How to choose a Secure Password?

Due to the number of Usernames and Password one needs to remember, we are inclined towards using something which we are already very familiar with to make it easier. We are also tempted to opt for universal passwords for everything because it is easier to remember just one password rather than several different passwords. Unfortunately, the danger associated to this is, a smart hacker can break them very easily. 

 

First using a password with the real name or pet name of a user should be avoided. Moreover avoid passwords on information that can found with a bit of research on you, such as your wife’s name, child’s name, type of car you own, a phone number or vehicle license tag, your address, a parent’s name, your date of birth, etc.

 

A common method used by hackers to break a password is the dictionary method of attack. This method uses a dictionary in any language to try large numbers of words to see if an actual word is in the password. Reversed words, frequent misspellings and look-alike letter replacements are also checked.

 

One solution that is popular is to use a sentence that is easy to recall and use the first letter of each word in the sentence for the password. Using this method, ”Please Do Not Throw Sausage Pizza Away” translates into the password “pdntspa”

 

To make it more complex, mix in some upper case letters and maybe “P” for Please. Add a date make the final password “Pdntspa1999″. It looks complicated but it is easy to recall the year, and the sentence.

 

Since a great many passwords are case sensitive, the use of upper case letters greatly increases the difficulty of breaking such a password. Symbols can be used with some systems, so using an easy to remember question mark and a dollar sign will make the password “Anwy?ccdfy$1961″ makes it an even better password.

 

A change like this adds length to the password, making it far more difficult for a hacker to break. A password should be a minimum of eight characters but fourteen or more, like the example above, is best.

 

To enhance the security of your passwords, you should:Use a separate password for each program or application, don’t use a common password for all.Keep all passwords private, don’t share them with anyone who doesn’t really need to know. Every three or four months, change your passwords. So not use your passwords on shared computers such as in a public library or cyber cafe as there could be keystroke software installed.

If someone says they are from your bank or some such place and asks for your password, do not give it.

Banks and other similar places will never ask for your PIN or password.

Associating a file with an extension in Windows….

Every file has a file name and a 2, 3 or 4 letter extension. Generally it’s a 3 letter extension which tells Windows which program it needs to use to open that file. If you accidentally open a  file with a different program then Windows assigns that program for all the files ending with that extension and you need a registry cleaner to fix the issue.

 

You might wonder what a Registry cleaner has to do with file association. Once you read further you would understand. All files that are saved in a computer are saved with a file extension. The extension would be .doc, for Microsoft Word document or .xls extension for Microsoft Excel document. Operating systems like Windows would use these extensions to map programs with the file and automatically open the program when a file with a particular extension is opened. But the file association can go wrong in two scenarios. The two scenarios are. One when the program needed to open that extension fails to load and the other case would be when the extension or association is wrong. All such information is stored in the registry of the operating system and if the extension or association goes wrong or the program does not work the data or file is redundant and will fail to load. This will remain in the registry, as it is not automatically deleted. Here you need to run a registry cleaner to fix the issue.

 

You can download a Registry Cleaner from the Internet. You can go to www.download.com and search for “Registry Cleaner” and downloaded a freeware version of Registry Cleaners that come as the search result. Generally the Registry Cleaners are small programs which would take few minutes to download. Once downloaded you can run the Installer Package (Download File) and follow the instructions to install the software. Registry Cleaners run in two stages. Stage one would be to scan the registry for redundant entries such as bad associations or extensions and unused keys. This process may take few minutes depending on the size of your registry. The second stage is to clean the registry with the registry cleaner you have download.

 

There are a huge number of free registry cleaners that can be downloaded from the internet for free. TweakNow Registry Cleaner Standard 3.0.1, Free Registry Cleaner 4.4 and Abex Free Registry Cleaner 1.1 are some free registry cleaners which I would recommend from www.download.com. Any registry cleaner would remove redundant associations for files that are inoperable because the associated programs not working.

