Daily Bits

Security

Google Looking at USB Sticks to Replace Passwords

By 1 Comment

How many passwords do you have for all your online accounts? From email accounts – of which you probably have at least a handful – to social networking accounts to online banking portals to forums to shopping web sites – we have so many passwords to remember that it can be a headache. Especially when you visit a long ago forgotten site. Then it could be such a hassle to remember the password, that is unless you’ve got a vault where you keep all your passwords. (I highly recommend Lastpass for this.)

security

If Google’s vision becomes a reality – which I don’t doubt it will at some point – we just might a solution to this password headache. At a recent RSA security event held in San Francisco, Google principal engineer, Mayank Upadhyay has revealed the interesting direction that the company is going in regard to passwords.[Read More]

Top 5 Password Management Tools

By 3 Comments

Password Management Tools

Password Management Tools


I have made a reputation for myself in that I tend to forget my passwords. It’s not something to be proud of, for sure, and I still cannot live down the instance when I had just gotten my first MacBook. I set a user password, only to have forgotten it right after restarting! For the life of me, I cannot explain how that happened, but you get the picture…Writing on more blogs than I can count on one hand and having to access even more password-protected sites, I am absolutely reliant on password management tools.

If you are anything like me, you would benefit from an efficient password management tool as well. There are many choices, and let me share five of the best password management tools with you.[Read More]

Wi-Fi Blocking Wallpaper to Keep Signal Thieves Away

By Leave a Comment

Wallpaper blocks Wi-Fi

Wi-Fi Wallpaper

How many stories can you tell about your neighbors stealing your Wi-Fi signal? Or maybe it is the other way around? If you live in a building, then the chances are that you will have quite some stories to tell.

If you are tired of having people leeching off you, you will love what a team of researchers from Grenoble Institut Polytechnique and the Centre Technique du Papier (France) have developed: Wi-Fi blocking wallpaper.

The researchers may or may not have had their own experiences with Wi-Fi thieves, but they seem to be passionate about keeping homes more secure. Sure, the first step is to make sure that you have a strong password, but just in case that is not enough for you, you just might be able to purchase this Wi-Fi blocking wallpaper some time next year.[Read More]

Russian ATM That Can Detect Lies

By Leave a Comment

Russian ATMThieves who make their living out of unauthorized ATM access are soon going to have to find a different source of income. I have, fortunately, never been a victim of ATM theft, but there are countless people who have been victimized via all sorts of modus operandi.

If Russian company Speed Technology Center succeeds in its latest project, however, ATM theft may become a thing of the past – and not soon enough, in my opinion! The company is currently in the testing stage of a cutting edge ATM that adds several layers of security. Currently, we rely heavily on the Personal Identification Number (PIN) for security. Banks and security experts give out all sorts of tips on how to keep the PIN safe, but inevitably, breaches occur – resulting in unauthorized access.

With Speed Technology Center’s new machines, the dependence on the PIN will be gone. Instead, the addition of voice recognition software plus the application of lie-detector technology will make security a tough nut to crack. More than that, however, the new machines are equipped with high tech measures such as the ability to scan passports, record fingerprints, and do a 3D facial scan. Impressive, really, but I am worried that thieves might resort to cutting of their victims’ fingers!

Seriously, though, this system seems to be working, as is being observed by Sberbank, the Russian bank doing the testing. The plan is to roll out these machines across Russia, in banks and malls. I think that it is a brilliant idea and that other countries/banks should follow suit. What do you think?

It Only Takes Lady Gaga to Get Past U.S. Military Security

By 1 Comment

lady gaga
Everyone has heard about WikiLeaks by now. Truth be told, I have been avoiding writing about it as everyone and their mom has been jabbering non-stop about the site anyway. However, I simply cannot pass up on this piece of information: how you can get past the “strict” security measures that the U.S. military has in place.

Believe it or not, you simply have to get Lady Gaga on your side. It is that simple. In a report released by The Guardian early this week, it is said that the main culprit behind the information leak is soldier Bradley Manning, 22 years of age. The soldier is said to have taken the information out of secure premises by bringing in a CD-RW labeled Lady Gaga. Once inside, he would delete its contents and copy classified information. Walking out of the the complex with some of the government’s secrets was a simple matter.

Of course, just because it was that easy to steal the information did not mean that Manning would never have been caught. As a matter of fact, he has been in solitary confinement for the most part of this year, where he is awaiting court martial.

This does not change the facts – that more than 200,000 dispatches are now in the hands of the general public, so to speak. And, while I don’t feel like talking about what I think about the whole WikiLeaks issue, I think that Lady Gaga should be given kudos for assisting one of the biggest information heists ever. I wonder if a Michael Jackson CD would have worked as well?

via The Guardian