About Net Security: January 30, 2009

Net Security In the Spotlight | More Topics |   from Tony Bradley, CISSP-ISSAP A friend of mine who is an IT manager (aka jack-of-all-things IT) for a small business was expressing frustration to me about trying to get users to employ better password security. I told him to point them to my Creating Secure Passwords article :-), but then I also asked him why he didn't just configure the Vista Password Policy. His response was, "Huh??" So, I put together a document with detailed explanations of the Password Policy settings, and a visual step-by-step tutorial to walk through configuring Vista Password Policy. Check those out as well as the variety of new reviews and articles this week.   In the Spotlight Configuring Vista Password Policy Passwords are the keys to a vast majority of systems and applications. Two-factor and biometric authentication continue to grow as more secure authentication mechanisms, but for those still relying on passwords it is important that those passwords be secure. Using passwords like names, birth dates, favorite sports teams, or other words or information that are easily guessed or cracked is like leaving the key to your home under the Welcome mat by the front door. By configuring the Password Policy ...read more              More Topics Password Policy Settings Explained Obama Stimulus Program Scam Google Chrome Security Top 5 Anti-Spyware Products 2009 Monster.com is Latest Data Breach Victim Worm Spreading Using Valentine's Day Bait Profile: Hide Folders 2009 Is 'Security by Obscurity' Really Security At All? If there is a hole in your computer security, but only you are aware of it (as far as you know), does that mean you are secure? The 'Security by Obscurity' debate is the rough equivalent of the Zen Koan "if a tree falls in the forest and nobody is there to hear it, does it still make a sound?" In this case- the real question is whether or not you can be 100% sure that nobody is there to hear it. What if someone is there to hear it and you just aren't aware of it? Security by obscurity assumes that nobody...read more   Product Review: Ad-Aware Pro AE Do you use Ad-Aware, or have you used Ad-Aware in the past? If you're like 350 million other users, then odds are good you have used some version of Ad-Aware in the past 10 years. One of the originators of anti-spyware software, Ad-Aware was virtually the only such protection available at one point (the other option being Spybot). They built a solid reputation and developed quite a following. However, over the past few years the Ad-Aware product line has left something to be desired. Users have had more complaints about...read more     Sponsored Links   Best Moves in a Bad Economy Save & Invest the Right Way Find out how to beat a bear market, make smart choices, and keep your cool even when the economy is unpredictable. Internet / Network Security Ads Security 2009 AntiVirus Security Panda Security Thyroid Health Planners 2009 Advertisement     Visit Related About GuideSites: Wireless / Networking Antivirus Software Focus on Windows Email internet   Search About      Sign up for more free newsletters on favorite topics. You are receiving this newsletter because you subscribed to the About Net Security newsletter as security.world@GMAIL.COM. If you wish to change or remove your email address, please visit: http://www.about.com/nl/usgs.htm?nl=netsecurity&e=security.world@GMAIL.COM About respects your privacy. Our Privacy Policy. Our Contact Information. 249 West 17th Street New York, NY, 10011 © 2008 About, Inc.