PLATEAU PC USERS GROUP, INC GAZETTE October 2014 Published by the Plateau PC Users Group, Inc. P.O. Box 3787, Crossville TN 38557-3787 www.PPCUGinc.com “JOIN US FOR FUN AND LEARNING AT CROSSVILLE’S COMPUTER CLUB”

October 2014 Volume 20, Issue 10

This Month’s Meetings Photo Editing Workshop Friday, October 3 at 1:00 P.M. At FFG Community Church General Meeting Monday, October 20 at 3:00 P.M. At 127 S. Senior Center Plateau Photography Club Thursday, October 23 at 1:00 P.M. At FFG Community Church

October Program Topic .

Inside This Issue

Tablets and Streaming Bonnie Parish is returning to PPCUG to discuss Tablets. She will talk about what to look for in purchasing a tablet, apps and how to download, streaming movies, Bluetooth and available accessories, devices that will turn your TV into a smart TV, and using your tablet as a phone. Bring your questions and she will answer as many as time allows. This promises to be an interesting, informative and useful program on this popular and perhaps not fully utilized technology.

Gazette October 2014

Club information and Phone numbers

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Upcoming Events

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New Members

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Cool Tips & Sites

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General Meeting Minutes September 15, 2014

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OTC Cable / Adapter (On-the-Go)

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Data Crow {64.9} Win XP—Win 8 Freeware

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New 2015 Security Suites Released & Bargains

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Create & Store Passwords - Free Password Mgr.

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Ramblings—Uninterruptible Power Supply

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PPCUG Applications for Membership

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November 2014 Calendar

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www.PPCUGinc.com

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“FREE” Table We have set up a table at our member meetings to share our “extra” goodies with other club members. If you have something to give away, bring it in and put it on the FREE table. It’s first come, first served. If you see something you want, help yourself. Join the Club! Anyone interested in becoming a member of the Plateau PC Users Group is invited to attend the general meeting or any of the SIG meetings as a guest for one meeting. Afterwards, you are encouraged to become a member. A significant portion of our dues goes toward college scholarships for local high school seniors. Our Club cannot exist without you, the members.

Membership Dues Our annual dues are now payable July 1st of each year. Annual dues are $24 per single person / $30 per family starting 7/1/2014. Persons/families joining after 7/1/2014 will have dues payable as follows: Join Date

July 1, 2014

October 1, 2014

January 1, 2015

April 1, 2015

Single:

$24

$18

$12

$6

Families:

$30

$22

$15

$7

Student memberships (21 and under) are $10 annually. Corporate memberships are $30 a year for the first two memberships and $10 a year for each additional membership from the same company. Contact the PPCUG Treasurer (931) 707-3677 for pro-rated dues of these types of memberships. BOARD OF DIRECTORS DISCLAIMER All members of the Plateau PC Users Group are willing to help one another in the area of advice and tutorial instruction over the phone. If you should require more involved services or instruction, we have a few members who are very knowledgeable in several areas. As a responsible consumer, it is up to you to discuss, before retaining a member, any and ALL charges for repair services and time consuming tutorial activities.

2014-

President

Steve Rosenstein

(931) 742-0151

Vice-President/ Compliance

Jim Buxton

(931) 456-6009

Treasurer

John Krueger

(931) 707-3677

Secretary

Richard Del Frate

(931) 456-2251

Past President

Carl Nordeen

(931) 456-5597

Librarian

Barbara Duncan

(931) 456-2251

Programs

DISCLAIMER: No warranty, express or implied, is made by the PPCUG, the Gazette editorial staff or its contributing editors. This extends to all losses incidental or consequential from the use or non-use of any information in any issue of the GAZETTE.

Gazette October 2014

Open

Membership

Dolores Crabtree

(931) 484-9013

Publicity

MaryAnn Nordeen

(931) 456-5597

Gazette Editor

Gordon Botting

(931) 456-2184

APCUG Rep

Steve Rosenstein

(931) 742-0151

Equipment Custodian

Bob Willis

(931) 456-6511

Webmaster

Alan Baker

(931) 788-2201

Directors at Large Alan Baker

Gordon Botting

Dolores Crabtree

Barbara Duncan

Gary Redding

Bob Willis

It is not the desire of this Board of Directors to set fees for individuals for services rendered, nor the responsibility to intervene between members who enter into a contract among themselves The GAZETTE is published using the following: Microsoft Word, Microsoft Publisher, and Microsoft Windows. The GAZETTE is the monthly newsletter of the Plateau PC Users Group. Material in the GAZETTE may be freely used in other user group newsletters if credit is given the author and the PPCUG GAZETTE.

