An Australian Web Security Specialist, Troy Hunt, has compiled a database containing usernames that have been stolen in hacks and then published or sold. Some people use his site to look up their own email address or username.
His website is haveibeenpwned dot com. (In this case, Pwned refers to a condition of someone else having access to your login credentials.)

At his site, people enter their email address or any usernames they’ve used for online logins. Sometimes, they look up addresses of their family members. If there is a hit, the details of the breach are displayed on the site.

Even if not on the list, there is no guarantee that person’s credentials haven’t been stolen, but it still helps to know.

If you ever suspect that your login credentials to any website have been exposed, it is very important that you reset the password on that site, as well as any other sites where you may have used the same password.

There are other strategies to protect yourself. Enabling two-step-logon is very important these days since it can thwart attackers who know your username and password. Using a password manager, as opposed to letting your browser store passwords, can help make password security more convenient, but it still needs to be used carefully. These strategies are explained in detail elsewhere in this blog.

Forward this to anyone who might want to know if their username and password has been hacked…

The post How to Find Out if Your Password Might Have Been Hacked appeared first on Foster Institute.

Due to more than 35 instances of Samsung Galaxy Note 7 phones exploding, Samsung has recalled the 2.5 million devices.

Fortunately, none of the explosions happened in an airliner. Yet. And may it please never, ever, happen.

Will the ban be enforced and, if so, how? Do all Samsung device owners know which model they have?

Are we all gambling with our lives when we fly on planes with phones that might explode? Will the airlines deny use of other Lithium battery operated devices to make things easier to enforce? If you cannot take phones with you on a business trip, is this a new business opportunity for someone to rent phones to travelers arriving at airports?

The post “This is Your Captain Speaking – No Samsung Phones Allowed” appeared first on Foster Institute.

At a client’s office this week, one of the IT Professionals had an interesting idea. He can configure two-step logon to contact him, not the consultant, for login verification.

If you configure this at your office, here is how it would work: First, the consultant would enter their username and password to login to your network. Then, an app on your smartphone would indicate that the outsourced consultant is trying to gain access. Then, you will be able to choose to allow or deny the consultant’s login attempt.

This IT Professional wants to know, in real-time, when someone is attempting to log on to his network. If you use this arrangement, you will have the capability to permit them or deny them access each and every time.

It is an interesting idea.

The post A Way to Control Consultant Access – Every Time appeared first on Foster Institute.

Delta reports that the glitch was triggered by a 22 year old power control system device that failed in their datacenter.

Back in June, Delta’s CIO Rahul Samant made a very telling statement, “Technology is like painting a bridge. Work is never done.”

That was two months before this disaster. I wonder if his statement about how “work is never done” is an excuse for not trying. It would be best if he remains focused on doing the best he possibly can.

I do not know the CIO, and give him the benefit of the doubt of doing the best possible job he can do.

As I type this blog at 35,000 feet, it is important to trust in the airlines to be very focused on safety. If only IT was afforded the same attention.

In 2008, after the bridge collapses received major media attention, the government provided resources to maintain bridges.

The government needn’t step in to force companies to keep their IT bridges painted and in great shape. But CEOs should step in when necessary.

Many IT departments are plagued by a lack of resources. But it doesn’t help to throw money at IT either. The problems can often be solved by using tools you’ve already paid for, and systems can be configured in ways to save IT Pros time.

Many organizations rely on service providers. Target learned the hard way that some service providers’ carelessness might cause big problems at the organizations that trust them.

Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity plans are crucial. But keep preventative maintenance in mind too. Just ask Delta.

The post Delta Airlines Believes their Epic Technology Failure is like Painting a Bridge appeared first on Foster Institute.