Inside the brain of a Geek: Creating hundreds of memorable and secure passwords made EASY!

This weekI want to expand on creating secure and memorable passwords. I’m going to show you how to take the one memorable and security password we created with our password formula and use it as a base to create hundreds of memorable passwords. If you need a refresher on password formulas, please read “Are you part of the 41.69%”.  Having a password similar to “0kittYHorse* is great and with the story behind it very easy to remember.  We are going to use the password “0kittYHorse* as a base password.  We will then add to it in a way that correlates to the website to create a unique password for each site.  My examples are using the first two letters from the website name and adding them to the front of the base password. 

First two letter examples:

Gmail =GM0kittYHorse*

Yahoo = YA0kittYHorse*

Visa = VI0kittYHorse*

Facebook = FA0kittYHorse*

Now in six months when it is time to change your password.  Change the base password only.  Here, is an example.  We have had two cats Jack is a Tabby and Shadow was a Korat.  Jack was born in 1998.  My base password is now 9tabbYKorat*.  Using my new base password, I will change all my passwords.

First two letter examples:

Gmail =GM9tabbYKorat*

Yahoo = YA9tabbYKorat*

Visa = VI9tabbYKorat*

Facebook = FA9tabbYKorat*

Never share your base password and change it every six to twelve months. Before you ask, no those are not my real base passwords, they are just examples.

Inside the brain of a Geek: Are you part of the 41.69%?

While I hope your password is -  uz8I/.-X%QVopdM~wB0n#;"BH (Example 1)

The reality is that 41.69% of all passwords look like this – kittyhorse (Example 2)

Think of your password as a needle in a haystack. The complexity and length of your password determine the size of your haystack.  Example 1 would be like trying to finding a needle lost somewhere on Jupiter. Example 2 would be like trying to finding a needle you dropped on a white floor.

The mission is not to convert everyone to using randomly generated passwords but to make memorable passwords like “kittyhorse” more secure. Below is a three-step formula for converting “kittyhorse” from a 1.47-seconds hack to 1.74 centuries. Once you create a password formula use it over and over to create memorable and secure passwords.

Password example:  kittyhorse (hack time 1.47-seconds)*

Password example:  0kittyhorse* (hack time 3.76 years)*

Password example:  0kittYHorse* (hack time 1.74 centuries)*

So instead of trying to remember 0kittYHorse*.  I tell myself this story.  I’m a middle child and growing up I had a kitty but really wanted a horse.  I have a dog now and he was born in 2008.

*Calculated using the GRC's Interactive Brute Force Password “Search Space” Calculator.  https://www.grc.com/haystack.htm

Inside the brain of a Geek: Visual cheat sheet for keyboard shortcuts

Love the idea of keyboard shortcuts but can’t seem to memorize all the key combinations? Office 2007 and 2010 now have more shortcut options with a cool visual cheat sheet. Use the Alt key in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook to display KeyTips badges. KeyTips badges are a visual cheat sheet for keyboard shortcuts. See the example below.

Press Alt in Word 2010 to display the KeyTip badges.

Press H on the keyboard to move to the Home tab. Now use the KeyTip badges to execute a command. 1 will turn on bold. FF will change the font. 

For more on using KeyTips in Word see the video below.

http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/access-help/keyboard-shortcuts-in-the-2007-office-system-RZ010156267.aspx?section=8

Inside the brain of a Geek: Oh Snap!

Are you constantly resizing application windows to utilize your whole desktop? Windows 7 has a feature that makes this process a snap. This week I will show you how to use Snap’s side-by-side feature.  I use this feature daily and am actually using it now to writing and research this tip. 

Follow the detailed instructions or use the link below to watch a short 1 minute video. 

To arrange windows side by side

1. Drag the title bar of a window to the left or right side of the screen until an outline of the expanded window appears.
2. Release the mouse to expand the window.
3. Repeat steps 1 and 2 with another window to arrange the windows side by side.

To return the window to its original size, drag the title bar away from the top of the desktop and then release.

Keyboard shortcut:  To snap an active window to the side of the desktop using the keyboard, press Windows logo key +Left Arrow or Windows logo key +Right Arrow.

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/Arrange-windows-side-by-side-on-the-desktop-using-Snap

Instructions and video courtesy of Microsoft.

Inside the brain of a Geek: How to rename multiple files

I deal with a lot of files on a daily basis.   It is critical that I can quickly know what the file is and the contents.   Learning how to quickly rename multiple files has saved me lots of time and headaches.  Below are instructions for renaming multiple files in Windows 7 and Windows XP. 

Windows 7

Highlight the files you want to rename.   Right click the highlighted files and select Rename.  Rename the first fill in and then hit Enter.  All the files will be renamed and a number in parenthesis will be added to the end of the name.

Windows XP

Highlight the files you want to rename, and then hit the F2 key. Rename the first file, and then hit Enter. All your files will be renamed and a number in parenthesis will be added to the end of the name. You can hitCtrl+Z to undo the rename.

Before

After

Teach your old mouse a new trick in Windows 7

"Ever need to cut through a cluttered desktop and quickly focus on a single window? Just click the top of a pane and give your mouse a shake. Voila! Every open window except that one instantly disappears. Shake again—and your windows are back."

Use the link below to watch a 30 second video on this Windows 7 "Shake" feature.

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/products/features/shake

Resource: www.windows.microsoft.com

Inside the brain of a Geek: Did you reboot?

