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When you delete a file on your computer, it doesn’t actually go anywhere. Its just marked by the OS as free space and then allows it to be written over. This allows data you thought you deleted to be recovered.
With Permanent Eraser that data will be overwritten 35 times, rendering it irretrievable. Definitely an application for the security-conscious mac user to check out.
My main bank, TD Canada Trust, recently implemented a multi-factor authentication system on the online banking site. When you log in from a computer you haven’t used before or perform certain transactions, it will randomly ask you one of 5 security questions (out of about a dozen or more) that you chose earlier. You will then be required to input the right answer to continue to log in.
I personally think this is great. I do a lot of my banking online and anything that makes it more secure is great. Even if it means it takes an extra minute to log in. The only way I think they could improve this is by allowing you to create your own questions. Most of the questions are things an attacker wouldn’t normally look for, but this would make it even more secure. Also I think it should ask you a question everytime you log in.
Ironically, just about two months after they implemented this, they were hit by a phishing attack which targets anybody, whether they are a TD customer or not. The email asks them update their information on a website that looks nothing like the real TD site. I think this would be a good time to remind you that banks and companies that deal with money will probably never contact you by email to “update your information”.
As more and more of our lives move online, it’s important to practice keeping your personal information safe. Here are a few simple tips to help you do this.
Don’t use the same password for everything.
This one is pretty simple. If you use the same password for everything, and one account if compromised, they all are. You can use different passwords for different groups of services (like one for Facebook and Youtube where your personal information is already visible, and one for email and IM accounts). Of course, no matter how many passwords you use, you’ll never be safe unless they are strong passwords.
Use strong, complex passwords.
A strong password is a good password. But what makes a strong password? The best passwords are a mix of both upper- and lower-case letters and numbers. It is important not to use regular words as these are easy to crack using dictionary attacks. And simply adding a number to the beginning or end of a word won’t work either. These are susceptible to the same attack. A good password would be pAs5w0rd. But it’s important to remember, there is no such thing as a fully uncrackable password. That’s why it’s important to use several different passwords.
Make sure web pages are secure.
When using banking sites and and e-commerce sites make sure they are secure before entering sensitive information. Secure sites have URLs that start with https:// and often display a padlock either in the address bar or one of the corners of the browser window. This icon shows that the site and their database have been certifies as secure.
For extra security, use pre-paid credit cards.
Without a credit card, you can’t join the millions of people shopping online. And even though a site may appear to be secure, this security can often be compromised. If you want to be able to shop online, and have an extra layer of security, consider using prepaid credit cards. When you buy the credit card you load it with a certain sum of money, and then use it like any regular credit card. If the number somehow gets stolen, you’re not at risk of losing thousands of dollars.
There is much more you need to do to stay safe online, but these tips should help you get started.