Harrolds.Blogspot.com
From: baja Sent: Tuesday, August 06, 2013 Subject: Eat more pork---- it's much SAFER
Eat more pork---- it's much SAFER.
I'll bet a cup of coffee you already know who you will pass this on to....
Monday, August 26, 2013
o'illegals - Free housing, food, health care
To: info@barackobama.com ; senator@schumer.senate.gov ; senator@mccain.senate.gov ; senator@Graham.senate.gov ; info@whitehouse.gov ; info@messages.whitehouse.gov ; (gov) Speaker of the House ; (gov) Sebelius, Kathleen (HHS/OS) ; (gov) Pelosi, Nancy Patricia D'Alesandro (Rep, D-CA 8th) ; (gov) McConnell, Mitch-R ; (gov) Feinstein, Dianne Goldman Berman (Sen CA) ; (gov) Brown, Jerry (Governor R-CA) ; (gov) Boxer, Barbara Levy (Sen, D-CA) ; (gov) Boehner, John ROH ; (gov) Biden, Joseph "Joe" Robinette Jr. (VP) ; (gov) 1984, Report o'enemies to WH ; o'stand down!
Sent: Monday, August 26, 2013 Subject: o'illegals - Free housing, food, health care
On Monday, 26Aug13, I heard a news cast in which a member of o'illegal's bureaucracy vows to include full coverage under o'scamcare for illegal aliens if the current rendition of it fails to do so. It is her contention that the o'amnesty bill can be amended to require that all illegals get full health coverage paid by others who will be taxed or fined in order to fund the o'ponzi scheme!
I suppose that includes taxpayers funding the U.S. government TV ads that have been run in Mexico encouraging more aliens to enter the U.S. illegally!
Other examples:
(Washington, DC) - Judicial Watch today released documents detailing how the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is working with the Mexican government to promote participation by illegal aliens in the U.S. food stamp program. The promotion of the food stamp program, now known as "SNAP" (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), includes a Spanish-language flyer provided to the Mexican Embassy by the USDA with a statement advising Mexicans in the U.S. that they do not need to declare their immigration status in order to receive financial assistance. Emphasized in bold and underlined, the statement reads, "You need not divulge information regarding your immigration status in seeking this benefit for your children." [..] (source: http://www.judicialwatch.org/press-room/press-releases/judicial-watch-uncovers-usda-records-sponsoring-u-s-food-stamp-program-for-illegal-aliens/
Unreal - Obama Partners With Mexico to Boost US Food Stamp Use ...
Jul 19, 2012 - Food stamp radio and TV campaigns here and in Mexido for goods ...The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has embraced [encourages] illegal aliens...
Posted by Jim Hoft on Thursday, July 19, 2012 at:
It is as if he wants the country to fail.
The Obama Administration is using a Spanish soap opera format to push food stamps on illegal immigrants and Spanish-speaking Americans:
The Obama Administration is using a Spanish soap opera format to push food stamps on illegal immigrants and Spanish-speaking Americans:
Watch this video [in English] on Youtube at: http://www.youtube.com/v/KLmAYQtFIsA
This is despite the fact that most U.S. families headed by illegal immigrants use taxpayer-funded welfare programs on behalf of their American-born anchor babies. The Obama USDA is working with Mexico to increase participation in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or food stamp program."
This is despite the fact that most U.S. families headed by illegal immigrants use taxpayer-funded welfare programs on behalf of their American-born anchor babies. The Obama USDA is working with Mexico to increase participation in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or food stamp program."
By nearly every estimate, both private sector and the government's own accounting, most all social welfare and entitlement programs (without the added burden of o'scamcare) are unsustainable. In the short term, the bulk of the people who voted for o'illegal (many already marginalized in society) are the very ones whose jobs will be most affected. The current administration has a) given waviers to thousands of large businesses, b) will cave to large unions, and c) exempted the tens of thousands of Congressional members and staffs - who remains to pay for it all? - Not the infamous 47% that is for sure!
Then by what means will the added 33 million or so illegals' services be paid?
I suspect it will be done using one of the five accounting methods below:
1) It is a slow day in the small Minnesota town of Marshall, and streets are deserted. Times are tough, everybody is in debt, and everybody is living on credit.
A rich tourist visiting the area drives through town, stops at the motel, and lays a $100 bill on the desk saying he wants to inspect the rooms upstairs to pick one for the night.
