MOOC Learning Online Week 6

The entirety of the second week of my course Introduction to Cyber Security focused on the topic of passwords to protect our online identity.

An ideal password must satisfy two conflicting aims. It should be:

1. memorable enough that the user can recall it without writing it down

2. long enough and unique enough that no one else can guess it.

After a brief introduction to how to set up strong password we learn how someone with malicious intent can obtain our password. First option is encryption of the communication between the user and the server, second option is called hashing. The goal of hashing while stealing a password is to generate a hash of a password stored on the server so the original password is discarded. When the user enters a password, it is sent over the network and hashed on the server using a copy of the same hashing function.

The next chapter of this week is dedicated to student's password security. The course explain the practice of storing all the passwords at some password manager. I use the Apple password manager which is very easy to use and quite user-friendly while safe for a very long time. Next tool which is interoduced is the password-strength meter used to evaluate your password. My password manager also has this function. I believe that I can trust Apple, because Apple is very known for providing privacy for third-party services, or as I tend to joke - Apple only exploit your data for Apple, it will never gave it to someone else to exploit. The next option is to use other service to sign up to service, like signing up with your Google account.

The last chapter of this week is concerned with the topic of two-factor authentication, including not only software solution like safety SMS fo log in, but also hardware solutions like keys. The topic of VPN is also very briefly mentioned.

This week was very practical but it provided a great start to the topic of one's own information security.