So How Do I Remember My Passwords?

Posted on April 9, 2010 by David Rier

So you are careful with your passwords … You make them strong.  You have different passwords for different types of accounts.  You change you passwords on a regular basis.

So how do you remember all of those @#!%* passwords?

The simplest way to remember them all is to write them down.  However that leaves you open to password theft.  Anyone could walk off with your password list and have access to all of your computer-related accounts.  If you do write down your passwords, keep them in a safe place — preferably locked up and away from your computer.

Another way to store your passwords is to use a password management program.  This is a piece of computer software that stores your passwords in a highly encrypted form.  You need a master password to even open up the software and use its list.

I personally use a program named KeePass Password Safe to keep a list of all of my passwords.  The software is a free, open-source program for Windows (available for download at http://keepass.info/download.html ).  It uses some of the most secure password protection algorithms available.  Since my master password is very long and “strong”, my passwords are very secure.  I have installed the software on a USB memory stick, so I can easily access my list wherever I go.

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It’s Not If Things Will Go Wrong …

Posted on April 7, 2010 by David Rier

If there’s one thing that I’ve learned in my years of working in IT, it is that things will not stay in working order forever.  Murphy’s Law says that things will break down when you most need them to work.

So what do you do?

Accept that things will go wrong … and plan how you will fix them when they do.  This is the basis of disaster recovery.  It is also the basis of a smoothly-running IT function.

In the long run, an IT Manager is judged by how smoothly things run.  There’s nothing special about supporting hardware or software when it is running perfectly.  However, when things go wrong, having a plan already in place to fix a problem saves a lot of time and worry.  Saving time in recoveries makes things run smoother overall.

An important part of your job is to envision what could go wrong (both likely and unlikely events) and set up plans for how the IT function can recover from such disasters.  Some “disasters” occur often and/or are easy fixes.  (E.g. What would you do if a data file is lost?)  Some “disasters” are very unlikely, but take a lot more planning.  (E.g. What would you do to restore the IT function if the building burnt to the ground?)

I’ll talk more about disaster recovery over time.

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Other Password Safety Measures

Posted on April 5, 2010 by David Rier

So you changed your password(s) to “strong” passwords.  Good job!  Now make sure you don’t undo all that good work.  Here are some other suggestions for keeping your passwords safe:

  1. Do not keep a password list next to your PC, in the top drawer of your desk or on a sticky note attached to your monitor.  You might as well not have passwords if you do that.
  2. If you must write down your passwords, keep the list secure (and preferably locked up).
  3. Don’t tell your passwords to anyone else!  (This is a very good rule of thumb.  It is negotiable if you are using a shared PC like a single computer at home.)
  4. Change your passwords on a regular basis.  Passwords on a business network or PC should be changed more frequently than those on a “home” PC.
  5. Do not use one password for all of your accounts.  If you do that and someone figures out your password, they have access to everything!  As an example, use one password to get on to your PC, one to access your Internet email account(s), another for Internet shopping, another to access your personal banking account(s), etc.  (Yes, I know that’s a lot of passwords and you’ll never remember them all – I have an answer for you in another post.)
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Get Out!

Posted on April 2, 2010 by David Rier

So you’ve started your first job as an IT manager.  Congratulations!!  Now, what’s my first piece of advice for a new IT manager?  Get Out of Your Office! Don’t permanently sit inside the IT area or the server room and commune only with your machines.

You’ll be surprised at all the positives you will derive from walking around your new domain:

  1. You’ll get to know your users as people, not as “problems” to be addressed.
  2. You’ll see real problems and/or opportunities (E.g. the password stuck onto the monitor, the manual spreadsheet being created, etc.).  This “low-hanging fruit” will allow you to have some quick successes in the company.
  3. Talk to the users on their turf (especially the managers).  Ask how IT is doing and what problems they are encountering.  Again, if you listen and provide solutions, you will be viewed very positively.
  4. Watch how people interact with the technology you support.  Are they comfortable with it?  Could they use some help or training?  Look for places where IT can help.  Even little things add up.
  5. Get to know where all technology is within your company.  It’s surprising what “hides” in little nooks and crannies.  This will give you a “heads up” about what you might have to support.
  6. Look to collect all documentation and software.  It can then be stored back in the IT area.  Let’s face it – few people read documentation, but when it’s needed, it’s nice to have it in one area.  As well, original software disks should not reside in a user’s space.

I’m sure you get the idea.  Enjoy!

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IT Manager 101

Posted on March 31, 2010 by David Rier

I have had the opportunity to manage the IT function at five different companies.  In four of those companies, I was the first IT manager that they had ever hired.

Like everyone who will admit the truth, I haven’t been perfect.  I’ve made my share of mistakes, but have learned from them and have improved as an IT Manager as have I gained experience.

Over time in this blog, I’ll offer some IT management suggestions.  Hopefully, they’ll help you to avoid some of my mistakes and offer you a shortcut to becoming an “experienced” IT manager.

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Wireless Access – Don’t Make It an Open Door

Posted on March 29, 2010 by David Rier

Wireless networks (both personal and business) are becoming more and more prevalent.  No more running wires through floors, walls and ceilings at great expense.  Instead, you set up your wireless base station and, as long as the signal is strong enough, you have new network connections in all directions.

So what can go wrong if you set up a wireless network?

Well, you may have just opened your network and your files to anyone with a wireless network card.  Unless you specifically control access to your wireless network, anyone within range can use it.

So what are you to do?

At a minimum, you should do 2 things:

  1. Password-protect your network, and
  2. Encrypt the data being broadcast over your network.

Why do you need to go to all that trouble?

Password protection controls entry into your network.  Only people who know the name of the network (SSID) and the network password can get on.  If they can’t get on to the network, they can’t use and/or explore the network and your data.