2015

Director Emeritus Don Lewis

SIG Leaders Photo Editing Workshop

Ed Thornblade

(931) 456-6020

Plateau Photography Jim Mansfield Club

(931) 484-6920

www.PPCUGinc.com

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Up Coming November Meeting

News of the Special Interest Groups

The next General Meeting of the PLATEAU PC USERS GROUP Will be on November 17, 2014 at 3:00 P.M. Note Fall & Winter hours change at 127 S. Senior Center

The PPCUG sponsors several Special Interest Groups (SIGs) tailored to meet the varied needs of our many members. Each SIG is a small group whose leader prepares material for presentation and encourages open discussion and questions. We urge you to attend the SIGs and hope you will find one or more of interest to you. Ideas for additional groups are welcome, as are volunteers to form and lead new SIGs.

New Members Arita McPadyen Jeff Kounalis

Classes Please send ideas for new classes to Alan Baker ( [email protected] )

Plateau Photography Clubs

Cool Tips & Sites

A photo editing workshop is held at 1:00 PM at the FFG Community church on the first Friday of each month. Members meet to discuss & demonstrate various editing software programs available to enhance their photographs. The SIG leader is Ed Thornblade.

Number pages It's easy to configure a header and footer for your Word document so the page number is displayed on every page. In many instances, though, a document will have a title page for which a number is not required. Set up page numbering as required and then in Word 2007 and 2010, move to the Page Layout tab before clicking the button in the lower right-hand corner. Switch to the Layout tab and tick the box labelled 'Different first page', before clicking OK.

The Photography Club, a PPCUG SIG, meets the fourth Thursday of each month at the Fairfield Glade Community Church at 1:00PM. Topics vary each month but we show and discuss member's photos each month. The SIG leader is Jim Mansfield.

PPCUG Website

PPCUG Website Visit our website at www.PPCUGinc.com. The Visit our website www.PPCUGinc.com. The LearnLearning Centeratclass schedule and Gazette are

PPCUG ISP We wish to thank the following for providing ISP connections: Frontier for DSL at the : 127 Senior Center, Crossville, TN

Gazette October 2014

ing Centeronclass all available our schedule web site. and Gazette are all available on our web site. Send your comments and suggestions to the Send your Webmaster, Alancomments Baker and suggestions to the Webmaster, [email protected] Don (931)Lewis 788-2201 [email protected] (931) 456-5352

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General Meeting Minutes September 15, 2014 The Electronic Library The meeting began at 6:15 PM with the traditional Questions and Answers period by the evening’s program presenter, Carl Nordeen. A few of the many good tips he offered were: (1) How to show two different documents at the same time on a monitor – crowd the first one called up to the right side of the screen and then call up the second one on the unused portion of the left screen (sizing of each of the documents can then be adjusted to fill out the use of a full screen), (2) Using Open Office or Libra office word processing software in place of Microsoft’s “Word,” and (3) A better web site to get major companies phone numbers of live persons is http://gethuman.com or one can google search “hard to find phone numbers.” An Honorary Director Emeritus Certificate was presented to Don Lewis by PPCUG President Steve Rosenstein at the beginning of a short business session. This was in recognition of Don’s many years’ service to the Board as editor of the Gazette, website webmaster, and presentation of many meeting programs. In other matters, the audience encouraged having a future meeting at the local Roane State Community College for a program about and an equipment demonstration of the new 3D computer printing process to make parts. The audience also voiced a desire for continuation of the PPCUG book lending library. A suggestion was made to update and repeat past popular programs for future meetings. The main program, The Electronic Library, started with Carl referring to PPCUG’s web site, http:// www.ppcuginc.com, “Last 12 Months of Presentation Handouts” and the “September 2014: Online Help & Tutorials 1 and 2.” Left mouse clicking on the tutorial number “2” presents each of the “free to use” web sites Carl called up and commented on as below: Photoshop Elements – covers the basic use of the expensive Photoshop software program. Audacity – great for editing, copy and pasting audio files. Tech Tutorials – good for operating many different devices and programs. Gimp – good tutorial site for beginners to various programs. Microsoft Office Tutorials – Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher, etc. guides by users, not by Microsoft. Microsoft Office video tutorials – This is the above like guides by Microsoft. Windows 8 Tutorials – Basic Microsoft (good) guide. Audience indicated UTUBE had a good guide also. Skype Tutorials – How to use – Comments on this one were skipped. Windows tutorials by Vic Laurie – Laurie, a Microsoft V-P, did a good job on this, covers a lot of stuff. Windows Vista and Windows 7 tutorials – Lots of overlaps, sometimes one might be a better approach. Windows 7 and 8 tutorials also Windows Phone – None in the audience had one. (Continued on page 5)

