Podcasts: Windows to Information

When thinking of technological advancements, one thing you may not consider is the podcast. While the idea itself is not groundbreaking, podcasts represent another side of the information age. Small nuggets of information and learning can be gleaned from these short, recorded and shareable “mini radio shows.” Podcasts exist covering almost any subject you could think of. While podcasts serve many purposes (many are purely for entertainment) an increasing number of podcasts are devoted to education and the sharing of ideas. Podcasts have become windows of information in our world. Podcasting to Share IT News

IT is one area that can use podcasts to an advantage. As folks in this industry are already well connected and “plugged-in”, a podcasts presents a great way to share bits of information in small, digestible formats. So many podcasts available are free to listeners, which makes sharing the knowledge even easier.

There are numerous great podcasts devoted to the subject of Information Technology. A fairly large list can be found here. When checking out a technology podcast, subjects can range from the most technical of new inventions, to general IT and computer news, reviews on recent releases, and numerous tips, tricks, and discussions. They present a valuable resource to those hoping to learn more in this area.

An Option for Learning

Podcasts provide a unique option for dealing with training or advancement. As individuals learn in all different ways and through different methods, a podcast is a wonderful way to cater to those who are auditory learners. Many trainees would benefit from audio lessons to help them along, and the length of the podcast can be tailored to the needs of each.

For certain companies and businesses, a podcast may be a great marketing tool as well. The employees could learn how to create and market podcasts which are specific to their company and its areas of expertise, which would be an excellent way to build their reputation and boost reach. As a popular format for entertainment and learning, podcasts could absolutely be a great choice for a company to look into.

Hone Your Skills With Podcasts

Anyone in business or IT should be keen to keep his or her brain sharp and fresh. Podcasts are an ideal way to grow those minds! Educational podcasts that teach, question, and get you pondering are serious brain-boosters. Learning something new, whatever the subject, allows an individual to hone their critical thinking skills, and actively listening to a podcast has the added benefit of increasing focus. A podcast may be a strong alternative to listening to music. Since podcasts come along in your phone or mp3 player, you can listen to it on the go, while you are commuting, exercising, or even shopping for groceries. In this way, your brain can be constantly receiving new, educational information. This is a win-win situation, as you will be acquiring interesting knowledge, and honing your sharp mind--making you more focused and motivated in the workplace. Podcasts truly are windows to information, and we should all try and incorporate them into our daily lives.

How to Create Secure Passwords

While it feels as though security breaches and hackers pose a constant threat to you, your computer, and your personal information, one barrier to infiltration that is in your complete control is how securely you design your passwords. There are a few tips and tricks to crafting the ideal, impenetrable password, and they may not be what you think. Password No No’s

Everyone knows one of the rules to creating a good password is to combine letter and numbers, right? So you create a password with your last name and perhaps your birthdate, something like Smith0678. This is a huge no no. Generally, using your name as a password can be guessed tremendously easily, and including personal information such as birthday, year of birth, or even address number is a bad idea. This information can easily be guessed or found by potential hackers or infiltration systems. You may not even be safe using the name of a favourite pet, as there is potential this information could be found out online, perhaps via social media. When designing a password, steer clear of information that is too close and personal to you, your life, and your family.

It’s also not a great idea to use just a single word for your password, no matter how random it seems. Certain infiltration software uses a dictionary matching system to guess passwords. So even if your password is “Antidisestablishmentarianism”, the program would likely still stumble upon it, making you vulnerable to a threat.

Elements of a Good Password

Yes, strong passwords should contain letters and numbers, but it is often still too easy to hack a password when it incorporates a recognisable word. The best passwords are a string of letters, numbers, and characters that do not necessarily make sense to the untrained eye. A long, randomised password is definitely very secure, but may be difficult for a user to memorise. For this reason, many experts suggest creating an acronym, using a sentence you will remember. For example, “This Is My Password and I Like Coffee.” This sentence would result in TIMPAILC. Make the password even stronger by making only some of the letters capitalised, and including a non-numeric symbol. A good choice would be $TiMPAiLC%. This is not a recognisable word that could be guessed by a hacker, but it is easy for you to remember a silly sentence/

Tips for Creating the Right Password

There are many options when it comes to being clever with password creation. If you are including a common word in the password, it is advisable to misspell it in some way. Or, you can replace on of the letters with a number that makes sense to you, but is likely not to be guessed by a hacker, such as the word Example: 3XAMPL3. And of course, boost that with a character! (*&%!$#@)

One great idea is to create a template of sorts that you use for all your different passwords, with a changeable part that you can customise for each website. This might be something like

1509coffeemashine_

With such variants as

1509coffeemashine_bankaccount$ 1509coffeemashine_fac3book

Again, what is strong in these passwords is the combination of numbers, misspelled words, characters, and unusual word choices.

Variety is Key

As we just saw, strong passwords have a variety of factors which help keep them diverse and extremely difficult to guess. You should strive for variety within your passwords and amongst all of your passwords, which should definitely each be unique. If you utilise an identical password for all your login details, you are extremely susceptible to infiltration, and giving a potential hacker access to all of your information!

Being creative and clever will ensure you are designing excellent passwords. Would you believe the most commonly used password is “password”? This is a terrible way to make your secure data basically open source. Other common passwords include “admin”, “blank”, and abc1234. Don’t fall prey to these simplistic options, even if they are the easiest to remember. Come up with something unique to you, and your information will be much, much safer.

Utilising Password Apps or Generators

If you do have trouble remembering your many passwords, you can research some apps that store all your password information for you. This is a far better option than storing your login details on your phone or in an email. If someone hacks you, you may be giving them even more information. A password app, such as Keeper, can hold your password info in a securely encrypted center, protecting it for you. This is a great option if you have countless passwords to keep track of. Other apps and programs have password generators, so they’ll help you design unique and extremely secure randomised passwords. This might be the answer for you if the creative bug just isn’t biting.

The Benefits of Online Storage

As increasingly more work and communication is done online, it has become necessary to form online solutions for data storage. Cloud storage is now exceedingly common among professionals and amateur computer users alike. It makes so much sense to store your files and data in the cloud rather than on your computer hard drive, and so we’ve compiled a list of some of the top benefits of online storage. Easy to Access and Share

Some of the most popular online cloud storage programs are Google Drive, Dropbox, and Microsoft’s OneDrive (formerly SkyDrive). Many of these storage programs offer free options for users. If you require increased space, a fee may be involved. These programs are wonderful to use. Cloud storage programs, because they live in the world of the web, are constantly accessible. When storing your information online, no matter where you go, you can easily access the data or files you need, by simply logging in to your online storage program. With the advent of smartphone apps, you can even retrieve your documents using your phone. Take your data with you wherever you go.

Don’t Take Up Any “Space”

Moving your document storage from your computer or backup hard drive and onto a cloud storage program is a remarkable way to save space. When your files, photos, and other documents aren’t crowding your computer hard drive, your computer will be less sluggish and function more quickly and smoothly. You also have more room for any additional programs you want to install on your computer.

A Sense of Security

Not only does online cloud storage grant you the freedom of increased storage space on your devices, but it gives you an enormous sense of security. Because these online service encrypt your data, you can feel certain that no unauthorised users will ever gain access to your documents. Your files will be protected from unwanted intrusion as well as possible annihilation. Cloud storage systems, living on the internet, are virtually indestructible, versus a computer hard drive which could become infected with a virus or crash at any time. These cloud storage systems have the added bonus of providing an automated backup of your information periodically. While you have to take the time and make an effort to backup information on your personal computer, the cloud storage programs can do this for you, giving you even greater peace of mind that your files are protected and secure.