Downloading

This is by far one of my biggest pet peeves. Fake Download Buttons. It bothers me that so many people are unaware of which ones to avoid (they're usually the biggest and flashiest!), and it bothers me that it works. I would love to be able to help others to learn to differentiate between fake and legitimate downloading buttons. One of my favorite places to download programs is cnet.com, as they keep everything verified and you're less likely to accidentally click on a download button that takes you to a malicious site or downloads a malicious program. This article definitely has some good pointers of how to avoid clicking on those dreaded fake downloads: http://www.pcworld.com/article/2012958/how-to-avoid-fake-download-buttons.html. I suggest EVERYONE go and check this out. It's worth it.

Data, Security Pros, Scary

I read this article because of the title: "Why IT security pros can be scarier than the 'bad guys'". I could understand why they can be, but this article took it in a direction that I wasn't expecting. Our data is always being used and mined for information, to the point where businesses can target us better. Even this post about the article will be used in some way. Because our information is being collected, we could always ask the companies to not track us, but sometimes that defeats the purpose of why you're using them in the first place. For example the article mentioned Pinterest, due to the growing usage of pinners. I have plenty of information, and I know data about me is being collected. However, I love the use of Pinterest in my life, from recipes to inspirational quotes, so I willingly give them my information. I don't think we need to be scared at the way information is being collected, I think we all just need to be aware that we are willingly giving them that information about us by utilizing their products.

http://www.pcworld.com/article/2029705/why-it-security-pros-can-be-scarier-than-the-bad-guys.html

Windows 8

This was definitely an interesting article to read. For one, I am not rushing to get a computer with Windows 8. Once it's been more fine-tuned and worn-in, then maybe, but I'm not itching for it. This article was discussing the "hidden" security features built in with Windows 8, and that if you are thinking of getting it then you should purchase a new computer with updated hardware rather than just updating your OS. I understand where they're coming from, but it also felt like they were trying to "sell" the reader on upgrading their computer and spending more money (when we all know that this will be outdated quickly). I've had my laptop since the beginning of college, and my goal is to make it until graduation (whether from grad school or just with my undergrad is a different matter...). I've succeeded so far in my goal, but it's also 'cause I'm trying to take care of it and I won't be sucked in to buying a brand new laptop that'll be outdated immediately. Technology is growing at a rapid rate, and unless you have your heart set on one particular computer and have had it set on it for months, you have to be willing to bide your time before upgrading. Kind of like with cell phones... I really want a Galaxy SIII or SIV, but I also realize that by the time I need a new phone, there will be plenty of even greater options out there and it's not worth my money right now.

http://www.pcworld.com/article/2027593/windows-8-put-its-hidden-security-features-to-work-.html

Evernote was Hacked!

Oh no! Evernote is my favorite ever! They are requiring every single user to go in and change their password, which is a smart move on their part. It seems that it was a coordinated attack and that Evernote blocked the attacked when it noticed the suspicious activity. According to their blog, none of the data was accessed, changed, or lost, and none of the payment information was accessed either. Evernote posted in their blog some basic steps that you can take to protect yourself, for those who don't have any experience with security, and they've made it so you have to login and change your password before you can access your data and sync it up again. For more information about this exploit, you just need to check out their blog and any articles that may be about it!

http://evernote.com/corp/news/password_reset.php
http://www.techhive.com/article/2029974/evernote-reports-hack-attack-tells-users-to-reset-passwords.html

Big Data...

It's all the rage, and this article points out the challenges that are being faced by companies when it comes to collecting data. Consumers (like me!) are realizing that they don't always want their data being collected and tracked, and they are limiting what companies will collect. However, some companies are starting to take advantage of that, by allowing customers to have control and willingly share information that they are comfortable with giving the company. It's brilliant, in my mind, because then companies will be able to gain more specific information that pertains to the consumer, and it will allow the company to focus more directly on what matters to the customer. The article mentioned that, and I think it's a great idea. Consumers are looking to keep their data private and secure, and they want to make sure that information about them isn't being used in a way that's not acceptable. I recommend reading the article, because as much as there is a demand for data analysts, I feel like it's going to subside at least a little bit due to consumers protecting themselves.

http://www.pcworld.com/article/2027789/big-data-collection-collides-with-privacy-concerns-analysts-say.html

Protecting Your Wi-Fi

This article gave instructions of how you should change your wi-fi password. The nitty-gritty details weren't what I was too interested in, but I did enjoy that they pointed out that even the password to your network will need to be changed often, not just the ones to your accounts on online sites. People can still cause damage to you if you're not protecting the access to your network, so it's good to make sure that you have taken every necessary precaution to protecting yourself. It's not easy to have everyone in your household go and change their password, and they may all get really annoyed with you, but the protection that you gain from it is worth it.

http://www.pcworld.com/article/2026340/change-your-wi-fi-password-on-various-devices.html

Zombies

Yes, zombies. We all love them (and if you don't, you still know the hype). But there's a different type of zombie - that a really great article pointed out to me - that we should all be aware of. These are "Zombie Accounts". This article pointed out how many of use create accounts, or link websites/applications, that has access to a lot of personal information. We all try to be safe, but I think we tend to forget about these accounts and that they exist. The author of the article used MySpace as an example, and how he doesn't use it anymore but it still has a lot of information about him stored in it.

I love these types of articles where it's reminding us of different ways we can improve on securing our information. There are a lot of obvious ways that most of us don't seem to realize, and it's good to keep up on how to protect yourself. This particular article is an easy and great read, and the comments after the article are also worth reading. As one comment mentioned, all we need now is a program to help us find all of our lost and zombified accounts!

http://www.pcworld.com/article/2026090/how-to-prevent-zombie-accounts-from-haunting-your-digital-identity.html

The Java Problem

It's been a little while since the zero-day exploit, but I decided to look up some articles about it now that Oracle has released an update. There were two vulnerabilities that created the opportunity for the exploitation, and Oracle released an update fixing only one of them. If attackers can find another vulnerability  then we are right back where we started. There is always the opportunity for more threats, so while it should be safe for users to have an updated Java (Java 7 Update 11), I have continued to leave my Java browser plug-ins disabled on my computer. I'd prefer to be a safe than sorry.

http://www.pcworld.com/article/2025797/oracles-java-patch-contains-new-holes-researchers-warn.html

Chips for Students

A school kicked out a student because she refused to wear a lanyard with an RFID-chip student ID. Her reasons for it aren't really what caught my attention. What struck me curious is that these chips are associated with their Social Security number, and it monitors the students' movements all across campus. While I'm all for incorporating technology into our lives, this seems very "Big Brother"-esque. It also seems that the more personal information you have linked to the chip, the more chance there is that it could be compromised. I understand why the schools want to track the movements of the students - to get funding for the school - but it's also very invasive, in my opinion. I like my privacy, and I wouldn't want my movements being tracked everywhere.

So in hopes that someone else besides me notices how invasive this has the potential of being, I will hope for The Doctor to come and stop this (we have a Whovian over here!).

http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2013/01/school-kicks-out-sophomore-in-rfid-student-id-flap/
http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2012/11/student-suspension/