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Windows 8 on a laptop or tablet – Pretty good basic operation on laptops and tablets. Microsoft’s basic use of Windows 7 – Most people can get their “how to’s” here. Windows shortcut keys – Carl’s favorite. Hasn’t changed over the years. Great way to speed up use by not having to use a mouse for most Windows operations. Windows tutorials on Windows Vista, Windows 7 and Windows 8 – No one place for all answers to your questions. Search these alternate answers. Carl finished the program with comments about the “Windows Cheat Sheets References” located per the above source September 2014 site, found by clicking on the tutorial number “1.” These were quick sources to shortcuts that are about the same as currently available, plastic coated, help sheets being sold commercially. The door prize given at the end of the meeting was won by John Krueger. Submitted by: Jim Buxton, Secretary Pro-Temp.

Your Recycle Bin Most of us know that when we delete a file, we're not really deleting it, but sending it to our Recycle Bin. There, the file will sit until we empty the Recycle Bin or restore the file to its original location. It is a good idea to clean the Recycle Bin every once in a while. Using some programs like Ccleaner does the job but to clean it out yourself just click on the Recycle icon then click on FILE>EMPTY RECYCLE BIN. To delete a file and bypass the Recycle Bin hold down the SHIFT button on your keyboard while deleting it. (Make sure you really want to avoid the Recycle Bin before you use this method). If you delete a file the normal way you can restore it to where it once was. On your desktop, double click on your Recycle Bin icon. Find the file you want to restore and click on it once to highlight it. Then, at the top of the screen, click FILE>RESTORE. The file will disappear from the screen and will be replaced in the folder from where it had been deleted.

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OTG Cable/Adapter (On-the-Go) By Frank Ramsey, Editor, Akron Canton PCUG, Ohio www.acpcug.org aframsey (at) yahoo.com How do you accomplish the transfer of files between a mobile device and your PC?

There are a number of methods, including connecting the device to a PC/MAC via a USB cable, use an application to connect over Wi-Fi and others.

An additional method would be to transfer files to a USB Flash drive. Since few Android devices have a full- size USB Type A port, how do you connect a flash? Enter the OTG Cable. A typical OTB cable is shown above. One end is the USB Type A female, the other end typically USB micro male. These are available from a number of sources including eBay for prices ranging from under a $1 to $5 or more.

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You plug the flash drive into the Type A female connection and plug the USB micro male into the Android device.

Typically the Android device will recognize the flash drive and eventually it will show up in File Manager. I say eventually because the flash drive must be scanned by the Android device. Depending on the size of the flash drive and the speed of the Android device, it may take a little time for the USB drive to show up. Be patient. Now you can copy files to/from the flash drive.

Data Crow [64.9M] Win XP - Win 8 Freeware Data Crow is the ultimate media cataloger and media organizer. Always wanted to manage all your collections in one product? You want a product you can customize to your needs? Your search ends here! Using Data Crow allows you to create a huge database containing all your collected items. You can use the excellent online services to retrieve the information instead of typing all the information yourself. Start using the ultimate cataloger today!  Platform independent and completely portable.  Highly customizable and feature rich.  Audio, software, book, movie and photo collectioncataloger.  Retrieve information from services like Amazon.com, Imdb.com, and MusicBrainz.  Optional internal web server and web GUI.  Import file information (mp3, divx, xvid, ..)  Loan registration.  PDF and HTML reporting.  Create new modules to, for example, maintain your stamp collection. Available translations: Italian, German, Dutch, English, Spanish and French. Data Crow is 100% free and 100% free of ads, viruses and spyware. Data Crow runs on any system where Java 1.6 (or higher) from Sun is installed. http://www.datacrow.net/

