Website to check for account hacks

I heard about this website yesterday while listening to a podcast.

https://haveibeenpwned.com/

It is a site that keeps track of some "major" data breaches from some major companies, and it will tell  you if your username or e-mail address has been hacked.

How to use the site:

It's a pretty simple site, to check if any of your accounts have been hacked.
(some websites give you a "username" some have you use an "e-mail address" as your username)

You just put your username in the box and click the button.

And then you get your results

If you are like me, you have a lot of different usernames and e-mail accounts that you have used throughout the years.

So, it is definitely a good idea to search for all your different usernames and e-mails.

What to do if they find a breach?

What this means is that your account information for that specific site (it lists all the sites that information was taken from) has been taken.  You should go to that account and change your password ASAP.

Where this could become a BIG PROBLEM is if you are a person who uses the same password for the majority of your accounts.  The hackers would now have your password for all the possible sites that you use that particular username/e-mail address with.

A word of caution

This website does not have a comprehensive listing of all the possible data breaches.  You could certainly get the "Good news - no pwnage found!" message, and some of your accounts could still have had a data breach.  It is just a tool to see that if some of the major/well known data breaches have reached any of your accounts.

Best Practices

1. Use different passwords and credentials for every online account you have. (That way if there is a data breach it will only affect that one account.)
2. The most effective passwords are random numbers, letters and symbols.
1. Do NOT use your kids names
2. Do NOT use your last name or Maiden name.
3. Do NOT use anything that can be tracked to you, like your phone number, city, school attended, workplace, etc, etc...
4. EXAMPLE:  g8xSy2Ji - would be an EXCELLENT password. It is completely random, and connects back to nothing.
3. How to remember your passwords?
1. I would recommend using a "password manager", such as LastPass.
1. A password manager is a software application or hardware that helps a user store and organize passwords. Password managers usually store passwords encrypted, requiring the user to create a master password: a single, ideally very strong password which grants the user access to their entire password database.
2. Here is an article on Password Managers, for more information
2. If you don't want to use a Password Manager some ideas?
1. Use a "base group" of random numbers letters  "g8xSy2Ji"
2. Then, for each website make a Subtle Change...
1. Examples:
2. For Google:  g8xSy2JiG
3. For Facebook:  g8xSy2JiF
4. For Banking: Bg8xSy2Ji
5. For Yahoo: Yg8xSy2Ji
4. In addition... you should Change Your Passwords Every Year!  - just like the K12 data Center has us do with our K12 credentials.  I know it's a pain, but it's a good practice.
5. Even if you follow ALL of these suggestions... it's possible that a hacker could cause a data breach of a site and steal your current data.  Which is why you should stay active in following the best practices.

I hope this doesn't scare anyone... it is meant to be informative, and hopefully serves as a reminder to stay vigilant in protecting your accounts and data!

Tuesday Teacher Tip: LastPass

How many websites do you have to remember passwords for?

As a teacher, I would assume most of you would have:
State e-mail
Infinite Campus
SD STARS

at the very minimum.

Of course then you have(possibly):

•  your personal e-mail accounts (google, yahoo, microsoft....etc, etc) 
•  online banking account information 
• Social Networking accounts (Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest)
• Paypal account
• Youtube
• Photosharing sites
• Shopping sites (amazon, ebay, etc...)
• Fantasy Football or baseball 

Well, then you need to have a password for each of those accounts.  AND, although most people do it...you should NOT have duplicate passwords (using the same password for everything).

You should have an original and creative password for every account you have.

But who can remember 10-20 separate, original, unique passwords?

This is where LastPass comes in.

LastPass is an online Password Manager that basically stores all your passwords for all your websites.

For more information how it works:  Read this LINK

I think a key point to remember here, is that LastPass uses encryption technology on your local computer, so that even they won't know what your password is.  It's encrypted before it's sent out to them.

If you are wondering if a program like this is right for you... consider this information I "snipped" from their webpage.

