Lanit Updates 7/2020

Whew it's hot! 


Password Managers...let's deep dive. 


You've been hearing me tout password managers a lot lately so let's dig in a little further and hopefully I can show you just how important they can become in your daily routine.


There are plenty of options when it comes to password managers but I would like to focus on one of my favorites. Who says nothing is for free (actually I do a lot...but that's inapplicable for this article). One of the best password managers available today is actually free. It's an open source product that is one of the most secure options available...but, as with many open source (free) options there's a little more burden on the user to get it setup properly and safely but once you're up and going your life will improve. 


Welcome to the life betterment enabling software of KeePass. KeePass is not only free but is one of the most secure and feature rich password manage available on the market today. KeePass touts one of the highest grades of encryption available and gives you the flexibility to set it up to best meet your needs. A single password is all you need to remember so please remove the Excel documents containing your password list and shred the post-it notes that's stuck on your monitors. With a single password you can create a favorites list with not only usernames and passwords for everything you access that requires a user account but also the link to the website that needs it. You don't even need to store favorites in your browser any longer, just open KeePass and click on the web link that you want to visit. They "key" to KeePass security is that it encrypts everything you put inside the program from each user account entry to every note you also add to that entry which is not the case with most password managers. So that means that not only the username and password are encrypted for your online banking but so are the security question and answers you may add to the notes field. This also makes it very easy to achieve not using the same password for multiple applications/websites.   


Once it's configured, open the program with a single password, double click the URL you want to visit, double click the username and paste it where it needs to be and then double click the password and paste it where it needs to be. When you double click any information in KeePass it will copy it to your clipboard and is available for pasting anywhere but it also clears it from your clipboard in a few seconds, you can actually see the count down happening until it clears so the information is no longer available once it clears. You never have to "display" the password again and after using it a while the password becomes somewhat irrelevant. You can of course display the password if need be and change it just as easily for any entry inside the program. 


Now for the fair warning part. Although it may seem a little intimidating at first glance and during the initial setup, you will get to know the interface pretty quickly and it will become second nature. When you set it up for the first time it will create a database to hold your information and that database MUST be put in a location that is backed up regularly because if you become dependent upon it like I have it would be catastrophic to lose that data. The master password must also be remembered, if you lose that there is no reset or any amount of "hacking" that will get you back in. 


If you're interested in KeePass you can download it here and as always please feel free to reach out for any assistance or questions you may have. There are a ton more features not mentioned in this article that this program contains but, as always, this is just to get the process on the though ftable. 
Picture

Regular IT Meetings

This is to invite you to invite us to regular IT planning meetings. It's good to have a regular planning meeting or even just an question answer session. We learn a lot about our customers during these meetings and sometimes we can bring ideas to the table that you may not have known about or considered. Everyone usually walks away with a little more knowledge on both sides and may push us to things we haven't considered either such as additional services or conveniences we may be able to offer. 


Onsite or over the phone feel free to reach out to us if this is something you may be interested in, even if it's just once a year.
Picture

TikTok? 


Nope, it's not a clock reference and if you've never heard of it then you're probably okay however if you have kids or grand kids then more than likely they have not only heard of it but use it on a daily basis and may be a part of what's becoming a disconcerting issue.

TikTok is yet another social media platform that seems to me is not really different in capabilities than any other platform in that you can create short videos and share them with your fellow "TikTokers"...pretty much the same thing you can do with any other social media platforms but is the flavor of the month amongst our youth (geez I'm starting to feel old after typing that). Sure it's fun and easy to use which is why it attracts younger users.

The issue; it was bought by a Chinese based company in 2017 and if you're a company based out of China then by law your data is open to their government with no legal recourse. Why is that a problem? Just imagine if you wanted information about an enemy and you found a way to virtually get a security camera inside of every household in that country. Not only do you have insight and access to millions of users but you also store, archive, and have access said data at any time you please. This is exactly what TikTok is providing the Chinese government. It may be used for something as simple as directed advertising or with the correct algorithm could be used to gather some pretty useful information for anyone who wishes harm.

So once again, please be careful with what is being shared on social media of any platform.   
Picture

Security Awareness 

Securing Your Home Network 

In the past, building a home network was nothing more than installing a wireless router and several computers. Today, as so many of us are working, connecting, or learning from home, we have to pay more attention to creating a strong cyber secure home. Here are four simple steps to do just that.


Your Wireless Network

Almost every home network starts with a wireless (or Wi-Fi) network. This is what enables your devices to connect to the Internet. Most home wireless networks are controlled by your Internet router or a separate, dedicated wireless access point. They both work the same way: by broadcasting wireless signals which allow the devices in your house to connect to the Internet. This means securing your wireless network is a key part of protecting your home. We recommend the following steps to secure it.

  • Change the default administrator password to your Internet router or wireless access point, whichever is controlling your wireless network. The administrator account is what allows you to configure the settings for your wireless network.
  • Ensure that only devices you trust can connect to your wireless network. Do this by enabling strong security. Doing so requires a password to connect to your home network and encrypts online activities once connected.
  • Ensure the password used to connect to your wireless network is a strong password that is different from the administrator password. Remember, your devices store passwords, so you only need to enter the password once for each device.

If you’re not sure how to do these steps, check your Internet Service Provider’s website or check the website of the vendor for your router or wireless access point.


Passwords

Use a strong, unique password for each of your devices and online accounts. The key words here are strong and unique. The longer your password the stronger it is. Try using a series of words that are easy to remember, such as sunshine-doughnuts-happy.

A unique password means using a different password for each device and online account. Use a password manager to remember all those strong passwords, which is a security program that securely stores all your passwords for you in an encrypted, virtual safe.

Additionally, enable two-step verification whenever available, especially for your online accounts. It uses your password, but also adds a second authentication step, such as a code sent to your smartphone or an app on your smartphone that generates the code for you. This is probably the most important step you can take, and it's much easier than you think.


Your Devices

The next step is knowing what devices are connected to your wireless home network and making sure all of those devices are trusted and secure. This used to be simple when you had just a computer. However, today almost anything can connect to your home network, including your smartphones, TVs, gaming consoles, baby monitors, printers, speakers, or perhaps even your car. Once you have identified all the devices on your home network, ensure that each of them is secure. The best way to do this is to change any default passwords on them and enable automatic updating wherever possible.


Backups

Sometimes, no matter how careful you are, you may be hacked. If that is the case, often the only way you can recover your personal information is to restore from a backup. Make sure you are doing regular backups of any important information and verify that you can restore from them. Most mobile devices support automatic backups to the Cloud. For most computers, you may have to purchase some type of backup software or service, which are relatively low-priced and simple to use.
Made with