Security Notes: Passwords - Keep ‘em Strong, Safe and Unique!
by Jim Segers

How many passwords do you have? One? Five? Can’t remember the exact number?

Strong passwords are necessary in this day and age of online “everything.” The more we do with our computers and internet resources, the stronger our passwords need to be.

It would seem that using one password would be a simple and time-saving solution. The problem is, once your password is discovered for one login, it is known for all. This method also fails when passwords are expired regularly. Passwords should be changed at least every 90 days. A better method is to devise several passwords using the same strategy and keep track of them. However, this doesn’t mean writing them on sticky notes and attaching them to your computer screen!

Here’s an example of how to create a strong password: use the first line of a songs or poem you like. For example: Ag,hsts! = Amazing grace, how sweet the sound! Here’s a test, the first TnT reader to figure this password out and send me an email gets a prize! T*@nrB&B! Email your answer to jsegers@ag.tamu.edu .

“How do I keep up with so many passwords?” One answer to that question is - “use KeePass.” KeePass is a free software utility that acts as a password “safe.” A single master password is used to open KeePass to access your list of passwords. KeePass encrypts the passwords, so it is much more secure than a sticky note stuck on the computer! You can get KeePass athttp://keepass.sourceforge.net/ and the Fall '06 County Support CD.

Next to software updates, the single most important thing we can do is to BE VERY CAREFUL about choosing passwords. There are two keys that allow access, the USER ID and the PASSWORD associated with it. The USER ID is pretty easy to acquire or guess, so a good password is often the only protection!

The most common problems we see are NO password set, using a password you have shared with others, or one that is easily guessed like the name of a person, a pet, phone number, or a location.

Detailed information and policies on passwords can be found in the policy manuals at http://aghr.tamu.edu/xrules/219910X101infosec.htm

You can find more help on creating secure password on our website at http://eit.tamu.edu/passwords.htm .

Please take few minutes to review these password guidelines and spend a few minutes making your passwords stronger and more secure. It can save hours of work and worry in the long run.

Useful Links

Centra Central

Friday Online Topics for May:

6/16/06 - EZAnalyze - Survey Data in Excel
6/23/06 - Intro to Microsoft Publisher
6/30/06 - Meet Camtasia

Enroll or browse upcoming events or learn more about Centra by clicking the Centra Symposium link from the EIT webpage or going directly to http://eit.tamu.edu/centra.html . Playback any of the 250+ recorded sessions from the Public Recordings link at http://centra.tamu.edu/main/tce .

Web Info

Possible URLs to link from your Websites this Month
Working the Web - by Greg Thomas

The WWW brings a wealth of information to our fingertips on everything from antiques to zoology and is fast becoming a primary source of information and entertainment around the globe. Broadband network access in remote areas is changing the way people live and work. In the fall of 2005, the number of TCE county offices across the state, still using dial-up access to the internet, numbered fewer than the fingers on one hand. Broadband allows access to on-line services that remain impractical with slower network connections and gives us a host of tools that can help streamline our daily tasks in the office and at home.

Many folks have already discovered some on-line gems that eliminate difficulty or tedium with a few clicks of the mouse. Need to look up a zip code? Try the USPS lookup tool at http://zip4.usps.com/zip4/welcome.jsp. Or perhaps you just need driving directions to a client’s home, business or farm. It’s takes only a few moments to print a series of detailed maps using http://www.mapquest.com/ . For Extension professionals working with Ag. producers, having a detailed aerial photograph of an area or entire community can be useful. Use http://earth.google.com/ to virtually fly from space to your neighborhood. Type in an address and zoom right in. Tilt and rotate the view to see 3D terrain and buildings. Even add your own annotations to images. Sometimes information about population demographics for a town or area is needed. Use the tools found at http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/index.html to locate information on states, counties, schools and communities.

Shopping for a better deal? Try http://www.couponcabin.com/ to find current discounts and coupons being offered by local vendors. Need directory assistance to find a phone number? Use http://www.free411.com/searchresults.php?searchtype=2 and avoid the usual costs charged by telephone companies. Perhaps you’ll be traveling this summer and prefer a little extra leg room on the plane. Go to http://www.seatguru.com/ to find that perfect spot next to the window. And if you will be driving to your destination, http://www.texasgasprices.com/ can help you find the lowest gas prices. There are several good medical web sites that can answer questions about medications or health issues. Find the answer faster by searching them all at once using http://www.healthline.com/.

The list of web-based tools and utilities is virtually endless. Thousands of web sites appear and disappear every day, but as with “survival of the fittest”, the most useful and/or more popular are sure to remain. Put the web to work for you!

Tip of the Month: Multiple Calendars in GroupWise 7 - by Robert H. Jenson

Currently one of my biggest problems in scheduling events out of town is picking days when one of my two teenagers does not have a school function. I used to put their events on my calendar and mark them as private so I could print out a “work” calendar that did not include their events. However, one of the new features in GroupWise 7 is the ability to create multiple calendars and to share them with other GroupWise users. Now, I have created a calendar for each of them which allows me to see their events on my calendar, easily identify who’s event it is by the color of the entry, and also see only my work schedule when needed.

Multiple calendars would work very well to list events that you need to be aware of, but you may not actually attend - for
instance stock shows, 4-H activities, etc. or for events that you want to share with others in our GroupWise system.

Calendars shared in this way will show up like a shared folder in the other user’s GroupWise folder list. This means neither the calendar items nor the calendar itself will appear in the shared user’s calendar view. However, when the shared calendar/folder is selected, it will appear in standard calendar format.

An example of what multiple calendars can look like is shown in Figure 1. Instructions on how to create and share multiples
calendars are found on the next page.

To create an additional calendar:
  1. Right-click on Calendar in the folder list on the left hand side of the GroupWise
    window

  2. Select New Calendar (Figure 1)

A new calendar will be created under the Calendar item with the name New Calendar
which can be changed to a name of your choosing. Notice that it has a check box and a
gray square next to it (Figure 2).

• If box is checked - all items in the second calendar (and any other calendars) will be displayed on the main calendar

• If box is unchecked - click the calendar name in the folder list to view items in that calendar (Figure 3)

Clicking on the gray square will allow you to select a color for this calendar. All items that you enter into this calendar will display in that color (Figure 4) Figure 3

To share a second calendar:

  1. Right-click on the calendar you want to share and select Sharing (Figure 5)

  2. Click on Shared With and add users who will share the calendar (Figure 6)

    • Either type in the names and use the Quick Fill feature or click on Add User and select from the Address Book

    • Using the Quick Fill feature - once the correct name is displayed, click on Add User
  3. After users are added to the Share list - click on the name to give access rights to Add, Edit, or Delete items from the shared calendar

    • Rights can be removed or added at any time by checking options under Additional Access (Figure 6)
The end result will look something like Figure 7. Again, only if there is a check-mark next to the calendar name will the items in that calendar display on the main calendar (e.g. Holly and Kelsey show, but not Test 2).