Using a strong password when interacting with the numerous sites online is not an option but a requirement. As technology is continuously moving towards the use of the Internet for many of our transactions, processes and interactions, we have to take the necessary steps to be sure that we keep our online information secure. With this in mind, here are a few tips that can help with creating a strong, secure password.

• No Passwords Based on Personal Information
  It is strongly not recommended to have a password with any personal information associated. This would include information such as one’s name, address, birthday, age, social security number or telephone number.
• No Dictionary Words
  Although using words found in the dictionary are easy to remember when selecting a password, it is much easier to crack by a hacker. If regular words are unavoidable, try instead to use syllables from regular words. Also, syllables from multiple words can be combined as well.
• The Longer the Better
  A one character long password generates 26 possible passwords. Therefore having more characters in a password makes it more difficult to crack. With this in mind, it is recommended that a password be at least 6-8 characters. However, a password with 12 or 16 characters are the best.
• Special Characters are Welcome
  The use of special characters such as @, #, ^, & or ! help for the creation of a complex password.
• Use Letter/Number Substitutions
  Another option is to substitute a letter in a word being used for a password with a number. For example, the word “vacation” can be changed to “v4c4t10n”.
• Change your Password Regularly
  Regular password changes are recommended every ninety (90) days especially based on the way hacking attempts are evolving. Changing a password every thirty (30) days or less may prove to be inefficient and lead to forgetting passwords and creating insecure passwords.
• Keep your Password Secure
  It is best not to write down passwords or keep them close to your computer. Hence, selecting a password based on a pattern that is easy to remember is recommended.

Examples of Strong Passwords

• H@rd2Cr@k!: Password is more than 8 characters, uses letter/character substitution, special characters and still is easy to remember by combining regular words
• (L4cp4B?): Password is more than 8 characters, uses letter/number substitution, special characters and is based on using the first letters of the words in the sentence “Long And Complex Passwords Are Best”

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Pharming is a hacker’s attack aiming to redirect a website’s traffic to another, bogus website without the web site user’s knowledge or consent. Most times this is possible by exploiting a weakness in a web site’s domain name system. The aim of pharming is primarily to attempt to obtain a user’s personal information. Therefore it is not uncommon for users who reach these bogus websites to be presented with pages that ask for their credit card or bank account information.

Pharming is almost closely associated with another term, phishing, which involves the receipt of an e-mail message that appears to come from a legitimate source but attempts to also obtain personal information.

Pharming is explained in more detail in the video below:

Any Examples of Past Pharming Attempts?

In the past there have been many pharming attempts:

• In January 2005, the Domain Name for a large New York ISP, Panix, was hijacked to point users to a site in Australia.
• In 2004 a German teenager hijacked the eBay.de Domain Name.
• Hushmail, a provider of secure email services, was also attacked with pharming in April 2005 when it compromised to redirect users to a defaced webpage.

Any Interesting Facts?

• Drive-by pharming is another term derived from pharming where a hacker can drive hijack an unsecure home wireless router and change its default DNS settings to point to a rogue website.

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Over the past few days I’ve stumbled on some interesting articles and stories online that I want to share for your reading the viewing pleasure:

Some of the Best Iceland Photos Online

I don’t think I’ve seen anything like these photos of the recent Iceland volcanic activity. These were taken by a native Icelander whose intentions were to show the world that although the volcano caused disruption and many other problems it was first and foremost a sight of beauty. The detail of the photos are just superb.

Facebook Privacy Concerns

Yes Facebook has been under some fire this past week regarding their privacy policy. According to numerous reports, they are selling user’s data to advertisers and openly have been quoted to condone this activity. The reactions of Facebook users have been widespread prompting many to protest, seek ways to make their profiles more private and also to leave Facebook. Here are a few resources regarding these reactions:

• How to Quit Facebook Without Actually Quitting Facebook
• Facebook’s ‘outrageous’ privacy policy: By the numbers
• Quit Facebook Day – May 31st

Space shuttle Atlantis final voyage

This past Friday the Space Shuttle Atlantis lifted-off from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on its final mission. Some great photographs of this launch can be seen at The Big Picture.

