The Reality of Internet security, 5 simple precautions

We all know the obvious threat to boundaries that can occur with Facebook just by average use, but what happens if you have a disgruntled IT parishioner or teenage Youth Group attendee?

One might be surprised what a hacker can do...and how often it actually happens. The truth is that yes a real hacker is capable of doing a lot of damage, however if they are really good they would be going after different targets.

The internet is a fantastic and wonderful place in which all God's children are connected by this digital incarnation of the Holy Spirit. Just because it is misappropriated doesn't mean it can't be used to make our lives and ministries better. If you take some basic precautions you'll be just fine.

I'm going to list some common/uncommon sense ways to protect your self through simple precautions.

Five Simple Precautions


1. Never put anything that you could be blackmailed or slandered with.

This may seem like a narrow interpretation, of the old "never put anything you don't want seen on the internet" but there are some things I would risk it for. Credit card info given to trusted sites for purchases and other services can be very secure. These services provided are often essential and pretty dang cool.

However the reality about sites like YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Photobucket and even Amazon is that they can be hacked with ease. Facebook can in fact be hacked with a simple android phone application called Faceniff. If I can hack your Facebook from my phone, you should consider what that might mean for you.

The good new is that there is simple ways to provide basic protection, these will keep out the the simply attacks by programs like faceniff and firesheep.

Check out these simple protections by using this simple solution in the Simple Browser Security instructions, on the Instructions page

2. Be more careful on foreign wireless networks and make sure your own network is secure.

Hacker attacks require that they be able to access your network. This is the nexus of all hacker attacks. 

Hackers need access to your network to be able to get to your information. Your security can be easily increased by securing your home wireless or wired network.

Detailed instructions will be provided in the instructions section under Wireless security 101 on the Instructions page

Basically, be careful of strange wireless networks that use a WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) protection. 

The PLTS and GTU wireless networks use this sort of encryption and are then laughably easy to hack. In fact I'm pretty sure the only reason our wireless is still standing is by means of God given grace. The specialized operating system BackTrack make it easy as cake for the moderate to advanced user (like me) to break into a WEP encoded system.

In your home system make sure you always always use WPA (Wi-Fi protected access) or even better WPA2.

3. Make strong passwords and change them often

I'm extraordinarily bad at this but this is ridiculously important to do. The more complex a password the harder it is to break into.

Encryption (Εν Κρυπτειν meaning "to hide in") is simply hiding your password under layers of number, complex ciphers  and equations. No password is ever completely secure because it is only hidden under vast layers of numbers. This shouldn't be frightening, its just the same in real life.

When a hacker attempts to decode a password, he uses a program to work through the encryption, it is like hiding your password in a bible verse.

For my work with Chris Evans using the faculty assistance account, we use bible verses as password

The better the encryption, the more obscure the verse is. So instead of choosing a verse John 3:16 for a password, a book popularly cited verse with lots of repetition and formulaic phrases, you would prefer to hide it in Leviticus. Therefore the best biblical verse would be Acts 8:37, go ahead, I dare you to find that verse.

The better the password, the harder it is to spell and find on a bible gateway search. Instead of making your password John 3:16, which everyone knows where to find, make your password more obscure and unlikely for someone to guess at. Again, Acts 8:37.

This is of course dreadfully complicated and inconvenient to do every time. Thankfully there are tools that make this significantly easier like LastPass.

4. Shopping Websites rely on their reputation. Check their reputation and make their reputation.

Check their reputation

Sites like FraudWatch and Whois.net are valuable tools for checking websites and their reputations for sketchy business. In addition, watch what your buying. There is no place you can get an Ipad for $1.

In addition simple Google searches can help you get a lot of information on a merchant.


If you any doubt about a merchant but intend to buy from them anyway, use Paypal or Google Checkout when possible. These third party businesses have a reputation for trustworthiness. They exists so that you can make purchases without giving  your credit card to anyone. You can even use Paypal to shop without a credit card. You can use them to pay with a direct account withdrawal or debit card.

