The Time to Do the Right Thing

Be honest. How many times do you use a password for multiple websites because you need to remember it? You know that a string of 16 to 20 random characters upsets any pattern a hacker might use to steal a password for one site and maybe get into multiple places.

One of our clients recently told us how they saw the light, and it was a really gratifying conversation for me. He said: “I listened to what you said about passwords, and I did everything. Life is so much simpler now.”

It shocked me because that’s not usually what we hear. I wish more of our clients would get on the bandwagon when it comes to passwords and password managers. I can’t emphasize enough how password managers enable you to have unique, complex passwords for every website you need to access and how easy they are to use. You don’t always get to “stronger” and “simpler” as adjectives for a single concept.

What’s the “stronger” part of password managers? They generate those ideal passwords of 16 to 20 random characters that include upper and lower case letters, numbers and special characters. If everyone in your password chain – the people, companies and institutions you deal with – has a strong, generated password, that should make everyone as hack-proof as you can get. The problem is that the weakest link in the chain is the easy-to-crack password.

The” simpler” part is that you only need to remember one master password. (The hard part is making sure you have access to it in case you do forget it.) Before getting all his passwords into a password manager, our client said he would change a password by adding a number or a character because it was easier to remember. But it wasn’t simple. He would still need to remember what number or character he added to the old one, and maybe he had 50 passwords to remember – or carry around in a list.

A good password manager that can work across multiple devices can cost $50 to $100 a year. We believe that’s relatively cheap for the security you gain and the time you save from trying and retrying passwords or resetting them. The password manager becomes stronger and simpler when you combine it with facial recognition on a mobile phone.

Using a password manager and other forms of authentication will take some getting used to. But it’s worth it to take the time to do the right thing to protect your online security and your sanity.

Call us – 973-433-6676 – or email us if you need help in choosing a password manager and setting up the basics. We can also help you with other ways to authenticate your online access. See our article Pass the Key, Please.

 

Pass the Key, Please

If you’re sick and tired of managing passwords (see our article Take the Time to Do the Right Thing), take a new look at using passkeys and forget about the hassle. A passkey is a pair of cryptography keys generated by your device. A public key and a private key combine to create a passkey that unlocks your account. They may take some getting used to, but the security boost will be well worth the effort.

Microsoft is encouraging everyone to use a passkey when they sign up for a new account, and they’re moving away from the default of passwords for all new accounts allowing you to ditch them altogether. Just as a related side note, when you create a Microsoft account, do not create a local passkey. It will only work on the device you used to create the account, and that will defeat the purpose of being able to sign in from anywhere on any device.

A passkey is a pair of cryptography keys generated by your device. A public key and a private key combine to create a passkey that unlocks your account. If you remember going to your safe deposit box at the bank, you had one key in your possession, and you got a key from the bank for your visit. This is an electronic variation of the theme.

Microsoft introduced passkey support across most of its consumer apps a year ago, eliminating the need for two-factor authentication (2FA) or passwords. Now, it’s encouraging all new signs up to use passkeys as it removes passwords as the default. Websites are increasingly allowing you to passkeys for secure access.

Passkeys and password managers are able to work together for the most part. Usually, the device or software generating the passkeys uses a biometric authentication tool, such as FaceID or TouchID, to authenticate your identity. If your password manager is the passkey source, you can log in with your master password. Passkeys are unique to each app or website and stored in a password manager’s vault or your device’s keychain. Passkeys can also sync across devices, making them a convenient choice.

There are some holes in the passkey strategy that you should be aware of. The websites themselves can be the source of weakness in the security chain. Security experts say criminals can easily get around a passkey by stealing users’ validated browser cookies using malware.

While that puts an onus on the websites  to tighten up their operations, you can help protect yourself better. For example, don’t just accept the website’s data privacy settings when a box pops up on a website. Instead, navigate to the “Cookies” or “User Data” sections and choose the shortest available session duration. That way your cookies will expire automatically or whenever you close your browser window. You can also turn off various marketing and targeting cookies.

Again, passkeys take time to set up, and there’s a learning curve to using them effectively. We believe it’s well worth your time to start using them. Call us – 973-433-6676 – or email us to learn more about passkeys – and how they work with password managers. We can help you select and configure passkeys and password managers together and move you up to the next level of online security.

Busting the Passkey Myths

Passkeys are replacing mere passwords at a rapid pace, and that may be scary for some people. Passkeys are inherently more secure than passwords. For the most part, they are extremely difficult (we won’t say impossible) to crack, and that’s why you should get more comfortable with using them.