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New 2015 Security Suites Released and Bargains are Available By Ira Wilsker WEBSITES: http://www.trendmicro.com/us/ http://www.bitdefender.com/media/html/60-second/index.html http://www.bitdefender.com/solutions/internet-security.html http://sharewareonsale.com/s/bitdefender-total-security-sale http://home.mcafee.com/store?CategoryId=pcsecurity http://home.mcafee.com/store/total-protection http://www.techsupportalert.com/best-free-security-list-part1.htm?page=0,1 http://dealnews.com/c127/Computers/Software/Utilities/ As normally happens shortly after Labor Day, most of the major security software publishers have released the 2015 versions of their security software products. As is common, most of these newly released upgrades and updates incorporate greater protection then the previous versions, as well as new or improved safeguards against types of threats that have appeared in the past year, or otherwise have become a greater security threat than in the past. Several of the security suites now include protection for portable devices, such as smart phones and tablets, password managers that work across multiple platforms, and other enhanced features. Notice in the above paragraph that I explicitly used the words "security suite" rather than just the more traditional "antivirus" software, which is also available from most of the security software publishers. Most of the security software publishers take advantage of the blissful ignorance or traditional software purchasing patterns of countless computer users, and still publish and sell a minimally protective antivirus only product at the lowest price of any of their current offerings. At computer club meetings, listening to shoppers in the big box stores, students, and others, I still frequently hear that the users' have only antivirus software installed, rather than a more comprehensive, and usually more expensive suite of security products. Many personal computer users, both novice and experienced, have heard for years that computer viruses are dangerous, which they may very well be. While viruses were the primary computing security threat several years ago, today according to published reports, computer viruses only make up about 14% of contemporary threats. Those who have only antivirus software installed, even if from a reputable publisher and continuously updated, lack protection from about 86% of the current threats. It is a false economy to save money by purchasing minimal protection, but then suffering substantial losses in time and money when machines are infected by malware. I have been asked to clean the malware from countless computers, and it is common to hear the lament from the purloined user, "But I don't understand how it got infected; I have antivirus software which is frequently updated. Shouldn't it have stopped the infection and takeover of my computer?" Sadly, the answer is no, because in almost all cases the malware was not a traditional virus which would have likely been blocked, but one of the six times more common malware threats that are not blocked by traditional antivirus software. In order to appeal to different price points in the retail market, most security software publishers publish several different products, each progressively offering more protection and security, and an ascending price for (Continued on page 9)

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the more comprehensive products. In some cases, some of the software publishers produce relatively expensive 'top of the line" products that are so feature rich that they often may contain products and services that many users will never use. It is up to the user to intelligently decide which level of protection is most appropriate, and balance that protection against the cost of the service. If purchased at retail, the boxes containing the software almost always have a chart displaying the comparative features and levels of protection of each of the types of security software published by that company. As an example of the differences in features and costs, I compared the features and prices of the different versions of the 2015 offerings from TrendMicro. In full disclosure, I have been a satisfied user of TrendMicro products for many years. While there are several iterations of coverage, including the number of PCs and other devices protected, TrendMicro is now offering four major versions in its 2015 product line. These products range from the most basic and least expensive "Antivirus and Security", to "Internet Security", to "Maximum Security" (the level of protection that I use), to the top of the line "Premium Security". Each product offering includes all of the protections of the lesser offerings, but adds more features and functionality, albeit at a generally higher price. In terms of price, please keep in mind that "MSRP" or list price is commonly charged, but almost all security products are often available from some sellers deeply discounted, even as low as "free after rebate" from some of the big box electronics and office supply stores. In terms of TrendMicro, the most basic level of protection is the "Antivirus plus Security" which retails in the $30 - $40 range, and covers 1 PC for 1 year, and includes cloud based protection from viruses and malware that is continuously kept up to date when connected to the internet. Other than minimal protection, this basic product also includes some basic identity theft protection that may block phishing emails; this is the limit on this minimal level of protection. The second tier of protection, commonly called "Internet Security" in the industry, includes all of the more basic features, but adds utilities to improve system performance, parental controls (controls the online activities of children), helps manage online reputation on social networking services, controls which desktop applications can be accessed by children, and scans for and recommends privacy settings on social networking services (Facebook, Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn). This second tier of protection, which many pundits consider a minimal level of protection, retails from $60 - $80 for 3 computers for one year. For those desiring additional features and functionally, as well as protection for smart devices including Android and iOS phones and tablets, a "Maximum Security" product is available which includes all of the above features, but also adds a secure password manager that can be utilized across devices; a secure browser for safe online banking and shopping; identifies installed apps on portable devices that may be involved in "data stealing"; helps find lost or stolen portable devices; backs up, shares, and restores contacts between devices; and offers 5GB of secured backup storage in the cloud. A license for any combination of three devices for one year ranges from $67 - $90. The "Premium Security" features are almost identical to the Maximum version, but it offers 25GB of cloud storage, and five licenses for any combination of devices for $75 - $100. Other security software publishers offer somewhat similar protection at different levels. One very highly rated, but not very well known publisher of security software, BitDefender, offers three levels of protection, "Antivirus Plus 2015" ($60, 3 PCs, 1 year), "Internet Security" ($80, 3 PCs, 1 year), and "Total Security" ($90, 3 PCs, 1 year). The basic Antivirus Plus 2015 offers comprehensive protection from malware, performance enhancement utilities, secured online banking and shopping, a secure payment wallet, and secure browsing. The Internet Security 2015 also includes a two-way firewall, Parental Controls, and a cloud based Anti-Spam function. The top of the line Total Security 2015 adds secure online storage, device anti-theft (Continued on page 10)

