Tip for the week

[SillyOldDufferModerator @sillyoldduffer]

Posted by Ian Welford on 01/07/2016 20:42:32:

…

Friends nicknames and ages make good passwords …

 

Not so unfortunately – they are too predictable. Whilst it's true that the bad guys won't know the names and ages of your particular friends, they do know that's a very popular way of making a memorable password. Therefore they have lists like this one and a computer program to methodically scan possibilities.

Attacks based on typical passwords are easily confounded by long random passwords (8 or 9 characters) but these are difficult to remember.

One way of generating memorably "random" passwords is to use a phrase or book title to create a character stream, and then perhaps add a few numbers to make it at least 8 characters long.

For example, using the first letter of each word in the title of the book "Down and Out in Paris and London" would give you the stream "DaOiPaL" . As I'm 21 years old (ahem), I would use that to create the password "DaOiPal21", which is extremely hard to guess.

Another example: "My first lathe was a Dean, Grace & Smith", would give you the password "MflwaD,G&S"

Note that passwords made this way can contain mixed case, punctuation and numbers. This massively increases the number of permutations that have to be searched.

Let's be careful out there…

Dave

Edited By SillyOldDuffer on 02/07/2016 13:29:27

[Nick HulmeParticipant @nickhulme30114]

Posted by SillyOldDuffer on 02/07/2016 13:28:22:

Attacks based on typical passwords are easily confounded by long random passwords (8 or 9 characters) but these are difficult to remember.

Dave

Edited By SillyOldDuffer on 02/07/2016 13:29:27

Crikey, that's a low bar!

I use a minimum of 20 characters with upper case, lower case and numeric characters.

– Nick

[DodParticipant @dod]

how about a 36 character password — abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvvxyz1234567890, secure or what?  

Edited By Dod on 04/09/2016 21:03:01

[SillyOldDufferModerator @sillyoldduffer]

Posted by Nick Hulme on 04/09/2016 19:38:15:

Posted by SillyOldDuffer on 02/07/2016 13:28:22:

Attacks based on typical passwords are easily confounded by long random passwords (8 or 9 characters) but these are difficult to remember.

Dave

Edited By SillyOldDuffer on 02/07/2016 13:29:27

Crikey, that's a low bar!

I use a minimum of 20 characters with upper case, lower case and numeric characters.

– Nick

Quite right Nick, I should have said at least 8 or 9 characters. The big problem with long passwords is remembering them though. You must have a better memory than me!

Dave

[SillyOldDufferModerator @sillyoldduffer]

Posted by Dod on 04/09/2016 21:02:25:

how about a 36 character password — abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvvxyz1234567890, secure or what?

Edited By Dod on 04/09/2016 21:03:01

Yes indeed, but it's even more important that your passwords be random than long. It's too easy to guess what comes next in a sequence like 'abcde…'.

Dave

[KWILParticipant @kwil]

How many passwords do you guys use? I must have at least 100, no way to remember those!

[DMBParticipant @dmb]

I always use a different password for each site. This is very important since if a site manages to loose passwords to hackers they cannot then get into any other site used by you.
I don’t do internet banking – if the info is not out there it can’t be hacked.
From the above its obvious that I have a lot of passwords in use @ any time so I have to write them down,being too many to remember.I won’t use password managers because if they are all listed somewhere someone will be able to find them. Proof of that last year (?) when a password “manager ” failed to manage.
I also change them frequently for two reasons;1) If a new malware gets past my security,hopefully it will be prevented from further access.
2) If a site looses its visitors passwords then mine won’t be any use for long.

Edited By DMB on 04/09/2016 23:32:37

Edited By DMB on 04/09/2016 23:40:29

[Danny M2ZParticipant @dannym2z]

In the same vein: It's interesting to set up multiple email addresses (most ISP's allow at least 20) and use a unique one for each site or business that one deals with. Keep a note of whom got what.

Once the spam starts to arrive it's easy to check up regarding as to who sold your info to the pests.

What you do about it after that is up to you.

For example, I recently signed into Hob**K*ng with a new email address and now the spam is arriving daily – all from China judging by the IP address's of the originators.

At the end of the day, they (HK) have just lost a customer.

* Danny M *

[OldMetallerParticipant @oldmetaller]

We had the 'emergency skin repair' debate in the pub last week. The young(ish) tradesmen who drink there all swear by superglue- yes, poured straight into the cut and held together until set, usually a few seconds, apparently.

Not sure if I fancy trying that…

Regards,

John.

[pgk pgkParticipant @pgkpgk17461]

Posted by OldMetaller on 05/09/2016 07:51:09:

We had the 'emergency skin repair' debate in the pub last week. The young(ish) tradesmen who drink there all swear by superglue- yes, poured straight into the cut and held together until set, usually a few seconds, apparently.

