password

Infopackets Reader Dan A. writes: " Dear Dennis, I upgraded to Windows 10 last year and now all the sudden I keep receiving popup notifications from the Windows 10 Action Centre that my Windows 10 password is about to expire. I have never received ... this password expire notification before. How can I disable these notifications? " My response: I also started receiving these notifications some time in the last two weeks and I'm not sure why. Perhaps there was an update to Windows 10 that caused these notifications to appear. How to Fix: Disable Windows 10 Password Reminder There are a few ways ... (view more)

Users of the Opera browser's sync tools have been warned to change their passwords for every website. The organization behind Opera says the warning is with "an abundance of caution." The warning only covers people who use Opera's system for ... synchronizing bookmarks, passwords and other information so that they can access the feature on any computer. This covers around 1.7 million people among the 350 million who use the browser. Writing on a company blog, Opera's Tarquin Wilton-Jones said an attack on the system had been detected and, although quickly blocked, was ... (view more)

Are smart devices a security risk? Security firm Rapid 7 seems to think so. According to the researchers, a range of Internet-connected light bulbs had at least nine security flaws. While the potential consequences are hardly life or death, it could ... be a blow to the concept of smart devices in the home. Osram's Lightify range of light bulbs lets users control lighting via a smartphone or tablet app. The idea is partly to allow more precise controls, such as dimming a bulb or even changing its color, and partly to allow users to remotely access the lights. For example, if a home owner is ... (view more)

Users of remote access tool GoToMyPC will need to reset their passwords as a security measure after an attack by hackers. Although creators Citrix describe it as a "very sophisticated" attack, it's simply another case of hackers targeting people who ... continue to re-use passwords on multiple sites. GoToMyPC is a tool that lets users remotely access their PC or Mac using another computer or mobile device. As with most such tools, the computer being remotely accessed must be switched on and connected to the Internet. The actual system that powers GoToMyPC, and its database of login ... (view more)

Management at TeamViewer, a remote access computer tool, have confirmed that a "significant number" of users have fallen prey to hackers. However, the company insists that all evidence suggests that there is no flaw in the system, but is instead ... pointing fingers at its users. TeamViewer allows users to login to a remote computer (even their own) from anywhere with an Internet connection. Once connected, users can operate the computer just as if they had physical access to the machine. The security for the system works in two ways: first, users get a reference number that identifies ... (view more)

Two online accounts belonging to Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg have been hacked. The incident, thought to have resulted from a LinkedIn data breach, is a high profile example of the dangers of poor password choices. The hackers, calling themselves ... OurMine Team, took control of Zuckerberg's Twitter account and posted a message informing him of the breach. They also claimed to have accessed his Pinterest account (which appears to be correct) and his Instagram account, which doesn't appear to be the case. Perhaps the one point of relief for Zuckerberg is that his Facebook account was not ... (view more)

A series of massive but dated breaches of high-profile sites is yet another reminder of the dangers of poor password security. While the sites in question are taking preventative measures, experts warn that hackers could use the stolen details to ... access other sites. In the past few weeks, hackers have offered up massive hauls of stolen login details from four major sites. They include details of 360 million accounts from MySpace and 65 million accounts from Tumblr, both lists appearing to date from 2013. Questions Posed For Sites And Users This follows 164 million account details from ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader Sam S. writes: " Dear Dennis, I recently upgraded to Windows 10. During the installation procedure, it asked me to enter in an email address. I did that, however, now I can't remember what password I used for the email address - ... and now I can't login to Windows 10! I am completely locked out of the system. How can I get back in if I don't know my email password for Windows 10? If I'm able to get back in, how can I set it up so I can login without having to use the email login? " My response: This is a very frequently asked question. The short answer is that you can attempt ... (view more)

Google is working on an option to replace password logins on mobile devices with a "trust score" based on multiple factors. The idea is to combine all sorts of factors that aren't secure enough on their own. The idea is to balance the need for ... security with the hassle of remembering passwords by building on the concept of two-factor authentication. That's an existing philosophy that deals with the inherent weakness of using a single login factor such as a password. Two-factor authentication combines a password with another factor such as using a specific device or having ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader Joe M. writes: " Dear Dennis, I am running Windows 10. When I go to Hotmail (Live.com) to login and view my emails, I am automatically logged into my account. I would much rather be able to log into my Live email account manually, ... but I don't see an option for this. How can I disable the Hotmail automatic login? Other people use the computer and I do not want them gaining easy access to my email account. I'd rather I had to sign in every time. Thanks for any help you can provide. " My response: With the release of Windows 10 last year, Microsoft has integrated many of its ... (view more)