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capabilities (especially useful on laptop computers), and file encryption . One of the perennial market leaders in retail sales for many years, McAfee offers a variety of product and service levels that offer protection for a variety and number of devices. As is common among its competitors, McAfee offers a minimal featured "McAfee AntiVirus Plus", which protects one computer for $35 - $50; this version offers protection against viruses and malware, and can optimize the PC. The "Total Protection" has the basic feature set of the AntiVirus, but adds family protection (parental controls), a spam filter, protection from online threats including hackers and thieves, and social networking protection; this version retails for $90 and is licensed to run on three PCs. McAfee offers "McAfee All Access" which has a one year license for an unlimited number of devices, including PCs, MACs, smart phones, and tablets; and an integral password manager. McAfee All Access retails for $100, but is available directly from McAfee for half-price, $50. "McAfee LiveSafe" offers the same unlimited, multi-platform device protection, but adds cloud storage and access to 'McAfee Security Advisors" for $80. Other security software publishers such as Symantec/Norton, and Kaspersky, offer somewhat similar levels of protection at generally completive prices. While there may be some variation in the naming of the products from the different suppliers, most of the publishers offer somewhat similar levels of protection among their respective offerings. It would not be typical of me to close a column without telling about deals which may be currently available, including both deeply discounted and free security suites. As far as free security suites that are often very comparable in features and protection to the commercial (paid) suites, one of the most reliable listings is in section 2.3 of Gizmo's TechSupportAlert.com "Probably the Best Free Security List in the World - Part I". Among the reviewed and rated free security suites are offerings from ZoneAlarm, Agnitum (Outpost), Comodo, Forticlient, Roboscan, and 5nine Cloud Security for Hyper-V Free Edition. Again, in terms of full disclosure, I have personally installed Agnitum's Outpost Security Suite on many computers where the user stated a preference for a free comprehensive security suite rather than a paid suite. As far as getting legitimate deals on commercial security software suites, there are many opportunities available to those who may seek them out, and many of these offerings are fleeting, as they are often only available for a very limited time, but they tend to periodically reappear. One of the most popular deals on the major suites can be found at the local big box electronics and office supply stores, such as Fry's, OfficeDepot (OfficeMax), Staples, MEI MicroCenter, and similar outlets. Almost every week, in their respective newspapers advertisements, each of these retailers has deeply discounted deals and high value rebates for security suites. For example, one of my favorite big box stores is offering this week (probably will be different when you read this): Kaspersky Internet Security 2015, 1 PC license, regularly $50 in store, free after $25 mail in rebate, and another $25 upgrade rebate (if qualified); AVG Ultimate 2015, unlimited devices, 2 year license, regular in store price $85, on sale (no rebate) for $35; Norton 360 2014, 3 PCs - 1 year license, regularly $90 in store for $40 (no rebate). For those who do not have the time or inclination to watch the weekly newspaper ads, the shopping bot site DealNews.com, which is continuously updated, (dealnews.com/c127/Computers/Software/Utilities) lists some of the best currently available security software deals. As I type this, Dealnews.com has a listing linked to a free 6 month license and download for BitDefender Internet Security 2015, available directly from BitDefender at bitdefender.com/media/html/60-second/index.html . Another daily deal website, ShareWareOnSale.com is (Continued on page 11)