As soon as he walks upstairs, the motel owner grabs the bill and runs next door to pay his debt to the butcher.
The butcher takes the $100 and runs down the street to retire his debt to the pig farmer.
The pig farmer takes the $100 and heads off to pay his bill to his supplier, the Farmer's Co-op.
The guy at the Farmer's Co-op takes the $100 and runs to pay his debt to the local prostitute, who has also been facing hard times and has had to offer her "services" on credit.
The hooker rushes to the hotel and pays off her room bill with the hotel owner.
The hotel proprietor then places the $100 back on the counter so the rich traveler will not suspect anything.
At that moment the traveler comes down the stairs, states that the rooms are not satisfactory, picks up the $100 bill and leaves town.
No one produced anything. No one earned anything... However, the whole town is now out of debt and now looks to the future with a lot more optimism.
And that, ladies and gentlemen, is how the United States government is conducting business today.
PEACE, RK (source: http://www.abovetopsecret.com/forum/thread544407/pg1)
Another version, video source: http://www.youtube.com/embed/B1hTeY7WdX4 (2m46s)
2) Abbott and Costello on Unemployment
Quote from RK, "A friend sent along an email with the following exchange between Abbott and Costello on the unemployment rate. This version was attributed to Glenn Blomquist of the University of Kentucky; some previous versions are here."
COSTELLO: I want to talk about the unemployment rate in America.
ABBOTT: Good Subject. Terrible Times. It's 7.8%.
COSTELLO: That many people are out of work?
ABBOTT: No, that's 14.7%
COSTELLO: You just said 7.8%.
ABBOTT: 7.8% Unemployed.
COSTELLO: Right 7.8% out of work.
ABBOTT: No, that's 14.7%.
COSTELLO: Okay, so it's 14.7% unemployed.
ABBOTT: No, that's 7.8%.
COSTELLO: WAIT A MINUTE. Is it 7.8% or 14.7%?
ABBOTT: 7.8% are unemployed. 14.7% are out of work.
COSTELLO: If you are out of work you are unemployed.
ABBOTT: No, Congress said you can't count the "Out of Work" as the unemployed. You have to look for work to be unemployed.
COSTELLO: BUT THEY ARE OUT OF WORK!!!
ABBOTT: No, you miss his point.
COSTELLO: What point?
ABBOTT: Someone who doesn't look for work can't be counted with those who look for work. It wouldn't be fair.
COSTELLO: To whom?
ABBOTT: The unemployed.
COSTELLO: But ALL of them are out of work.
ABBOTT: No, the unemployed are actively looking for work. Those who are out of work gave up looking and if you give up, you are no longer in the ranks of the unemployed.
COSTELLO: So if you're off the unemployment rolls that would count as less unemployment?
ABBOTT: Unemployment would go down. Absolutely!
COSTELLO: The unemployment just goes down because you don't look for work?
ABBOTT: Absolutely it goes down. That's how they get it to 7.8%. Otherwise it would be 14.7%. Our govt. doesn't want you to read about 14.7% unemployment.
COSTELLO: That would be tough on those running for reelection.
ABBOTT: Absolutely!
COSTELLO: Wait, I got a question for you. That means there are two ways to bring down the unemployment number?
ABBOTT: Two ways is correct.
COSTELLO: Unemployment can go down if someone gets a job?
ABBOTT: Correct.
COSTELLO: And unemployment can also go down if you stop looking for a job?
ABBOTT: Bingo.
COSTELLO: So there are two ways to bring unemployment down, and the easier of the two is to have people stop looking for work.
ABBOTT: Now you're thinking like an Economist.
COSTELLO: I don't even know what the hell I just said!
ABBOTT: Now you're thinking like Congress.
ABBOTT: Good Subject. Terrible Times. It's 7.8%.
COSTELLO: That many people are out of work?
ABBOTT: No, that's 14.7%
COSTELLO: You just said 7.8%.
ABBOTT: 7.8% Unemployed.
COSTELLO: Right 7.8% out of work.
ABBOTT: No, that's 14.7%.
COSTELLO: Okay, so it's 14.7% unemployed.
ABBOTT: No, that's 7.8%.
COSTELLO: WAIT A MINUTE. Is it 7.8% or 14.7%?
ABBOTT: 7.8% are unemployed. 14.7% are out of work.
