Ekaru
Specializing in information technology outsourcing for small and medium businesses (1-50 Employees). "It's like having your own IT department"
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Welcome to this month's issue! The Technology Advisor provides technology advice, strategy, tips and trends to help you manage and grow your business!
Don't change your password?!
A big headline in the Boston Sunday Globe "Please do not change your password" with a yellow warning sign next to it made me stop and read. Mark Pothier wrote a thought-provoking article based on the research of Cormac Herley at Microsoft Corporation. If you missed it, here's a link to the article. (Watch out - the article opens with a joke about changing your password - keep reading!)
Just when you finally get all your passwords committed to memory, you get an urgent message on your bank login page to change your password. The authors argue that the process of changing passwords is a waste of the user's time because a thief isn't waiting to use your information - if they have it they use it right away. Far more important is the practice of using STRONG passwords (no dictionary words, a combination of upper case and lower case letters, keyboard symbols, etc), combined with firewall protection, up to date operating system updates, and up to date antivirus and antispyware protection - this is the set-it-and-forget-it protection. The crazy process of forcing password changes only wastes user's time and probably entices people to leave passwords they can't remember in a drawer or under a mouse pad (security risk!).
Passwords that are no good for you!
In a side note, the 20 most popular passwords at RockYou were listed. This is a rare glimpse at what people are actually using for passwords. Imperva, a data security firm, analyzed 32 milling user passwords that were posted on line as a result of a security breach last December after a hacker got access to the passwords. As you can see, despite all the advice for generating strong passwords, not a single password on the top 20 list was strong. This is an eye-opener:
- 123456 (used by 290,731 people!)
- 12345
- 123456789
- Password
- iloveyou
- princess
- rockyou
- 1234567
- 12345678
- abc123
- Nicole
- Daniel
- babygirl
- monkey
- Jessica
- Lovely
- michael
- Ashley
- 654321
- Qwerty
Upcoming FREE Lunch & Learn Webinars:
- April 29: 12:15-1:00pm - Massachusetts Data Protection Law - learn the requirements and get your Written Information Security Plan ready. If you're still not compliant, don't worry! We'll help you get through the hurdles. At the end of the webinar, you'll know what you'll need to do to get your plan ready.
- May 13: 12:15-1:00pm - eNewsletters that get results - Keep your customers, members, and prospects loyal with email marketing - with Michael Katz of Blue Penguin Development. If you're a beginner or you're already a pro at eMail marketing, you'll enjoy this! We'll cover the anti-spam rules (so you don't get your domain blacklisted!), and Michael has a lot of great experience in how to engage your audience.
Please call (978-692-4200) or email us to reserve your spot and get the dial-in instructions. Do you have a topic you'd like us to cover in the future? Let us know!
 Earth Day is April 22!
Sincerely,
Team Ekaru
Introductory Technology Assessment Over 400 local small businesses have chosen Ekaru to manage their computers and networks. We offer a free, no-obligation initial consultation to get started. We'll visit your office, review your network, and make recommendations. Call us at 978-692-4200 or email us to schedule a no-obligation assessment. If you know someone who could benefit from this offer, simply forward this email to them. Thank You!
 
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