Don’t trust inbound e-mails, phone calls, texts, etc.  People will say anything to trick you out of your money.  As a rule, change your passwords often.  Protect your passwords.  Don’t share them with anyone and don’t use the same ones on different accounts.  Keep your AV up to date.  We recommend WebRoot (ask us about it).  Cover your camera when not in use as a rule of thumb too. Read more about this scam at the link below. Source: Sextortion Scam Uses Recipient’s Hacked Passwords — Krebs on Security

117 LinkedIn E-Mails and Passwords Cracked and for sale.  Time to change your passwords (again).  Make sure you don’t use the same passwords for different sites.  I know, it’s easier..  It’s hard to remember all of those passwords.  BUT if you do and just one site gets hacked you potentially open yourself up to all of your logins being compromised. Read more below: https://community.webroot.com/t5/Security-Industry-News/117-million-LinkedIn-email-addresses-and-passwords-put-up-for/m-p/254118   http://motherboard.vice.com/read/another-day-another-hack-117-million-linkedin-emails-and-password    

This is why we can’t have nice things.  lol

Keychains raided, sandboxes busted, passwords p0wned, but Apple silent for six months

Source: Apple CORED: Boffins reveal password-killer 0-days for iOS and OS X • The Register

I know I shouldn’t have to say this.  But, yes, it happens!  Many people don’t care or even think about giving out their passwords.  As a tech I have to tell clients near daily that keeping their password on a sticky note stuck to their monitor is a BAD idea.  It’s also bad to have a simple one.  Kids, spouse, pets names are ALL BAD PASSWORDS.  There are lists of common passwords and ways to hack at them without you ever knowing.  So make it complex.  Having a (0mpl3*pa55 doesn’t have to be difficult or hard to remember.

Pick some simple phrase. “Use the Force Luke”  Take a few letters from each word, make sure to use UPPER, lower, Letters, Numbers AND symbols,  replace some letters with numbers or symbols and you get something like: U53TF0r(3Luk3!

Easy enough to remember, long and complex enough to make hacking and guessing difficult.

Most importantly NEVER TELL IT TO ANYONE!  Especially on National TV.  So for a laugh watch the video below.

 

Hackers hacked….  Then they leaked passwords..  Was yours one?  We don’t know.  You don’t either.  So CHANGE your passwords now.  Especially for Hulu, Amazon,  Walmart, Xbox live and many others….  Just change it!  Do it often and DO NOT use the same one on different sites.  Read more on Gizmodo below.

Hackers Leak Thousands of Passwords Because This Is How We Live Now.

AOL Users, RESET YOUR PASSWORDS!  Someone is using your account to send spam to all of your Friends and Family.  Even those addresses in your book that were mis-typed. Read more below. You’ve got pwned: AOL reports e-mail breach as bigger than thought | Ars Technica.

 

The Heartbleed Hit List: The Passwords You Need to Change Right Now.

How often do you change your password?  If you’re like most people that answer is Never or only when the Damn computer makes me! It’s a good idea to change your password often and to make it complex.  Not complex for you, but complex for others.  It should contain at least 3 of these four; Letters (UPPER and lower) Numbers and Symbols (~!@#$%^&*()_+`;:'<>?,.\][{}).  So to make it easy for you, take a few words or a phrase and take a few letters each from them so that there are NO complete words (from any language).  Never use a name of a loved one or pet.  Don’t think you are clever picking something like “monkey” or “iloveu” because next to “Password” they are some of the (NYTimes) most popular passwords.  Don’t share your passwords with Anyone.  And this one is important….  ALWAYS go directly to the source to change them.  Never click a link in an e-mail that says it needs your password.  This is how many people scam or phish out passwords. Think it’s all a waste?