 

Registry Cleaner software remove duplicate and un-used keys present in the registry. So regularly running a registry cleaner on your system would keep the registry optimizaed resulting in better performance of your PC.

How does a Registry Cleaner work ?

A registry cleaner scans the system for obsolete files and links and deletes them from the system registry to make the system run faster and more efficiently.

The registry was designed to speed up the operating system but this very intention and design by Microsoft could prove detrimental to your system is the registry is not serviced and maintained by regularly using a good registry cleaner software to clean the registry of useless entries that are slowing down the system and taking up disk space.

There are many registry cleaners such as the PC Mantra’s registry cleaner, the PC registry cleaner and the Windows XP registry cleaner that can spruce up your system and make it much more enjoyable to use. Registry cleaner software, as any registry cleaner software, scans the system and traces obsolete or outdated data. Then after determining the good from the bad the registry cleaner deletes the redundant data enabling your PC to perform error free and more efficiently than before running the registry cleaner.

Ensure The Registry Cleaner Has A Good Backup Function

Before using a registry cleaner it is of paramount importance to ensure if the software has a registry backup function. This is important because in case the cleaner goes wrong the system will crash and will need to be restored with this backup to get the system back to its previous level of functioning. This can occur if the registry cleaner inadvertently deletes some file in the registry. You can download a free version of any registry cleaner or a trial version. However, a free or trial version will not have all the features enabled in the download so it is always good to have a licensed version of the registry cleaner software. In fact it is always good to have a licensed version of any software to keep your system running error free and efficiently.

A corrupted Registry Will Crash The System

If the registry of an operating system is damaged or corrupted the entire system will crash or become very unstable. This could render the system unusable. So, the registry is a vital part of the computer that has to be kept in very good working condition. If this part of the computer gets filled with trash, such as broken links caused by uninstalling software and not removing the entries from the registry, or outdated entries that do not need to be there the whole system will slow down drastically. Believe it or not a single day on the system can enter more than a thousand entries in the registry. Forty percent of which will be useless after the days work is done. These entries will have to be removed with the help of a good registry cleaner. Though a few thousand entries will have no significant effect on the system they will over a period of time.

Effectively Find Your Query in Search Engines :)

WWW is the best source for finding anything you are looking out for. You can accumulate a lot of information from the comfort of your desk. But most of us out there waste most of our valuable time with irrelevant search results.This blog outlines the best ways to get relevant results from the search engines. To get the best results in terms of relevancy, you need to give some details to the search engine.

 Most people think of search engines as simple ask question – get answer robots, search engines work exactly the same way. They are nothing but advanced database search and retrieval programs in which you put in the search engines with query.It is very important to pass a good query to search engines to get better results. What are you looking for? Are you looking to collect tons and tons of information regarding a generic topic such as astrology? If any information with the word “astrology” is important for you, then it’s your day, because Lakhs of search results will be available for you to collect. And this is best solution for you if you have lots of free time.

 Irrelevant results bother many people because they try the first web site which came out as the result of search, and go to the next one, and then to the next one and so on. Although many hours are lost in this trial and error method, the chances to reach the website you need is very low. The reason is that search engine will bring any website which includes the word “astrology” on any page. Can you imagine this? Total No of websites in WWW with the small word “astrology”.

Being as specific as possible is the best way to get what you want. If you are looking for information about “Indian Culture”, then immediately tell that info to the search engine and type the phrase – Indian Culture – to the search window. In this query, search engine will rank the web sites in order of importance and will the websites which uses the terms “Indian” and “Culture” at the same time according to their relevancy.

You can get more relevant result by using quotes for the phrase you are searching. This way you command the search engine to give results containing both Indian and Culture at the same time as one entity instead of retrieving one word and the other as separate words. By doing this your search results will be filtered further and you will be closer to what you are looking for.