Make their reputation

Good shopping websites like Amazon and eBay that exist entirely online are dependent on reputation for honesty and service. Both Amazon and eBay in large part rely on sellers who work with them to sell their products. It is therefore important, as your duty as a citizen of the information age, to review bad and good purchases. Every few purchases make sure you go to where you got it and review the seller.

The problem with ministry is that you often give so much with little affirmation, that is why I make sure to give credit even for the most mundane demonstrations of superior service.

Especially on eBay, this is important as most of the sellers are individuals. Make sure you read their ratings not simply in quality but as quantity. If their last positive rating happened 3 months ago, that should send up a red flag.

Good websites stand behind their product

I personally would never buy anything delicate from a site that says all sales are final. The good thing about Amazon, Paypal, Google Checkout and eBay is that they allow you to report sellers and help you dispute the charges.

5. Always use a Credit card or Debit card for online purchases, unless you use PayPal or Google checkout.

This seems like counter intuitive but it really isn't. Just like PayPal and Google Checkout, a credit card allows you to dispute unauthorized charges.

The difference between credit cards (when you treat them like debit cards) and cash is that once cash is lost you can never get it back. When someone commits credit card fraud, theft, or unauthorized charges its mess to deal with customer service over the phone, but you can always get money stolen or wrongfully charged returned.

Ultimately, the best defense is something the IT industry has been doing for a long time. Study the Enemy. Look at hacking sites and learn what they can do, and take appropriate precautions.

Another myth is that Macs and Linux are immune to hackers. This is untrue. While they posses greater stability, the reason they are not hacked is because they are not used by many high value targets. If there is a will there is a way for a hacker to get what he or she wants.

I wouldn't worry too much, just like in real life, criminals target valuable items. They don't wan't to hack your email account so they can read your emails to your professor or friends and family.

Sources
"Fraud Education Shopping Online Safely." FraudWatch International. Ed. FraudWatch International Pty Ltd. FraudWatch International Pty Ltd, 2003. Web. 25 Nov. 2011. <http://www.fraudwatchinternational.com/ife/shopping-online-safely/>.


Benchmark. "Protect Your Online Profiles from FaceNiff Hackers | I Am Benchmark."Benchmark | Mortgage Branches | A Community of Professionals. Benchmark. Web. 25 Nov. 2011. <http://www.iambenchmark.info/security-issues/protect-your-online-profiles-from-faceniff-hackers/>.


Wholearns.com. "FaceNiff Makes Chopping a Breeze." Who Learns?! WhoLearns.com. Web. 25 Nov. 2011. <http://www.wholearns.com/faceniff-makes-chopping-a-breeze/>.


Trapani, Gina. "How to Crack a Wi-Fi Network's WEP Password with BackTrack." Web log post. LifeHacker. LifeHacker, 28 Oct. 2011. Web. 25 Nov. 2011. <lifehacker.com>.

How to read this blog (and other blogs and news sites) without having to it.

Lifehacker, my favorite blog to read, has helpful hints about everything. For more full coverage about RSS readers check out their article here.

What is it? Quid Sit?
RSS or Really Simple Syndication is a tool that helps you read your favorite web sites.
RSS readers simply take the articles from the news sites and blogs you read and puts them all in one place.
They are applications that one either downloads to one's computer,  or one which can be accessed online or from a mobile device.

What are its fucntions? Quae officia?


They exist to provide you with an easy way to read all your favorite websites in one place.

What are its parts? Quae partes?


One has the RSS reader, and then one chooses the RSS feeds one wants to read. It is quite a simple process.

So you need to choose an application to do it. So either look at the Lifehacker article or take my suggestion.

I, as always am a big fan of Google. Google provides all your important online services in one place with one account. So I would recommend Google reader . It is web based, so it is wherever you go.