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currently offering a 3 computer, 1 year license and download for the top of the line BitDefender Total Security 2015, regularly $90 for $15 (sharewareonsale.com/s/bitdefender-total-security-sale). In recent days, the website ShareWareOnSale.com has had free or deeply discounted deals (now expired) on security suites from Kaspersky, Panda, and other reputable publishers of commercial security software. Bargain hunters who like software (and other) deals should consider the free daily email subscription from DealNews and ShareWareOnSale. There is still another way to get deeply discounted security suites, and that is from online sites such as eBay. There are hundreds, if not thousands of people who intentionally purchase the "Free After Rebate" deals from the big box stores, tear off the UPC code from the otherwise sealed box, and then resell the sealed boxes that cost them virtually nothing after rebate for whatever they can get for them. Sometimes the sellers, who typically have very high eBay ratings for reliability, will simply scan the license or registration code from the sealed software CD, and email the registration code, rather than ship the box. The user can then download the latest version directly from the publisher, and register it with the purchased code. Reputable sellers will then destroy the original registration code so it cannot be illicitly resold. I have twice demonstrated this process to the local computer club, resulting in several of the members successfully getting super deals on major name brand security suites which downloaded and registered without any problems. Also be aware that by policy, most of the major publishers allow for an unused registration code from a previous version to be used to register a new version. For example, I recently assisted someone who purchased on eBay a 1 year, 3 PC license for Trend Micro Maximum Security 2014 for only $7.50; he downloaded directly from TrendMicro the newly released 2015 version of Maximum Security, and proceeded to install a properly registered 2015 version on 2 PCs and one Android smart phone, all (in his words) "Without a hitch". Now that performance drags have been dramatically reduced in the newer security suites, and the protection capabilities greatly enhanced, there is no valid reason not to use a comprehensive security suite on a PC, MAC, Android, or iOS device. The threat landscape is very real; with good quality, free and deeply discounted security suites readily available, there is no reason to leave our machines vulnerable to attack.

Create and Store Secure Passwords with Free Password Managers By: Ira Wilsker WEBSITES: http://money.cnn.com/2014/09/10/technology/security/gmail-hack/index.html http://www.nbcnews.com/tech/security/gmail-hacked-not-quite-says-google-change-your-password-n200571 http://dottech.org/164237/windows-master-password-review/ http://www.techsupportalert.com/best-free-web-form-filler-password-manager.htm http://www.lastpass.com http://www.instantcheckmate.com/crimewire/is-your-password-really-protecting-you/ http://www.roboform.com http://keepass.com http://passwordsafe.sourceforge.net http://masterpasswordapp.com (Continued on page 12)

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Listening to the news can often be disturbing, especially when we hear stories about massive password thefts. Recently (September 10, 2014), there were widely broadcast reports that five million Gmail passwords were stolen, and available online to anyone wishing to use them for nefarious purposes (money.cnn.com/2014/09/10/technology/security/gmail-hack/index.html). While Google, the owner of Gmail, has denied that such a breach actually took place, there have been enough recent and documented reports of other massive password thefts, such as millions of eBay passwords. Sometimes, it does not take a hacker to steal passwords, as most computer users still use easy to guess passwords, as well as the same simple password on multiple websites. According to a posting on Crime Wire titled, "Is Your Password Really Protecting You?" (instantcheckmate.com/crimewire/is-your-password-reallyprotecting-you), 73% of people use the same password on multiple websites, 33% use the same password on every website visited, 4% of users use "password" as their password, and many others use their first names, partner's first name, and simple lower-case passwords of six characters or less, making them very vulnerable to attack. According to the article, an average password can be hacked in under three minutes; if the same passwords is used on multiple websites as 73% of users do, than all of those websites are instantly vulnerable as well. It is somewhat embarrassing, but despite stern warnings in the mass media and in this column, most users are still using simple passwords for multiple websites. Weak passwords such as 12345, asdfg, ILoveYou, LetMeIn, 11111, birthdates, kids names, house numbers, anniversaries, and other easily determinable passwords have made most of us vulnerable to damaging identity theft and all of the embarrassment and costs that go along with it. With all of the information that many of us openly post on social media sites such as Facebook, it is a simple process for cybercrooks to compile our readily available personal information and use that information to make educated guesses of passwords, often gaining easy access to our most private accounts. Since most users still use the same simple password on multiple sites, once the cybercrook has successfully penetrated one account, that same password can often be used to access multiple accounts, greatly compounding the amount and degree of personal and financial damage that can be accomplished. In several of my presentations, as well as forensic interviews of computer based identity theft, I sadly have been made aware that the primary reasons why people used these same simple, very vulnerable passwords, is that complex and secure passwords are too hard to remember, and it is just simply too difficult to "keep straight" different passwords on the multiple websites visited. This desire for simplicity has cost people their bank balances, unauthorized charges to credit cards, hijacked email accounts sending out spam or threatening emails, unauthorized purchases on online shopping websites, and a host of other problems that could have been easily mitigated if proper password security had been implemented and used. The damages could have been easily mitigated if two simple rules were followed: first use complex, random appearing alpha-numeric passwords with a random mix of upper and lower case letters and punctuation marks; second, never, never, ever use the same password on more than one website, period. If one password is somehow compromised, the other unique passwords most likely will still be secure. In order to combat the complacency of users, and assist them in the creation and storage of a universe of random, complex passwords, there are several very good and mostly free password managers that can automate the tasks. These password managers are excellent at creating passwords, securely storing them, and automatically filling in the password box on most of the registered websites used. One stern warning is appropriate here; since most of the password managers themselves are accessed via a password, a single, complex, (Continued on page 13)

