MEDIA MEMOS / WORST PASSWORDS

DOGGY NAMES POO-POOED—GUEST BLOG--By Fox Van Allen, Techlicious-- Man’s best friend does a terrific job of protecting your home. But when it comes to protecting your online accounts, your beloved pet is literally the worst choice possible.

Recently, Google Apps conducted a study of 2,000 people to learn more about their methods for choosing account passwords. The research revealed a worrying fact: Most people choose passwords based on readily available information. This means a surprising number of accounts can be hacked using a few simple, educated guesses.

So, what are the most common passwords? The top (bottom?) 10 list is as follows:

Pet names

A notable date, such as a wedding anniversary

A family member’s birthday

Your child’s name

Another family member’s name

Your birthplace

A favorite holiday

Something related to your favorite sports team

The name of a significant other

The word “Password”

Naturally, if you used any of these ten to construct your own passwords, then you should probably take a moment to come up with something far more secure. After all, information such as birthdays, anniversaries and names can be easily researched using Facebook. That’s why it’s generally recommended that you lie when setting account security questions like “what is your mother’s maiden name?”

The study reveals a few other terrible password habits: Nearly half of us (48%) share our passwords with others, a basic security no-no. And 3% write their passwords down on a post-it note stuck near their computer – the digital equivalent of leaving your front door unlocked at night.

There’s no excuse for a lazy password. Rather than choosing an easy-to-remember piece of personal information, you can use more secure password management software instead. You should also read up on Suzanne’s tips for creating a strong password.

This article was written by Fox Van Allen and originally appeared on Techlicious.

Read more: http://www.techlicious.com/blog/the-10-worst-password-ideas-as-revealed-by-google/#ixzz2bUk7UxDk

RETRO FILES / DINNER ABOARD THE JOAN MIRO

Dining room of the Elipsos "Joan Miro" Trenhotel

OCCIDENTIAL EXPRESS--My wife and I recently invited our adult sons to travel to Europe simply because it was an opportunity to catch up with each other.  We visited Madrid, Barcelona, Paris and Brussels and traveled by train through each country.  From Madrid to Barcelona we took a bullet train and from Barcelona to Paris we hopped aboard the Elipsos Trenhotel.

 

The Elipsos isn’t a bullet train.  Either is it fabled Orient Express, but it is also not so time consuming or bank balance draining.  In fact, its slower pace is part of the charm.  For our budget and time frame, the Elipsos was just fine.  We  booked sleeping compartment for us and the men shared quarters.

We left aboard the Elipsos “Joan Miro” in early evening and arrived just after dawn in Paris.  We traveled through Spain’s Girona and Figueres before crossing the border into France.  We stopped briefly in Orleans before Paris.

 

Our sons found new friends at the train bar before we all sat down for a quality meal from a real restaurant.  The white table cloth service and the meal were first class. 

The whisky, wine, meal, and coffee that night made it one of the highlights of the trip.   One parents will never forget.  We toasted our oldest son's birthday

 on the “Occidental Express” and promised to return for a reunion with spouses.

Our second sitting late into the evening soon gave way to bed time.  It was then the fine wine made it easier to fall asleep in time to the constant clacking of the metal wheels on metal rails. Again, part of the charm.

www.elipsos.com

The “Francisco de Goya” is an Elipsos Trenhotels with daily trips from Madrid to Paris.