Web directories are great if you are already known what you are looking for. For specific queries you should prefer to look into directories other than search engines because they are organized to navigate back and forth of the directory tree with categories and sub- categories structure.

Web directories may not give reference close to what you are looking for, but they are very time efficient and give perfect results since they are created according to specific topics and sub topics navigation needs.No matter which search engine or directory you use to search the web for your needs, these tips will help you to get better results in your efforts to search the web time efficiently and get immediate results J J J

What is a .LNK file?

LNK files are shortcut files that link to an exe file somewhere on the system. These can build up in the central database called the registry and slow the system down drastically if they are not cleaned from time to time. Registry cleaners, such as Windows XP registry cleaner, Free registry cleaner or a Eusing registry cleaner can do the job.

A shortcut file is also known as a link file because it is linked to the program it is expected to startup. A .LNK file is usually linked to a .exe or executable file or program. It is actually a pointer to an .EXE file that may be anywhere on your system. When you click on the shortcut it’s like clicking on the .EXE file and the associated program starts to run. Many a time a LNK file will stop working for no reason at all. This is because of some malicious software known as viruses that download themselves and disrupt the underlying .EXE application. They do this by disrupting the association with the program and the link file. Many times the change is unintentional because a downloaded program makes changes to the registry to facilitate their programs thus corrupting the registry. These changes can be undone by registry cleaners that are available for free download from the Internet.

It is possible to undo or repair the damage to a LNK file by going into the HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT.lnk section of the registry because this is where all the LNK files and associated information is stored for the computer to use. However, it is not as easy as it sounds. You may do more damage to the system than good if you do not know exactly what you are doing in the registry. There fore, it is better if you search through the Internet and locate a registry cleaner, such as Windows XP registry cleaner, Free registry cleaner or a Eusing registry cleaner then down load the windows registry cleaner you feel is best for your system and run it to scan the registry and then clean the registry of all the redundant files or broken links.

By using a registry cleaner on a regular basis you will find that your system will be making less errors while operating. Most of the LNK or EXE errors will have been done away with as well. The system will also run more efficiently and faster than before the registry cleaner was run on the system. The registry is the central database of the system and stores all the information the system needs to run efficiently. Any changes in the system are reflected in the registry in the appropriate section. The registry grows in size as the system is used. Thus when a program requests some information it has to be located in the registry and the registry searches through the entire filing system to locate the information. This is how the registry slows down a system drastically as it grows.

The registry will keep all information entered into it. So the redundant information has to be cleaned or erased from time to time. This is accomplished with the help of registry cleaner software. Registry cleaner software is a great tool to speed up the system and make it more stable.

What is a Shortcut ???

A shortcut may be a link that you have created somewhere, usually on the desktop, or may be a combination of keys to launch a program. Shortcuts will all be registered in the registry and clutter it up as and when you keep on adding the shortcuts to the computer. The registry thus needs to be cleaned up regularly with a registry cleaner.

There are two types of shortcuts in windows operating system environment. On shortcut is a link created and placed anywhere. This is mainly placed where one can see it such as on the desktop. Right clicking on the desktop and selecting -New – Shortcut can create a shortcut link on the desktop. Then browsing through the next window to get to the file or program that you want to create a shortcut link on the desktop to.

Once you have selected the object for the shortcut you click finish and a link is created on the desktop. Clicking on this link will open the file. Another way is to navigate or browse to the file or program on the PC and right click and select ‘create shortcut’. The system will warn you that the short cut will be placed on the desktop for the particular object. Clicking ‘ok’ will accomplish the task. Now that you know what a shortcut is and how it works, you should also know the impact it may have on the registry of the system and why the registry has to be cleaned with a registry cleaner from time to time.

Some shortcuts can be created with the help of the windows keyboard. Presetting a set of control Alt (Key) will start up a program without you having to navigate to where the program is stored to get it up and running. However these shortcuts will all be registered in the registry and clutter it up as and when you keep on adding the shortcuts to the computer.

