A couple of weeks ago I shared a link to the Microsoft Password Checker. Well, a couple of days ago Download Squad mentioned another, better site, Password Meter:
This application is designed to assess the strength of password strings. The instantaneous visual feedback provides the user a means to improve the strength of their passwords, with a hard focus on breaking the typical bad habits of faulty password formulation. Since no official weighting system exists, we created our own formulas to assess the overall strength of a given password.
I tested a couple of passwords I use regularly. One scored over 70 but the other one was barely 60. I guess I should come up with something more secure.
PC Magazine has a nice collection of tips (72 of them) for “Safer Computing”:
You might wonder if it’s even possible to have a safe computing experience in this day and age, beyond unplugging your broadband connection and never installing any software. Of course it’s possible, but it will take some work on your part. You need to install tools to protect yourself, learn good practices, and most important: Exercise common sense. Here’s what you need to do, from the bare minimum on up.
Over the last few weeks there have been quite a few sites and newsletters that have linked to a new tool on the Microsoft site called Password Checker:
Do you use strong passwords?
A strong password should appear to be a random string of characters to an attacker. It should be 14 characters or longer, (eight characters or longer at a minimum). It should include a combination of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols.
Test the strength of your passwords: Enter a password in the text box to have Password Checker help determine its strength as you type.
It is a simple utility that does NOT send any information back to Microsoft. Everything is checked locally. I tested several of my passwords, and they all came back Strong, but not Best. They aren’t long enough I guess.
Most people are aware of viruses and the damage they can cause. Although rootkits have been around for a long time, it is only now becoming something that the average consumer is aware of. The site AntiRootkit.com aims to help people understand what rootkits are, highlight news regarding rootkits, and provide information on software to protect against rootkits.
Antirootkit.com aims to help ordinary computer users gain an undertanding of Rootkits, what they can do and steps to remove them. This site aims to provide information on all aspects of Rootkit Information, Prevention, Detection, Indentification and Removal.
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