Security tips for avoiding account hackers

[Lee Jones]

[Yeah, I know, replying to my own post - how n00b is that?]

Point #12: Don't download programs that somebody sends you over IM (MSN, Skype, AIM, whatever). That's currently one of the favorite ways that hackers are getting Bad Things inside your computer. Jeff's point #10 covers this, but this makes it more explicit - just don't do it.

Best regards,
Lee Jones

PokerStars Poker Room Manager

[phish]

I don't understand Number 8. Could you give more details/background. Are you saying that anyone using XP/Home edition is at much greater risk?

I thought most personal computers come with that rather than XP/Professional. ???

[Lee Jones]

[ QUOTE ]
Thats still a bad password. With just lower case letters and numbers, you've only used up 36 out of a possible 68 characters available using letters, numbers and punctuation.

[/ QUOTE ]

True enough. But the example password is much stronger than most things people use, and it's actually something you can remember. It is true that "L1sT@ndqu0d!" would be much stronger, but the problem with that is that nobody would remember it. Then they'd write it down. And then...

Best regards,
Lee Jones

PokerStars Poker Room Manager

[holland3r]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Thats still a bad password. With just lower case letters and numbers, you've only used up 36 out of a possible 68 characters available using letters, numbers and punctuation.

[/ QUOTE ]

True enough. But the example password is much stronger than most things people use, and it's actually something you can remember. It is true that "L1sT@ndqu0d!" would be much stronger, but the problem with that is that nobody would remember it. Then they'd write it down. And then...

Best regards,
Lee Jones

PokerStars Poker Room Manager

[/ QUOTE ]

See my above post about KeePass ^

[TomG]

What happens if I die and no one knows how to log into my PokerStars account?

[DrSavage]

[ QUOTE ]

1. Never let the system “remember” any of your passwords. While systems provide this as a matter of convenience, this is the most common "hack". A password does nothing for you at all if itnever has to be entered.


[/ QUOTE ]

This one is a two-edged sword. If you have the password on remember, you're risking the remote desktop hack. If you don't, you have to enter it every time and now you're exposed to keyloggers. IMO keylogger is a more likely threat so I leave my password saved.

[wade17]

why was my post deleted?

*

Edit/MH: Because it was totally off topic and an attempt to derail this interesting thread. Any other OT posts will also be deleted, and, possibly, the poster may be temp-banned, owing to these comments having to be made in a security tips thread.

[Gregg777]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]

1. Never let the system “remember” any of your passwords. While systems provide this as a matter of convenience, this is the most common "hack". A password does nothing for you at all if itnever has to be entered.


[/ QUOTE ]

This one is a two-edged sword. If you have the password on remember, you're risking the remote desktop hack. If you don't, you have to enter it every time and now you're exposed to keyloggers. IMO keylogger is a more likely threat so I leave my password saved.

[/ QUOTE ]

I was just going to post the same thing.

Sorry Lee, but it is absurd to suggest to people to type in their password every time.

Look at the title of your own thread...

Please go back and look at all of the "account hacked" threads on 2+2.

How many are from someone actually stealing a person's computer and logging in?

Now count how many were hacked from keyloggers, etc.

You are giving out very dangerous advice in a well intentioned post.

My computer locks down within 20 mintues, and you can't simply access the hard drive, the system is double protected.

And even if someone did steal the computer, I would have time to contact the poker site before all but a very sophisticated thief was able to get into my system.

You seriously need to rethink this one.

Absolutely ridiculous advice coming from someone in your position.

(The one obvious exception would be someone living with a group of people [dorm] who might have access to their system.)

The best idea in this entire thread is the idea of giving access to a specific computer ID at the correct IP address. This would eliminate almost any theft.

It wouldn't be for everyone, but it could be some added safety for the high stakes players.

[[Phill]]

Explain "the system is double protected".

[Tom Ames]

[ QUOTE ]
What happens if I die and no one knows how to log into my PokerStars account?

[/ QUOTE ]

This may not work for everyone, but this is what I've done: I use KeePass that someone above recommended. KeePass not only has my online poker passwords but also the passwords to all my financial accounts. I have put the master password to open KeePass in my safe deposit box (that only I have access to) in an envelope for my wife.