Computer Security & other questions

[Glynne]

As mentioned in a separate thread on Emails (Any email Guru's out there?), my iMac got taken out by a lightning storm and I'm currently setting up a new machine as I write this (on an iPad).
As I put my old machine into a local computer shop for some diagnostics (power supply and mother board knackered), to be on the safe side I now need to change all of my passwords (and there are a lot).
So in terms of questions.

Apple Keychain
The concept of this appears very good but are there any specific security concerns that anyone knows of? Obviously having all of your passwords in one place is a risk but keeping some form of notes and / or not being able to access some services whilst away is also a risk.

Old Machine & hard drive
This is currently with my local shop and the suggestion is to put the parts on eBay and spilt any proceeds. I have no particular security concerns about most of the hardware apart from the old hard drive. There will be some password information but only in password protected documents. Given that I'm going to change all of my passwords anyway, I'm not sure whether I'm being over cautious and should look to have the drive back, if indeed it is easily removed?

Surge Protector.
I think initially my local shop weren't convinced about my diagnostics of a power surge caused by lightning until 4 more machines arrived for repair with the same symptoms. So whilst I'm closing the stable door after the horse has bolted, I now have a new horse (iMac) and would welcome any advice on the type of surge protection I could do with please?

Powered USB Hub
I have been using a Belbin hub for some years now and one of the ports doesn't work and another is a bit temperamental. Whilst my new iMac has 4 USB ports, by the time I have my external hard drive, printer, headphones plugged in, I'm then left to chop and change for my iPad, iPod and now for the mouse & keyboard which are rechargeable. So again are there any recommendations for a powered USB hub please?

Sorry if all of this is a bit basic but I'm more into using computers rather than understanding how they operate and keeping abreast of new developments. Thanks.

 

[tomatwark]

I would certainly get the hard drive back and once your are sure that any info you need is off it, destroy it, a good way is to take it out side and hit it with a sledge hammer.

 

[RogerS]

What tomatwark said. You can easily stick access a Mac drive via Terminal on boot-up. It's not just passwords but other documents that you might have and which would help someone, with a modicum of social engineering, pretend that they are you.

 

[Woody2Shoes]

+1 for do not under any circumstances part with the hard disk!

Don't forget that everything that is plugged into the computer needs to be surge protected i.e. printer, powered USB hub, monitor (if any) etc. etc.

Touch wood, I haven't had to rely on one lately (lost a lot of kit some years ago when some herbert put a digger bucket through a three phase cable and shorted another phase to mine) - the Belkin ones seem perfectly workmanlike.

Cheers, W2S

 

[iNewbie]

Touch wood, I haven't had to rely on one lately (lost a lot of kit some years ago when some herbert put a digger bucket through a three phase cable and shorted another phase to mine) - the Belkin ones seem perfectly workmanlike.

Cheers, W2S

I have a Belkin. I really should reconnect it because since I've been on a mac I haven't been!

 

[RogerS]

I think that any decent UPS has surge protection built in. Just a thought. I'm not sure that any surge protection is going to guard against a lightning strike.

 

[Celtis]

Apple Keychain
The concept of this appears very good but are there any specific security concerns that anyone knows of? Obviously having all of your passwords in one place is a risk but keeping some form of notes and / or not being able to access some services whilst away is also a risk.

The keychain does keep all of your passwords in one place, but they're all encrypted so even if someone managed to get through Apple's security, they'd still have to break the encryption on your passwords and, as of now, the encryption method they're using hasn't been broken. There's some more info about it on the Apple support site

Surge Protector.
I think initially my local shop weren't convinced about my diagnostics of a power surge caused by lightning until 4 more machines arrived for repair with the same symptoms. So whilst I'm closing the stable door after the horse has bolted, I now have a new horse (iMac) and would welcome any advice on the type of surge protection I could do with please?

Belkin protectors (can be quite expensive) come with a guarantee - this one for example is £15 but covers you for £20,000 of damage.

Powered USB Hub
I have been using a Belbin hub for some years now and one of the ports doesn't work and another is a bit temperamental. Whilst my new iMac has 4 USB ports, by the time I have my external hard drive, printer, headphones plugged in, I'm then left to chop and change for my iPad, iPod and now for the mouse & keyboard which are rechargeable. So again are there any recommendations for a powered USB hub please?

I've used one of these for a couple of years and it's worked perfectly with several devices plugged in simultaneously. We go through loads of USB hubs at work and those ones seem to be the most reliable.

 

[RogerS]

Apple Keychain
The concept of this appears very good but are there any specific security concerns that anyone knows of? Obviously having all of your passwords in one place is a risk but keeping some form of notes and / or not being able to access some services whilst away is also a risk.

