What's Your Password??
by Gary Woods

One of the very real problems people have with computers is keeping their passwords private. So what can you do to protect your passwords? Well first off you should use password creation etiquette. Things like using upper and lower case letters and inserting numbers is good. Also try inserting characters other than numbers or letters into your passwords. And finally changing your passwords occasionally is a possibility.

The next thing you can do is if you've configured Windows to automatically log on without a password change that setting. In Windows XP, enter "control userpasswords2" (no quotes) in the Start menu's run dialog. Check the box entitled Users must enter a use name and password to use this computer and click on OK. You can also make sure your screen saver is password-protected as well. Right-click on the desktop, choose Properties and click on the Screen saver tab. Check the box entitled "On resume, password protect," and set the screen-saver timeout value to something like 5 minutes.

If you use Outlook Express or another e-mail client whose log-on is vulnerable, you may want to reconfigure it to require entry of the log-on password. And never leave your e-mail client open when you leave your desk.

Then finally, run an anti-spyware utility regularly. Something like Spybot Search and Destroy http://www.safer-networking.org/en/index.html would be good. Remember, an invisible spyware or Trojan-horse program can not only decode saved passwords, it can record them as you type.

If you have any suggestions or questions for me please drop me a note at garyandlaury@santabarbaraproperties.com or see my column on the Internet at http://www.santabarbaraproperties.com or call me at (805) 729-0910