- Nov 11, 2009
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I tend to use Apple Safari generated passwords annd Touch ID apart from banking, credit cards where they are from my memory and multilayered access.
- Jan 3, 2012
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We change our password on Asda home delivery roughly twice since we started some years ago
Those that matter to us are on an encrypted USB stick, backed up on another pair of sticks using two differing flavours of encryption software. Plus, as "Clive" additional levels of identity checking are steadfastly retained for each & every call up we make.
Those passwords etc where I care way less, here for example, I allow Google's inbuilt password retention to hold.
In all the latter cases, we have an "Internet post code" and our "Internet birthdates", both real but just not ours.
For the identity critical and personally sensitive stuff, zilch, is to the best of my knowledge retained anywhere else, though that these days with IT you can never be too sure of about. However, using on line now is so imbedded in life there is little alternative to using it and taking what obvious steps you can to keep secure.
For most stuff I use Avast's Random Generator preset to 15 characters, full house of upper & lower case letters, plus numbers and special characters, where the latter is acceptable. These being rather cumbersome to manually type in when needed I do, and here probably invite a breach, use "copy & paste".
As stated earlier it's in our use of card PINS where I feel we need to be more proactive in security, in a relative scale they are way more rudimentary.
Adding to this the landline has "Call Guardian", brilliant IMO fending off unwanted calls, never trust emails without thinking & checking them, don't believe I have "won" anything or been selected for any irresistible freebies, and yet to wave my smartphone about near card scanners nor use it as the manual input interface with banking etc.
Those passwords etc where I care way less, here for example, I allow Google's inbuilt password retention to hold.
In all the latter cases, we have an "Internet post code" and our "Internet birthdates", both real but just not ours.
For the identity critical and personally sensitive stuff, zilch, is to the best of my knowledge retained anywhere else, though that these days with IT you can never be too sure of about. However, using on line now is so imbedded in life there is little alternative to using it and taking what obvious steps you can to keep secure.
For most stuff I use Avast's Random Generator preset to 15 characters, full house of upper & lower case letters, plus numbers and special characters, where the latter is acceptable. These being rather cumbersome to manually type in when needed I do, and here probably invite a breach, use "copy & paste".
As stated earlier it's in our use of card PINS where I feel we need to be more proactive in security, in a relative scale they are way more rudimentary.
Adding to this the landline has "Call Guardian", brilliant IMO fending off unwanted calls, never trust emails without thinking & checking them, don't believe I have "won" anything or been selected for any irresistible freebies, and yet to wave my smartphone about near card scanners nor use it as the manual input interface with banking etc.
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- Jun 16, 2020
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For the last 5 years or more I have been using F-Secure security. A bit expensive but a good Virgin Media discount, (even though I left Virgin Media a couple of years ago, (don’t tell anyone)).
It provides a VPN. A Virus checker, an email and identity checker, and a password manager.
The password manager maintains unlimited passwords which it can generate up to 20 characters long. For most sites, it will automatically fill in the password fields. So, for most of the time it works in the background. The passwords are shared, highly encripted between my devices. I can still access the manager and various sites using facial recognition.
John
It provides a VPN. A Virus checker, an email and identity checker, and a password manager.
The password manager maintains unlimited passwords which it can generate up to 20 characters long. For most sites, it will automatically fill in the password fields. So, for most of the time it works in the background. The passwords are shared, highly encripted between my devices. I can still access the manager and various sites using facial recognition.
John
- Nov 11, 2009
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Interesting that a Spanish court recently acquitted a Brit who messaged his friends group that he’d bomb the aircraft about to be boarded in Gatwick. En route the plane was accompanied by two Spanish F18s. The court decided that since he’d used an encrypted Snapchat private group he hadn’t circulated it to wider third parties. How does anyone get to know of his “private” message on an end to end encrypted app?
- Jun 16, 2020
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I will enquire with the family members who work for GCHQ. (But don't wait, they won't tell me).
John
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Still down this morning 9 days now, just find it amazing that the club, like many hacking victims, assume it is OK to suggest all members change passwords etc I know that is the sensible thing to do , but it's always the customer/end user that has to make the effort to safeguard themselves. The attitude from a lot of organisations is that it will be OK to put the responsibility on some one else, if only the club hadn't moved too soon, too fast to digital, same with people who sell me something on line, and use my paper and ink to print their invoice. We have the same thing happening with further bank closures, they said they would provide mobile vans to replace rural branches, now it is reported the vans are being withdrawn,I hope I live long enough for these companies, and their lack of customer focus reap the whirlwind of their actions. I remember when the local bank manager was just that, lived local was in post for a number of years, and knew and was involved with local customers and businesses, we do not have a personal or business manager now,just a phone number to a panel of 'experts' who we have to contact through a multiple choice menu, that doesn't always work . There is hope though, we pay for recycling at work, and if I phone the company a lady answers after max 3 rings, asks for our postcode and business name and then take sresponsibility for dealing with our query, once dealt with an email arrives within 5 minutes confirming our conversation.How hard can it be for larger companies to invest in people and empower them to take responsibilty.
