I got an email today from some software company.. Trying to sell me a password management tool. I used to use KeePass which was pretty effective. This one is considerably more expensive. Among its features, it boasts: Generate uncrackable passwords using the integrated Password Formulator Maximum protection of your sensitive data thanks to the security algorithm Rijndael 256-Bit! Instead of passwords like “toothbrush” or “Rover”, which can both be cracked in a few minutes, you now use passwords like g\/:1bmV5″£$p’}=8>,,/2¬%CN?\A:y:Cwe-k)mUpHiJu:0md7p@<i (with a 1-GHz-Pentium-PC, it takes approx. 307 years to guess this password!). Password lists on the internet: Place your encrypted password lists on the Internet and enjoy access to all of them, no matter where you are! Protection from keylogging (intercepting of keystrokes) – All password fields are internally protected from keylogging. I’ve got issues with all three five points above. ...

Another lesson learnt by a company who really should know better. Raid != Backup. This might be widely regarded as old news, but it’s not too late IMO for me to add my $0.02. I picked this up on Slashdot about 20 minutes ago, and there’s a few things that strike me as odd about the whole malarkey. Before I go any further though, I’ve never heard of Journalspace until this article arose, then again, they’re not really in my general field of view, I’ve always had my own blog, on my own space.. so it’s not really my ‘thing’.. Anyway, one thing that is my ‘thing’ is data security and assurance. ...

Anyone who uses internet banking these days will find themselves handing over a vast array of numbers and passwords, authentication tokens and browser cookies. You have a card, this has a chip, you have a Challenge/Response card reader, and you have a pin. There’s at least half a dozen banks in the UK that I can name who use the Challenge/Response type card readers. To log into my online banking, I need my Passwords, Pins and if i want to do “advanced functionality” I need my card and challenge auth reader. ...