Safety First
Flash drives are meant to be portable. It also makes them very misplaceable.
Introducing the flash drive lock. Fitting any basic flash drive like a normal cap over the USB end the lock comes with a set of three number turns to code your self. In red or silver they will match almost any preexisting drive you may already be using. It’s better to be safe than sorry when it comes to protecting your files.
KeePass keeps your passwords safe
I’ve reached the limit. I can no longer remember my passwords. I literally have a little notebook where I have been writing down all the passwords for all the sites I have my various information and memberships located. If I lose that book, which I seem to daily, I am seriously screwed.
Enter KeePass, an open-source, free software, I just read about on Get Rich Slowly. This may be the solution I’ve been looking for. Basically it is an encrypted database that you secure with a single password where you can store and access each of your other passwords. I’ve thought of doing something similar with Excel, but then it wouldn’t really be secure.
The program supports the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES, Rijndael) and the Twofish algorithms to encrypt its password databases.
Personally I don’t know much about software encryption but apparently these are considered very safe by people in the know. Consider this:
Keepass is also portable and can be stored on a USB drive and used on any Windows system without being installed.
Sentry Safe for Data Protection
We recently got a waterproof/fireproof safe to protect our important documents. I had been meaning to do it for years, but like so many other things, it kept getting pushed to the bottom of the list.
I noticed that the company–Sentry Safe–also has a number of media protection items as well.
One is a fireproof/waterproof hard drive that you can plug into your computer and back up your data in case of an accident. You can also use it in dirty or dusty environments. It is available in 80 GB, 160 GB and 250 GB sizes.
Another small size data storage protection case houses up to 60 DVDs or CD and connects and protects a range of other devices like iPods, flash drives, etc.
Of course, there is also a variety of online data security options, too.
A Secret Diary
When I was a little girl I had the diary with the lock that was supposed to keep my secret hopes and dreams safe. Meet the new, teched-out version– Take’s Secret Diary USB flash drive designed for teens.
The small drive has a key-pad for entering your personalized 3 to 10 digit PIN-number. Encrypted with hack-proof software, what you write is for your eyes only. If you worry about forgetting your PIN, they have PIN replacement assistance and a Never-Lost backup subscription that retains your diary entries in case of loss or theft.
This drive is geared toward girls with fun games and widgets such as a Fortune Cookie feature, rate everything from boys to movies to restaurants with My Stars, and analyze your dreams with Dream Catcher. Not sure what to write, try Thinking Deep to point you in the write direction. There’s even a Mood Art feature that analyzes your words and adds appropriate “mood” colors to your page.
You can personalize entries with a variety of backgrounds, colors and text styles. You can also include your own photos and add drawings (ala Perez Hilton)
It sells for $59.95 via Amazon.
Safer, Slowly but Surely
I have to admit that I have taken my cyber-safety for granted. I just assume that my computer is protecting me, but after posting last week about National Cyber Safety Month, I decided to get more serious.
Since I had been having some weird issues with my computer anyway and then I kept getting this strange note about having a virus that if I clicked on it was linked to a website for a virus software, I decided I should try out some anti-malware, anti-virus programs.
I installed a few programs recommended on a message board and was surprised by the number of issues that were found. Since running the programs and installing the anti-virus protection, my computer is running much better. The site also recommended installing the latest updates for Windows to repair security patches or any work done would be reversed within seconds of going online (scary!).
I know that even the best programs are no match for the trickiest hackers, but I feel better having taken steps to protect myself.
Here’s a few more stories for more steps you can take to protect your computer and your information:
Software for Security
It’s that time of year, where many of us are heading back to the college dorm or out there for the first time. There are a lot of questions about room size, and roommate personality, food, safety, etc. etc. While there’s not much one can do about problems such as food or personality, when it comes to computer worries technology usually has an answer.
For anyone paranoid enough about the safety of their material on a Mac there is the Rohos Logon Key. When you fear that password login is not enough to keep your excellent Shakespeare paper from plagiarizing eyes just grab a USB drive and the Rohos software and no amount of password guessing or stealing counts for anything.
The concept is simple, plug your USB flash drive in to “unlock” your Mac and unplug it to reapply the locked safety feature. Like any key (car included) the system’s not full proof, but the idea is solid. And, with so many other college unknowns, a jumpy freshman may find extra computer security makes the rest of the world of higher education seem a little more secure too.
