Do you use one password to log into several Web sites? Do some of these sites have important personal and financial details about you? If so, then you’re putting yourself in really serious danger. Don’t believe it? Then take a look at tech Web site ars technica’s recent story on a password breach at daily deal Web site LivingSocial.com.

Major Breach

The technology Web site ars technica recently featured this danger in its story on a serious password breach at LivingSocial.com. This site, which provides users daily deals on everything from dinning to hotel stays, was recently hacked. Cyber crooks exposed the passwords of as many as 50 million of LivingSocial’s users. This breach also left users’ e-mail addresses and names exposed.

Aftershocks

But, as the ars technica story illustrates, quite a few users may have reacted too late to the password breach. Tim O’Shaughnessy, the chief executive officer of LivingSocial, was quoted after the password breach as telling the site’s users to change their passwords. He also advised users to change their passwords at other sites if these passwords are the same as or similar to the one they had been using at LivingSocial. This is helpful advice. Even better advice? Never use the same password at different sites in the first place.

A Hassle, But Important

It can be quite a hassle to memorize dozens of passwords and log-in names. But it’s also important. Suppose hackers crack the password you use to log into Groupon? If you utilize that very same password to pay bills through your credit union’s online site, you may be in trouble. Smart hackers can easily gain access to that credit union site and, possibly, drain the funds out of your bank account. The message here? Make the extra effort and change those passwords. Never use a universal password at the sites you visit.

Do you practice bad tech habits? You may think you don’t. But you do you re-use passwords, fail to back up files or regularly leave your tablet alone and in plain sight? Then you’re guilty of some of the most serious bad tech habits recently revealed by PCWorld Magazine. If you wish to protect your devices and yourself, you’ll study these bad habits and then make changes in your own behavior. It’s the right way to protect yourself when computing.

Easy Target

Your tablets and smartphones are valuable. So don’t make it easy for thieves to grab them. Many folks practice the bad tech habit of leaving their devices unwatched at a coffee shop or restaurant booth when they head off to get refills or another cookie. While they’re gone, thieves can easily snatch their devices from the table and promptly leave the restaurant. There are also those folks who practice the bad habit of staring so intently into their smart phone screens they don’t have any attention for their surroundings. It’s easy for crooks to sneak up close to these preoccupied folks, sock them and then run off with their smart phones or tablets.

Hurting Your Health

PCWorld also listed several bad tech habits that could hurt your health. For instance, if you sit hunched before your computer screen all day, you could develop a serious case of carpal tunnel syndrome. And when you stare at your computer screen for far too long, you can develop headaches or damage your eyes. Finally, if you hardly ever leave your desk during the workday, you can acquire anything from back pain to eye strain to headaches to fuzzy thinking. Break these three bad habits and take short breaks from your computer screen throughout the workday. Your body will thank you.

Lost Data, Personal Information

What will happen if your computer suffers an unexpected hard-drive crash? Do you lose your important files? Should you suffer from the bad tech habit of not backing up your files, you might. And do you recycle the same passwords frequently at several different Web sites? This tech habit can open you to a whole lot of pain should anyone crack that go-to password. Now, rather than getting access to your personal info on one site, this cyber criminal can get access to it on several. Finally, do you disregard the updates that publishers create for the software that you most regularly use? Don’t. Dismissing these updates can leave you susceptible to hacks and keep you from fully enjoying your software.

We would really prefer to believe that we’re clever enough to detect phishing e-mails in our inboxes. Some of them are easy to spot. Even so the scam artists behind phishing e-mails are getting better. And that means that they’re netting some high-profile victims. For instance, as Slate recently reported, an exceptionally sneaky phishing e-mail recently caused a lot of trouble for the Associated Press, the country’s biggest supplier of wire-service news.

Syrian Electronic Army

According to a recent story in Slate, an organization calling itself the Syrian Electronic Army recently hacked the Twitter account for the AP, broadcasting a message saying that President Barack Obama was seriously hurt in an explosion at the White House. That Twitter was false, of course. But enough people accepted it to send stocks into a brief freefall. How did the Syrian Electronic Army gain control of AP’s Twitter account? Through a phishing e-mail.

