Blog for "the-enabler" of the letsnet.org network

---

Security Watch

VoIP Vulnerable

Applications such as Voice over IP telephony and videoconferencing could be vulnerable to security breaches because of flaws in the way a major telephony standard is being used.

This is where a router will save ya

MY ADVICE endeavors at keen.com. The number is 1-800-275-5336 (800-ask-keen) + ext. 0329063 for tech stuff, 0329117 for running a small business, and 0329144 on investing. Want to CHAT, I use Yahoo's IM as the_web_ster. View me in the Friends & Family part of webcamnow.com, just click on "view cams", then in the Java window click on WebcamNow Communities drop down arrow & select Friends & Family. Under the live webcams look for & click on me "the_webster".

---

So, your ready to NETWORK your old computer to your new one, maybe? It is, I think, easier than doing all that file copying from one to the other and throwing the old one out. Still interested? Try taking a look at this website.

http://www.linksys.com/edu/networkbasics/Linksys%20Networking%20Basics_files/frame.htm

Everone like the stuff "they use" and I'm no differant. Linksys is the name Cisco Systems uses for the retail stores sales to us, the home owners, and small office or home office type customers. One of the reasons I like Linksys is because of their website and how they try very hard to make it all as easy as they can for us to know or understand what NETWORKING your old and new computer.

Besides that, if your useing DSL or Cable (Broadband) type connections to get to the internet, you know the really fast way, you'll need a router to keep from GETTING HACKED. I just grow my home network of computers (LAN, local aera network) and needed a larger router (8 ports, the old one was 4) and at the same time I switched from Cable to DSL. I don't think this was the way to go, I'd do it, but I'd do it "one thing at a time" next time. A router is like having a small computer that the bad guys can't see though. So, when they look at you all they see is the router and nothing else. They can't hack what they can't see. They move on. Evern if you only have one puter and you have a firewall on it put a router between you and the Internet if your on DSL or Cable. The website gaves you an idea of what NETWORKING is about.



MY ADVICE endeavors at keen.com. The number is 1-800-275-5336 (800-ask-keen) + ext. 0329063 for tech stuff, 0329117 for running a small business, and 0329144 on investing. Want to CHAT, I use Yahoo's IM as the_web_ster. View me in the Friends & Family part of webcamnow.com, just click on "view cams", then in the Java window click on WebcamNow Communities drop down arrow & select Friends & Family. Under the live webcams look for & click on me "the_webster".

---

A strong password is one that is designed to be hard for a person or program to discover. Because the purpose of a password is to ensure that only authorized users can access resources, a password that is easy to guess is a security risk. Essential components of a strong password include sufficient length and a mix of character types. When people create passwords, they often defeat the purpose by choosing parts of their names, the names of their pets, or even the word "password." A typical weak password is short and consists solely of letters in a single case.
You can make your password much harder to break by using more characters, mixing upper and lower case letters, and including numbers and special characters. According to a security guide from Texas A&M University's Research Foundation, a six-character, single-case password has 308 million possible combinations, all of which a password cracker can go through in just a few minutes. Combining upper and lower case letters and using eight characters instead of six increases the possible combinations to 53 trillion; substituting a number for one of the letters yields 218 trillion possibilites; and substituting a special character or punctuation for another yields 6,095 trillion possible combinations. Although a password cracker can eventually go through that many combinations, it requires much more time and computing power.

People like to use passwords that will be easy for them to remember. A Microsoft article about security suggests that you use a memorable phrase instead of a word, and convert that phrase to a password. For example, the phrase, "I have 2 Labrador retrievers! Fido and Spot." could be expressed as Ih2Lr!F+S.





MY ADVICE endeavors at keen.com. The number is 1-800-275-5336 (800-ask-keen) + ext. 0329063 for tech stuff, 0329117 for running a small business, and 0329144 on investing. Want to CHAT, I use Yahoo's IM as the_web_ster. View me in the Friends & Family part of webcamnow.com, just click on "view cams", then in the Java window click on WebcamNow Communities drop down arrow & select Friends & Family. Under the live webcams look for & click on me "the_webster".

---

***VIRUS UPDATES Reminder
It's Tus. or Thur. , time to update the virus definitions. Yes, twice a week. That's being safe. And as you do that, if you use Norton, which as of TODAY, I still think is the best. (this well change, once McAfee was) Norton well update the program as well.

Do so sometime after 9AM GMT, or 1 PM EST US, 4PM PST US.

And if it's Tusesday, check out Tech Tuesday at Yahooand even if it isn't.

And if it's Thursday, BE listening to CNBC from 10 to 11 as Walter Mossbery will be on sometimes. And if you missed him his website is http://ptech.wsj.com/

---

http://news.yahoo.com/techtuesday
And well you check for windows updates today. And Thursday is virus update day. Remember?


MY ADVICE endeavors at keen.com. The number is 1-800-275-5336 (800-ask-keen) + ext. 0329063 for tech stuff, 0329117 for running a small business, and 0329144 on investing. Want to CHAT, I use Yahoo's IM as the_web_ster. View me in the Friends & Family part of webcamnow.com, just click on "view cams", then in the Java window click on WebcamNow Communities drop down arrow & select Friends & Family. Under the live webcams look for & click on me "the_webster".

---

Cybercafes (also called Internet cafes) featuring Internet access (along with food and drink) are so new that you've probably never had the opportunity to teach you the ins and outs. Here are a few tips to help you ease your way into the scene and not embarrass yourself completely:

No gawking over other people's shoulders. Okay, you're naturally going to be curious -- that's why you're here, to find out about all this stuff. Great. Cool. Rent some time, and get some help. Don't stand over other people's shoulders reading their screen. It's rude.

Clean up after yourself. That means not just the trash around your computer, but also the trash you probably left on the computer. Many folks don't seem to be aware that most mailer programs keep copies of messages that are sent. If you don't want someone to read your mail, make sure that you find the sent-message folder and delete your mail. Then take the next step and completely empty the trash.

Don't order stuff from a public PC. These days, ordering stuff over the Web or by e-mail is perfectly safe -- much safer than handing your credit card to some waiter you've never met! Some shopping sites store information about you, however (including your mailing address and payment info), in a file on your computer. This arrangement works perfectly when you are ordering from your own computer -- you don't have to type all that info when you visit the site the next time to place an order. When you order stuff at a cybercafe, however, this personal information may be stored on the cybercafe's computer instead. Better not chance it.



MY ADVICE endeavors at keen.com. The number is 1-800-275-5336 (800-ask-keen) + ext. 0329063 for tech stuff, 0329117 for running a small business, and 0329144 on investing. Want to CHAT, I use Yahoo's IM. View me in the Friends & Family part of webcamnow.com.