“Did you reboot?”  It always throws me when I get asked that question.  I’m a Geek and rebooting is Geek 101.  But my answer to his questions was “No.”  I had broken a Geek commandment. I did as instructed and was torn between want my problem fixed and not wanting it to be a so simple.  The reboot didn’t solve my issue but it gave us a fresh start the made finding the problem easier.  This experience made me think, what do my client think when I ask that question?  Do they understand why rebooting is important?  I’m hoping this will answer a lot of question about why Geek’s ask “Did you reboot?”  I promise no geek speak just an analogy to help you better understand the process. 

Image your computer as a daycare.  Now image your software and programs as kids in that daycare. The day starts off smoothly with children being dropped off with instructions to behave and to play nice.  But as more children arrive the conflicts arise.  PowerPoint is trying to save a presentation but Adobe is hogging the hard drive.  Firefox got a new upgrade and now Java is refusing to be her friend. No one wants to play with IE because he never passes the memory.  Word borrowed a DLL from Windows 7 and now he can’t find it.  Several hours of this and even the best children are shrieking errors and moving slowly.  Now just imagine this daycare 10 days from now?  This is exactly what is happening on your computer every day.  Some of us have a few kids in our daycare and they get along most of the time while others are beyond capacity.  What would a reboot do?  Put all the children down for a nap, put everything back in its place, a quick cleaning, empty the memory, and a few seconds of quiet.  

Below are five signs that the kids are being unruly and you need to reboot.

1.  Programs running slow

2.  Programs locking up or freezing

3.  Newly installed hardware not working

4.  Overall system sluggishness

5.  Programs not starting or working properly

Just for fun!

Below is a YouTube link to a video called “IT Crowd - Have You Tried Turning It Off And On Again?”  IT Crowd is a British sitcom about a two socially awkward IT guys.

Inside the brain of a Geek: Just Zip It!

A question we get a lot.  How do I resolve the problem of emailing large files?  Our recommend solution is 7-Zip.  Why use 7-Zip over WinZip or the native Windows option?

How to create and email a zip file you ask?

Select the files you wish to email

 

Option 1:  Right click on the selected files and select 7-Zip – Compress to “temp.zip” and email

 

Your default email program will open automatically with the zip file already attached.

 

Option 2:  Right click on the selected files and select 7-Zip – Add to archive

 

This option will allow you to customize your zip file.  You can add a password, encryption, split into volumes, and change the name.  This file will be saved on your computer which you can then add as an attachment to an email.

Inside the brain of a Geek: Customizing your web experience in Chrome

We covered Firefox add-ons last time; in Chrome they are called extensions.    What are extensions?  They are aftermarket additions that allow you to customize Chrome to fit your needs and preferences.  Here are a few things extensions can do for you:  Customize appearance; translate content; block ads; display the weather; easy word definition; and increase security. 

Our top Chrome Extensions:

1.       AdBlock. AdBlock is our favorite and the most popular Chrome extension.    With over 3 million users it is the number one add-on for blocking video ads, banner ads, Flash ads, Facebook ads, test ads….  See the before and after screenshots in the attachment pdf. http://chromeadblock.com

2.       ScriptNo. A simple extension that blocks scripts while emphasizing simplicity and intuitiveness.  “We don’t need no stinkin’ site garbage!” is their motto. ScriptNo only allows executable content to run from websites that you choice.http://code.google.com/p/scriptno/

3.       Turn Off the Lights. Great extension for video viewing. Fades the background website so you can watch the video as if you were in a cinema.  With on click, the page will be fading to dark and automatic focus to the video.  Click again, the page will return back to normal. http://www.stefanvd.net/

The PDF attachment  (2.88MB) contains detailed instructions for finding and installed extensions in Chrome.

Inside the brain of a Geek: Customizing your web experience in Firefox

As geek there are things we do that we just assume everyone does.  Remember that old saying about assuming?  I’m making it my goal to stop assuming and start educating. Today we are starting with our must have web browser add-ons for Firefox.  What are add-ons?  They are aftermarket additions that allow you to customize Firefox to fit your needs and preferences.  Here are a few things add-ons can do for you:  Customize appearance; translate content; block ads; display the weather; price comparison; visualize bookmarks; and increase security. 

Our top Firefox add-ons:

1.       AdBlock Plus.  Carlos and I both agree that our number one add-on for Firefox is AdBlock Plus.  With 14 million users it is the number one add-on for removing online advertising.  See the before and after screenshots in the attachment pdf. http://adblockplus.org/en/

2.       NoScript. Their website states that NoScript is “The best security you can get in a web browser” and we agree. This is a preemptive approach to security on the web.  NoScript only allows executable content to run from websites that you choice.  Run this add-on for a few days and you will be shocked by all the content executing without your knowledge.  Vulnerabilities in executable are exactly what malware exploits to infect your computer.http://noscript.net/

3.       Certificate Patrol.   “Your browser trusts many certification authorities and intermediate sub-authorities quietly, every time you enter an HTTPS web site. This add-on reveals when certificates are updated, so you can ensure it was a legitimate change.”  https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/certificate-patrol/

4.       HTTPS Everywhere.  “On supported parts of supported sites, HTTPS Everywhere enables the sites' HTTPS protection which can protect you against eavesdropping and tampering with the contents of the site or with the information you send to the site. Ideally, this provides some protection against an attacker learning the content of the information flowing in each direction — for instance, the text of e-mail messages you send or receive through a webmail site, the products you browse or purchase on an e-commerce site, or the particular articles you read on a reference site.”  https://www.eff.org/https-everywhere

The attachment (PFD 3.3Mb) contains detailed instructions for finding and installed add-ons in Firefox. 

Next week:  I will cover add-ons in Chrome.