The registry is a central database of all the activity on the system and needs to be cleaned up regularly with a registry cleaner because as the registry grows older and is used more often it slows. When a shortcut key is pressed the shortcut keys refer to the registry for information on where to locate the program or file to launch. The registry in turn goes through its entire database in the section to locate the data being queried. So, if the registry is large with useless shortcuts, it will take a very long time to locate the shortcut that is being sought. This is the reason that the registry must be cleaned with a windows registry cleaner on a regular basis.

There are many free windows registry cleaners on the Internet. So go on and make your choice. It can only be of help to speeding up the system and making the operating system run error free and more efficiently with as few headaches as possible.

Everything You Need To Know About Bulk Cat5e Cable

Cat5 cable is the original Ethernet cable, and includes four twisted pairs in a single jacket. The twisted pair design helps reduce interference from external sources and other pairs (also known as crosstalk). Its performance specifications were designed for use with up to 100Mbit/s networks in fact, the most common usage for Cat5 cable is 100BASE-TX Ethernet.

In 2001, Cat5e (or enhanced Cat5) was designed, with stricter specifications for performance and speed. The biggest difference between Cat5 and Cat5e is that Cat5e can be used with Gigabit networks, networks like 1000BASE-T that boast transfer speeds of up to 1000Mbit/s. Cat5e also has slightly modified wiring for even greater protection from far end crosstalk.

In general, Cat5 has been almost completely replaced by Cat5e. While you can still find Cat5 cable out there, you can often find Cat5e at almost the exact same price. You may not notice a difference in performance for a home network, but virtually all business settings will benefit from exclusively using Cat5e.

UTP or STP?

The “TP” in both STP and UTP stands for “Twisted Pair.” As mentioned previously, Cat5 cables include 8 total wires, each twisted with another to create four twisted pairs. This balanced pairing is crucial in avoiding crosstalk and establishing a high signal-to-noise ratio even in interference-rich environments.

STP is Shielded Twisted Pair. Each pair in the cable is covered in a metal sheath, which provides protection against EMI (Electromagnetic Interference). The drawbacks to shielding are a heavier cable without the same level of flexibility as UTP (Unshielded Twisted Pair). STP is also a slightly more expensive cable and all of its jacks and terminators are shielded to be effective, which can add up over long distances.

UTP has no additional shielding around its individual twisted pairs, and thus does not require that its terminators and jacks also be shielded. Additionally, it is a light, thin, and flexible cable. This means that it is easy to wire between walls and won’t take up the space that you may need for additional wiring.

Conclusion

Unless you have specific needs, UTP Cat5e cable is the best solution for most of your networking needs. Not only is it reliable, fast, and easy to work with, it’s also the cheapest LAN cable on the market.

For additional shielding, go ahead and pay the extra for STP but remember that the cable will have less flexibility and needs shielded counterparts when planning your networking.

Network Security/Hacking Contd…

So in my first post on Network Security/Hacking i have told you how to use angryip scanner to find out live computers on your network…..sorry to say this but most of the internet users out there are not concern with their network security and they connect to the internet without using a Firewall, and most of them share a folder with important files…..

There are many software based firewalls like Zone Alarm which sit on your PC between your OS and Internet and wheneven some program tries to access the internet they will pop-up a window asking you weather you want to allow the program or not….if you dont have the knowledge about that program you can always google.com to find what the program is….and then you can allow/block them…sounds simple right but it provides the best protection….

Sharing of folders….this is something which is the killer in the cable internet networks….even if you dont have any folders shared but you have File Printing and Sharing enabled you are vunerable to all the Network Virus which spread through network..If you have a cable internet connection remember to remove File Printing and Sharing from Network Connections. Its a service and you dont need it to access the internet….

Angryip scanner result window would display all the live hosts and you can right click a live host and select browse to browse the shared folders….