COSTELLO: If you are out of work you are unemployed.
ABBOTT: No, Congress said you can't count the "Out of Work" as the unemployed. You have to look for work to be unemployed.
COSTELLO: BUT THEY ARE OUT OF WORK!!!
ABBOTT: No, you miss his point.
COSTELLO: What point?
ABBOTT: Someone who doesn't look for work can't be counted with those who look for work. It wouldn't be fair.
COSTELLO: To whom?
ABBOTT: The unemployed.
COSTELLO: But ALL of them are out of work.
ABBOTT: No, the unemployed are actively looking for work. Those who are out of work gave up looking and if you give up, you are no longer in the ranks of the unemployed.
COSTELLO: So if you're off the unemployment rolls that would count as less unemployment?
ABBOTT: Unemployment would go down. Absolutely!
COSTELLO: The unemployment just goes down because you don't look for work?
ABBOTT: Absolutely it goes down. That's how they get it to 7.8%. Otherwise it would be 14.7%. Our govt. doesn't want you to read about 14.7% unemployment.
COSTELLO: That would be tough on those running for reelection.
ABBOTT: Absolutely!
COSTELLO: Wait, I got a question for you. That means there are two ways to bring down the unemployment number?
ABBOTT: Two ways is correct.
COSTELLO: Unemployment can go down if someone gets a job?
ABBOTT: Correct.
COSTELLO: And unemployment can also go down if you stop looking for a job?
ABBOTT: Bingo.
COSTELLO: So there are two ways to bring unemployment down, and the easier of the two is to have people stop looking for work.
ABBOTT: Now you're thinking like an Economist.
COSTELLO: I don't even know what the hell I just said!
ABBOTT: Now you're thinking like Congress.
posted by E. Frank Stephenson at: http://divisionoflabour.com/archives/2013_07.php
2) Abbott and Costello "Two Tens for a Five" (1m19s)
Watch on Youtube at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7pMYHn-1yA
4) Amos'n Andy "Income Tax" (26m22s)
Watch on Youtube at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=deYNv_BFRJQ
5) Three guests check into a hotel room. The clerk says the bill is $30, so each guest pays $10. Later the clerk realizes the bill should only be $25. To rectify this, he gives the bellhop $5 to return to the guests. On the way to the room, the bellhop realizes that he cannot divide the money equally. As the guests didn't know the total of the revised bill, the bellhop decides to just give each guest $1 and keep $2 for himself. Each guest got $1 back: so now each guest only paid $9; bringing the total paid to $27. The bellhop has $2. And $27 + $2 = $29 so, if the guests originally handed over $30, what happened to the remaining $1?
From: Political Outcast Alert Sent: Thursday, August 22, 2013 Subject: Outrageous; Free housing, food, and health care to all Illegal Aliens
Let me get this straight: If you cross the borders into Mexico illegally you will be jailed for up to two years. But, if you cross the United States border illegally you could get:
This is OUTRAGEOUS.
But until we tighten the border and enforce existing laws for illegally crossing the border, millions of people will continue to traverse it every year.
Sheriff Joe Arpaio, Maricopa County, Arizona
P.S. Millions enter our country illegally every year with very little consequence. I am working day and night to protect our land and keep Arizona and America safe, but I need your help. It's difficult to campaign for re-election while devoting 100% of my time and effort to fighting to protect our citizens. Your contribution will ensure I have the funds to fight back and run an effective campaign. Thank you!
Sheriff Joe Arpaio, Maricopa County, Arizona
P.S. Millions enter our country illegally every year with very little consequence. I am working day and night to protect our land and keep Arizona and America safe, but I need your help. It's difficult to campaign for re-election while devoting 100% of my time and effort to fighting to protect our citizens. Your contribution will ensure I have the funds to fight back and run an effective campaign. Thank you!
