Tris Hussey’s Lifestream

Tris Hussey’s Lifestream

Tris Hussey  //  Writer, photographer, educator, and Internet Rogue. I help people make sense of and manage social media and web 2.0.
Watch for my book Create Your Own Blog in January 2010!

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Dec 28 / 8:15am

Maybe more sites should have banned passwords

via techcrunch.com

I used to have a simple system for passwords. The passwords weren't great, but I could remember them. Well I realized that those passwords weren't good enough. I have 1Password on my MBP which let's me have one über-strong password manage a raft of randomly generated, strong passwords.

I'm amazed, however, at the number of times I sign up at sites where I can only use numbers and letters for passwords. So, with Twitter having a list of banned passwords, maybe all other sites should too.

Yeah I know it sucks for some people, but you know it's the people with really weak passwords are the ones who also are the greatest risk of getting hacked and accounts compromised. Funny that Twitter is implementing this, since they have their own password security issues.

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Filed under  //  online safety   passwords   security  

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Dec 28 / 8:15am

Maybe more sites should have banned passwords

via techcrunch.com

I used to have a simple system for passwords. The passwords weren't great, but I could remember them. Well I realized that those passwords weren't good enough. I have 1Password on my MBP which let's me have one über-strong password manage a raft of randomly generated, strong passwords.

I'm amazed, however, at the number of times I sign up at sites where I can only use numbers and letters for passwords. So, with Twitter having a list of banned passwords, maybe all other sites should too.

Yeah I know it sucks for some people, but you know it's the people with really weak passwords are the ones who also are the greatest risk of getting hacked and accounts compromised. Funny that Twitter is implementing this, since they have their own password security issues.

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Filed under  //  online safety   passwords   security  

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Aug 29 / 2:11pm

PCWorld: DHS Clarifies Laptop Border Crossing Rules

Earlier this week, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security made it clear that border crossing officials could continue to search any device that can store electronic media without any suspicion of wrongdoing.

travelAlthough the revised policy ensures searches will be completed in a "timely manner" (up to 30 days) and that travelers will stay informed about the search's progress, travelers crossing the border might want to consider a few things.

Officials can still seize any device (including MP3 players or flash drives) and look at any file on it (including Internet browsing history) without giving any reason.

The Association of Corporate Travel Executives (ACTE) believes agents take laptops, make an image of the hard drive and then return the laptop to its owner in the mail. Any copied files could be stored "indefinitely." (Imagine what the Border Patrol's iTunes Library will look like after "indefinitely" storing DRM-free music from several dozen searches.) The ACLU is also taking a dim view of the DHS policy, and is challenging it in court.

For the moment, though, it's smart to be prepared. Although the DHS's exact procedures are unspecified, the department's new policy states when travelers are subject to a search, agents will provide them "with clear and concise material informing them of the reasons for the search, how their data may be used and detailed information about their constitutional and statutory rights."

travelIf you're traveling for business and have important files you'll need on your trip, it wouldn't hurt to save them to multiple locations so you aren't left without them. Better yet, use Google Docs or another Internet-based storage system to ensure your private information stays private.

In the case of a search, ACTE recommends you inform the agent that you have sensitive information on your computer. Try to get your concern noted in writing; at least, be sure to express it verbally. ACTE says this will help you retain more legal rights for registering your concern.

Although these searches don't occur very often (the Border Patrol looked at around 1000 laptops and searched 46 laptops in-depth in the past ten months) the best bet for travelers concerned about privacy is to leave unneeded electronic storage behind.

via feeds.pcworld.com

And if you wanted to protect your data with strong encryption, I'd say forget it. It will either make things worse (what do you have to hide) and/or you'll just have to cough up the password regardless. I wouldn't bet that tech trickery will work either. Don't you think DHS techs would know how to find anything they want?

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Filed under  //  encryption   privacy   security   travel tips  

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