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We all know that exercise is very important to maintain health. However, it can be difficult to make time for exercise especially with the nature of our daily lifestyles. Office workers for example can sometimes spend hours at a desk sometimes in one position.

Below are a few resources that can assist with finding time for some form of exercise especially if your daily work prevents it:

• The business traveler: Working out on the Road
• Five ways to stay fit on business trips
• How to Find time to exercise at work
• 50 Easy Ways to Lose Weight While You’re at Work

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What is an Avatar?

The term Avatar, when used in computing, is a representation of one’s self on the Internet or on a computer. An avatar can be either a three-dimensional model which is used in online gaming or two-dimensional icons used on chat forums and newsgroups.

Any Examples of Avatar use?

• Popular gaming system, Xbox 360, allows its users of the Xbox Live service to create a digital avatar representation of his or herself which is fully customizable. Users can change hairstyles, clothes, accessories, backgrounds and even create their own unique persona.
• Digg, a well-known news and content sharing website, provides avatar use through icon representation. Users can upload a photo or icon to represent themselves and when comments are made on submitted content that person’s avatar is displayed.

Any Interesting Facts?

• The term avatar has multiple meanings especially in film, television, gaming and even music.

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It is truly amazing how much progress was occurred since the inception of Earth Day awareness. One particular initiative, green computing, helps to provide an awareness that we need to be environmentally responsible regarding our usage of computers and related resources. So how do we practice green computing?

Turn off the computer

Do you let your computer go idle or leave it on when you sleep? Turn it off and unplug it. Your computer will consume less power and generate less heat this way.

Use a laptop

If you have a laptop, make it a point to use it more often than your desktop. On the average, desktop computers use about 150 watts of power every time they are used. Compare that to the mere 25 watts that laptops consume.

Go paperless

Many times we print material that is not really needed. Do you really, really need to get that document printed? If it is not necessary for you to make printouts of that document, then do not do it.

Recycle your paper

Are you in the habit of throwing away sheets of paper that you have already used? If the other side is still blank, you can still reuse it as scratch paper. You can also let your paper pile up and then take it to your local recycling center.

Dispose of items the right way

Various items such as old CRT monitors, empty toner cartridges and even computer parts if not disposed of correctly can damage the environment. Most major cities have recycling centers that can handle proper disposal of these items and in some cases offer pickup services.

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What is a Podcast?

A podcast is a music or talk program that is recorded and made available in digital format to remote audiences via the internet. The word podcast is derived from the terms “iPod” and “broadcast”. It is attributed to the original creators of podcasting who used iPods to listen to their RSS broadcasts. It should be noted that the word podcast also stands for “Personal On Demand broadCAST”.

Podcasts are played on a computer or a mobile device and are often distributed in “episodes,” meaning new podcasts are made available on a regular basis. Users can subscribe to these podcasts using RSS capability, which can automate the download process for the user.

Any Examples of Podcast usage?

• Popular ESPN sports-talk radio show, Mike and Mike in the Morning have their show recorded and available daily in podcast format. These podcasts downloaded either on ESPN or iTunes.
• NPR, a privately and publicly funded non-profit news media organization, has various news and documentaries available for daily download podcast format on their website.

Any Interesting Facts?

• Podcasting started around the early 2000s
• Anyone can create a podcast using a microphone or digital video camera and a computer with recording software.

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Based on my research of the series it took about three years of development which included one year of planning and research. High-definition and super high-speed cameras capable of shooting up to 8,000 frames per second were used to slow down various dramatic action sequences. Most notably gyroscopic stabilisation technology used to create steady shots from moving vehicles even while on rough terrain.

Below are a few amazing series highlights:

• A Cheetah hunts an Ostritch
• Flying Fish
• A Toad leaps away from its attacker

Watching this show truly makes us appreciate all living elements that comprise this World. I tip my hat to all those associated with developing such an amazing series.

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What is Cybersquatting?

