Hackers Get Access To Info On Millions
Hackers, believed to be linked to China, gained access to background check information on as many at 14 million U.S. Government employees and possibly millions of other military, CIA and NSA employees.
They managed to gain access to the security clearance database and also to database containing Federal personnel data. It’s believed they hackers took Social Security numbers, dates of birth, home addressed and military records. It appears the SSN numbers were not even encrypted.
Data like this could make it easy for a foreign government to stage personalized attacks against these workers, what’s known as spear-phishing – scam e-mails designed to trick people into loading spyware onto their personal and work computers. If you’re a current or former government employee or a member of the military or have ever needed a government security clearance for an event or a job, you should keep an eye out of suspicious activity or unusual e-mails.
Are Emoji Safer Than Pins or Passwords?
A British company has launched Emoji only codes for logging into accounts. They say the colorful smiley faces and images are harder to crack than traditional passwords and Pins and are actually easier for people to remember.
Customers would use a four character emoji passcode to log into their banking apps. Emoji were first introduced as pictures of smiling or frowning faces to indicate emotion in texts or e-mails where subtleties like making a joke can be easily missed and are now a popular part of messaging, especially among younger people.
Microsoft Donates 10 Million to University Of Washington
Microsoft is helping to ensure there are plenty of future employees available for the company by donating 10 million dollars to the Computer Science & Engineering Department at the University of Washington.
The money will be used to start a campaign to build a second campus building for department that will eventually allow it to double the size of the program there.
Microsoft’s General Counsel, Brad Smith said, “This is an investment in students who will become the innovators and creators of tomorrow.”
~ Cynthia
Yes, I would love to use emojis for passwords. I think, especially for the elderly (not me, I am a young 65!), the icons would be much easier to remember.
I’d much prefer emoji’s than regular passwords, as it would be much easier to remember a picture (emoji) than to remember so many different letters, numbers and or characters required in a password. For us elderly, ‘remembering’ is a challenge.
Yes I would happily use emoji. It is an additional security step for the sign on for my bank.
Yes I would happily use emoji. Better security and easier to remember
At my age, I think I would have a harder time remembering emoji’s than the numbers, letters, etc. that I use now. Time will tell, because with technology and such we may be forced to go that way whether we want to or not; then I will have no choice in the matter.
Yes, I would totally use emoticons, so much easier than remembering a 100 different passwords!
Whatever will make it harder to crack and more fun to do.
STUPIDLY Bank of America has begun to remove a single picture in conjunction with a password for their online banking. WHY would they do that if it has been truly proven they (emoji or whatever stupid name they are called), in combinations of 4 are harder to crack than passwords? They are, after all, the largest bank in the USA.
Yes, I would like emojis rather than passwords..At my age (almost 89) anything to make life simpler would be a plus—Thanks for asking……
I think it is a good idea and a lot easier for me. as it’s sometime hardtop remember ALL those different passwords….
I would absolutely use Emoji not only for safety but, because I am artistic, I would love the creative process of coordinating them.