Security Risks and the Near Future

So, I started a new job today. It looks very challenging and rewarding as well. I'll be in an architecture and production support role for the customer-facing Single Sign On (SSO) infrastructure of a company that provides HR services.
While considering the security concerns that may be on the horizon for this type of service-oriented business, I'm still amazed at the sort of continuing security risks that anyone can run into every day just using a credit card or accessing MySpace.

If you've forgotten a Windows password

If you have, you know it can be frustrating. I had a laptop that my dad left me and we had no idea what the password was or what was on it. We thought there might be some programs and information that we wanted. I was ready to try to crack the passwords using the "old" method with a bootable Linux CD and cracking tools, but I tried the Windows repair method first.
You can see how to use this method in my article here.

Worthy of Note if You Need a Free Firewall

So, recently I reviewed PC Tools Firewall Plus 5.0 for Windows. I'm mentioning it here because I found someone yesterday who had a less effective firewall on her PC on a trial basis, and was going to need to update both because the trial was running out, and because I informed her that somehow she had still managed to become infected with some sort of spyware or malware despite the AV and firewall software she did have installed. I wasn't impressed much in the past with PC Tools' firewall offerings, but I like this one a bit better. Since I've been around the field so long, I'm jaded and expect firewalls to be incredibly feature rich, but when I consider the needs and abilities of the average user I realize they can't really be expected to understand and configure them.

20th Article Published for Bright Hub

I've just written my 20th computer security article published on Bright Hub. I really enjoy writing these. There should be 10 more done by the end of April ('09).

Proposed Cybersecurity Advisor a disaster in the making

In this article we find that there is a proposed advisory position for Cybersecurity, that would have the power to "disconnect federal or critical infrastructure networks from the Internet if they were deemed to be at risk of attack." I don't know if I like the idea of an appointed government bureaucrat having the power to disconnect parts of the Internet based on their opinion.

The bill also suggests creation of other entities that are essentially duplicates of services and functions already available in the free market system, that are currently in place, and don't need governmental interference.

I don't want a government position to squeeze out potential growth in the information security field, and I surely don't want them creating regulated or bureaucratic boondoggles & hoops to jump through whenever I want to work for a client.

/end rant