 Another basic mistake people do is they would allow unwanted services enable…for example telnet….have you used telnet before…..most of you would answer no…its a service through which you can remotely connect to a PC and execute commands….by default it comes with a blank password….so you can simply right click the live hosts and select Telnet…if the service is enabled you are in his system and you can use any dos command you have learnt as part of your Basic Computer skills….delete all system files to make his system useless…thats the worst thing to do….

 Keep comming back for more….and please post your suggestions and comments…….

Ten Ways to Write Great Blog Posts That Get Attention

Millions of blogs fight for readership online (over 75 million by some counts), with thousands more being created every day. Making yours stand above the rest may seem like a daunting task, but here are ten suggestions for making your blog posts stand out from the crowd.

1. Write each post title so it grabs the reader’s attention. It is the first thing someone reads, and it should get your reader’s attention right away. Your title should both pique the reader’s interest and be informative. Do not write “Business Writing Advice”; instead, say “The Best-Kept Secret to Reducing Your Business Writing Worries.” Longer titles have the advantage of describing in detail what your post is about; 8-12 words are a good range.

2. Keep sentences short and clear. A little goes a long way. Readers are busy people and they will not spend hours detangling complex syntax or sifting through blocks of text. Also, use strong language. Start a new paragraph every few sentences, and limit each post to 250 words, if possible. If you cannot write it in under 250 words, split it into two entries.

3. Break up the text. Use numbered lists, bullet points, and subheadings to make your posts easy to scan. Lots of white space on the page is a good thing-it allows your reader to take mental breaks and let the knowledge soak in. In addition, with the inevitable clutter of banner ads and side text, this technique puts some distance between your writing and all those distractions.

4. Keep current. No one wants to read old news. Your job is to stay up-to-date so your readers do not have to themselves. Read newspapers. Scour the web for references. For example, if you write a blog about business communication, subscribe to Google News Alerts using keywords related to the field, such as blogs, podcasting, instant messaging, business letters, memos, and business reports, so you will always be well informed. Posting items from last month or last year will lose your reader’s interest faster than you can say “Enron.”

5. Be bold. Timidity is an easy path to anonymity. Do not be afraid to create and state your opinions. Of course, there are some situations in which objectivity rules-but you have to give people a reason to read this blog by you and not by the person next door.

6. Be accurate. If you make a statement, be prepared to back it up. Know what your sources are and quote them accurately. Misinformation spreads like wildfire online; do not be the spark that sets it off or the wind that fans it.

7. Contribute to the conversation. Links are great-but then what? Do not just post links to the same tired sites, offer your reader something new. Contribute to the conversation. Your goal is to be the site to which everyone else is linking-so you had better have something worth writing about.

8. Stay focused. Once you have defined the theme of your blog, stick to it. A blog about piggy banks has no business posting about the latest innovation in alternative energy. Such a deviance will only confuse your reader and chip away at your virtual authority.

9. Use key words liberally. Keywords are, well, key. Harness your blog’s search engine potential by dousing your title and post with effective keywords that will help interested parties find your page in the vast, muddled blogosphere. This is one of the most important elements of getting your blog read-go at it with gusto.

10. Be consistent. Keep a schedule and stick to it. Post frequently-at least several times per week if you want to increase your potential of attracting new readers. Let your blog languish for weeks without updates and your audience will move on to fresher ground.

Maintaining an informative blog that people want to read takes hard work and good writing skills. Find what makes your writing unique-and flaunt it for all it is worth.

Microsoft Certification: Your Career Is Waiting!

Microsoft, a leader in the IT industry, has developed a number of certification programs for professionals working in the business. The programs allow you to decide which certification is appropriate and best suited for your career. There are over 2 million IT professionals with Microsoft certification. You can join their ranks and greatly enhance your professional career with Microsoft Certification. It’s important to note that Microsoft has restructured their programs to be very targeted.