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unique "master" password must be remembered by the user. This master password is used to access all of the other secured passwords; if that master password is compromised, or itself is a simple, easy to guess password, then all of the secured passwords could become vulnerable. Learning and remembering the one complex password may help the user protect himself from these common vulnerabilities mentioned above. There are several good resources that list and evaluate the various, mostly free password managers available. My favorite old standby, Gizmo's TechSupportAlert.com, has a reliable rating system that lists the advantages and disadvantages of their top-rated recommendations, as well as direct download links at techsupportalert.com/best-free-web-form-filler-password-manager.htm. The highest rated free password manager, selected as "Gizmo's Freeware award as the best product in its class!", with a 5 star out of 5 rating, is LastPass, available for direct download from the publisher at lastpass.com/misc_download.php. Arguably the most compatible of the various password managers, LastPass works with Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome, Opera, and Safari, and runs under Mac, iPad, Linux, and Windows. Requiring a single complex password to get full access, LastPass offers automatic login to password protected websites, automated filling of common forms, and other benefits that ease and speed up the browsing process. LastPass can store and manage an unlimited number of passwords. LastPass serves as both a cloud based (remote server) password storage service and as a standalone program running on the selected device. In fairness, some pundits cite the cloud storage and web access of passwords as a potential security vulnerability, even though LastPass uses military grade encryption to protect its databases; in fact, there have been some successful attacks on the LastPass servers in the past, but LastPass claims to have closed the vulnerabilities and have greatly enhanced its security. In terms of full disclosure, I have been using LastPass for several years, but have chosen to pay $12 annually for the LastPass Premium version, which also incorporates full functionality on my Android powered phone and tablet. Gizmo's second highest rated password manager is RoboForm, with a 5 star out of 5 rating. Admittedly, I used RoboForm for a few years prior to switching to LastPass. While still very popular with a large and loyal following, RoboForm (roboform.com) has become a predominately commercial (paid) product, as the free version has very limited password storage available; the newest versions of the free RoboForm can only store 10 passwords, but some of the older free versions (version 5.7.6), still available for download, could store 30 passwords. The paid version offers unlimited password storage. RoboForm combines an online web service (cloud) with a standalone program that runs on Windows 2000, XP, Vista, Windows 7, Android, iPhone, iPad. and Mac (Safari). Portable versions of RoboForm are available for download that allow secure password access from multiple devices. While RoboForm is constantly being improved and upgraded, there have been documented issues with RoboForm running on recent versions of Firefox, but it does run well on Internet Explorer. I have experimented with another unrestricted free password manager, KeePass (keepass.com), which is written in open source code, and runs as a standalone program on the user's computer. Gizmo gives KeePass a 4 out of 5 star rating. KeePass has no limitations on the number of passwords that can be stored and managed, and offers a free plug-n for Internet Explorer that allows for the automated filling of web based forms. While also very popular, KeePass runs fine on Internet Explorer, but is not well integrated into other browsers, creating an inconvenience for those using browsers other than Internet Explorer. KeePass works on computers with compatible browsers running Windows 2000, XP, Windows 2003, Vista, Windows , Windows 8, Wine, Linux, Pocket PC, Mac, iPhone, Blackberry and Android. (Continued on page 14)