- Nov 11, 2009
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I recall the days when if we wanted a bank loan you made an appointment to see the branch manager and dressed in a suit and tie when you went along for the appointment. But success was never guaranteed.
Not aware how they can do other than request that you change your password. I suppose they could simply block it off, but then that is no help to ourselves.
I will simply do so, its not one of at least our life's big hassles, easy done.
Changing passwords is just normal precaution after being hacked or subject ransomware - no doubt a lot of IT midnight oil will be being used to correct the situation at their end.
One of my utility companies got hacked at the end of 2022 - as well as notifying all their customers and advising change of password they paid for a years subscription to TrueIdentity which allowed visibility of where passwords were available on the Dark Web.
Had a chat a couple of days ago with a friend who bought his own UPS because BT were dragging their heels. This is what he bought and said it works ok - you may need the adapters with it.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Portable-U...+router+battery+backup+5v,aps,104&sr=8-4&th=1
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Adapter-Co...&sprefix=jack+plug+dc+adapters,aps,101&sr=8-3
- Jan 3, 2012
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Hi John might give this free trial and see if it stops some of these spam emails i keep receiving every day .
- Jun 16, 2020
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I am not sure if it would stop any spam. Once your email is ‘out there’ anyone can write to you. However, it does continually check to see if your address is held by any dubious organizations.
This is my current report, for two email addresses being monitored.
Up untill a few years ago I had an email address that was very compromised. I got a lot of spam, and worse, friends got nasty emails which appeared to be from me.
The only way I fixed this was to dump that address. Not easy, as it means changing it with friends and businesses. It took forever.
But as you can see, my current email is safe.
The reason this happened is when I got the first email address, I had no idea how to keep it safe. So it was my own poor management.
Wise people have a few addresses that they may use for different purposes so they can then easily dump one if it becomes compromised.
For Apple users. There is a system in which a dummy email address (linked to you account), is issued if you choose. Then, if it is compromised, you simply delete it.
John
- Jul 18, 2017
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Apologies for being a bit ignorant on these matters as never used a UPS previously. Would one have the UPS plugged into the mains and then connected to the router so power is via the UPS? I would then think that in the event of a power supply cut the router would automatically stay powered up? Thanks for the input.
- Jul 18, 2017
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We are registered with www.pobox.com and pay them about £18 a year. They stop spam at source and on the basic account you can have three email addresses with them. You can continue to use existing email address and all emails are directed to your existing email address. We have been using them for over25 years.
- Jul 18, 2017
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It may be easier for us on this forum to visualise it as a caravan - it's plugged into the mains on site and the mains charger keeps the 12v battery fully charged to run all the 12v lights, pump, etc - if the mains fails, the battery will keep the 12v items going although not indefinitely.
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Our logest power cut has been about 8 hours, a lot better than our friend in Zimbabwe how had a power cut that lasted about 60 hours. However he had adapted with solar panels and batteries as they have frequent power cuts.
- Mar 14, 2005
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Not a very helpful or relevant answer. Seems to have the sort of structure an AI bot might produce.
There are a couple of ways of using these. The basic method is that the Router and Ont are plugged into the UPS and the UPS is continuously powered from the mains socket. This way the UPS battery gets trickle charged and in the event of a power cut the equipment is seemlessly kept powered as long as the battery lasts.
When the power comes back on the the UPS will switch back to the mains.
Of course the duration of being powered by the battery may vary according to the load but for a router and ont this is very light.
The other possibility is when a power cut occurs consider using it sparingly perhaps just to make a wifi phone call or a quick internet connection for messages or information before turning the UPS off or disconnecting it to prolong the battery life.
- Jul 18, 2017
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Thanks for the input as it is appreciated. Also I am being a bit thick due to lack of memory!
My son in law and family are from South Africa where 6 hour power cuts are a daily and regular feature. He is a systems manager working from home so needed to be operational 24/7 so if I have an issue I guess I can tap into his knowledge.
In the meantime I have ordered that small UPS as it seems to be ideal for us in the vent of a power cut. We now have two Gaz lamps and a really good torch which was tested very recently.
My son in law and family are from South Africa where 6 hour power cuts are a daily and regular feature. He is a systems manager working from home so needed to be operational 24/7 so if I have an issue I guess I can tap into his knowledge.
In the meantime I have ordered that small UPS as it seems to be ideal for us in the vent of a power cut. We now have two Gaz lamps and a really good torch which was tested very recently.
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