Microsoft provides plenty of support as you study for your various certifications. The training includes classroom training, self-study kits, computer-based training, online classes, and books, and certification guides. You can take advantage of the way that you learn best. Depending on the career path you have chosen, you will find a certification that matches your skill set. Microsoft plans to, over time, introduce exams that rely on simulations and performance items.

You start by taking the appropriate entry- level certification. Prepare yourself with the most suitable Microsoft Certification Guides. You need to choose the right guide. A list follows of the various Certification Guides you can choose from. Match you expertise with these guides.

MCSE certification (Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer) is an industry standard targeted at the IT professional and provides the skills and training needed to design and implement infrastructure functions based on the Microsoft Windows® 2000 platform and Microsoft server software such as MCSE Messaging and Security.

MCSA certification (Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator) is for IT professionals who need skills and knowledge to administer system environments based on desktop and server operator systems. This training focuses on managing and troubleshooting system environments. With this level of certification you can now prepare for specializations like MCSA Security and Messaging.

MCDST certification (Microsoft Certified Desktop Support Technician) is for students who need the right skills and training to troubleshoot ordinary hardware and software issues in Microsoft Windows environments.

MCAD.NET certification (Microsoft Certified Application Developer ) provides you with the skills and knowledge that allows you to develop and maintain department level applications for Web clients, desktop client, components, and back-end data services all the way from development to maintenance.

MCSD.NET certification (Microsoft Certified Solutions Developers) is for IT professionals with the skills and knowledge needed for developing and designing leading edge business solutions by using various Microsoft tools, platforms, technologies and architectures. This certification allows you to develop custom .NET-based applications. This training encompasses everything from analysis to design, development, testing and maintenance using Microsoft development tools, technologies, and platforms. You become an expert on all aspects of the application life cycle.

MCITP certification (Microsoft Certified IT Professional Database Administrator) is for IT professionals who need to plan, administer, deploy, support and maintain databases created by using various Microsoft products.

MCITP certification (Microsoft Certified IT Professional Database Developer) gives you the skills and knowledge to plan, deploy, support, maintain and optimize IT infrastructures and databases created by using Microsoft products such as Windows Application Developer, Web Application Developer, or Enterprise Applications Developer.

MCPD certification (Microsoft Certified Professional Web Developer) distinguishes expert professionals who are Windows application developers, Web application developers, and enterprise application developers. Experts with these skills can build targeted applications using different platforms in the Microsoft.NET Framework 2.0.

MCPD certification (Microsoft Certified Professional Developer) is for students who need to distinguish themselves as an expert in comprehensive Windows application development, enterprise application, and Web application development using platforms that use the Microsoft.NET Framework. This certification is a stepping- stone to other Microsoft certifications.

MCTS.NET 2.0 certification (Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist) is designed fir IP professionals who target specific technologies and demonstrate in-depth knowledge of .NET 2.0 and other specialized Microsoft technologies.

MCTS.NET 2.0 certification (Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist) is for IT professionals who work with enterprise environment databases. It provides students with in-depth training and skills for Microsoft SQL Server 2005 product.

MOS certification (Microsoft Office Specialist) is designed for IT professionals who need the skills and knowledge to understand and use the advanced features of Microsoft Office software.

MOS MI certification (Microsoft Office Master Instructor) qualifies you to teach MOS courses.

Microsoft Certified Architect Program is designed for IT professionals who can apply successful frameworks and methodologies to create an architecture from beginning to end, through the IT life cycle.

CLC certification (Microsoft Certified Learning Consultant) is a credential for expertise in designing and delivering customized learning solutions for other IT professionals.

MCBDA certification (Microsoft Certified Database Administrators) are trained to design, implement and administer Microsoft SQL Server databases.

MCT certification (Microsoft Certified Trainers) are instructors who are qualified to deliver Microsoft training courses. MCTs are authorized to deliver Microsoft Official Curriculum (MOC) or Microsoft Developer Network (MSDN).