Friday, August 23, 2013
Black on White Crime: 2 Negroes Beat WWII Vet to Death!
 | News for two [worthless pieces of trash] blacks beat WWII veteran to death
|
I am sure that Mr. Steele harbored not a thought of negroes committing atrocities such as the one above as being part of a "group mentality or mass psychosis"; however, the loss of Blacks' individualism and popular submission to the 'guilt free nanny state' and its 'you owe me' mentality has replaced everything that Mr. Steele addresses in his essay linked below. Due to its length, only the URL to his essay is given for you here. IMHO, he does not address 'wilding criminality' directly but does address, albeit indirectly, larger issues relating to the underlying causes of why the Black society has become more racist and a 'culture of violence." -- rfh
"The age of white guilt: and the disappearance of the black individual"
An essay by Shelby Steele, Harper's Magazine, November 30, 1999
Essay source: http://www.cir-usa.org/articles/156.html
To see how disparate 'black racism' has become, visit my ethnocentrism web page at: http:// harrold.org/rfhextra/ethnic.html
American Values - 'When Men Were Men and Women Were Women' (1881, Taos, N.M.)
"This is a verbatim transcription of the sentence from United States of America v. Gonzales, imposed upon the defendant convicted of murder in the Federal District Court of the Territory of New Mexico in the year 1881, by a United States Judge, sitting at [near] Taos in an adobe stable used as a temporary courtroom.
"José Manuel Miguel Xavier Gonzales, in a few short weeks, it will be spring. The snows of winter will flee away, the ice will vanish, [and the air will become soft and balmy, in short, José Miguel Xaviar Gonzales,] and the annual miracle of the years will awaken and come to pass, but you won't be there.
"The rivulet will run its course to the sea, the timid desert flowers will put forth their tender shoots, the glorious valleys of this imperial domain will blossom as the rose. Still, you won't be there to see.
"From every treetop some wild woods songster will carol his mating song, butterflies will sport in the sunshine, the busy bee will hum happy as it pursues its accustomed vocation. The gentle breeze will tease the tassels of the wild grasses, and all nature, José Manuel Miguel Xavier Gonzales, will be glad, but you.
"You won't be there to enjoy it because I command the sheriff, or some [other] officers of the country, to lead you out to some remote spot, swing you by the neck from a knotting bough of a sturdy oak, and let you hang until you are dead.
"And then, José Manuel Miguel Xavier Gonzales, I further command that such officer or officers retire quickly from your dangling corpse, that vultures may descend from the heavens upon your filthy body until nothing shall remain but the bare bleached bones of a cold-blooded, copper-colored, blood-thirsty, throat-cutting, chili-eating, sheep-herding, murdering son-of-a-bitch."
United States of America v. Gonzales (1881)
United States District Court, New Mexico Territory sessions
( true attribution unknown )
sources: http://westernsensibility.blogspot.com/2008/07/good-ol-days-of-death-sentencing-1881.html (+ Wikipedia and various, including the LOC)
reposted:
http://harrolds.blogspot.com/2011/09/sentence-us-v-gonzales-1881-harking.html
http://harrolds.blogspot.com/2011/07/american-values-when-men-were-men-women.html
reposted:
http://harrolds.blogspot.com/2011/09/sentence-us-v-gonzales-1881-harking.html
http://harrolds.blogspot.com/2011/07/american-values-when-men-were-men-women.html
On a plaque this quote was proudly hung to greet visitors in to our SAC office, Customs Agency Service, U.S. Treasury, New Orleans Custom House, in the early '70s. Regretfully, most of the 'work-hard, play-hard' agents' are gone now... -- rfh. (I hope to meet them again...later, not sooner!)
| Quotes+American Values | |||
| Magna Carta:TimeLine | Arbroath Declaration
 Scots Wha
Hae |
History of: The US Bill of Rights | Founders'+Constitution+Amendments |
Wednesday, August 21, 2013
o'mam - o'toon: You may not be warned again!
From: burd Sent: Friday, August 02, 2013 Subject: You may not be warned again!!!
With everything that is happening in our country, a chuckle is a good thing….
American - Gen."Mad Dog" Mattis (Night of the Long Knives)
From: jrp Sent: Wednesday, July 31, 2013 Subject: Mad Dog
Oh yeah, "Semper Fi!" Marines!
General "Mad Dog" Mattis quotes (don't miss the last one)
This man knows his job is to keep America safe.
16 best quotes from the retiring Gen. James Mattis
Gen. James Mattis, known to his troops as "Mad Dog Mattis," is retiring after 41 years of military service.
Mattis has been commander of the United States Central Command since 2010 and led the 1st Marine Division into Iraq in 2003.
According to reports, President Barack Obama decided to force the Marine Corps legend out early because he rubbed civilian officials the wrong way, and forced them to answer tough questions regarding Iran.
Mattis was an inspirational leader of men and his powerful words will go down in history.
