password

Safe and sound

In just a few short decades we've become dependent on the Internet to manage large portions of our lives, from our finances to our friendships, our entertainment to our exercise routines. With all these online resources come slews of passwords, and we don't think we're the only ones who have trouble keeping them straight. KeePass Password Safe Portable is a lightweight program that lets users keep their passwords handy and secure.

The program's interface is plain and intuitive. Users are first prompted to set a master password that controls access to KeePass. Then it's simply … Read more

Notable notes

We recall a time when we held an office job that required us to keep track of a lot of little bits of information, and our computer monitor and stacks of file folders were often covered with little yellow sticky notes. These notes are great for keeping information handy, but they have a tendency to get lost or get stuck to documents they weren't meant for. We've seen many attempts at creating electronic versions of these notes, and Secure Reminder is one of the best. This versatile program has a ton of features that replicate the best parts … Read more

Twitter's new deceased-user policy vs. Facebook's

Consider it a sign of the times, or even just success that Twitter now has a policy in place to handle ownership of a user's account once they've died.

As expected, interested parties need to send in several pieces of information about how they relate to that person before Twitter will take action. Once the proper credentials have been sent to the company (via e-mail or snail mail), Twitter is then able to do one of two things: either remove a deceased user's account entirely, or provide an archive of all that user's tweets so family … Read more

Automation, partnerships drive Webroot revamp

Security suite maker Webroot, best known for its Spy Sweeper program, on Monday finally released the long-delayed upgrades to to its PC security programs, updating its line in a bid to make it more competitive and relevant in an increasingly crowded security field. Webroot also introduced a new program, Internet Security Complete 2011, which provides tools that go far beyond basic threat detection and removal.

The programs offer multiple levels of protection. The simplest is Webroot Spy Sweeper, which focuses on spyware detection and removal. Webroot AntiVirus with Spy Sweeper is analogous to basic programs like Norton Antivirus and combines … Read more

Hide your files in a secure vault

The ultimate freeware encryption program, TrueCrypt is loaded with powerful features that users concerned with protecting data from prying eyes will find robust and comprehensive.

It offers 11 algorithms for encrypting your private files in a password-protected volume. You can store your encrypted data in files (containers) or partitions (devices). TrueCrypt works hard to offer powerful data protection, recommending complex passwords, explaining the benefits of hidden volumes, and erasing telltale signs of the encryption process, including mouse movements and keystrokes. Though the interface may not be immediately intuitive, its powerful, on-the-fly encryption for no cost still earns the freeware security … Read more

Hide your files in a secure vault

The ultimate freeware encryption program, TrueCrypt is loaded with powerful features that users concerned with protecting data from prying eyes will find robust and comprehensive.

It has 11 algorithms for encrypting your private files in a password-protected volume. You can store your encrypted data in files (containers) or partitions (devices). TrueCrypt works hard to offer powerful data protection, recommending complex passwords, explaining the benefits of hidden volumes, and erasing telltale signs of the encryption process, including mouse movements and keystrokes. Though the interface may not be intuitive, its powerful, on-the-fly encryption for no cost still earns the freeware security tool … Read more

What to do with passwords once you create them

Cryptography expert Bruce Schneier used to write his passwords down on a slip of paper and keep it in his wallet.

Today, he uses a free Windows password-storage tool called Password Safe that he designed five years ago and released into the open-source community. The desktop application lets users remember only one master password to access their password list.

But Schneier still recommends the paper method for people who don't have their computers with them at all times like he does. "Either write the passwords down and put them in your wallet, or use something like Password Safe,&… Read more

Mozilla disables password-stealing Firefox add-on

Mozilla has disabled and added to a block list a Firefox add-on that stole log-in information when users visited Web sites, the company says.

The software, called Mozilla Sniffer, had been downloaded about 1,800 times in the approximately five weeks it was available on addons.mozilla.org, Mozilla reported in a blog post on Tuesday.

The blocklist will prompt the add-on to be uninstalled for computers running the program. Users who installed it should change their passwords.

Mozilla Sniffer intercepts login data and sends it to a remote server that appeared to be down, according to the blog post. … Read more

Apple helps you protect your iTunes Store account

If you have recently purchased one of Apple's mobile devices (iPhone, iPad, iPod), you most likely have set up an iTunes Store account to easily access music, movies, podcasts, and applications. Occasionally users report phishing attacks (e-mails designed to trick people into giving third-party hackers password information) that target iTunes Store accounts. The following article details what to do if your account is compromised and some best practices for keeping it secure in the future.… Read more