Ask Leo! #752 – The State of Passwords in 2019

Passwords. Ugh. So many to keep track of, and the rules keep changing. You'd think by now we'd have better solutions, but passwords are here to stay, at least for the foreseeable future. This week I review the state of passwords nearly two decades into the 21st century.

Speed. Ugh. There's almost nothing more frustrating than a slow computer. Let's review my top ten list of things to look at to speed up your computer.

Storage. OK, no "ugh" here. If you have old external hard drives lying around, like I do, it's not hard to set them up for use as additional storage for all the machines on your local network. Kind of your own makeshift NAS, like I have.

The Ask Leo! Guide to Staying Safe on the Internet - FREE Edition

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Now I want you to give a copy to a friend. You know, that person who's always just a little befuddled or perhaps even downright scared of doing things online. With a little help they can be a little more confident, just like you.

Download the ebook here and give them the PDF, or share this link -- https://med.askleomedia.com/pdf/InternetSafety-v4-Free.pdf.

Either way, you'll be doing your part to make the internet a tiny bit safer, and a little more fun for your friends and family -- they'll thank you.

As do I.

Leo

The State of Passwords in 2019

Passwords have been in the news a lot lately, mostly due to various breaches at an assortment of online service providers.

I want to briefly touch on four topics:

  • Best practices: what makes a good password
  • Storage strategies: how to securely keep track of it all
  • Two-factor authentication: protection against breaches
  • The possible death of the password as an security identifier

Continue Reading: The State of Passwords in 2019
https://askleo.com/72648

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How Can I Boost My Laptop's Performance?

How can I optimize my laptop's performance in Windows 10?

Honestly, my advice isn't Windows 10-specific. It applies to almost any edition of Windows.

And it also doesn't apply to only laptops.

Let's review my “Top 10” list of things to do for speed.

Continue Reading: How Can I Boost My Laptop's Performance?
https://askleo.com/73566

Can I Use External Hard Drives as NAS Storage?

Yes. Yes you can.

I do it myself.

But first we have to make sure we're on the same page when it comes to defining what a NAS is.

Continue Reading: Can I Use External Hard Drives as NAS Storage?
https://askleo.com/73574

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Posted: April 16, 2019 in: 2019
Shortlink: https://newsletter.askleo.com/8067
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Confident Computing is the weekly newsletter from Ask Leo!. Each week I give you tools, tips, tricks, answers, and solutions to help you navigate today’s complex world of technology and do so in a way that protects your privacy, your time, and your money, and even help you better connect with the people around you.

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I'm Leo Notenboom and I've been playing with computers since I took a required programming class in 1976. I spent over 18 years as a software engineer at Microsoft, and after "retiring" in 2001 I started Ask Leo! in 2003 as a place to help you find answers and become more confident using this amazing technology at our fingertips. More about Leo.