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TUESDAY 12 AUGUST 2014 • [email protected] • www.thepeninsulaqatar.com • 4455 7741 Turtles beats inside Guardians at WHEELS • Motorcycle lane-splitting box office and why its safe P | 5 P | 8-9 FOOD • How to make the best Plumcake P | 6 BOOKS • How Waiting for Godot changed me PASSWORD ************* SIGN IN P | 7 HEALTH • Fitness experts cut Even if we know how to to the core to target make strong passwords, the centre of power it’s difficult to keep track of them all between every P | 11 bank account, retailer and app demanding its own unique log-in. So TECHNOLOGY how can you escape • Surface Pro 3: password hell? Or at Most lappable least snap out of your tablet yet apathy before a hacker steals your information? P | 12 LEARN ARABIC REMEMBERING • Learn commonly used Arabic words PASSWORDS and their meanings P | 13 2 PLUS | TUESDAY 12 AUGUST 2014 COVER STORY Keep track of your passwords without going insane By Hayley Tsukayama ranked your options from the most low- that secure in the scheme of things. Apply maintenance to the most rigorous — for large amounts of common sense before e can probably all agree people who want to go the extra mile. proceeding. that the password sys- None of the following suggestions are per- tem, as it stands today, fect, by any means — just tips for staying 1. Write them down. just isn’t working. With sane in a crazy system. But it turns out that Alright. This might sound crazy right the constant security there are some surprisingly easy solutions off the bat. But one really easy way to keep Wbreaches in the headlines, we’re told regu- for this very modern problem. And what- track of your passwords is to write them larly to beef up our passwords. But even if we ever you do, remember: Anything is safer down — on paper. Yes, conventional wisdom know how to make strong passwords, it’s a than using the same password over and over has said for years that that’s a bad idea, and pain to keep track of them all between every again. Even if it’s a really good one. you’re in huge trouble if you lose your list. bank account, retailer and app demanding But with so many accounts to juggle nowa- its own unique log-in. Easy (aka, lazy) methods days, chances are that you’ll be tempted to So how can you escape password hell? There are some fairly easy ways to keep reuse your passwords if you can’t remember Or at least snap out of your apathy before track of, or even streamline, your list of all of them. So, writing them down isn’t so a hacker steals your information? We’ve passwords. These methods are fast but not nutty. PLUS | TUESDAY 12 AUGUST 2014 3 Ideally, yes, you should memorize your faith in a company like Google, that will help you manage your pass- devices. LastPass and Dashlane are your most important passwords. But Facebook or Twitter and use their words, such as 1Password, LastPass free, but if you want to sync across even security expert Bruce Schneier networks to log in to other sites or Dashlane, though you’ll have to pay multiple devices — say your cellphone has recommended writing down pass- whenever possible. You know those a fee for some features. These serv- and your computer — you’ll need to words and treating that list like you “Log in with Facebook” buttons? ices all differ slightly but work on the upgrade to the premium versions. would any other valuable document, That’s what we’re talking about same basic principle: Each is an online LastPass costs $12 a year; Dashlane which is to say with a high degree of here. It won’t work for every site, but storage locker of your passwords, all costs $30 a year. security — no sticky notes on your social network log-in is widespread hidden behind a single password that The two main downsides to pass- monitor that say “conglomeratebank. enough that it could definitely cut only you know (meaning you can’t word managers are that one, yes, com: jdoe/password123.” down the amount of passwords you recover your master password from you’re still storing everything in one There are definitely bad ways to have. If you do opt for this method, anywhere but your brain). Password place and depending heavily on that do this. Getting into an account nor- though, make sure that the password managers also offer other perks, service’s security. And second, you’re mally means having to know three you use for your social network of such as a place to store secure notes, helpless if you don’t have access to things: the location of the account, choice is rock-solid. credit card numbers or information your locker for some reason — for a username and a password. If you for filling in websites. You just have example, if your employer doesn’t can manage it, don’t put all three of 3. Reset your password — every to install the programs into your Web let you download software onto your these pieces of information in the time. browsers to record your login infor- work computer. same place. Similarly, don’t do silly And finally, one simple — admit- mation as you surf. things like keeping your bank account tedly inconvenient — method is to Password managers are conven- 2. Isolate your information. password next to a credit or debit go through the “Forgot your pass- ient, and will even randomly generate Not that into paying? Another card that has your bank’s name on it. word?” spiel each time you log into strong passwords, such as “eG7nIs- option is to create an email account What if you want to write eve- some sites. That’s too much of a pain 0daud3Taw,” for your accounts and that’s linked to just your most sen- rything on a spreadsheet stored on for sites you use frequently, such as then remember those crazy things sitive online accounts — financial your computer? The same rules and your email or your bank. But it’s not for you in their vaults. To access accounts, namely — and don’t use risks apply. And if you want to put a bad fallback strategy for those serv- your various passwords as you surf, it for anything else. The fewer ways that file in the cloud, the stakes are ices you use less often and are most all you have to do is click on a handy that criminals can link your various even higher. A cloud spreadsheet is likely to forget anyway — such as the button on your browser and choose accounts to build a profile of you, not the place for your most sensitive account you made at a retailer’s web- which account you need to fill in your the better. Having a separate email accounts. If you must do this, con- site to get free shipping that one time. information. account makes it harder for criminals fine your cloud spreadsheet to the Each has its strengths and weak- to connect the dots they need to crack accounts you would be reasonably Advanced nesses. Dashlane is probably the easi- security questions, like those that ask okay with getting hacked. And at a To move to the next tier, you’re est to use and the prettiest to look at. for your maiden name or your pets’ minimum, name the file something going to have to commit to spend- LastPass is compatible with a wide name. So maybe they won’t figure out other than “Passwords.” ing some money or some time — in range of devices. And 1Password, is that the Judy Smith whose banking most cases both — to dealing with comprehensive but expensive. password they just obtained is the 2. Rely on a major company such this imperfect system. How much do they cost? 1Password same as the Judy Smith who lists her as Facebook, Twitter or Google to has a one-time $50 cost for Mac or maiden name and pets’ names in her log-in. 1. Password managers Windows, $18 for iOS and $10 for a Facebook profile. Another easy option is to place There are a number of services full version of the app on Android WP-Bloomberg Don’t do silly things like keeping your bank account password next to a credit or debit card that has your bank’s name on it. 4 PLUS | TUESDAY 12 AUGUST 2014 COMMUNITY / MARKETPLACE Students at Total Summer School in Paris. Qatari students excel at Total Summer School our Qatari students were spon- same time, everybody was so helpful, sored by Total to participate in and I enjoyed it very much.” Fthe annual Total Summer School Ghalia was accompanied by three in Paris, which this year took place other students, Nada Al Sulaiti, who in late June. The students joined 120 studies marketing at Qatar University; international students taking part in as well as Ali Al Buainain and Almaha roundtable discussions, presentations Al Hammadi, who study International and workshops to voice their ideas on Politics and Culture and Politics at energy-related issues and challenges. Georgetown University, respectively. In addition, they met Total’s senior Prior to their departure, the stu- managers and recruiters at the com- dents met Guillaume Chalmin, Ali Al Buainain, one of the four pany’s headquarters. On their return, Managing Director of Total E&P Qatar Qatari students, taking part all four students shared their posi- and Group Representative.

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