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I’ve decided that a hundred efficiency tips is enough to make most computer users efficient.\u00a0 There are undoubtedly a few that I have left out.\u00a0 I’ll add new ones as time goes on, but I need to start a new thing right now.<\/p>\nI’ve decided that a hundred efficiency tips is enough to make most computer users efficient.\u00a0 There are undoubtedly a few that I have left out.\u00a0 I’ll add new ones as time goes on, but I need to start a new thing right now.<\/p>\n
\u00a0I would like to finish for now with something that really doesn’t save you time.\u00a0 Security costs you extra time, but that extra time is worth the effort.<\/p>\n
Computer security starts with a good password and a system that doesn’t automatically log you on at startup.\u00a0 I talked about auto-login<\/a> a few weeks ago.\u00a0 This can save you a few seconds every time you turn your computer on, but in an office where other people have access to your computer it can cost you your data.\u00a0 I once had a teacher ask me if it were possible for the network administrator to “get into” her personal laptop and “see” her data.\u00a0 I booted her computer and it did an auto-login.\u00a0 At that point, I said anyone that could physically touch her computer could get all her data.<\/p>\n If your computer never leaves your house and you have locks on your doors, an auto-login is probably safe.\u00a0 I have lots of kids walking around my house so I don’t have auto-login enabled.<\/p>\n I talked about passwords<\/a> last spring.\u00a0 Using\u00a0“strong” passwords will keep your data safe.\u00a0 Strong passwords take longer to type, but the time is worth it.\u00a0<\/p>\n I also encrypt all my portable data using TrueCrypt<\/a>.\u00a0 If you keep sensitive data on a portable device (person information, grades, trade secrets), you should encrypt that data.\u00a0 If you ever lose your USB drive, you won’t have to worry about anything except the cost of replacing the media.\u00a0 Encryption would have prevented the whole fiasco with the backup tape stolen from an Ohio\u00a0intern’s car<\/a>.\u00a0 Now it is going to cost the state of Ohio millions of dollars to protect those affected\u00a0from identity theft.<\/p>\n Encryption takes more time, but it is worth it.<\/p>\n My friend, Mike, sent me this link.<\/p>\n http:\/\/blogs.techrepublic.com.com\/tech-news\/?p=907<\/a><\/p>\n It’s a story about a\u00a0guy that was kidnapped and tortured by people that wanted his password.\u00a0 The\u00a0victim didn’t work for the government.\u00a0 He didn’t know trade secrets.\u00a0 He was the world leader in an online game and his captors wanted to sell his account to the highest bidder.\u00a0 After five hours of holding a gun to his head, they could not get him to surrender his password.<\/p>\n I don’t recommend putting your life in jeopardy to protect your passwords.\u00a0 An arm or a leg is the limit for me.<\/p>\n TSPY= -2.07<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" I’ve decided that a hundred efficiency tips is enough to make most computer users efficient.\u00a0 There are undoubtedly a few that I have left out.\u00a0 I’ll add new ones as time goes on, but I need to start a new … Continue reading