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Creating secure or strong passwords can go a long way in protecting the security of your computer and the personal data stored on it. Your passwords are the gateway to everything identity thieves needs to create new credit card accounts or open up loans in your name. Having the strongest passwords possible should protect you from identity theft.

Incorporating a few important facets is all that it takes to create strong passwords. One of the most important strategies is to use a lengthy password of 8 to 14 characters in order to make it more difficult to guess.

Combining letters and symbols in a random fashion also makes it more difficult for someone to guess your password. The fewer letters and symbols that you use, the longer your password will have to be in order to be a strong one. Only using letters in your password weakens it. Even adding to its length is not going to strengthen it very much.

While incorporating numbers into passwords is a common practice, incorporating symbols is not quite as widely practiced. Using the shift key to access additional symbols is also a prudent practice.

Incorporate complexity into your password by mixing upper and lower case letters. The more variety you incorporate, the harder it will be for someone to guess your password.

In fact, you can create a password by taking the first letter of every word in a simple phrase and then adding in some numbers or symbols. For example, take the phrase, “I have two daughters and two sons who live with me.” You can then change the phrase into the following password by using just the first letter of each word: Ihtdatswlwm. Let’s mix it up a bit more since this password duplicates two letters which is a definite no-no. Instead of the second ‘t’ for the word ‘two,’ use the number 2. For the second ‘w,’ you can use a slash symbol. Now, your password becomes Ihtda2swl/m.

Writing passwords down often becomes necessary when an individual accumulates too many of them. In fact, it is better to write your passwords down than it is to use the same password over and over again. The only thing that you need to remember is to store your passwords in a safe hiding place, away from prying eyes. I advise against the use of a password manager or other software storage tool since this can easily become compromised through the Internet.

Remember that the strongest password is one that uses length and variety. Some practices to avoid when creating a password are:

• Never use real words that can be found in the dictionary.
• Avoid using duplicate letters, numbers, or symbols.
• Never use letters or numbers in their proper sequence such as abc or 123.
• Never use personal data such as birthdates, social security numbers, or telephone numbers.
• Avoid using the same password for more than one website. If an identity thief does get a hold of this password, then he will have access to all of your online accounts.

 A digital signature is the equivalent of a written signature. The primary difference is that it is created electronically through special software. You can think of digital signatures as stamps that have been placed on messages or documents to verify the authenticity of the document or message.

The main purpose behind a digital signature is to authenticate the identity of the message’s sender or to authenticate the signer of a document. It provides the assurance that the sender is indeed the one who sent the message or document or signed the document itself.

The presence of digital signatures can also be used to indicate that the original message is intact and remains unchanged. The signature suggests that the message or document originated with the sender and that it has remained unchanged.

Digital signatures are used with all types of messages including encrypted ones. Although unsavory characters might attempt to forge a digital signature, it would be quite difficult to accomplish.

What are some of the benefits of digital signatures?

• Digital signatures can be set up for automatic time-stamping. This verifies that the original message has been sent and received so that the sender cannot claim otherwise later on.

• Digital signatures are easily transportable.

• Digital signatures are unique so they cannot be imitated by another individual.

How does a digital signature work?

In order to utilize digital signatures, special software and a private key are necessary. When an individual uses a digital signature, the software performs what is referred to as “hashing.” This action crunches all of the data into just a few lines, which is referred to as a “message digest.” Once a message digest has been created, it cannot be transformed back into its original form.

The message digest is then encrypted using the private key of the owner of the data. Once this process occurs, the digital signature is in place and the data has been signed. Next, the document or message is passed on to the intended recipient.

The recipient of the data can use a public key (belonging to the sender of the data) to decrypt the signature or changes it into a message digest. Then, the software hashes the data of the document into a message digest. This message digest should appear to be exactly the same as the message digest that was created at the time that the digital signature was decrypted.