Here are some of the best words that the "Mad Dog" has had to offer:
1. "I don't lose any sleep at night over the potential for failure. I cannot even spell the word."
AP
2. "The first time you blow someone away is not an insignificant event. That said, there are some assholes in the world that just need to be shot."
3. "I come in peace. I didn't bring artillery. But I'm pleading with you, with tears in my eyes: If you f**k with me, I'll kill you all."
4. "Find the enemy that wants to end this experiment (in American democracy) and kill every one of them until they're so sick of the killing that they leave us and our freedoms intact."
Flickr
5. "Marines don't know how to spell the word defeat."
6. "Be polite, be professional, but have a plan to kill everybody you meet."
7. "The most important six inches on the battlefield is between your ears."
8. "You are part of the world's most feared and trusted force. Engage your brain before you engage your weapon."
Gen. Mattis in 2006 / Flickr
9. "There are hunters and there are victims.n By your discipline, cunning, obedience and alertness, you will decide if you are a hunter or a victim."
10. "No war is over until the enemy says it's over.n We may think it over, we may declare it over, but in fact, the enemy gets a vote."
11. "There is nothing better than getting shot at and missed.n It's really great."
12. "You cannot allow any of your people to avoid the brutal facts. If they start living in a dream world, it's going to be bad."
Gen. Mattis and Gen. Dempsey / Flickr
13. "You go into Afghanistan, you got guys who slap women around for five years because they didn't wear a veil. You know, guys like that ain't got no manhood left anyway. So it's a hell of a lot of fun to shoot them. Actually it's quite fun to fight them, you know. It's a hell of a hoot. It's fun to shoot some people. I'll be right up there with you. I like brawling."
14. "I'm going to plead with you, do not cross us. Because if you do, the survivors will write about what we do here for 10,000 years."
15. "Demonstrate to the world there is 'No Better Friend, No Worse Enemy' than a U.S. Marine."
16. "Fight with a happy heart and strong spirit."
And one final quote for returning Veterans:
Anybody surprised Obama forced this guy to retire early?
PC Security - Don't Use Chargers You Don't Own
From: jrp Sent: Wednesday, August 07, 2013 Subject: Warning for all you travelers...
The bad guys are getting better all the time…
Black Hat: Don't Plug Your Phone into a Charger You Don't Own
This news couldn't wait for the Black Hat conference happening now in Las Vegas. We reported in June that Georgia Tech researchers had created a charging station that could pwn (pair with) any iOS device. The full presentation revealed precise details on how they managed it. I'm never plugging my iPhone charger into a USB port in a hotel desk again.
iOS Security
Billy Lau, a research scientist at Georgia Institute of Technology, led off with a review of iOS security. "Apple uses mandatory code signing to enforce their walled garden model," noted Lau. "No arbitrary person can install an arbitrary app. Who can sign an app? Only Apple and iOS developers."
Lau explained that the Georgia Tech team saw developer code-signing as possible channel into creating iOS malware. "We went to the developer portal, submitted our credentials, paid $99, and then we are approved," said Lau. "Now I can sign any app and run it on any iOS device."
Lau explained that Apple rejects apps based on rules that aren't entirely public. By examining rejected apps, the team determined that any apps using Apple's private APIs would be banned. He also pointed out that the iOS sandbox features and entitlement checks make sure an app can't attack another app, "in contrast to PCs, where such attacks are easy." The Mactans attack works around both of these safety limitations.
Aug 01, 2013; By Neil J. Rubenking
This news couldn't wait for the Black Hat conference happening now in Las Vegas. We reported in June that Georgia Tech researchers had created a charging station that could pwn (pair with) any iOS device. The full presentation revealed precise details on how they managed it. I'm never plugging my iPhone charger into a USB port in a hotel desk again. iOS Security
Billy Lau, a research scientist at Georgia Institute of Technology, led off with a review of iOS security. "Apple uses mandatory code signing to enforce their walled garden model," noted Lau. "No arbitrary person can install an arbitrary app. Who can sign an app? Only Apple and iOS developers."
Lau explained that the Georgia Tech team saw developer code-signing as possible channel into creating iOS malware. "We went to the developer portal, submitted our credentials, paid $99, and then we are approved," said Lau. "Now I can sign any app and run it on any iOS device."
How Does Mactans Do It?
