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Posts Tagged ‘Security’

Apps for Home Security Monitoring

February 22nd, 2013

When you think of do-it-yourself projects, what’s the first thing that comes to mind? It’s probably tools — a wall of gleaming, motorized chrome gadgets hanging on pegs in your father’s garage.

No disrespect to Dad or his home improvement arsenal, but these days you can tackle a DIY home security project with your smartphone as the main tool.

The key, of course, is connectivity.

Monitoring for you, by you

An estimated 18 million Americans have home security systems. Many of those systems involve off-site monitoring centers where dispatchers keep watch for alarm signals. However, advances in smartphone technology have made it easier for homeowners and renters to take on the task of monitoring on their own behalf.

Smartphone-based security even had a presence at the 2013 Consumer Electronics Show, the leading venue for every kind of must-have gadget.

The following list includes examples of DIY home security systems and smartphone apps:

The iSmartAlarm

The CubeOne device acts as the central hub. Users plug in the CubeOne and connect it to a wireless router that interfaces with wireless door and window sensors.

When a disturbance activates these sensors, the system dials the user’s mobile phone and sends a series of five photos taken a few moments apart. Users can also program the system to send text messages to other phone contacts.

Iris

This smartphone-, tablet- and laptop-accessible system comes from Lowe’s Home Improvement. Users can choose among three different packages — one focusing on security, one focusing on home automation and one that combines both elements.

Foscam Surveillance Pro

This application lets you monitor video from as many as six surveillance cameras on your iPhone.

Alarm.com

Alarm.com provides home support systems that integrate security and automation systems. Compatible with iPhone and iPad.

Xanboo Wireless Light Dimmer

This device plugs into an electrical outlet. It lets users control home lighting remotely from a smartphone, giving would-intruders the impression that someone is inside the house.

No solution is foolproof

As you can imagine, any home security strategy can have drawbacks. By going the DIY route, you could run into problems with:

Compatibility. Not all applications and devices on the market will be compatible with every type of smartphone.
Going it alone. One reason why people pay for professional alarm monitoring is the reassurance it offers them. Knowing that you have the backing of a 24/7 monitoring network — and comprehensive customer support — can provide a certain measure of comfort.
All thumbs.To put it plainly, not all DIY craftspeople are created equal. For those of us who aren’t mechanically inclined, the cost of a home professional system might be an acceptable trade-off.

Do your DIY homework

You can learn more about the upside of professional security monitoring at sites like http://www.besthomesecurity.com/. The key is arming yourself with as much knowledge as possible so that you can make an informed decision.

Thanks to mobile Internet technology, the quality of DIY home security continues to improve. If you decide that you and your smartphone are up to the challenge, you’ll certainly have no shortage of options.

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Posted in Mobile

Tags: Android Apple Apps home security Security

Forget About Password Complexity

January 21st, 2013

Passwords are on the front lines of computer security. Basically, if someone gets your password your account or computer can be compromised.

The bad guys have a number of ways they can try to get your password:

Phishing (tricking you into giving up your password using a fake email, sms message or instant message)
Social engineering (tricking you into giving your password in person or over the phone)
Shoulder surfing (looking over your shoulder as you enter your password)
Keystroke loggers (software that records everything you type on your computer)
Brute force (software that guesses your passwords over and over until it gets it right)

The thought nowadays is to create passwords that are a mixture of uppercase letters, lowercase letters, numbers and symbols. Known as complex passwords, these are supposed to make it harder for the bad guy to steal. But take a look at the list above. There is only one method of password theft that complex passwords would even help protect against; brute force attacks.

Additionally, when we create overly complicated passwords we often write them down so we don’t forget them. Having a piece of scrap paper with your password, or worse a document on your computer with all your passwords, just gives attackers another way to obtain them, and honestly how good is Aw435!zy#&5 as a password if you give it up to someone who simply asks for it?

One Password, Many Sites – A Big Problem

Now we can add one more problem to the mix of password security, the fact that many people use the same password for everything. Their social media accounts, bank account, email account, work login, etc. may all use the same password. If a bad guy gets the password to one account, he or she has it for all accounts.

To better protect yourself when it comes to your passwords, a better school of thought is password diversity.

Using a different password for different accounts helps protect you in the event that one password is compromised. To help you remember each one, keep your passwords along a similar theme but make each one slightly different.

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Posted in Security

Tags: brute force malware passwords phishing Security

Five Tips for Using Evernote

November 27th, 2012

As a writer I find that Evernote is one of those tools I cannot do without. I can assign a folder to each project so I can store notes, outlines and even websites that I plan to use for research. The best use I have found for it, however, is to collect ideas and websites about things I want to write about in the future. Evernote gives me a great place to store this stuff so its not “forgotten”. And like any great web app, I can access it from my iPad and iPhone as well as any computer I am working on.

Of course, Evernote is not just a tool for writers. Other people use it as well and some of them have some really interesting tips on making Evernote work for them…

5. Storing user manuals

At first I thought this was great because it meant I could free up a drawer by getting rid of all of those user manuals I keep just in case I might need them someday. But then it dawned on me, not only would I have an extra drawer but I would have access to that one manual that always seems to go missing just when you actually do need it.

4. Password protect a note

People lose laptops, tablets and phones all the time. Using Evernote could mean that someone who found your device would have access to information stored on that device. That is unless you password protect those notes with this little tip:

3. Store your receipts

Whether you need to save receipts for your business or home, Evernote can help you organize all those little pieces of paper that usually wind up in your junk drawer or worse, going through the laundry.

2. Get things done

If you are a fan of David Allen’s book Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity then you will really enjoy this video. There is no sound, just a slide show of ways to apply Allen’s principles to Evernote. If you haven’t read Getting Things Done, you really should check it out.

1. Make great food

The food being prepared looks pretty good and if you can make it through the video without having to get up for a snack you’ll see how Evernote was used to clip a recipe so that the shopping list was on hand at the grocery store and the directions were right there when they started cooking.

Bonus – Run a dairy farm with Evernote

Ok, anyone that thinks Evernote that they can’t find a way to use Evernote in their lives should check this out.

Of course we would love for you to share your Evernote tips with the rest of our readers. Let us know some of the interesting things you have used it for.