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Another 4 star rated open source (free) password manager is Password Safe (passwordsafe.sourceforge.net). While unrestricted freeware with unlimited password storage, Password Safe is not well integrated into internet browsers, which makes it less convenient than the others listed. Password Safe runs on Windows XP, Vista . Windows 7, and PocketPC. A different type of password utility was recently reviewed on DotTech.org (dottech.org/164237/windows-masterpassword-review). Called " Master Password", this free program generates strong and secure passwords offline. Unlike its major competitors, Master Password does not require any additional information from the user, and works offline without the need to synch with other devices, create password backups, or even have internet access in order to use the utility. Hugely compatible, Master Password runs on Mac, Linux, Windows, iPhone, iPad and Android devices. In terms of personal security, passwords created with Master Password are not stored on the user's devices, rendering them invulnerable in the event the device is lost or stolen or a data stream is intercepted. Master Pass is available as a free download from masterpasswordapp.com. Master Password is regarded as one of the simplest password utilities to use, only requiring that the user create an account with a username and complex password. Since passwords are not stored on the device or on a remote server in the cloud, no internet access is necessary to access complex passwords, as they are created by the Master Password software itself using the unique login information created by the user when the program is first registered. Using a unique algorithm and the registration information, the same secure and complex password for each website is created by the software when accessed, thus not requiring any passwords to be stored locally or remotely, thus greatly enhancing password security. The process of creating a unique password for each site visited is fast and simple; first connect to the desired website, then select the password type and length; complex passwords can be generated up to 20 characters in length, making them hyper-secure. All that the user has to remember is his username and primary Master Pass password; with this information, and copies of the Master Pass software, the created complex passwords can be accessed from anywhere at any time, even without internet access. With all of the contemporary media accounts of massive password thefts, and the known vulnerabilities of simple and common passwords, a decent password manager is no longer a luxury, but is now a necessity.

RAMBLINGS – Uninterruptible Power Supply By Jack Fischer, Director/Communications, The Computer Club, Inc., Florida www.scccomputerclub.org/ / jafischer (at) juno.com APC Currents recently had an interesting article on how to pick an Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) for your PC. The purpose of a UPS is to power your system during a short-term power outage, preventing the problems and inconvenience of an improper and sudden shutdown. They are available at stores like Staples and Office Depot, and are highly recommended. SIZE can be calculated by adding up the power-draw on all the devices to be protected. This information is normally marked on the nameplate or sticker on the back or bottom of each device. You may wish to protect not only your PC but also your printer, router, etc. RUN TIME - Allow sufficient time to save your work and do so in an orderly shutdown. Most outages are less than five (5) minutes, but may vary depending upon your location. COVERAGE - You may want to have another UPS to protect your big TV.

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Plateau PC Users Group, Inc. Application for Membership Return this application, with check for annual dues payable to “PLATEAU PC USERS GROUP.” Return to the club Treasurer during our meeting or mail to PPCUG Treasurer, P.O. Box 3787, Crossville, TN 38557. Our annual dues are now payable no later than July 1 of each year. Annual dues are $24.00 per single person / $30.00 per family starting July 1, 2014. Join Date

July 1, 2014

October 1, 2014

January 1, 2015

April 1, 2015

Single:

$24

$18

$12

$6

Families:

$30

$22

$15

$7

____________ Date ——————————————————————————————————————-Last Name First Name Family Members (if family Membership) ——————————————————————————————————————Address:

City

State

Zip Code

Phone Number

———————————————————— E-Mail address

I have used PCs since (year): _____

I have belonged to a Computer Club before. Yes __ No ___

I have knowledge in the following areas that I would be willing to share with club members:

I would like more information about the following areas:

4/14/2014

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November 2014 Sun

Mon

Tue

Wed

Thu

Fri

Sat 1

2

3

4

5

6

7 1:00 P.M.

8

Photo Editing Workshop Mtg. 9

10

11

12 2:00 P.M.

13

14

15

Board Mtg.

16

17 3:00 P.M.

18

19

20

21

22

25

26

27

28

29

Q & A Session Followed by General Mtg. 23

24

30

Note: Please see page #15 for the Plateau PC Users Group, Inc. Application for Membership form.

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