One of the things that immediately makes me start wondering about whether a wi-fi network at an establishment is legit, is whether or not the name of the wi-fi network being broadcast matches or at least is similar to the business name.

For example, I was at a coffee shop the other day and a list of about 12 wi-fi networks within range popped up as available. Within the entire list there was nothing listed that even remotely identified with the business.

The strongest network listed was labeled "linksys", real creative. A personal security step for me is that I don’t connect to a wi-fi network unless I’m sure of the one I’m connecting. In this case, I got up and asked the manager what they had named their network, sadly he didn’t know but he thought "linksys" sounded right.

Dear business owners if you’re offering free wi-fi at your establishment, know a little and train your employees to know a little bit about how things work, at least what the network is named and how to reset the router would be great! And please, name your network something that your patrons can easily identify.

Another little thing I do is to try and avoid doing any financial transactions online over a free wi-fi network. I’m not too worried about hacking for the most part, but this is an area where I just feel that most of the time, I can wait till I’m back at home on my own secure network before doing this task online.

Image: richiec on flickr

Post from: EveryJoe

Thinking Security on Free Public Wi-Fi

I’m not sure how it is all these accounts on twitter have been getting hacked so prolifically lately. I don’t think all of these people have simple passwords that are getting cracked, so what’s happening? Are there machines infected with other malware that’s collecting login information?

Aside from the major PR issues that a entity like MSNBC is going to have to deal with after this kind identity theft, twitter is going to have to start doing something a little more to protect the security of the network.

If more and more people start to think that they can’t safely click on links or use the micro-blogging service, users are going to start dropping off and going to other channels for the same types of information.

I’m curious, if you’ve had your account hacked recently. Do you have any ideas of what happened? Too simple of a password? Other malware on your computer? What’s the deal?

UPDATE: If you’d like to see some of the tweets that were sent out through the account before it was suspended you can see them on this TechCrunch article about MSNBCHeadlines twitter account getting hacked. Caution NSFW! Language ahead matey!

Post from: EveryJoe

MSNBC Twitter Account Hacked

Image: sxc.hu

Problem is, Watson didn’t send the email. The school thought that the message sounded a bit off, so they contacted Nebraska’s athletic department directly. Watson confirmed that he had never sent such an email and contacted the police. Finding the impostor could be troublesome, though, since a savvy scammer can easily block his or her IP and otherwise cover their tracks.

Says Watson,

Actually, I’m very angry. This is the first time I’ve experienced something like this. In this Internet world, there are all kinds of things that can get twisted and turned around. There’s really no telling what this person’s intentions are. All kinds of things rush through your head. It could be our whole coaching staff is being portrayed.”

Post from: EveryJoe

Nebraska’s OC has an Impostor

Below are a few simple ways to make sure your computer stays safe and secure for that much longer (they all eventually get messed up, even you Mac):

• Run a software firewall (Windows XP comes with one built in, not too sure on the Mac OS front but I would imagine they have something).
• Keep anti-virus software installed and up-to-date (AVG is free for the PC and ClamXav is free for the Mac).
• Install a router. Make sure you are running a decent home router (at home) and a good commercial router (for businesses). They are insanely cheap today, so there’s no excuse not to run one. Belkin, Linksys and Netgear all make decent home routers.
• If you run wireless, secure it. Today, almost all wireless routers support WPA or WPA2, so use it. In fact, it’s easier to remember your WPA key than it is to remember WEP. I think that “my Awesomely Secure Pa55word” is much simpler to remember than “FF5C0B374FA81D2959C2578F65″.

These are only a few ways to help protect your PC and information. Losing your data is a pain. Identity theft is an even bigger problem. Don’t get caught in either one.

P.S. – Keep an eye out for the fun contest (which should be starting on Monday, right here at That Damn PC).

Post from: EveryJoe

How to protect your computer, simple and easy