Securing Your Web Browser Passwords

Having passwords automatically saved and filled in makes things MUCH simpler, especially for those who have multiple accounts, referencing multiple passwords. Of course we have all sat through the corporate PowerPoints on password security, and have all had that geeky nephew who hacked onto a neighbors internet just by knowing the name of their dog (another bad password). So beyond not making passwords really obvious, or even writing them on a post-it…did you ever consider how those passwords in your browser are stored? Unfortunately, they are much less secure than you probably thought…try this: If you are using Firefox on Windows, go to “Tools:Options” and an options dialoge window will appear. (If you’re on a OSX, same thing, just “FireFox:Preferences” from the Apple Menu Bar) From there, select the Security Tab along the top.

Notice the button that says “Saved Passwords”? If you click on this button, all of the accounts for which you have saved passwords will appear. From that dialogue, you can even click the “Show Passwords” button to reveal ALL of your saved passwords, for ALL of your accounts!

Crazy right? If its that easy to see these makes you think twice about storing your passwords, especially if there is the possibility of having anyone else use this machine! Not all is lost…notice however that there is whats called a Master Password. A Master Password is used to protect sensitive data like site passwords. If you create a Master Password, you will be asked to enter it once per session when Firefox retrieves saved information protected by that password. This way, YES, Firefox can store your passwords, and you dont have to worry so much about them being available in plain view. As a general rule of thumb, I would also caution you on storing bank passwords, and anything related to your SSN on any browser storage. If you are REALLY interested in taking password security to the next level, I would look at something like KeePass; a free password management tool that will encrypt your passwords for you, and even allow you to set up keyfiles that must be used to unlock the password “safe”.

In Summary, use a strong Master Password that you can remember so Firefox will protect your passwords, and feel more comfortable about the way your browser stores and uses your passwords.

Keeping the BP Disaster in Perspective

I was watching the news recently, listening to several stations continue to report on the BP oil-spill-disaster, showing countless pictures of oil covered critters, and diagrams with plums of oil filling up most of the gulf. Reporters over and over indicated that this event was the worst industrial disaster the world had ever seen. Reactions from many have been to consider boycotting BP filling stations, and donating money/time to the efforts to cleanup the animals, and the coast affected by the tragedy. Enraged by the greed of BP Execs and many engineers who “overlooked” certain warning signs focusing on a bottom line profit, many are calling for the BP execs to be tried in court, and held responsible for their actions. But is this really the worst case of greed and negligence the world has ever seen? Are these BP teams who are seeking profit really guilty of the worst case of disaster capitalism the world has seen?

In December of 1984 a Union Carbide (now owned by Dow Chemical) pesticide plant exploded in Bhopal killing over 5,000 people, and leaving over 120,000 others with a need for lifelong care. After the disaster, Union Carbide settled with the Indian government for $470 million….$350 million of which was the insurance sum…meaning that most of the victims got less than $1000 dollars each. When Dow purchased Union Carbide in 2001, there was finally hope that victims from the Bhopal incident when Dow announced that it would promptly “compensate victims of Union Carbide’s past negligence”. Dow promptly paid over $2 billion to… 14 asbestos plaintiffs in Texas, doing nothing for the victims who were continuing to suffer in Bhopal. Worse still, some 25 years AFTER the incident, some 390 tons of toxic chemicals abandoned at the UC plant CONTINUE to leak into the groundwater of the region affecting thousands of residents that depend on it. Not only was the area not cleaned up, and not only were the victims not taken care of, but the incident has continued to affect generations beyond the explosion due to the lack of concern for taking care of the area.

The BP incident in the gulf is terrible. The beauty and wildlife of that region have been destroyed, and may likely be affected for several generations to come…but looking at the numbers from the explosion itself, of the 126 oil workers who were on board the BP oil rig… 11 people went missing, and an additional 8 were critically injured. So well say that 19 people were DIRECTLY affected from the explosion of the rig… that is .000152% of the number of people who were affected by what happened in Bhopal.

