Two-Factor Authentication

Two-factor authentication adds an extra layer of security by asking you to provide two forms of identification before you can access your personal information. The first is your usual user ID and password. The second is typically a unique code that is sent to your phone or some other physical device, that you then enter during the second stage of the login process.

Because the second identifier is sent to something that you physically carry with you, it makes it harder for hackers to access your information.

Apple: Apple sends a four-digit code via SMS or Find My iPhone to register your machine as a trusted device. Anytime you try to access your iCloud or iTunes account from a new device, you’ll be required to enter a new four-digit passcode. Instructions on how to enable two-step verification for your Apple ID are here.

Google: Google can send verification codes in several different ways: SMS, voice call, or through its Google Authenticator app. During initial sign-in, you can tell Google to remember your device for 30 days. But a new code is required anytime someone tries to log in from a new machine.

Yahoo Mail: Once two-step authentication is activated, Yahoo will send a passcode via text or voice call. The verification process will only occur whenever you’re logging in from a new computer or mobile device, or if you’ve cleared your browser’s cache.

Facebook: Facebook offers login approvals, which require you to enter a passcode anytime you try to log in from an unrecognized computer or mobile phone. Codes are sent via text message.

Twitter: Twitter will send a verification code via text or as a push notification on iOS and Android devices. The company also provides a backup code, so that in the event that you lose your phone, you can enter the backup code to log in to your account. This isn’t saved anywhere, so be sure to write it down someplace.

Dropbox: Like the others, you’ll receive a code anytime you try to access Dropbox from a new machine. They can be sent via text, or you can use an app like Google Authenticator or Duo Mobile. The company also provides a 16-digit backup code in case you lose your phone or for some reason can’t receive a PIN using the aforementioned methods. Again, write it down somewhere safe.

OneDrive: You can receive codes from Microsoft via text, email or authenticator app. A PIN is only required when you sign in from an untrusted device. Instructions on how to enable two-step verification are available here.

User Support Editorial Report – January 2015

Latest Technology

Quantum Credit Cards:

In a report issued last month, a team of scientists from the Netherlands is proposing a security system for credit cards and passports that would leverage the power of quantum physics. Dubbed quantum-secure authentication (QSA), the technology uses a strip of nanoparticles on the card that would be virtually impossible to hack. Read on...                               

Tips & Tricks

Best Free Panorama Software
How to Resize Icons in Windows 8.1
Backing up the Outlook Address Book
Rename Email Accounts and Mailbox Folders
How to Manage Attachments in Outlook 2013

 

 Computer Safety

Make Your Entire Internet Life More Secure in One Day:

From chat encryption to secure backups, time to find the easiest ways to make your online life secure without causing too much inconvenience..  Read on...

 

 

Bonus Video of the Month

User Support Editorial Report – July 2014

IBM's "Next Five in Five"

2012 forecast of inventions that will change your world in the next five years; how computers will mimic the senses:

Touch:        You will be able to reach out and touch through your phone

Sight:          A pixel will be worth a thousand words

Hearing:      Computers will hear what matters

Taste:         Digital taste buds will help you to eat healthier

Smell:         Computers will have a sense of smell

Building a Smarter World

Data Distribution Over 100 Gigabit Networks

During the SuperComputing 2012 (SC12) conference November 12-16, an International team of high energy physicists, computer scientists, and network engineers led by the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), the University of Victoria, and the University of Michigan, together with Brookhaven National Lab, Vanderbilt and other partners, smashed their previous records for data transfers using the latest generation of wide area network circuits. 

The international team reached a transfer rate of 339 gigabits per second (Gbps)— equivalent to moving four million gigabytes (or one million full length movies) per day, nearly doubling last year's record.

The team also reached a new record for a two-way transfer on a single link by sending data at 187 Gbps between Victoria, Canada, and Salt Lake City.

via SuperComputing 2012

©opyright Math (TM)

Comic author Rob Reid unveils Copyright Math (TM), a remarkable new field of study based on actual numbers from entertainment industry lawyers and lobbyists.

Wireless Display Television

LG has announced that it’s launching the world’s first native Wireless Display (WiDi) televisions. WiDi is more commonly known as “wireless HDMI” for its ability to stream high definition content over a 4Gbps data connection. Partnering with Intel, the first 3D versions of LG’s wireless HD televisions should start rolling out sometime next year, with CES attendees getting the first look at them next month.

More at ExtremeTech

Flexible 3D AMOLED Display

Samsung Mobile Display produced a short video (in Korean) showing a transparent, flexible 3D AMOLED display based tablet. This is just a concept device, and it should take years before commercialization of the product.

We will be waiting to service it:

SoftPerfect Network Scanner

SoftPerfect Network Scanner is a free multi-threaded IP, NetBIOS and SNMP scanner with a modern interface and many advanced features. It is intended for both system administrators and general users interested in computer security. The program pings computers, scans for listening TCP/UDP ports and displays which types of resources are shared on the network (including system and hidden). 

In addition, it allows you to mount shared folders as network drives, browse them using Windows Explorer, filter the results list and more. SoftPerfect Network Scanner can also check for a user-defined port and report back if one is open. It can also resolve host names and auto-detect your local and external IP range. It supports remote shutdown and Wake-On-LAN.

Key features 

• Pings computers and displays those alive. 
• Detects hardware MAC-addresses, even across routers. 
• Detects hidden shared folders and writable ones. 
• Detects your internal and external IP addresses. 
• Scans for listening TCP ports, some UDP and SNMP services. 
• Retrieves currently logged-on users, configured user accounts, uptime, etc. 
• You can mount and explore network resources. 
• Can launch external third party applications. 
• Exports results to HTML, XML, CSV and TXT 
• Supports Wake-On-LAN, remote shutdown and sending network messages. 
• Retrieves potentially any information via WMI. 
• Retrieves information from remote registry, file system and service manager. 
• It is absolutely free, requires no installation, and does not contain any adware/spyware/malware. 

Download link: SoftPerfect Network Scanner, SoftPerfect website