Even though all of this back and forth might appear complicated, the software does all of the difficult work. One way to ensure that a digital signature is legitimate is to create a digital certificate for it. This only needs to be done once and it will provide the assurance that the digital signature is indeed legitimate. A digital certificate is created through the digital certificate authority center of a company with the input of a small amount of personal information about the owner of a key.

Over the weekend there was near pandemonium on the AVG free anti-virus software website forum page, as hoards of users rushed to report an error in a publicly issued update. It seemed that a file in the update was corrupt and failing to load properly across the board, regardless of computer type or operating system. Within a few hours there was an official statement on the AVG free forum letting users know that the company was aware of the error, and that steps were being taken to reverse it. The post said that while the update was flawed, users were not at any increased risk and security remained in effect. In far less than 24 hours, AVG had reversed the problem and the update was loading properly, a pretty good turnaround time, really. Still, while this case was solved before Monday morning at the office, the issue makes me wonder, what can we do when updates fail?

In this case, some users provided instructions to get around the error. After uninstalling and reinstalling to no avail, it was suggested that users isolate the corrupt file, then load the rest of the update and ignore the part that didn’t work. This approach seemed to work for many people who felt better knowing that their system had at least some of the new definitions.

The simplest fix for a failed update is to check the website and, if possible, load the most recent version of the program over your existing program. If uninstalling and reinstalling doesn’t work, like in the recent AVG example, you might have to wait it out, and let your computer lay low in the meantime. Since AVG is security software, and since the update was related to new virus definitions, it would make sense to hold off on any new downloads from unverified sources, and to wait on opening questionable attachments until you are sure your security suite is back in optimal condition. In this case the manufacturer issued a statement assuring clients that all was well, but better safe than sorry.

Another response to the missing file and unloadable update was concern that the deficiency had something to do with the ‘freeness’ of the software. Since the update error was for the free version of AVG, it was logical to think that the error might work to encourage users to upgrade to paid versions of the security program. However, this was not the case in the AVG example.

Some users commented that they would give AVG a short period of time to correct the mistake and then, if not done soon enough, they would download a different program. This remains an option for secondary software, but obviously isn’t so easily done regarding an operating system or a thoroughly preferenced web-browser. In these cases, check forum pages frequently and resist making any big changes to your system until the updates are corrected.

While your computer may have a software firewall such as the built-in Windows Firewall, a hardware firewall offers enhanced protection. In fact, if you have an “always on” Internet connection such as cable or DSL, a hardware firewall is a must. Even computers using dialup networking should have a hardware firewall if they are connected for extended lengths of time.

Hardware firewalls are physical devices located between your computer and your modem, often in the form of a router. These devices effectively hide your computer from discovery by others over the Internet.

For example, if you have a wireless home network with a wireless router, the wireless router most likely has firewall features and acts as a physical barrier between your home network and the Internet at large.

Hardware firewalls protect your computer from incoming and outgoing threats based on default and advanced settings and filters. While firewalls are a good first line of defense, they must be part of a larger security plan.

Many Internet intruders are doing their best to access to your computer including hackers trying to remotely log in to your computer and taking it over; worms or Trojans that set up “hidden access” or “backdoors;” malware that exploits your operating system’s weaknesses; hijackers that take over your SMTP sessions and send spam e-mail to thousands of users from your computer; and dozens of other dastardly deeds.

Most hardware routers come with some sort of a utility that allows you to customize the protection. For example, your firewall may automatically block all outgoing communications from software programs. However, you may actually want a program to communicate with an offsite server such as an anti-spyware program contacting its developer to download the latest updates. In these instances, you can create an exception and allow certain programs or even Web sites to get past the firewall.

While the hardware firewall offers these features, it’s not always easy to figure out how to use them. For example, many Linksys routers have a user interface that you access not by launching a program but by entering the router’s IP address into your Web browser followed by the appropriate administrative credentials. You’ll need your user manual as well as your router’s network IP address before you can even begin customizing the router.

To figure out your router’s IP address, go to a command prompt and type in ipconfig. This lists various IP addresses with the “default gateway” usually being the router’s IP address.