Encryption protects you from electronic “Peeping Toms”.  Hackers don’t need to enter your network with a password to get information from it.  Remember, a wireless network is like a small radio station.  The data is being broadcast from the base station and anyone with a receiver can “hear” it.  With the right hardware, the information being broadcast (bank account numbers, passwords, etc.) can be received, stored and used by a hacker.

The steps to setting up encryption are slightly different for each manufacturer of Wi-Fi equipment.  Just look for terms like ‘encryption’, ‘WPA’ or ‘WEP’ in their documentation and follow the instructions.  Once it is set up, encryption scrambles the content of your wireless transmissions.  It is automatically converted to usable characters at each end of the transmission, but only for those who know the right password.

Remember to make the password to your network a “strong” one!  See my blog entry (Passwords (2) – Make them strong!) if you don’t know what this means or don’t know how to do it.

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30 Years of PCs and Counting!

Posted on March 28, 2010 by David Rier

Wow! I just got thinking back to the early days of personal computing.  On August 13, 1980 IBM announced their first PC.  30 years!

IBM was a late-comer to personal computing.  Apple, Commodore, TI, Mattel, Tandy … they were all out there.  The “knock” on those machines in the business world was that they weren’t “serious” computers — they were just toy machines made for “hobbyists”.

Then IBM changed everything.  The big blue behemoth of computing gave their blessing to personal computers.  All of a sudden, businesses who had bought into the old saw about “you never get fired for buying IBM computers” had an excuse to test and use PCs.

I had already had some time on Apple II and TRS-80 machines before I started my first IT job in 1982.  As a result, I was soon dubbed the personal computing “expert” of my company (which just happened to be a Fortune 500 firm — yikes!)  It’s been a tumultuous 30 years and I’ve been there through it all.

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Passwords – Make Them Strong!

Posted on March 26, 2010 by David Rier

Simple passwords leave you open to hackers and identity thieves.  You should avoid passwords that are:

  1. Dictionary words (E.g. Opossum), or
  2. Series or repeats of numbers or digits (E.g. 123456, aaaabbbb), or
  3. Personal information (like your name, license number, street address, etc.)

While Microsoft is not always correct (Windows Vista?), they have a great definition of a “strong” (I.e. safe) password.  It should be:

  1. 6 characters or longer,
  2. Be made up of characters from the four principal character categories (I.e. capital letters, small-case letters, numbers, and symbols,) and
  3. Include at least one character from 3 or more of the character categories listed above.

Here’s a simple way to make a “strong” password that you can remember:

  1. Start with a simple, lower-case phrase like: my first car was a 68 mustang
  2. Keep just the first letter of each word: mfcwa68m
  3. Make letters alternate between capital letters and small letters: MfCwA68m
  4. Start or finish the password with a symbol: MfCwA68m!

To check to see if your password is a “strong” one, you can use the password checker from Microsoft at:


https://www.microsoft.com/protect/fraud/passwords/checker.aspx?WT.mc_id=Site_Link

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Passwords – Your First Line of Defense

Posted on March 25, 2010 by David Rier

Let’s face it – computer use can be dangerous.  There are hackers and prying eyes all over the place.  Your data, your money, etc. are all at risk.  This is true at work and at home.

So what are you to do?  The first step to protecting your data is to use passwords.  Passwords provide a measure of protection to your information.  Only someone who knows your passwords can enter your PC, your network, and/or your data.

“Safe computing” starts with sensible and secure passwords.  Over the next few days, I’ll pass on some advice about passwords.  If you read and implement the few simple suggestions, you’ll be able to sleep more soundly at night.

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PC or Mac

Posted on March 24, 2010 by David Rier

So you want to get a personal computer. Should you get a PC or a Mac?

Let’s look at another complicated purchase decision – buying a car. Some are good on highways and some can also travel off-road.  Some car brands charge a premium price for their vehicles – for no better reason than their fancy name (my opinion). Some cars can do things that other cannot (E.g. run only on electricity; carry 7 people at a time, etc.)  In spite of all their variations, all automobiles do provide transportation.

Both PCs and Macs provide a platform for personal computing. It’s what you can afford to buy or what you want to do in your personal computing (I.e. the programs) that should help you to make a good decision for you.

Here are some questions you need to answer and how they can affect your purchasing decision:

  1. Are there programs you need to run that are only available on a Macintosh or a PC?  If so, you have no real choice. Buy the computer that will run the programs you have to run.
  2. Is there a “requirement” that you buy a PC or Mac?  This might be the case when you buy a personal computer for a child that is going to college. Some colleges require one type of computer.  (Check with the college before you buy a computer!) If there is a particular requirement, you have no real choice again.
  3. Is the “look” of your personal computer the most important thing, no matter the price? On the whole, Macs are very sleek and “sexy” in their design while the design look of PCs lags behind.
  4. If all things are equal (E.g. screen size, memory, processing power, programs available, etc.) will you purchase the less expensive option?  Note: Comparing the cost of like units (apples to apples?) the Apple unit is usually 25%+ more expensive than the comparable PC.
  5. Will your personal computer ever need to be repaired?  On the whole, the more expensive a personal computer is, the more costly it is to repair.
  6. Are you concerned about being attacked by viruses? PCs are attacked much more by viruses than Apples.  Does that mean that Macintoshes are immune to computer viruses? No.  Should you be concerned about viruses if you own a Mac?  Yes, if you ever use the Internet.

So what is my recommendation?  I have used both PCs and Macs. I have purchased well over 1000 personal computers in aggregate for personnel in the various companies where I have worked.  Most companies where I worked were more concerned about the initial costs of the units. As a result, the vast majority of those units were PCs.  That was my recommendation to my bosses and it is my overall recommendation – buy a PC over a Mac.

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