👍 #877 – How Do Websites Keep Passwords Secure?

This week's featured article

It's a contradiction, it seems: if a website cannot, and should not be able to tell you what your password is, how do they know you've typed it correctly at sign-in time?

In short: magic. In this case: mathmatical magic, called a "hash".

Understanding this will help you know what to look for the next time your email address appears in a large-scale data breach.

How Do Websites Keep Passwords Secure? has the scoop.

Also this week:

• Trouble emailing large files? You shouldn't try, because you don't have to any more.
• "Mailbox Unavailable"? It's email's version of "something didn't work".
• You could be using BitLocker and not even know it. If true, you'll want to do this . . . soon.

TEH Podcast

One of my Ask Leo! videos took off a couple of weeks ago, and it led to a great discussion on backing up, archiving, the difference between 'em, and the best implementation for the latter. Turns out Gary and I independently arrived at the same conclusion and are doing roughly the same thing. Cool stuff, some self-promotion, and a test of . . . video? Yep, I tested an approach to recording my side of the podcast in video, and it was good enough to share. TEH 141: Backups, archives and possibly Pluto.

See you next week!

This Week's Featured Article

How Do Websites Keep Passwords Secure?
What to look for in every data breach report.

A high-level overview of how websites and services should store passwords security, so next time there's a breach you'll know what to look for.

https://askleo.com/136163

Also This Week on Ask Leo!

How to Email Large Files Using Any Email Program or Service What to do when large attachments become a problem.
Emailing large attachments is typically a bad idea, as your mail may not be delivered. I'll look at alternatives. https://askleo.com/11685

What Does the "Mailbox Unavailable" Error Mean and How Do I Fix It? The email equivalent of "something didn't work".
"Mailbox unavailable" is a common email bounce message that tells us very little. I'll review some of the more common causes of "mailbox unavailable". https://askleo.com/3738

Find Your Lost Bitlocker Recovery Key in Your Microsoft Account You may be using BitLocker and not even know it.
BitLocker might be turned on without your knowledge. That's fine, but make sure you have the recovery keys stored somewhere should you ever need them. https://askleo.com/136189

If I Share Wi-Fi With My Neighbor, Can They See My Network Traffic? Plus what else might be exposed.
Sharing Wi-Fi with your neighbor might seem like a friendly thing to do, but be aware you are potentially putting your own computers at risk. https://askleo.com/2395

Ask Leo! on YouTube

Subscribe to Ask Leo! on YouTube to get the latest on YouTube.com. Your subscription (and "Likes") help others find Ask Leo!, and the the answers they're looking for.

If I Share Wi-Fi With My Neighbor, Can They See My Network Traffic? Sharing Wi-Fi with your neighbor might seem like a friendly thing to do, but be aware you are potentially putting your own computers at risk. https://youtu.be/yOez7fU7nDY

Find Your Lost Bitlocker Recovery Key in Your Microsoft Account BitLocker might be turned on without your knowledge. That's fine, but make sure you have the recovery key stored somewhere should you ever need them. https://youtu.be/Pn-PZ2F43SM

What Does the Mailbox Unavailable Error Mean and How Do I Fix It? "Mailbox unavailable" is a common email error message that tells us very little. I'll review some of the more common causes of "mailbox unavailable". https://youtu.be/SmmtFljGYvg

How Do Websites Keep Passwords Secure? A high-level overview of how websites and services should keep passwords secure, so next time there's a breach you'll know what to look for. https://youtu.be/sZCbNlrE0lQ

How To Email Large Files Using Any Email Program or Service Trying to email large files as attachments is typically a bad idea as your mail is likely to not be delivered. I'll look at alternatives. https://youtu.be/CuyJ7rZlg1Y

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