NWA-PCUG Newsletter Article, September 2012
President's Corner
by Wes Eckles, President
alert@ieee.org
(click to email author)

How do you make up a good password?
According to developer Cameron Morris, “The time it takes to crack a password is the only true measure of its worth.” If you want a good way to construct safer passwords, go to an online article by Lisa Vaas in “Naked Security” newsletter sponsored by Sophos.com. You will find a instructional video in the article “How long would it take to crack your password?

Here is a link to the article:
http://nakedsecurity.sophos.com/2012/05/25/how-long-would-it-take-to-crack-your-password/?utm_source=Naked+Security+-+Sophos+List&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=a9cfdcaa19-naked%252Bsecurity .

Malware Installed on Travelers’ Laptops Through Software Updates on Hotel Internet Connections Recent analysis from the FBI and other government agencies demonstrates that malicious actors are targeting travelers abroad through pop-up windows while they are establishing an Internet connection in their hotel rooms.

Recently, there have been instances of travelers’ laptops being infected with malicious software while using hotel Internet connections. In these instances, the traveler was attempting to set up the hotel room Internet connection and was presented with a pop-up window notifying the user to update a widely used software product. If the user clicked to accept and install the update, malicious software was installed on the laptop. The pop-up window appeared to be offering a routine update to a legitimate software product for which updates are frequently available.

The FBI recommends that all government, private industry, and academic personnel who travel abroad take extra caution before updating software products through their hotel Internet connection. Checking the author or digital certificate of any prompted update to see if it corresponds to the software vendor may reveal an attempted attack. The FBI also recommends that travelers perform software updates on laptops immediately before traveling, and that they download software updates directly from the software vendor’s website if updates are necessary while abroad.

Anyone who believes they have been a target of this type of attack should immediately contact their local FBI office and promptly report it to the IC3’s website at . The IC3’s complaint database links complaints together to refer them to the appropriate law enforcement agency for case consideration. The complaint information is also used to identify emerging trends and patterns.

We need more members to give a presentation. If you use or read about an application that you like, tell us about it ahead of the meeting so you will have time to prepare a presentation.

NWA PC-USER GROUP meetings are held at the NW Technical Institute on State Hwy 265 in Springdale. We have use of a room 119 located in the main building for the rest of 2012. Go to the back of the main building on the NE corner. Enter the NE door and go to the end of the hallway to reach room 119.

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