"Mactans challenges the very fundamental security assumptions that people make," said Lau. "In particular, people assume it's safe to charge the device and use it when charging." He continued, "I must emphasize that this is not a jailbreak, and it does not require a jailbreak. The attack is automatic; simply connecting the device is enough. It's stealthy. Even if the user looks at the screen there's no visible sign. And it can install malicious apps on the target device."
The Mactans prototype is a bit large, as it's based on a three-inch square BeagleBoard inside a three-d printed case. Lau noted that there are plenty of ways to make it smaller, or hide it inside something larger.
Yeongjin Jang, a PhD student at Georgia Institute of Technology, took on the task of explaining the details. It turns out that any device you connect with an iOS via the USB port can obtain your device's Universal Device ID (UDID), as long as the device isn't passcode-locked. It just takes a second, so if you plug in your device while it's unlocked, or unlock it while plugged in, or just don't have a passcode, Mactans can attack.
Using the UDID, it effectively claims your device as a test device using the team's Apple developer ID. "The iOS device must pair with any USB host that claims it," said Jang. "Any USB host that initiates contact, they cannot reject it. It doesn't ask the user's permission and gives no visual indication.
The only way to prevent a Mactans attack is to lock your device before charging it and keep it locked for the entire time."
Once accomplished, the pairing is permanent.
The team found an attribute that Apple uses internally to make apps hidden, so they don't show up on the screen or in the task manager. They leveraged this, along with access to the Apple private APIs, to create a Trojan that can take over the phone completely and invisibly. As a final (and alarming) demonstration, they showed a Mactans-pwned phone turn itself on, swipe open, enter the passcode, and call another phone. The audience cheered wildly (though perhaps a bit fearfully).
What Can Be Done?Chengyu Song, a PhD student at Georgia Institute of Technology, detailed just what Apple should do to make this type of attack impossible. Apple actually invited the team to have a look at an early version of iOS 7. Silent, forced pairing with any host is what gives the Mactans attack a foot in the door. "We noticed that they have added a new feature," said Lau. "When you connect to a new host it will ask if the host is trusted."
However, that was the only good news. Song detailed a number of other changes that Apple would have to make in order to prevent attacks like Mactans.
Any current iPhone is vulnerable to this attack. The only defense is a very simple rule: don't plug your phone into a charger you don't own. If you do, you could find your supposedly-secure iOS device totally owned by malware. Even then, don't assume you're safe. As a parting shot, the team recommended a coming UseNix talk called "Jekyll on iOS" which will explain a non-hardware technique that lets an app bypass Apple's review.
The team found an attribute that Apple uses internally to make apps hidden, so they don't show up on the screen or in the task manager. They leveraged this, along with access to the Apple private APIs, to create a Trojan that can take over the phone completely and invisibly. As a final (and alarming) demonstration, they showed a Mactans-pwned phone turn itself on, swipe open, enter the passcode, and call another phone. The audience cheered wildly (though perhaps a bit fearfully).
What Can Be Done?Chengyu Song, a PhD student at Georgia Institute of Technology, detailed just what Apple should do to make this type of attack impossible. Apple actually invited the team to have a look at an early version of iOS 7. Silent, forced pairing with any host is what gives the Mactans attack a foot in the door. "We noticed that they have added a new feature," said Lau. "When you connect to a new host it will ask if the host is trusted."
However, that was the only good news. Song detailed a number of other changes that Apple would have to make in order to prevent attacks like Mactans.
Any current iPhone is vulnerable to this attack. The only defense is a very simple rule: don't plug your phone into a charger you don't own. If you do, you could find your supposedly-secure iOS device totally owned by malware. Even then, don't assume you're safe. As a parting shot, the team recommended a coming UseNix talk called "Jekyll on iOS" which will explain a non-hardware technique that lets an app bypass Apple's review.
PC Security - Use Strong Passwords
From: jrp Sent: Wednesday, July 31, 2013 Subject: Creating Strong Passwords
Found this article while bumming around the net. Good article that is easy to understand and gives some good ideas. Bob P.
Taken from: http://www.us-cert.gov/ncas/tips/ST04-002
Security Tip (ST04-002)
Choosing and Protecting Passwords
Original release date: May 21, 2009 | Last revised: February 06, 2013
Passwords are a common form of authentication and are often the only barrier between a user and your personal information. There are several programs attackers can use to help guess or "crack" passwords, but by choosing good passwords and keeping them confidential, you can make it more difficult for an unauthorized person to access your information.
