The Hackosis Brute Force Calculator tells you how long your password will last against sustained attack. The results will probably surprise and scare you a little. Especially if you’re relying on simple memorable passwords to lock away your online stuff. Think again. Think *($&£^”_8/>~’#89*&$*&.
If your memory or mistyping leaves you without the right password to get into an account on a Linux computer, there's no need to reformat. Make Magazine's Hacks Blog gives a step-by-step account of the command line fix you can make by booting into "single user mode." The fix is written from an Ubuntu perspective, but applies to most any Linux system that boots with the GRUB manager. It's also a reminder that even a password-protected Linux box isn't truly protected from the curious, so consider encrypting your data or taking other measures. Photo by Carl Johan.
Gary McKinnon, a British computer expert, claims he's just fascinated with UFOs. Using his home computer and a modem — how WarGames! — he infiltrated military networks and accessed thousands of computers trying to find evidence of alien contact
Many web-based feed readers, such as Google Reader, don't support RSS and Atom feeds protected by passwords, including the Gmail's unread messages feed. A new web service, FreeMyFeed, re-packages authenticated feeds without the password requirement by acting as a go-between.