A valid argument would say that as of now, we cant tell definitely how many people may be impacted by eating fish from the contaminated area, or drinking water from that area in the gulf. Very true. It’s also very difficult to compare the disasters based on the value of human life alone, when so many animals, and so much of the ocean has been destroyed by this disaster. But this is also not the first time we have seen greed take precedence over the value of the environment, and especially over the value of human lives. I don’t write all of this to say, “Get over the BP thing” or to try to say it isn’t that bad. I hate that animals are getting sick, I hate that the once beautiful coastline is being destroyed, and I hate that oil continues to leak into the ocean. I am saying that I believe we need some perspective on what is going on here, and we need to recognize that we have the opportunity to do something about it. Daily we have the opportunity to cast our vote for corporate accountability, greed, and/or negligence. With every dollar you spend, you are casting your vote…buying from a company that has ethical standards, and supporting what they do. BP is obviously not the first company to ever cut corners to lower costs and increase profits at the cost of the environment and human lives. Many of the products we purchase every day are made in less than savory environments for people working for well under what we would consider a fair days wage.

Should BP be held accountable for what went on? Definitely, but hopefully this will also serve as a wakeup call that above huge profits, the preservation of human lives, and the care for the environment deserve a value on a company’s spreadsheet. So vote. Do your homework; try buying a product that might be slightly more expensive if you recognize that the company’s values are in line with your own. Don’t let BP off the hook, we can’t let this be another Bhopal…Encourage social and environmental responsibility with the way you spend your $$.

Why you SHOULDN’T get an iPhone 4

Apple released today their newest update to the iPhone line, the iPhone 4. With the iPhone 4G come exciting new features such as a front facing camera, the ability to record high definition video, and the ability to take 5MP pictures. The phone’s new iPhone 4OS also supports the ability to do video chatting from iPhone 4 to iPhone 4, as well as multi-tasking capabilities. The phone also features a trendy new design that seems to be similar to that of the current MacBook Pro offerings.

So, why not get it? The only features that REALLY stand out as being major changes from previous versions include the updated Camera, the front facing camera, and of course the new Apple A4 processor. The screen resolution is also said to have a great improvement. Cool right? but that also means having to sign away your soul to AT&T who is at best a poor cell phone service provider. While they claim coverage all over the nation, AT&T 3G coverage is only in MAJOR markets, and includes less than 30% of the US. In addition, AT&T has recently changed their data plan offerings to have a $15/200MB per month version, and a $25/2GB version….completely eliminating their unlimited data offering. While these price points may SAVE some iPhone users money, they also come with the risk of potentially going overboard, and being hit with data-plan overages…especially for those users who dont use Wi-Fi or aren’t “tech-savy” enough to really control how/when their phone is checking for new email in the backgroud.

My proposal is this…in the beginning of September for the last 3 years (September 5, 2007, September 9, 2008, and September 9, 2009) Apple has introduced a new version of the iPod touch (Currently on the 3rd generation). Here is how Apple’s product offerings work: Each summer, they have a promotion that offers a free iPod touch with the purchase of any new Apple laptop. This allows them to clear out inventory, so they can release a NEW iPod touch once the promotion has ended. While the current iPod touch doesn’t have a camera, I would be willing to bet that the newest version of the iPod touch will include not only a back, but also a front facing camera allowing it to have “Face Time” video chatting capabilities with other iPod touches, as well as other iPhone 4 devices. The iPod touch does not require being tied down with the lackluster service of AT&T, and still allows users to use most all of the apps hosted in the Apple app store. I would suspect that the newest iPod touches would also carry the same design, as well as new and improved screen offered by the new iPhone 4. Bottom line, if my contract were up with my current carrier…I would wait until late September to see what Apple will roll out in their iPod line before jumping on the iPhone 4 and having to sign another 2-year contract with AT&T.

A better alternative: Wait for the iPod touch, and look at an Android phone on either Verizon or T-Mobile…that way you will get the best of both worlds.