Why do you need a password?
Think about the number of personal identification numbers (PINs), passwords, or passphrases you use every day: getting money from the ATM or using your debit card in a store, logging on to your computer or email, signing in to an online bank account or shopping cart...the list seems to just keep getting longer. Keeping track of all of the number, letter, and word combinations may be frustrating at times, and maybe you've wondered if all of the fuss is worth it. After all, what attacker cares about your personal email account, right? Or why would someone bother with your practically empty bank account when there are others with much more money? Often, an attack is not specifically about your account but about using the access to your information to launch a larger attack. And while having someone gain access to your personal email might not seem like much more than an inconvenience and threat to your privacy, think of the implications of an attacker gaining access to your social security number or your medical records.
One of the best ways to protect information or physical property is to ensure that only authorized people have access to it. Verifying that someone is the person they claim to be is the next step, and this authentication process is even more important, and more difficult, in the cyber world. Passwords are the most common means of authentication, but if you don't choose good passwords or keep them confidential, they're almost as ineffective as not having any password at all. Many systems and services have been successfully broken into due to the use of insecure and inadequate passwords, and some viruses and worms have exploited systems by guessing weak passwords.
How do you choose a good password?
Most people use passwords that are based on personal information and are easy to remember. However, that also makes it easier for an attacker to guess or "crack" them. Consider a four-digit PIN number. Is yours a combination of the month, day, or year of your birthday? Or the last four digits of your social security number? Or your address or phone number? Think about how easily it is to find this information out about somebody. What about your email password — is it a word that can be found in the dictionary? If so, it may be susceptible to "dictionary" attacks, which attempt to guess passwords based on words in the dictionary.
Although intentionally misspelling a word ("daytt" instead of "date") may offer some protection against dictionary attacks, an even better method is to rely on a series of words and use memory techniques, or mnemonics, to help you remember how to decode it. For example, instead of the password "hoops," use "IlTpbb" for "[I] [l]ike [T]o [p]lay [b]asket[b]all." Using both lowercase and capital letters adds another layer of obscurity. Your best defense, though, is to use a combination of numbers, special characters, and both lowercase and capital letters. Change the same example we used above to "Il!2pBb." and see how much more complicated it has become just by adding numbers and special characters.
Longer passwords are more secure than shorter ones because there are more characters to guess, so consider using passphrases when you can. For example, "This passwd is 4 my email!" would be a strong password because it has many characters and includes lowercase and capital letters, numbers, and special characters. You may need to try different variations of a passphrase — many applications limit the length of passwords, and some do not accept spaces. Avoid common phrases, famous quotations, and song lyrics.
Don't assume that now that you've developed a strong password you should use it for every system or program you log into. If an attacker does guess it, he would have access to all of your accounts. You should use these techniques to develop unique passwords for each of your accounts.
Here is a review of tactics to use when choosing a password:
How can you protect your password?
Now that you've chosen a password that's difficult to guess, you have to make sure not to leave it someplace for people to find. Writing it down and leaving it in your desk, next to your computer, or, worse, taped to your computer, is just making it easy for someone who has physical access to your office. Don't tell anyone your passwords, and watch for attackers trying to trick you through phone calls or email messages requesting that you reveal your passwords (see Avoiding Social Engineering and Phishing Attacks for more information).
If your internet service provider (ISP) offers choices of authentication systems, look for ones that use Kerberos, challenge/response, or public key encryption rather than simple passwords (see Understanding ISPs and Supplementing Passwords for more information). Consider challenging service providers that only use passwords to adopt more secure methods.
Also, many programs offer the option of "remembering" your password, but these programs have varying degrees of security protecting that information. Some programs, such as email clients, store the information in clear text in a file on your computer. This means that anyone with access to your computer can discover all of your passwords and can gain access to your information. For this reason, always remember to log out when you are using a public computer (at the library, an internet cafe, or even a shared computer at your office). Other programs, such as Apple's Keychain and Palm's Secure Desktop, use strong encryption to protect the information. These types of programs may be viable options for managing your passwords if you find you have too many to remember.
There's no guarantee that these techniques will prevent an attacker from learning your password, but they will make it more difficult.
Authors
Mindi McDowell, Shawn Hernan, and Jason Rafail