Cybersquatting is the practice of registering, or using a domain name with the intent to profit from the goodwill of a trademarkbelonging to someone else. Most times this is done with the intention of reselling that domain name back to the legal trademark owner.

Sometimes not only trademarks can fall victim to cybersquatting but also well-known people. In the past many celebrities have been surprised when they realized that someone else registered a domain name containing their name.

Cybersquatting has been a common practice for a long time especially during the earlier Internet years. Became of this, the Anticybersquatting Consumer Protection Act (ACPA) was a law enacted in 1999 in an attempt to prevent such activities.

Are There Any Examples of Cybersquatting?

In February 2001, American singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen, realized that someone had registered the domain name BruceSpringsteen.com and immediately sought legal action. Unfortunately Bruce Springsteen lost his legal dispute even though it was a clear act of cybersquatting.

Similarly, In 2007 Microsoft  filed lawsuits against fifteen domain name registrants who registered various domain names including microsoftsystem.com and hotmajil.com. The content of many of these domain names was various types of money-making advertising schemes that deceived users who may have typed various legitimate Microsoft-related web addresses incorrectly.

Any Interesting Facts?

• Cybersquatting is reminiscent of the United States Gold rush of the 1800s where persons traveled west and claimed federal land as their own.

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So what needs to be taken into consideration when launching a business online? How does one gain success and remain successful? I’ve put together a few tips based on my past and present business ventures that I’ve realized worked well. Hopefully these will assist with making a successful transition.

• Do Your Research

  This in my opinion is one of the most important aspects to a successful online business launch. Effective research can involve assessing other online businesses, meeting with business owners and even playing the role of a client.  Once time is taken to understand the nature of one’s industry, it is easy to understand market demographics, patterns and practices. Therefore, effective strategies can be implemented that are not only cost-effective but also based on current trends.

• Give your Business a Home

  A website is one of the most common and popular mediums a business can employ to present itself online. At a minimum, establishing a website consists of a domain name that matches the business name and also storage space to hold all website content. Overall, a simple and attractive website design can prove sufficient enough in presenting one’s business serviceand product offerings.

• Use Social Networking

  Social networking is another popular medium that any business can utilize to market and establish themselves. Most times it complements a businesses’ primary website.  With the growing trend that the average Internet user is a member of a social networking website, having a business social networking presence makes any business available to numerous potential clients.

  Social networks leaders Facebook and Myspace have tools for businesses including fan pages and groups. However, LinkedIn, Meetup, Xing and NetParty are a few social networks worth mentioning that focus primarily on professional business connections.

• Don’t be Afraid to Experiment

  Many businesses have and continue to practice some form of experimentation. This can be the implementation of some new technique, idea or known practice in an attempt to gain some measure of success. Some of these ideas may fail or prove to be advantageous.

  The key to effective experimentation is calculated planning which many know as risk assessment. Part of this planning would need to include consideration to alternative options in the event of an unexpected outcome thereby exercising damage control.

• Too Much is Bad

  Yes, too much of a good thing may be bad especially when overly utilized. The tendency exists for any business to overuse various techniques or strategies which sometimes may lead to negative effects. Such effects can include loss of overall popularity and even loyal patrons.

  One way a business can prevent such issues is to perform frequent business assessments which can include analyzing the frequency of past and present marketing campaigns and strategies. Particular attention should be paid to the effectiveness in delivery to the desired target audience and also the campaign duration. The results obtained from this assessment would prove to be beneficial in order to execute the right adjustments.

• Be Patient

  As previously mentioned, there is huge potential with an online presence. However, this does not guarantee any success even if the best practices and methods are utilized. In some cases it may take numerous attempts which can easily cause one to become impatient or loose motivation. However, patience is key to a successful online presence. No business has been able to enjoy success without some measure of failure.

  One such business, eToys, established itself online in 1999 selling toys to children and ended up closing in 2001 after various techniques that failed. However, eToys has now reopened and appears to be doing well.

An online business presence is a win-win situation. The pros definitely outweigh the cons. Once approached correctly and in a precise manner, the possibilities for any online business are limitless. So launch your online business with confidence today.

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