Any computer that connects to the Internet or is on a network needs to be protected from hackers and other dangers. Even a single computer that rarely connects to the Internet needs basic protection. Firewalls are one part of the computer security equation. Firewalls come in two flavors: hardware and software. Hardware firewalls are physical devices such as routers that block incoming intruders while software firewalls are programs that attempt to do the same thing.

Computer security requires a whole host of tools including both types of firewalls, anti-virus products, anti-spyware products, and real-time protection. A software firewall is the tool that you can configure to protect your computer against incoming hacker attacks as well as to block malware from “calling home.” The software firewall checks incoming and outgoing information  coming to our from your computer and compares it to your firewall settings before blocking or allowing the information to pass through.

Your Windows XP or Vista computer comes with a built-in firewall called Windows Firewall that should definitely be enabled if you don’t have a software firewall currently installed on your computer.

Windows Firewall is located in the Control Panel. It’s a basic firewall that allows you to turn it on and off as well as block all incoming connections when you’re connected to a less secure network. In addition, you can set exceptions to allow certain programs to communicate through the firewall as well select specific networks to actively protect. 

If you have Windows Vista, there’s a second version of Windows Firewall on your computer: Windows Firewall with Advanced Security. Go to the Start button and type in Windows Firewall with Advanced Security and then click the icon in the Program list. Once inside the program, you can create new rules, disable or edit existing rules, export a list of your settings, and monitor advanced security modes between two computers.

Windows Firewall only protects against inbound threats. Malware that’s programmed to call out can bypass the Windows Firewall.

Many fine third party firewalls exist that offer comprehensive controls over access to your computer including protection against outbound threats. You may even have a software firewall bundled with your computer’s Internet security suite. For example, many security suites contain anti-virus, anti-spyware, and anti-spam components as well as a firewall feature. Depending on the software firewall you have, you may be able to create different firewall “profiles” for varying network conditions as well as adjust your firewall settings.

While software firewalls have their place, they are only one of several security tools that any Internet connected computer should have.

Microsoft Internet Explorer uses four different “security zones.” These zones include: Internet, Local Intranet, Trusted sites, and Restricted sites. Each of these zones can have specific security settings. For example, when connected to the Internet, your computer should have tighter security than if you were connected to your company network.

These zones allow you to move Web sites from one zone to the next. Let’s say you regularly visit a particular Web site (such as your online banking Web site) and are willing to accept any ActiveX controls or run any scripts on that site because the site is trustworthy. In this case, you could send the site to the “trusted” security zone.

First, let’s tackle your issue of blocked downloads. These are most likely being restricted by the security zone settings of Internet Explorer. Fortunately, you can adjust these settings. Launch Internet Explorer and go to the Tools Menu. Pick Internet Options. Click on the Security tab and you will see the four settings. Highlight the Internet zone and you should see a sliding bar that you can adjust up or down. If you don’t see a sliding bar, then you have previously customized the security level for this zone.

You have two options here, either adjust your setting to a lower level (which could compromise other security concerns) or customize the settings. Click on Custom Level and you’ll see a list of different settings that you can change. Scroll down to the Downloads area. Click the option button that says Enable. Click OK to make the changes. You may need to reboot for the change to take effect.

Check the settings for each of the security zones. For example, if the site that you are trying to download content from is in your Restricted site list, then that’s why you can’t download. Restricted sites are generally untrusted and you shouldn’t download from them.

Another issue with some versions of Windows is that you must have administrative rights in order to install software. So, while you may be able to download a program, you may not be able to actually install it unless you are signed on as the administrator. Make sure that you are using a user account with administrative rights.

Finally, Windows Vista comes with a security measure called User Account Control that could be interfering. While it doesn’t necessarily block downloads, it does prompt you under certain circumstances such as when an unsigned program wants to access your computer. If you find User Account Control more annoying than useful, you can turn it off. Simply go to the Control Panel, click on Security Center, and then turn User Account Control off. If you have a good Internet Security software solution and firewall in place, your security software will warn you of dangers without needlessly nagging you the way User Account Control does.