Tech leaders such as Microsoft, Google, and Apple are among those leading the passkey charge because there are nearly 7 million combinations of usernames and passwords on the dark web. When your passwords end up on the dark web, cybercriminals can use them to get into your accounts and steal your private data. That’s why passkey-based authentication is becoming a fast-growing trend. Their main benefits are that they can’t be stolen like passwords, and there’s nothing for you to remember.

Still, myths persist, and Dashlane, the password manager app that we prefer, has its own magnificent seven myths it wants to bust.

  1. If you lose your phone, you can’t access your passkeys. If you have a password manager, your passkeys should sync across all devices – unless you “cheaped out” on a freebie. If you only use a mobile device for your passkey, make sure you store it in your phone’s password app. That will enable you to move them to your new device.
  2. Only Google and Apple currently sync passkeys. Third-party passkey providers like Dashlane use their own cloud infrastructure for syncing, similar to Google and Apple. Microsoft has announced that synced passkeys will be coming to Windows 11 and associated with Microsoft accounts. Google recently indicated that synced passkeys in Google Password Manager will soon be available on both macOS and Windows.
  3. Passkeys send your biometric information over the internet. All verification methods operate solely on your device. No biometric information is sent to the website, only confirmation that verification was successful.
  4. You can change your password but not a passkey. Passkeys can be changed simply by deleting them from the website they’re set up with and re-enrolling a new one. This is because every new passkey is unique, even when multiple passkeys are set up for the same website.
  5. PIN codes are not as secure as passwords. Once a device PIN code is set up, it can only be used on a particular device. That’s a security feature not available with a password.
  6. Using a password manager for your passwords is better than using passkeys. While password managers help, they can’t completely prevent phishing. Passkeys, by contrast, are phishing-resistant by design. Additionally, almost all leading password managers now support passkeys for both secure password storage and the added protection of passkeys.
  7. Passkeys are a way for vendors to lock users into their platforms. The FIDO Alliance has published new standards that will allow password managers to safely and easily export passwords and passkeys.

The myths point to a certain intimidation factor about using passkeys. Our advice is don’t be intimidated. We can help you set up an authentication app, such as Microsoft Authenticator, and other methods, such as biometrics and PIN codes. Call us – 973-433-6676 – or email us to talk about what’s best for you and your organization.

Passkeys Not There…Yet

Passkeys hold a lot of promise in eliminating passwords. They rely on an electronic handshake to allow your device to access a secure website, and many password managers claim to link to passkeys. They’re getting there, but they’re not there yet.

A major hurdle right now is that not all websites recognize the passkeys from password managers. Sometimes, recognition depends on the device. Since most of us have fairly new cell phones, our phones usually have the ability to work with facial recognition, which is a form of a passkey. Older devices may not have the ability to work with this type of technology.

We suspect the move to newer computers – especially as Microsoft ends support for Windows 11 – and the need for better security will speed the drive to make more devices capable of using passkeys.

Why are passkeys secure? They eliminate the need to enter usernames and passwords, both of which are stored on the website you’re trying to access. We know the problems with usernames and passwords: they can be stolen by hackers from the website or your device, they can be forgotten, and we can make them less effective by using simple passwords multiple times so we don’t forget them.

Passkey information is stored on the website and in your device. They are not the same info; they rely on the handshake – sort of like two spies who each know what they need to hear in a phrase. On your device, the most common passkey information is a biometric (facial recognition or fingerprint) or a PIN (personal identification number). Because they are device specific, the system relies on you having your device when you log into the website.

When you combine a passkey with some form of 2FA (two factor authentication), you’re using an access method that has proven reliably secure up to now. Many of the leading password manager programs, such as Dashlane, 1 Password and Bitwarden, can create and store passkeys for you, and both Apple and Android can store their passkeys locally and access them using the keychain app on mobile devices.

Even if you can’t use the passkey with your password manager, you’re still ahead. Remember, with a password manager, you only need to remember a single master password. You can let the password manager generate a long, complex password for each website. That password should be immune from guesses based on any of your personal information.

More websites, too, are using passkeys instead of the username/password duo. As the websites use them more, you will have easier access to more websites, but that comes with a caution. The websites will need to tighten their security, too, to prevent more sophisticated hijackers from getting info from their sites. One of their hacks is to hijack cookies. You can help prevent that by not clicking on “Accept” when the cookie dialog box pops up. Instead, navigate to the “Cookies” or “User Data” sections and choose the shortest available session duration. That way your cookies will expire automatically or whenever you close your browser window.