The keychain does keep all of your passwords in one place, but they're all encrypted so even if someone managed to get through Apple's security, they'd still have to break the encryption on your passwords and, as of now, the encryption method they're using hasn't been broken. There's some more info about it on the Apple support site[/quote]

True. Pity then that all you need to do is to take the hard disc, stick it into a Mac and then at switch on...

Press Command and R keys while your Mac is starting up and hold those keys until you see the Apple icon.

Once you see the "OS X Utilities" window, go to Utilities -> Terminal, and type:

resetpassword

Press your user and type your password. Finally, reboot, and you will have changed the user password successfully.

Then open Keychain and away you go.

 

[Celtis]

True, but that's only an issue if you haven't enabled FileVault and / or a firmware password - which you should be doing if you're letting other people near your machine!

 

[Glynne]

Thanks again everyone.
I've successfully restored everything so at least I know my backup regime works. I'm not sure how you would normally test this without risking over-writing everything on your computer, possibly with corrupt data if backup system is flawed?
I've gone and retrieved my hard drive so I'll destroy it now.
Thanks for the info on the User Account password, I would have had to look that up (as the restore used the old password) and also on the encryption / firmware password.
I haven't used Keychain so far but I'm thinking with the extra security as above, I might well do so.

 

[Glynne]

Just had a thought (they do happen occasionally).
in terms of security, my external hard drive has to be a major concern as it's just a question of unplugging and all my data is instantly mobile - obvious as it is, it's only just occurred to me as I was putting my old drive somewhere safe for the time being!
Is the iMac security reflected in this?

 

[Celtis]

FileVault can be used to encrypt external drives, the trade-off is that you'll need to enter your password every time you plug it in. There's a decent guide on setting it up here

 

[morfa]

Apple Keychain
The concept of this appears very good but are there any specific security concerns that anyone knows of? Obviously having all of your passwords in one place is a risk but keeping some form of notes and / or not being able to access some services whilst away is also a risk.

I personally prefer (and recommend) using LastPass. That way you're not tied to something apple specific. However the Apple Keychain may be easier to use if you're Mac all the way.

If you have a master password, then make sure it's suitably complex and long, then write it down. If you forget it, you'll loose all your passwords which will be a sod. If you treat this written down password in the same way that you would say your birth certificate (i.e. in whatever you use as document storage) then that's quite a sane way of dealing with it. Obviously putting it on a post-it attached to your screen isn't.

I make extensive use of password safes at work. They're excellent, as long as you have a really good password on them. Yes, there are risks, but the alternatives are much, much worse.

Old Machine & hard drive
This is currently with my local shop and the suggestion is to put the parts on eBay and spilt any proceeds. I have no particular security concerns about most of the hardware apart from the old hard drive. There will be some password information but only in password protected documents. Given that I'm going to change all of my passwords anyway, I'm not sure whether I'm being over cautious and should look to have the drive back, if indeed it is easily removed?

Ask for the drive back. If you want to be paranoid, smash it up.

Surge Protector.
I think initially my local shop weren't convinced about my diagnostics of a power surge caused by lightning until 4 more machines arrived for repair with the same symptoms. So whilst I'm closing the stable door after the horse has bolted, I now have a new horse (iMac) and would welcome any advice on the type of surge protection I could do with please?

Surge protectors are all largely the same. Pretty much any one will do. I have a couple of snazzy belkin ones, but they're really nothing amazing and twice the price.

Powered USB Hub
I have been using a Belbin hub for some years now and one of the ports doesn't work and another is a bit temperamental. Whilst my new iMac has 4 USB ports, by the time I have my external hard drive, printer, headphones plugged in, I'm then left to chop and change for my iPad, iPod and now for the mouse & keyboard which are rechargeable. So again are there any recommendations for a powered USB hub please?

Again, all much of a muchness here. I'd suggest either of these should do the job:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00VK9PRIU

or

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0061RSACG

Obviously read the reviews and make up your own mind. But all these things are made in the same factories in China/Taiwan these days. I wouldn't spend much more than £20 on it either way.

 

[woodpig]

We had a lightning strike near where I used to live. It blew out a neighbours burglar alarm, several folks TV sets and the built in modem on my computer. I replaced the modem but after that I always used to unplug the computer from the socket if there was a lighting storm about.

 

[Alexam]

Hi Glynne,
I'm not so hot on IT, but have a Windows 7 PC and an iPad4 and link my e-mails so that I can get them when on holiday and respond if I wish to. The guys at the Apple store helped me a lot when I started and since. As far as password protection, I use '1Password', which is all encripted, has continual updates and just needs one password to access, which is long and a particular sentence that I have commited to memory, as well as letting the family know it, just in case of accident. It can store private notes and many things that you want to keep private.

Take a look if you wish to, but I do like it's simplicity and helpfulness when I have any questions and have even had a long call from them from abroad when I was in difficulty. (excellent service) . https://support.1password.com/sync-options/

Please don't ask me any technical questions, as others are far better qualified.
Malcolm