A real news story?

The Syrian Electronic Army hacked the AP Twitter account through a process known as spear-phishing. As Slate explains, this involves sending specific recipients e-mail messages that appear to be legitimate. In the matter of the AP hack, the group sent a message to AP staffers containing a link to what seemed like a Washington Post news story. The message appeared professional enough that it tricked some AP staffers into clicking on it, the first step in giving members of the Syrian Electronic Army control of the AP’s Twitter account.

Your lesson

Your lesson from all this? Be aware. If scammers can concoct a phishing e-mail clever enough to trick the AP, they could create one impressive enough to fool you, too. You no longer have to worry only about phishing e-mails sent from so-called Nigerian princes. These days, that phishing e-mail might include the name of a friend or co-worker in the “From” field. This means one thing: You need to be constantly vigilant if you want to protect your online self from a hacker.

Mobile devices have been often considered as less risky. Desktop and laptop computers, the thought goes, are far more susceptible to hackers and cyber criminals. That’s true to some degree. But hackers are clever enough today to compromise tablets and smartphones, too. And there’s one particular mobile device that gets compromised far more often than every other. Reported by a recent story by Business Insider, it’s the iPhone that is the most hackable mobile device.

Hackable

Business Insider reported on the latest statistics from Web security company SourceFire, which released the report “25 Years of Vulnerabilities.” This report charted the Critical Vulnerabilities and Exposures — better known as CVE — of a host of software and mobile devices. The CVE is the standard that security companies use when charting cyber-exploits. SourceFire found that 210 CVE reports had been filed on the iPhone. For comparison’s sake, Android only had 24 CVE reports.

Reasons

What’s behind the disparity? Why should the iPhone suffer so many more hack attacks? There isn’t one simple answer. Business Insider, though, questions if the popularity of the iPhone is behind the higher numbers. Naturally, it makes sense that hackers would like to target one of the most popular mobile devices. There’s a fault with this argument, though. This past year, the buzz and market share of Android-powered mobile devices soared. But while this happened, the number of CVE reports on Android devices actually fell. So as the devices grew to become more popular, they actually suffered fewer attacks.

Going after the king

A recent interview with the SourceFire report author on the ZDNet Web site suggests another reason for the high number of iPhone hacks: Hacking the iPhone might represent a challenge worthy of the most skilled hackers. Consider how Android devices work. They make use of an open platform. This means that developers could create malicious third-party apps that users can download themselves onto their phones. That’s not very much of a challenge for hackers. But hacking the iPhone, which does not boast an open platform? That’s a real test of a hacker’s skill.

Think size is all that matters when picking a computer monitor? Think again. Different types of computer monitors boast different features. Some react especially speedily to commands, and are, because of this, favorites among avid video gamers. Others recreate the sharpest colors imaginable, and are better-suited to animators and graphic designers. The message here? Purchasing a computer monitor takes research. But if you do your research, you will find that LCD computer monitor that works best for you.

The factors

The Lifehacker Web site recently took a closer look at LCD monitors. And, as writer Whitson Gordon says, size isn’t the only factor that matters. Actually, it may be one of the least important things to consider. As reported by Lifehacker, fans of video games might prefer what is known as a “TN” monitor because their screens refresh at a quicker rate. Graphic designers, though, might prefer an “IPS” monitor that boasts sharper colors and better viewing angles. The message of the Lifehacker story? You ought to do your research before buying your next monitor.

Monitor types

The Coding Horror blog, by writer Jeff Atwood, says that most monitors sold these days are TN models. This is because these monitors are less expensive. They also have screens that respond swiftly. But TN monitors aren’t perfect. Coding Horror ranks their viewing angles and color reproduction capabilities as only average. Users can also choose IPS monitors, which boast excellent color reproduction and excellent viewing angles. Their response times are solid, though not as quick as those of TN monitors. The downside? They are the most expensive monitors in the marketplace.

The affordable choice

A solid middle-ground option for some users could be VA or vertical-alignment monitors. As Coding Horror says, these monitors feature good color reproduction and viewing angle capabilities. Also they are more affordable than are IPS monitors. The downside? Colors shift when you look at these monitors at an angle. Plus the response time for these monitors is just average.

