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=pogue-use-it-better-smart-ways-pick-passwords) 

     What Is the Definition of Online Banking?

    The brick-and-mortar bank is the bank customers may use for banking. It is the bank where customers go to deposit checks, withdraw money, transfer money, and it's also the bank used to pay bills by mail. Brick-and-mortar banks ..A.. . Today's world of banking is more efficient. With online banking, customers rarely need to walk into a bank. Most of their banking is available through their computer. 

    Online banking is also called brick-to-click banking, according to bankrate.com, as well as electronic banking or Internet banking. It is a bank that gives customers the option of using checks, depositing money and transferring money at their physical location, or the option to do most of their banking on their computer. They can log on to their site and transfer between accounts, pay bills, use automatic deposits and check balances in all their accounts. If they need cash, they can make withdrawals using their ATM card or debit card. The only time they may need to enter an actual bank is to deposit a paper check or see a loan officer. 

    History

    According to "Banking and Finance on the Internet," a book edited by Mary J. Cronin, online banking was first introduced in the early 1980s when four New York banks − Citibank, Chase Manhattan, Chemical and Manufacturers Hanover − offered home banking services. The systems were quite ..B.. to use and did not prove to be very popular. In the U.K., it was Nottingham Building Society that in 1983 offered the first electronic home banking system. 

    How it Works

    In order to use e-banking, customers need access to a personal computer and Internet connection. When they register for ebanking, they are asked to provide a login name and password. Additionally, each time they want to access their account they might be required to answer a security question, which minimizes the risk of someone else accessing their account. 

    Features

    Online banking allows customers to access their bank account from their computer 24 hours a day. With a password and a secure system, they can view all their accounts, move their money around, open new accounts, pay loans, access past months, print off transactions and electronically pay bills. With an ATM card, they have 24-hour access to ATMs across the country. With a debit card, they can pay bills at any store instead of writing a check. The bank automatically deducts from their checking account.

    Virtual Banking

    Besides the brick-to-click banks, there are virtual banks that do not have a physical location or personnel. They offer the same services as a regular bank and must follow the same federal guidelines. ....CONJUNCTION ... they do not have the overhead of buildings and personnel, they can offer better deals on loans and higher returns on savings.

    Advantages of E-Banking 

    For customers, convenience is probably the main advantage, because it allows them to access their accounts whenever they want, and perform transactions from the comfort of their home. Almost equally important is ubiquity, because e-banking is available from any internet-connected computer anywhere in the world. For banks, e-banking means lower operating costs, as they need fewer branches and staff. Last but not least, it means new revenue opportunities, because e-banking attracts new, usually higher-income clients. 

    Disadvantages of E-Banking

    For customers, it takes time to learn how to use e-banking facilities and, more importantly, to trust their bank's website and stop worrying about security issues. For banks, it means investing more in equipment and highly trained staff to run the website and necessary software. 

(Adapted from http://www.ehow.com)