Data Security

 

 

July 5, 2014 … Russian hackers stole 1.2 billion usernames and passwords.

 

What if one or more of your login credentials were part of that 1.2 billion?

 

What if your login usernames and passwords are part of the next theft?

 

Some of the press coverage said that the theft doesn't matter but that is quite wrong. This kind of identity theft could hurt you a lot if you use the same username and password for multiple accounts like Amazon, online banking, PayPal, etc. Not only can your identity be stolen … The financial devastation you suffer could be HUGE!

 

Here’s some help to protect your important usernames and passwords:

 

RoboForm: An encrypted password reminder and form filler and is a plugin for most major browsers. It is also an app for most smartphones. RoboForm allows you to have 300+ DIFFERENT username and password combinations to all the different sites you have logins for.  If any are hacked, the hackers only get access to that one site … NOT the rest of your sites.

 

You can set it up so that it synchronizes between your computer, your spouse’s computer, and both of your smartphones. If you are run down by a truck, your spouse can still get access to everything.

 

To learn more, and for a free trial:

 

RoboForm

 

 

IronKey:  This is straight out of a Mission Impossible movie or Spy Novel. IronKey is a USB thumb drive that has built in encryption, a built in secure version of the FireFox, and a self-destruct feature if the wrong password is entered too many times. IronKey was created with a grant from the NSA and was designed for NSA and CIA employees to be able to use it to transport secure documents without compromising security.

 

I have an IronKey with me most of the time that has important documents on it that I might need in a hurry from a location that is not home and don’t have a laptop with me.

 

As an Author, my manuscripts, book covers, and research are incredibly important to me. I keep a backup handy on an IronKey. My ultimate backup is also an IronKey, securely locked away in safe deposit box, along with my last will and testament.

 

Another great use of the IronKey is if you need to use a computer or network other than your own to check email, make a purchase, or do banking. Just plug your IronKey into a USB slot on any computer and enter your password (on a randomly generated keyboard on the screen to get around key loggers). This starts the software on the IronKey. Now you can activate the tor based VPN (Virtual Private Network). This creates a “tunnel” from the IronKey, through the computer you’re using, onto the internet, and out to another computer somewhere else in the world so your data is safer and somewhat anonymous. There is also a pre-configured install of Firefox that runs off the IronKey instead of the browser on the computer that won’t save passwords, cookies, or browsing history.

 

They are not as cheap as a regular thumb drive, but they are quite useful. IronKey is not for the technically shy. If you aren’t comfortable with tech and if tor, VPN, and randomly generated keyboards don’t get you a little excited, then you’ll save yourself some cash and grief by skipping the IronKey.

 

You can find an IronKey on Amazon:

 

IronKey

 

 

StrongVPN:  A virtual private network that allows you to do secure browsing in non-secure locations like coffee shops and free Wi-Fi hotspots.

 

StrongVPN