To expand the conversation about the internet and security, you can apply the same security measures to any device in your office or home that uses the internet or a Wi-Fi network. Printer manufacturers such as HP have created anti-hacking steps, such as entering a PIN, to gain access to the information stored in a printer.

We can help you install and configure password managers and set up effective passkeys and other security measures. Call us – 973-433-6676 – or email us to talk about it.

Password Sharing

Yes, we should guard our passwords like gold bars in Fort Knox. But at the same time, it’s prudent for individuals to ensure trusted people have access to their accounts. We discussed it before, but it’s worth doing it again, especially when it can prevent more heartache with the death of a loved one or a catastrophic event.

Password problems crop up all the time for both commercial and individual clients. They can be annoying, especially when spouses or kids constantly forget passwords, sending you on a hunt. They can be disruptive, especially when an employee leaves and you need to change passwords for accounts they used for your business. They can be downright heart-rending, especially when you need to handle the affairs of family members or friends who have become incapacitated or have passed away.

That last group of problems takes on particular urgency because you’re out there alone. There’s nobody to help you know what to look for and where to find it – especially while you’re working in a highly emotional atmosphere.

All these problems are avoidable, with or without technological solutions.

Unfortunately, we learned about the non-tech side of it when our friend committed suicide. In his deep depression, he knew his family would be devastated. Yet he had the presence to leave detailed information about what his survivors would need to close his affairs and carry on with their lives. It probably made things easier, though nobody involved could know how much while dealing with their grief.

Because we depend on website access to manage just about every aspect of our personal and professional lives, a trusted person or small group of people must have complete information for all usernames and passwords. The info can be on a list that’s printed out or written in a notebook and stored in a safe place. Most of you probably have a fireproof storage box or a safe for important documents such as birth certificates or passports anyway. There’s nothing wrong with hard copies.

However, we can’t emphasize strongly enough that you can set up a password manager with a family-and-friends feature that solves just about all password and web-based account access problems. You only need to remember one strong master password to access all your websites. We like Dashlane for its reliability and ease of use, but it’s not the only one. And regardless of whether it’s for personal/family use or business, certain principles still apply.

Here’s what to look for:

  1. The ability to work across multiple devices and platforms. Everyone depends on being able to use computers, phones, tablets, and even smart watches seamlessly. Many people use Windows, Apple, and Android systems individually and in corporate networks. Your password manager must be able to work on all devices and platforms.
  2. Facial recognition. We believe this is the most efficient biometric for speed and security, especially when you’re on the go and using a mobile device. In some cases, you don’t even need your master password. That’s a great convenience.
  3. The ability to share passwords with a family-and-friends capability or a corporate plan. Whether it’s another annoying request from a family member or a critical request from a business associate who needs instant access, you can find the password they need and give it to them. It can also make it much easier to oversee the affairs of loved ones when necessary.

We look forward to the day when biometrics or some other technology will eliminate the need for passwords. When that day comes, all of our information will be more secure, and easier to access our websites and online accounts. Until that day comes, a password manager is your best bet to handle everyday online life and emergencies.

We can help you select the password manager that best meets your needs, and we can help you configure an individual plan or a multi-user plan. Call us – 973-433-6676 – or email us to discuss your needs or for configuration help.

Cookies, Passwords, and Computerless Invasions

We disdain cookies and passwords so much that we expose our sensitive data to hackers who never need to invade our computers, phones, or tablets to get it. There’s so much information about each of us out in there, yet we use skeleton keys instead of padlocks to protect what we can.

You can adjust your cookie settings to limit tracking cookies, but website operators make it cumbersome – because they want advertisers and merchants to pay them for ways to track you across the internet and sell you stuff. Cookies get a lot of notoriety because of that, but they also serve useful purposes. They enable a site to direct you properly to the areas you need to go to and display appropriately for your browser and device.

Tracking cookies are another matter. They can tell anyone who plants a tracking cookie on your device where you go, and that’s creepy on the one hand and dangerous on the other.

I generally ignore all those cookie messages or just accept all cookies. I feel that many trackers already have information on me, and I am confident I’m savvy enough to avoid online traps. You should be, too, if you follow us regularly. The ads and even the phishing expeditions are a royal annoyance, but you’re safe if you’re smart.

Tracking cookies get dangerous when they converge with weak passwords. This affects business and personal internet use, and here’s how cybercriminals get you.

