Is Twitter tweeting without your knowledge?

So there has been an ongoing issue with people's Twitter accounts posting various things without their knowledge - usually advertising links ("I lost 20 lbs in two weeks, click here to find out how!") As usual, NEVER EVER CLICK THE LINKS! I cannot stress that enough - chances are it will take you to a site that will try and install malware on your computer without your knowledge, or will ask you for some sort of login credentials.

So what do you do if this happens to your account? Follow these simple steps:
1) Login to your account on Twitter.com
2) Click "Settings"

3) Click "Connections"

4) Revoke access to everything listed here unless you are 100% sure you want it to have access to your account.

5) Click "Password"

6) Change your password - choose a complex password!

7) as a courtesy to your followers, send a quick tweet letting them know NOT to click on the links you had sent out.

Always be aware of what sites and applications are asking for you to log in with your Twitter username and password - be very clear on why that site wants it and what it will do. The only authorized connection I have is TwitterFeed - this service will automatically post a pre-formatted tweet when I have updated this blog. When the Shorty Awards were happening, I granted them access for a day or so, and then revoked it. Sometimes you may not realize that you have granted access to your twitter feed - go in every once in a while and see what is listed under Connections.

Info Security Basics: Complex Passwords

I will soon be teaching a bunch of “Information Security Basics” courses at work, and that gave me the idea for a few blog posts.

So children, today we will learn about Complex Passwords!

Passwords – they are everywhere!Love ’em or hate ‘em, you probably use them often, if not daily. Passwords are one of the most basic types of authentication used – your basic Who You Are (user id) combined with What You Know (password).

Do your best to NOT use the same password for everything – your online banking password should not be the same as your Facebook login password. Ideally every password you use should be unique, but realistically that would be a nightmare to maintain – but do the best you can. I tend to group in terms of importance/risk:

1) High (e.g. banking) – unique, very complex passwords
2) Medium (e.g. Facebook, Twitter) – unique-ish, complex passwords
3) Low (e.g. web forums) – I have a few passwords I tend to use

Also, don’t use common words or proper names of people/pets. Common words are easily guessed using a dictionary attack, and proper names are easily guessed by doing a bit of research on people.

Most websites give you a “forgot your password?” link if you are having problems. Be careful of the standard security questions they use – the answers tend to be common things that are easily guessed or researched. You know those online quizzes and Facebook “25 things you didn’t know about me” type things? Did you know the name of my first pet was Snowball? Oddly enough that’s also one of the common security questions used when you forget your password!

Basic Rules for Complex Passwords:

• Minimum of 8 characters
• Use both upper (A to Z) and lower case (a to z) letters
• Use numbers (0 to 9)
• Use at least ONE symbol (e.g. , ! $ & % #)

One of the most common complaints about complex passwords is that they are hard to remember. A good suggestion is to use the first letters from an 8 word (or more) sentence or catch phrase, replacing some letters with numbers or symbols:

We work hard so you don’t have to” becomes WwH$ydh2

Oh, and one other thing: please don't write your password on the under side of your keyboard, or on a sticky note by your monitor, etc! That sort of thing really makes that vein in my forehead throb....

It's Like Christmas in August!

August 28th 2009 will be like Christmas...only in August... and not cold and raining...

Anyway, 2 great things happen on August 28th that I feel compelled to share with you:

1) Snow Leopard will be released, and the world will be a better place. And the best part? The OS upgrade is only $35 for a single user licence (in Canada). That is cool. I am about to phone my local Apple Reseller and pre-order a copy so I can pick it up on the way home from work on Friday.

2) The newest D&D Penny Arcade podcast begins on the 28th, and the world will be a happier place. If you haven't listened to the previous sessions, you really should. No really, go listen.

Also:
Season 3 of The Guild will be released on August 26th! You don't have to be an MMO player to enjoy The Guild, so go watch seasons 1 and 2! I command you!

Ahh, Snow Leopard, D&D PA podcast, and The Guild all in one week... all is well in my world!

I Had A Cunning Plan

But was it cunning enough to put a tail on it and call it a weasel? I think not. For you see, my plan has failed, and here is where I need your help.

The Background:
I recently canceled my cable TV subscription, I just torrent the few TV shows I like to watch. I have the media files on a USB external hard drive attached to my PC. I have a wireless home network, with the PC, PS3, XBox 360, and a MacBook laptop.

The Current Situation:
Using Windows Media Player I stream the video to both my PS3 and my XBox 360 so I can watch on my HD TV and make use of the surround sound system. This is working well. However, I had to go and want more. Why? 'Cause that's just how I roll.

What I Want:
I want many things, but to keep on topic: I would like to also stream the video to my MacBook, and attach the laptop to the TV in my bedroom. It seemed like a simple desire.

The Setup:
I stopped by my local Apple reseller Simply Computing to get a Mini-DVI to Video connector. Why didn't I go to an official Apple store you ask? Because I live in a city without one. Confession time: I have NEVER been to an Apple store. This makes me sad. But I feel closer to you all now that I have that out in the open. Thanks.
Anyway, then I went to Monoprice.com to get a couple of cables. I bought a 6 foot m/m s-video cable and a 6 foot 3.5mm stereo to RCA audio cable. I really recommend Monoprice if you need any cables - their prices are great, shipping to Canada is reasonable, and they fill the orders quickly.

The Test:
It was like Christmas. The cables arrived, I brought everything into the bedroom and set it all up. It worked! I had video and audio from the laptop through the TV. The resolution isn't spectacular, but workable. I played a DVD, laying in bed controlling the playback with the apple remote. I was ecstatic. For about an hour. I know, typical woman!

The Issue:
I can't find any software to run on the MacBook that will receive the wireless stream from my PC. I don't want to copy the files to the MacBook, I want to stream them. Quicktime doesn't seem to do it. MPlayer doesn't seem to do it. I installed Windows Medial Player for Mac, but that didn't seem to do it. And I felt dirty putting Windows software on my Mac. Sorry MacBook.
I installed TVersity on the PC and tried streaming that way. The user interface for receiving on the Mac was ugly and awkward, and when I tried testing a stream in Firefox it would open the page but won't play. I Am Sad.

So: does anyone have any suggestions / solutions? Please send help.

An email for my nephew :-)

Well Alex, you are 18 months old now and I am sure you will soon be learning to ride a bike. I have some words of wisdom for you: you will fall at least once, but do your best NOT to wipe out during morning rush hour. Drivers get annoyed at you if you lay on the road whimpering - I recommend you do as I did this morning: spring to your feet and pull your bike onto the sidewalk, and THEN realize how much the fall hurt. For drivers are in a hurry and think they are Important and will say Bad Words to you for slowing them down.

Make sure you have at least 1 friend whom you can call and wake up at 8:15am who will come and rescue you, but perhaps remind them that while you really appreciate them saving you and giving you bandages for you owies, beer will also make you feel better. I'm just saying.

Also, make sure your Mom is near enough to give you sympathy, and perhaps laugh at your stupidity for falling down - it's amazing the power moms have to make you feel better.

Love,
Auntie Bonnie