- Why the Meijer mPerks Hack Spotlights the Importance of Password Hygiene
- Why Can't Robots Check the Box That Says 'I'm Not a Robot'? (Video)
- Think You Can Spot a Fake AI-Generated News Story? Take This Quiz to Find Out
- Updated Google Courses for Educators (Video)
- How to Add a Timer Into Google Docs (Video)
- Plan Lessons Faster with AI
- Safely Allow Your Students to Interact With AI Using SchoolAI.com
Why the Meijer mPerks Hack Spotlights the Importance of Password Hygiene
How Were mPerk Accounts Hacked?
If you didn't lose your mPerk points, or know someone who did, you have probably at least heard about the Meijer mPerks theft. The lesson to be learned here, is in how Grand Haven resident, Nicholas Mui, gained access to the mPerk accounts. It is believed he gained access to the mPerks accounts of those whose account credentials had been exposed in the MyFitnessPal app breach last year and who were using the same password in their mPerks account. This is why it is so important to not use the same password for all of your online accounts, as well as why it is imperative that you change your passwords whenever you are informed you may have been involved in a data breach. Keep in mind, if you use the same password for multiple online accounts, you'll need to not only change the password for the account that was affected, but also for any online account using that same password. That sounds like a lot of work, doesn't it?
How to Protect Yourself
You can be proactive by not using the same password for all your accounts. I know it's impossible to keep track of all those passwords for each of your online accounts, and using unique passwords seems like such impractical advice. The solution is simple: Use a Password Manager. I use BitWarden, both at work and for my personal accounts. For basic password management services on your personal accounts Bitwarden is free, but there are also many other free password managers to choose from. So try a few and see which one you find easy to use. A password manager takes away the stress of not only remembering your passwords, but also for creating strong passwords.You simply load the password manager app, extension, and/or software on all your devices. To begin, every time you login to an account, have your password manager save the login credntials. Every time you create a new account, have your password manager create a secure password. If you have passwords saved in your browser, you can import those also. You only need to actually remember ONE password for your password manager. The next time you sign in to one of your online accounts, your password manager will login for you.
What is Good Password Hygiene?
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| How quickly will your passwords be hacked? |
Quite frankly, the mPerk victims were lucky that only their mPerk points were stolen, as opposed to their credit card or banking information and money. Good password hygiene matters to keep your finances and personal information secure. Let's review what exactly good password hygiene means:
- Use a strong password (see table above from Hive Systems).
- Do not recycle passwords by adding a digit or symbol to an existing password.
- Use unique passwords for all of your online accounts.
- Save your sanity by using a password manager to create and remember passwords for you.
- Set up multi-factor authentication for any online account that allows it - but especially any account using your financial information. (banking, shopping, online subscriptions, etc.)
- Change your passwords whenever you've been informed of, or hear about, a data breach for an app or organization you use. Don't just change the password for the account affected, but also for any online account using the same password.
Why Can't Robots Check the Box That Says 'I'm Not a Robot'?
Think You Can Spot a Fake AI-Generated News Story? Take This Quiz to Find Out
Think You Can Spot a Fake AI-Generated News Story? Take This Quiz to Find Out from ZDNet by Lance Whitney
I'm pretty skeptical, but only scored 66%. How did you do?
Updated Google Courses for Educators (Video)
Google has updated their list of free, self-paced courses for educators. Updated courses include the level 1, level 2 and Premium Teaching & Learning Workspace for Education (this is the version ASA uses). Watch Eric Curts of Control-Alt-Achieve explain the updates, and how to access them.
How to Add a Timer Into Google Docs
Plan Lessons Faster with AI
Check out the November 27th episode of the Ditch That Textbook podcast for tips on using AI to create lesson plans. Not only can Artificial Intlligence help you write your lesson plans faster, but it can also give you ideas you may not have considered. The link above connects to the podcast episode on Spotify, but it is also available on Apple and Google podcast, as well as many other podcast providers.
Safely Allow Your Students to Interact With AI Using SchoolAI.com
Most of the cool AI ideas for use in the classroom tend to be inappropriate for students under the age of 13. This tool is specifically designed for use with students while protecting their privacy and exposure. Teachers can create free classroom accounts at schoolAI.com, allowing students access to an activity without creating an account or signing in. It was featured in the Cool Tools 2023 list on Eric Curts's Control-Alt-Achieve blog. Check out the full blog post or watch the demo video. Feel free to check out the other cool tools in the list as well. Just keep in mind, any tools you intend to use with your students must be appropriate for use with children under the age of 13 and protect both their privacy and exposure to inappropriate content.
