PUREWAL, SARAH JACOBSSON
November 2012
PC World
The article considers computer security measures for microcomputer and Internet users. The ease with which computer hackers can access accounts of Internet users through publicly available information is noted. Internet users are advised to conduct Internet searches on themselves, to use phrases rather than words as passwords for Internet access and to create individual passwords for accounts containing sensitive information.
Learnings
Honesty is NOT the best policy. We've been taught as children to be always truthful. They say, 'Honesty is the best policy.' Is it really is? Let me give an example. Suppose you have 2 best friends. If your best friend 1 told you a secret and made you promise not to tell it to anyone. Then your best friend 2 ask you if there's something best friend 1 is not telling her, will you tell it to your best friend 2? Well, it depend on the gravity of the topics involved. But it is the same lesson taught by this article. For security purposes and especially for your safety, honesty is not the best policy. You may include false information especially when asked such as your address if you are only creating a duplicate account for spam messages.
Length matters. Due to more important matters needed to be stored in our brain cells we usually take for granted the importance of having longer passwords but as experts says, length matters. Longer passwords takes more time and are more difficult to access / hacked. Size may not matter when it comes to love but it does matter when it comes to security
Out with the old, In with the new. It's an adage isn't? An old cliche that is still relevant even with the rise of technology. Somehow ironic? Perhaps but it simply mean is to 'update.' I know it's irritating, it takes time and it breaks your routine especially when it disrupts the flow of work but doing this simple step is worth the time. It is an easy step that only requires your patience, though sometimes updating requires money it is a wise investment.
Implications
I used to have only one online account and that was 'friendster' along with that is my one and only email account in yahoo. Then came another popular online accounts such as multiply.com. My friends convince me to create another profile, due to peer-pressure I comply. Then another prominent online account appeared facebook. This time I told myself that I would not be needing that. What for? I already have an account just on a different server. But sometimes your friends are just very persuasive so I created one but little did I know that my creation in having multiple accounts just started I also created my online account in instagram, pinterest, tumblr, twitter without the need of pressure from my friends, this time it was an innate willingness to create. I enjoyed it until one day one of my email accounts got hacked. I became worried as the day goes by because I know that I've given hackers opportunity to access my personal profiles given enough information. I became more worried as a librarian, how secured is our information system? What if the students can now manipulate our system and get unwanted information behind our backs? Worse manipulate it in front of us without us even knowing. Fortunately I've come across this simplified piece of information by Purewal and I can now implement those strategies personally and professionally.
References:
Purewal, S. (2012). How Hackable are you?. PC World. 1. 41-42. Retreived from: http://web.ebscohost.com
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