Once cyberstalkers know where you go, they can make some guesses about your username, which usually has an element of your name or your entire email address, and they have software to try to crack passwords. If you have a weak password – such as the first initial, last name, and 123 that a friend who got hacked used – they’ll crack it. And if you use it at multiple sites, they’ll get into every one of them. And they never had to get into your computer to get into your accounts. The clues were out there to find your bank account or credit card number to clean you out or go on a shopping spree.

The problem, of course, is with a weak password and the lack of a password manager. As an aside, if you are hacked, we use your cookies to see where you’ve been and see if something there has led to someone getting your info and maybe your money.

Finding a strong, unique password or several really strong passwords that you can easily remember is not that hard. What’s an odd association with your name or something you see when you look out the window? What’s a number that’s not tied to your birthday, phone number, or something else that could be part of your public record? What’s a random word that relates to nothing? Where can you substitute a number or special character for a letter? Following that process, any combination of 12 to 16 characters should give you a strong password.

If you combine a strong password with a password manager, you can let the password manager generate random strings of letters, numbers, and characters that become strong passwords. And if your password manager and the websites you visit have facial recognition capability, it’s simpler, stronger, and even faster.

We can help you configure a password manager for individuals or groups, and we can help with improving your password security. Call us – 973-433-6676 – or email us to discuss your needs and develop a plan.

Is LastPass’s Hack the Last Word?

In a word: hardly. LastPass getting breached seems like the equivalent of Fort Knox getting breached; it’s not supposed to happen. So far as we know, none of the gold, which represented the monetary value of US currency in circulation, was ever taken from Fort Knox. But password manager LastPass was breached, and data was taken.

The implications are stunning, to say the least. We’ve put our trust in password manager programs, and LastPass compounded the problem for its customers by being breached twice and not being as quick or transparent about it. From all reports, the latest breach occurred in late August when access was gained to parts of their developer environment through an individual compromised developer account. They said the intruder took some source code and proprietary technical information. In mid-September, they reported that the intruder was in their system for four days, but the incident did not involve any access to customer data or encrypted password vaults.

Just after Thanksgiving, LastPass reported that the knowledge gained from the first breach was used to breach the system again, and that the hacker gained access to certain elements of customer information. Just before Christmas, the hacker got customer account information such as names, billing addresses, email addresses, telephone numbers, and their encrypted vaults. They hastened to add the data was strongly encrypted and required decryption of the customer’s master password.

The bad news is that this was a series of breaches; not good. Over time, the attacker was able to target a separate employee to gain two critical pieces of information: access keys to a cloud environment and decryption keys for that cloud environment. This means the attacker was able to easily download copies of those vaults and the other customer data there.

Although each customer’s vault was encrypted, the vaults contained unencrypted information. The attacker likely downloaded all the available information from each and could the unencrypted info to try to crack the master password by brute force.

LastPass doesn’t have the best track record in the industry, and what happened there can happen to any password manager. But you can take steps to minimize the impact if it happens to your password manager.

We highly recommend that you activate two-factor authentication (2FA) for every web-based account you have. Some will give you the option to verify a specific computer, phone or tablet one time, while others will require verification every time you log in. Most systems work through text messages to cell phones because you’re most likely to have your phone with you. Some 2FA systems will send you an email with a code to enter or a link to click. They’re good if your email is secure.

So, make sure you secure your email accounts. Require 2FA – to your cell phone if possible – to access your email account from the web. List a secondary email address in case there’s a problem. It can be through another email provider, or it can be a person you trust.

2FA works with password managers, and it’s effective if the PW manager hasn’t been hacked. If the data is unencrypted, it could have been stolen (another good reason to set up 2FA for a text).

You can manage your password manager and enhance security by keeping it updated. You can change your master password at any time, and you can use the manager to change your passwords at any time. The programs offer random generation of passwords, and you can take advantage of that. It takes away any excuse you have for using the same password for multiple websites.

You can back up your password manager by downloading your website login info from the manager. Most people download the info to a .csv or .xls spreadsheet file. It’s a good idea to do this periodically and store a hard copy in a safe place. If you decide to change password managers, you can export your file to a new password manager. We suggest you create a new master password if you do that and then create new passwords for each account.

There are ways to download your password list with encryption, but they can be a little complicated. Call us – 973-433-6676 – or email us to set up a time for us to walk you through it. You can also contact us with any questions you have about password managers – selecting one or installing one.