Firefox users may also enjoy Sage, an easy add-on that goes right on your browser bar and allows you to access them at any time. It is lightweight so it won't drag on your browsing experience.

There are other non-web applications available if that is your style such as NetNewsWire for Mac OS X
or FeedDemon for Windows.

How is it done?


See below for mobile devices Ipad/Iphone/Android.
On your computer:


After having downloading, installing or signing up:


Click on the RSS Link on any web page.

They usually look something on the left. However the main thing to look for is the RSS symbol on the right.

With my blog as an example, we will add your very first RSS Feed.



The top one that says posts will be a feed that gives you updates on all the posts that are made tothe blog. The All comments one will update you on comments made on this blog.

So click on the Posts button. When you click on it a little menu will pop up giving you options to add to several online RSS services. In that case, as long as it is one of the ones listed simply click the one that matches your service. For us that is the Add to Google button.

Then you will have to option to either Add to you Google homepage or Add to Google reader. When you click add to either of those you may be prompted for your password, or if your already signed in, it will ask for permission.

As far as Google reader goes, that is it!


If you are using another service you will want to click on the Atom button. that will bring up a copy of the page and on top there will be a prompt asking you to subscribe using a particular service. Click the drop down box and select the appropriate service.

If you just installed a non-web based reader it may already show up there, mine shows MS Outlook because that is a common program used for data management. If it does not show up click choose application and select your reader. Go through the motions it asks and you will be set up!

This also works the other way around. From Google reader click the red subscribe button and enter the website you want a feed from. So type in New York times for example and it will give you list of the different columns you can follow.

All readers work basically the same way with some variation.


Mobile devices


This is great to have as you ride the Looper.

There are many apps out there to choose from. Google on android offers its standard one that links with your feeds on you Google account. This article goes in depth but gReader is the option I use.

Iphone & Ipad already has Newsstand pre-loaded, which is a great option. Newsstand also syncs with your Google Reader account!


Happy reading!

Tech-min's Mission statement

This has been permanently moved to the mission statement page, please feel free to access it at anytime.

Now that I have posted signs on campus promoting this blog, I feel as though it is important to state what exactly this blog is about.

• Tech-Min is devoted to helping church members and ministers, whether they be lay or ordained, develop an understanding of the power the tools of the information age posses. 

I have no doubt in my mind that the advent of computers and the internet are the printing presses of today. Just as Martin Luther & the Wittenberg theologians utilized this new technology to their advantage, so should we utilize our technology in the same way. The difference is that we are responsible for using it. The majority of computer in ministry is still very much a personal thing as opposed to having experts who operated the printing press.

Today the internet, computers and related technology are used for so much good. They are used to guide our military service people safely through dangerous situations. They are used to organize people speaking truth to power in places like Egypt and even near us in Oakland. They have the capability to assist the ministers of Christ in their care for his flock. People do not often realize this, and what this blog hopes to do is to bring this to the reader's attention.

• Tech-min is devoted addressing the fear & frustration that surround computers, the internet, and other technologies and to display the possibilities for good.

Without a doubt computers are misused for evil. Sexual predators, identity thieves, black-hat hackers (hackers who attack computers with evil intent) all have abused this technology that has been given by God. 

This does not mean however that they must be thrown out the door. Computing technology is an opportunity for Christians around the world and in the neighbor hood to gain a connection despite distance or lack of availability. The blog seeks to help the readers protect themselves with basic precautions.

I worked with a person who used computers in an attempt to meet up with a child who was under his care for sexual purposes. The girl was protected however, because her father knew what he was doing and through network monitoring software, save this girl from the unspeakable.

• Tech-min desires to make known the capabilities of computers, the internet, social media and other technologies so that they may serve you in ministry.

I have seen both successful and poor attempts at utilizing these tools for ministry. The bad church websites, which I'm sure most of you are familiar with, fail because they are little more than a yellow page ad. This includes the lame Facebook page that becomes derelict. 