Hackers are becoming increasingly clever when it comes to accessing the data stored on smart phones. And hackers are accomplishing this even though consumers protect their phones with lock-screen passcodes. As a recent story on the Lifehacker technology Web site says, passcodes have never been a foolproof way to protect your smart phone. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to better guard your phone. And there are services you can enlist to protect yourself if you’ve lost your smart phone or someone has taken it.

Passcode exploits

According to the Lifehacker story, recent passcode exploits have worked differently depending on whether hackers were targeting the iPhone or Samsung Galaxy phones. For the iPhone, the exploits allowed hackers to get into the Phone app, not the iPhone’s home screen. This meant hackers are able to use other’s phones to make calls, see users’ contacts and access users’ photos, even though they didn’t gain total access to the phone. For the Galaxy, hackers managed merely to flash phones’ home screens for around a second. This is a short period of time, but sufficient to allow hackers to launch an app or start downloading one which can unlock your phone completely.

No magic bullet

As these exploits show, having a lock-screen passcode is no guarantee that hackers won’t have the ability break into your phone. As the Lifehacker story says, passcodes today are no more effective at keeping out hackers than are standard passwords. This means you will need to take the extra steps if you wish to protect your phone from cyber criminals.

Protection

As with all things tech, you can do something to make it more difficult for a hacker to break into your smart phone. First, use a strong password, one containing letters, numbers and symbols, for your lock-screen passcode. Next, make sure to encrypt your phone’s data. Finally, Lifehacker recommends using services such as Apple’s Find My iPhone or the independent app Prey. These apps enable you to track your smart phone and erase its data when you lose it or somebody takes it.

Smartphones, tablets and laptops are wonderful tools: They enable us to search the Internet, answer e-mail messages and watch video whether we’re sitting on the train or waiting for our flight at the airport. Yet these devices can certainly be dangerous, too. If they fall into the wrong hands, your information, from your online banks accounts to your e-mail messages to your Facebook pages, can fall victim to cyber thieves. And there’s little restriction to the damage they can create. Fortunately, there are steps that you can use to safeguard your privacy even in today’s age of mobile computing, and as Forbes says, these steps are really easy.

Protect Yourself With Passwords

We all count on a host of gadgets today, everything from smartphones to laptops to tablets. Imagine if you lose one of these devices? What if they’re stolen? How much information could the wrong people access, and just what damage might they do by using it? Thankfully, you can protect yourself by requiring users enter a password to open your device. That way, if somebody steals your tablet, that individual might not be able to get into your online bank account.

Google Alerts

Do you know what people are saying about you online? You might want to. You do not want all of your secrets traveling around the Internet. Forbes recommends that you create a Google Alert on your name. This way, every time anyone types it online, you’ll receive a message alerting you. You can then check out what’s being said about you. Consider this a very easy way to track your online presence.

The Sign Out Step

Finally, Forbes reminds you to sign out of your accounts every time you’re done with your online banking, Facebook updates or e-mail retrievals. Because, you don’t want someone else to stumble upon your computer and snoop around your personal sites simply because you forgot to sign out. And if you’re using a public computer such as one at your local library or bookstore? Signing out is an more important step.

Google Reader, the popular RSS reader, is all but gone. Google revealed that it would eliminate the service once July 1 rolls around. This has hit several of the service’s biggest fans hard. The reality, though, is that there are other options. Google decided to close the service since its user base was progressively falling. But the closure of Google Reader provides an important lesson to consumers: There’s no guarantee that your preferred, cloud service won’t disappear, as well.

Nothing’s permanent?

The world of the cloud is an ever-changing one. Companies add new products. And also they pull those that aren’t performing well. That’s what happened with Google Reader. It’s something that Farhad Manjoo, a writer with Slate, says that consumers should expect to see more often. Nothing that lives in the cloud is assured everlasting life, Manjoo writes. Google promoted Reader as if it was going to be an enduring part of the company. But that obviously isn’t the case. So be warned, Manjoo writes, there’s no guarantee that your other favorite cloud software will live forever, either.

