Embed A TrueCrypt Volume In A Playable Video File

"Steganography is the process of hiding an encrypted message in some otherwise innocent-looking format. We’ve gone over some ways to do this in the past with image files, but now you can take it to a whole new level by hiding an entire TrueCrypt volume in an mp4 video file."
Read More: Embed A TrueCrypt Volume In A Playable Video File 

Why you should be using Google’s 2-step verification AKA 2-Factor Authentication?

Have you ever been concerned about logging into your Google account on a public computer? Have you considered the risk of connecting to free wireless networks? If you have then Google’s 2-Step verificatioin comes to the rescue, if not then you should really reconsider the risk of using public networks and computers.

What is this 2-Factor Authentication you speak of? Two-factor authentication means that instead of using only one type of authentication factor, such as only things  a user knows (login IDs, passwords, secret images, shared secrets, solicited personal information, etc), a second factor, something the user has or something the user is, must be supplied in order to authenticate.

In february 2011 Google released a 2 step verification process for all web based applications. This 2 step verification process offers an extra level of security comparable to more mainstream products like RSA SecurID and CryptoCard. The idea is that when you login to your computer you have your username and password Plus you have access to a randomly generated access code for the second step. If someone finds out your username and password they still wouldn’t be able to login to your account because they do not have your phone to be able to generate the one time use access code. So what happens if you loose your phone?....well don't fret you can use backup codes that were created when you enrolled in the 2-Step verification or you can allow google to send a text or call a predefined phone number to give you an access code.

Do you have to go through these steps each time you login to your Google account?....NO! When you login you have the option to click a check box to remember that computer for 30 days. Yes this is an extra step but it will significantly improve the security of your Google account and all the data you have stored in Google Docs, PicasaWeb Albums, Gmail, etc.

For more information about this new feature visit 2 Step Verification

Time it takes to crack a password

Length: 6 characters

• Lowercase: 10 minutes
• Uppercase: 10 hours
• Numbers & Symbols: 18 days

Length: 7 characters

• Lowercase: 4 hours
• Uppercase: 23 days
• Numbers & Symbols: 4 years

Length: 8 characters

• Lowercase: 4 days
• Uppercase: 3 years
• Numbers & Symbols: 463 years

Length: 9 characters

• Lowercase: 4 months
• Uppercase: 178 years
• Numbers & Symbols: 44,530 years

Source: Business Week

24 hours with the Roku XDS

After extensive research and consideration i decided to go ahead and take the plunge and purchase the Roku XDS. The device is amazingly simple to setup but very versitile and flexible when it comes to content sources available for it. After connecting it to my wireless and then telling it i had a 720p television i was ready to start adding channels to my home screen.

The channel store has options available ranging from movies/TV shows (Netflix,Hulu Plus, Amazon Video On Demand), music (Pandora, Last.fm), access to Facebook, flickr, & Picasa web albums photo's, etc... I do have a problem with how you add some channels to your home screen. For example with Flickr once you open the channel they give you a long url that you must type into your browser on the computer and generate an activation code to give your Roku access to your account. This process wasn't complicated at all, however i was under the impression that i would not need my computer at all to add these channels. I would have liked the option to type in my Flickr credentials on the roku device and it connects right from the comforts of my sofa. This was by no means a deal breaker though.

Thoughts on the CISSP

My thoughts on preparing for and acquiring the (ISC)2  CISSP (Certified Information System Security Professional) certification. Before deciding on pursuing the CISSP i considered a few other certifications including CEH, CISA, & CISM, however the CISSP seemed like the best option when i started to consider the value of the certification. In many circles the CISSP is considered the gold standard of information security certifications. Many government agencies along with companies recognize and require the CISSP credential for employment in certain positions relating to all aspects of information security. After reading more about this certification i decided i wanted to join the thousands of people that have already achieved it.