Unlike the yellow page ad, these media are capable of so much more than their current usage. Success has been had as people have embraced these tools, especially social media, to reach out to people in unknown places. The "it gets better videos" on you tube sent a source of hope for those in  places that don't respect the sexuality of all their inhabitants. As time passes, church members die and church members are born. The church members that are being born today will grow up with these tools and know how to work through them, so then you should be able to communicate with them in their element. 

• Tech-min hopes to move the casual user to the next level of computing skill.

PLTS has offered financial management instruction and endowment laboratories in order to help future ministers learn to manage their funds, so they can help others. In the same way this blog hopes to educate the user to some degree, so that they can manage their own virtual life in order to create a real presence in their ministries.

• Tech-min hopes to do this in an accessible manner.

It is the blogs hope to do accomplish these goals in a way that people are not scared off by the complexity on the surface. This is an area of growth for the blog. In this I hope the readers take an active part in making this better so that it can accomplish it's mission better.

In closing the blog realizes that it will not change the face of ministry forever. If it helps at least one it was not a waste of time. The blog hopes however that it is able to help a few at least.

As a person who deals with laziness, I have learned to used these tools to help me get things done with less effort. As the Dean of Science fiction writes: “Progress isn't made by early risers. It's made by lazy men trying to find easier ways to do something.” - Robert A. Heinlein.  As he also writes, this is done through hard work and a commitment to researching an easier way to do something. I recommend that one should read "The story of David Lamb, the man who was too lazy to fail."

In essence it communicates that it making things easy requires a certain amount of effort before hand. However the rewards are great.

Sources and content: The majority of this information comes from personal experience. The gaps of knowledge that the writer has are combated by research of other technological online literature that may be either unknown, inaccessible or irrelevant to the purpose of ministry.

Thank you and the blog hopes you are able to learn a thing or too about these magnificent tools.

Streamlining #2 Dropbox cloud storage and a brief intro to QR codes.

The next post in the Streamlining series will cover the great cloud application Dropbox & a little bit about OR Codes.

If you thought TLDR (Too Long Didn't Read) then at least check the bottom about referrals under the Note Bene.

Dropbox has a video as well.  You  you can sign up after download or do it before hand..


Download for Mac, Windows, Linux, Iphone, Ipad, Blackberry, and Android
QR(barcode is here for android). QR codes can be used for links and then scanned by a phone's barcode scanner. This helps you get a link on your phone without having to tapity tap on your touchscreen. You can make your own here. There are many readers but they are available on all smart phone platforms, including blackberry and Symbian.

Dropbox is a fantastic service very similar to Amazon Cloud Drive or Apple iCloud. I haven't tried those other services and I am sure there are more. However I know Dropbox and it is a great service, but what I am talking about here is more a recommendation of the concept rather than of the service itself.

I just looked at amazon cloud drive, look into them too because they offer 5 GB of storage free, without having to signup for a new account. From what I can see this is not available on smart phones. Unless you use the amazon cloud player for music.

Anyway...

Dropbox allows you to save up to 2GB (Gigabytes) on their cloud server for Free. You set up a folder on your computer(s) and smart phones. It also sets up storage in the cloud. Then you put any file you want to be available in any of these places you simple move/save your files in the folder on your computer(s) or smart phone(s).

How this helps you:
This means that for the most part, you will never need another flash drive. 2 GB is large enough for you to save pretty much every article Dr. Aune or anyone posts on Moodle and any paper you write for anything for pretty much the whole semester.

Downside is that you need internet connection to download it. The program also runs in the background on your computers which takes up some of the Memory (RAM) and contributes (minimally) to slower speeds.

Instructions:
The ones on the website are very simple so I'll have you follows those. They are on the download link.
Window's users, there is just the extra step of of clicking the set up file after you download it.

Put on anything you own that can possible have it.