The frightening part there for me, is that it only takes about 3 minutes to crack the average password.  

-However, don't get too worried about that...remember that MOST people have simple and easy passwords to hack, like: their last name, their maiden name, their kids name, the word "password"....by simply using capital letters, and adding a number...you strengthen your password greatly.

What a site like LastPass can do is actually pretty impressive.

1. It remembers your passwords, so all you need to remember is ONE Password, to log in to LastPass.
2. It allows you to "strengthen" all your passwords!  No more using the same thing for multiple sites!  You can make ALL your passwords, difficult and strong.
3. LastPass has settings that will allow you to use different accounts for the same site...for Example, Infinite Campus.  Many people have Staff logins for Campus, but also parent logins for Parent Portal.  LastPass
4. LastPass will allow you to "automatically" log in to certain sites...so once you log in to your LastPass account...you click on a link to go somewhere, and it will automatically log you in, if you have chosen to do so.

LastPass is available for free.  Why?  Well, they offer use of a "premium" package, which offers more features, and better protection, and "unlimited" use of their mobile apps.  (Yep, they will protect your phone too, if you are willing to pay).

LastPass looks like an interesting product, and definitely something that the average computer user should look into using.

Hope this is something that can be used, and also, hope this is something that you can spread to other people...who couldn't use a bit more security in their "online presence"?

Today's Music Video:  Though I'd reach back to my college days, and break out a little Social Distortion.

Have a great week everyone!

Teacher Tuesday: Scam and Scammers

Good Morning Tuesday!

Today the South Dakota State Jackrabbits will play for the Summit League Championship for both the Mens and the Womens BB team.  This is the second year in a row that both teams have made the finals (with both teams winning and advancing to the NCAA tournament last year).  Just another step closer from changing the name from "The Summit League Tournament" to "The Jackrabbit Invitational".

Today's subject is Scams and Scammers.
I was actually inspired this morning by a CBS New Feature on the "Jamaica Lottery Scam".  There is no streaming video of this yet, I checked, or else I'd attach a link to the story here.

This Article does a better job of explaining the scam than me.  Basically, scammers are calling older US citizens, and tell them that they won the lottery, but they have to pay taxes.  And it begins.

There are a number of scams and frauds out there.  The Government even has a handy website, with hints and suggestions to help you avoid a scam.

What are some of the more popular scams?  Well, here is a list of the Top 10 e-mail/internet Scams of 2012.  I have recieved several of these e-mails over the years, including the Nigerian Scam (which is really quite hilarious if you read the whole thing), The Lottery Scam, and Disastery Relief scam.

Also, this year we have had several "Phishing Scams" with e-maill sent to staff members, asking them to click a link.  (The State usually does a great job of "catching" these, and letting me know exactly who got the e-mails).

So, just some general hints and thoughts to help keep you and your family safe.

1. People won't track you down to give you free money.  This doesn't happen, except in the movies.  Now if a lawyer arrives at your doorstep, with paperwork and documentation...that's one thing.  But anyone on the phone or over e-mail is NOT to be trusted.
2. You have to buy a ticket to enter a lottery!  If someone says you won the lottery...think about it, did you enter the Jamaican lottery?  When did you buy a ticket?
3. Never, Ever, Ever - Give out passwords, PIN numbers, or anything like that.  
4. Reputable organizations that help the needy; like the Red Cross and Salvation Army would NEVER e-mail you soliciting for donations.  They are usually linked to from other sites (like Katrina relief or Sandy relief or whatever the case may be).  But if you get an e-mail out of the blue...that's not them.
5. Make purchases and/or transactions online only on secure sites.  How do you know they are secure? Well, usually there is a "lock" symbol in the address bar that shows they are secure.

Notice the "lock" on the left?

This is good, you are secure.

And the always reliable, dependable, trustworthy, rule of thumb:

"If it sounds to good to be true, it probably is".