Not sure if I fancy trying that…

Regards,

John.

Cyanoacrylate tissue glues available..essentially the same thing. Theoretically applied as spots along the wound to allow healing between (like sutures). In practice they tend to run along the cut edge and end up as a barrier depending on healing from underneath. Again theoretically an ideal solution to quick repairs on cut pads… but the first time you bond yourself to an unhappy rottweiler then the bottle goes in the bin.

[Ady1Participant @ady1]

We've had the superglue mentioned in here before, apparently it's poisonous but the NHS uses it sometimes so there much be a non-poisonous type out there

I've used it myself, only tiny amounts are needed and I don't cut myself very often

[Danny M2ZParticipant @dannym2z]

Squeeze the edges together. Apply the cyano to stop the leak.

Emergency use only! I was taught that as soldier by our unit medic.

"Blood loss is fatal – we can get the bits out later"

Personally, I would rather deal with the 'later' than the immediate problem.

* Danny M *

[Jon GibbsParticipant @jongibbs59756]

I have tried it several times and it stings if you get it into an open wound and scolds if you use too much because it's exothermic when it sets.

…but if you're trying to stop those nasty red stains on wood during finishing it's as good as anything

Jon

Edited By Jon Gibbs on 05/09/2016 11:03:14

[MikeParticipant @mike89748]

Danny's technique was used on me in the local A&E department after I had gone a… over tip in the bathroom, clouting my face on a waste bin. Got a big cut in my forehead and the top of my nose. Superglue was used instead of stitches, and the cut healed without scarring. And think: in another age it could have been an interesting duelling scar! A medical grade is "Liquid Skin", available from Amazon. Said to be non-stinging, and safe to use on children.

 

Edited By Mike on 05/09/2016 15:07:14

[OldMetallerParticipant @oldmetaller]

Blimey, thanks gentlemen, those tradesmen in my local pub are on to something, then!

On a more serious note, I use superglue a lot when assembling 16mm scale model railway wagons which I make from stripwood. I used to get in a right mess, with the superglue running and getting everywhere until I discovered Gorilla Superglue Gel. This stuff is really good, it stays where you put it, doesn't run or sink into the wood before you put the parts together and is reasonably priced and available from Wilko's.

I love Mike's comment, 'safe to use on children'… Just the job for those long train journeys when the little beasts won't shut up!

Regards,

John.

[MikeParticipant @mike89748]

John, you could also stick them to their seats…….

[Gordon WParticipant @gordonw]

My grandson had his ear torn almost off, playing rugby. That was glued back with epoxy but he looks no better. The old way to stop bleeding- spider webs works well and wrapped in a bit of kitchen paper the bleeding soon stops.

[Ian S CParticipant @iansc]

When I was nursing, we got a spray on plastic (?) dressing, and about that time American soldiers were supplied with super glue in the first aid kits.

On a slightly different line, kitchen cling wrap applied over burns, keeps the air out, and prevents loss of fluid.

Ian S C

[Roger HeadParticipant @rogerhead16992]

Posted by Gordon W on 06/09/2016 10:03:41:

The old way to stop bleeding- spider webs works well …

Indeed, it worked very well for me 60+ years ago. But for any really severe wound just use anything that will close and stabilize it. Get any obvious contamination out, but the advice that Danny M2Z was given is spot-on.

Roger

[thaiguzziParticipant @thaiguzzi]

Out in the fields here, they use rolling tobacco on a bad cut, say on a finger or hand. Stems the bleeding very quickly and allegedly acts as some sort of "Savlon"….

[thaiguzziParticipant @thaiguzzi]

Oh, and we have genuine Aloe Vera plants everywhere. Now that really is a marvel of nature. Break a piece off, and inside is almost like a clear jelly composition, cools and sooths almost instantly on burns etc.

[John HaineParticipant @johnhaine32865]

At last, an excuse not to clear the spiders webs from the workshop….

[Cobbs CobbledickParticipant @cobbscobbledick49618]

Golf balls make the best file handles.

[OuBallieParticipant @ouballie]

Posted by pgk pgk on 05/09/2016 08:33:07

… but the first time you bond yourself to an unhappy rottweiler then the bottle goes in the bin.

Been catching up on posts.

Made other half jump when I burst out laughing on reading this.

Geoff – Been busy in the Workshop as Carport a 'No go area' with 80% humidity

[Ian S CParticipant @iansc]

Cleaning wounds, if your out in the bush, pee, it's generally sterile.

Ian S C

[Author]

Posts