The pitfall with the cloud

This can be viewed as a downside to the cloud. In the days when software came on discs and we downloaded it to our computers, there was more permanence. Sure, companies would go out of business and manufacturers would discontinue software. Nevertheless, you still had access to software, even though the companies behind it terminated it. After all, it was saved on your computer and you still had the discs. This isn’t the situation with the cloud. When something is yanked from the cloud, it’s gone.

Google’s challenge

What does this mean, though, for Google? In a recent story, the Economist writes that canceling Google Reader may seem like a small decision. Google does have to make money, and it seems sensible that it wouldn’t devote resources to a service that is no longer growing. Nonetheless, the decision to kill Reader might make users suspicious the next time Google launches a new product and wants all of us to flock to it. Why, consumers might ask, should we? Since of course, there’s no guarantee that Google won’t kill that new product one day, too. And this isn’t just an issue that Google faces; it’s one that every company that operates in the cloud might eventually need to tackle.

It’s no easy task remembering all the passwords and usernames we need to get into our favorite Web sites. That’s why it’s so alluring to tell our browsers to remember these passwords, whether they’re for our favorite sites or for our online bank accounts. The sad thing is, this convenience comes with a risk. If somebody steals your laptop, this criminal can readily access your favorite membership-based sites. This can include your online bank account. It is possible to protect yourself, though, by telling your browser to forget your passwords and usernames. And New York Times tech writer J.D. Biersdorfer just recently provided simple step-by-step instructions.

Firefox

Erasing stored passwords on Firefox is simple. If you’re using the Windows version, click on the tools menu and then choose options. If you’re a Mac user, go to the Firefox menu and then choose preferences. This will bring up the options box. Once that comes up, click on the security tab and then click on saved passwords. Finally, click remove all and the usernames and passwords will be gone. You could also choose the view saved passwords option to pick and choose which passwords to erase.

Chrome

If you’re using Google Chrome for Windows, first choose the Chrome menu. Next, choose settings and pick show advanced settings. Click on the manage saved passwords link. Then you’re able to choose the passwords you’d like to keep and those you’d like your browser to forget. To do this on a Mac computer, first go to the Chrome menu, then choose preferences. Next click settings. Choose the show advanced settings option. In the passwords and forms option, you’ll find manage saved passwords. Click that. This allows you to erase specific passwords.

Microsoft Internet Explorer 9 and beyond

To eliminate saved passwords from your Microsoft Internet Explorer 9 browser and later versions, click on the “tools” menu, choose “safety” then select “delete browsing history.” A box will appear. Turn on checkboxes located next to “form data” and “passwords” and click the “delete” button.

Passwords aren’t good enough anymore. That’s been proven often by hackers, who crack passwords to get into the internal Web sites, computers, devices and online bank accounts of small companies around the world. Fortunately, Biztech Magazine has advice: Business owners can take steps to prevent the security holes of passwords. They can protect their Web sites and devices with two-factor authentication. This kind of move will greatly reduce companies’ susceptability to cyber criminals.

How it works

Two-factor authentication works so well mainly because it requires users to take two separate actions to log onto a machine or Web site, according to the Biztech story. That’s enough to chase away most cyber criminals who will go on to concentrate on organizations with weaker protection. In a typical two-step authentication setup, end users must use both a password and something else to log onto their machines or Web sites. An end user might have to swipe a smart card or insert a token. A company may even rely on biometric identifiers as the all-important second step.

The starting point

Not all your employees, though, are going to be pleased about two-factor authentication. It requires more effort on their part, of course. But Biztech offers some suggestions for smoothing this rollout. First, the magazine suggests you select a second factor that will result in the least amount of disruption among employees. For example, Biztech uses the example of smart cards. Mobile devices such as smartphones are usually not compatible with these cards. That might be deal breaker for some businesses. Companies that have workers that work from a wide variety of locations might not do well with physical tokens.

Take it slowly

If you want your employees to be comfortable with two-factor authentication, you’ll want to roll out your program slowly. This will give your workers time to adjust to the reality that their log-on procedures are going to be going through a fairly momentous change. Additionally, it gives you the chance to educate your staff on how two-factor authentication works and why it’s so crucial to the company’s security.