In addition don't forget that you can upload a file from the browser, just like uploading to Moodle or Google Documents.

Making the Most: I recommend you make this your main documents folder. This way is your on a desktop and your power goes off, your still protected. Even on a laptop if it crashes you'd still be covered. If you cant get to your computer some how, your files are there.

This mainly helps you by never having to move the files manually. This way you won't accidentally not have an important paper on Dropbox.

Mobile Application: The way the mobile applications work is different. It doesn't run a background program like a computer nor does it automatically download the files. It is downloads upon request. This means if you open up the the file on your smart phone, it will first download it. So if you up at PLTS and you only have your phone but need to get that form to Chris Evans you might have some trouble.

Note Bene: you can get more space if you get people to sign up through referrals. I'll post this on the main Blog page as well but click this link http://db.tt/A2GPzOMS, and I get free storage if you sign up :D. However if you sign up and spread the word you too can increase you storage. This works for up to 8 GB.

Enjoy

Mac, Windows & Linux: playing nice together #1 .doc .docx & pages

BUM BUM!...... BUM BUM!
BUM BUM! ......*Episode 1 Dual of the fates* (Star Wars Music)

The ancient battle between Window's & Mac users: How to convert the files between the two?


There are a couple ways depending on versions used.:

As of Pages '09 (version number 4.0) pages is able to export not save its files in a .doc format (compatible with word). Pages at its present iteration even can read .docx & .doc already.

This is a simple process. From pages ( "->" means "select and click")
>File -> Export


On the mac user's side, were done.

However, if your partner in a paper has not done this OR you somehow have an archaic version of Word and/or Pages, you may still be at a loss.

Lets go to my friend and yours: Google

Either sign into your Gmail account or go directly to docs.google.com. Its a free service you have when you signed up for your free Gmail account. This one also works with your ses.plts.edu email.

Now your going to click the button next to create. The one that looks like a hard drive with an arrow on top

Click on "files..." and select the file you want to convert.

make sure that box labeled "Convert documents, presentations, spreadsheets, and drawings to the corresponding Google Docs format" is ticked.


then Go ahead and click the red "Docs" that is above create and under Google. This will take you back to the master list of documents.

Now from that list either look for or Search in the bar above for your newly upload document.

If you want to check and format it (or if the following doesn't work)  click on Google Docs click on the document, if your going to do that in Word.

Otherwise right click on the document and choose "Download..."   (side note: the "..." always means that there are more options. So if your afraid it will download automatically you don't have to worry.)

The "Covert and Download" screen will open. It will show the document, but it will be named by type (spreadsheet / document / etc.). In the drop down menu  to the right select Microsoft Word, if on Linux select open document format.

Click download and your browser (safari/firefox/chrome/internet explorer/opera) will prompt you for a download. Click yes/keep/save or whichever will put it on your hard drive.

Then open it up in your word processor to touch up the formatting and print! That's it! Take that corporate fiends trying to keep us from working together!

That is the only one that matters really. If you think this is nonsense to with the folder filled with incompatible documents you have then you can turn off "Confirm settings before each upload."

You can also do this by folder. I do this all time to save my syllabi and papers. Google docs has enough storage to save all your current class files. It also works with power points and  excel spreadsheets.

Word of Warning: The formatting will always be different after this process, double check it, especially with spreadsheets.

Rants: Calling someone a PC user is like calling someone Asian. There are so many types of different Personal Computers, of which a Macintosh is included in that category. Just like there are many different cultures in Asia. My computer runs Windows 7, Leopard OSX, Ubuntu (Gnu-Linux) 10.04. Yet I am lumped into a PC user and made fun of for spotty design, when Linux the most stable operating system used in servers all across the country.

Next Time On Tech-Min: I continue the streamline series with info about the great application Dropbox and maybe info about Google Docs collaborative features.

Streamlining #1, making your Computer work for you!

A major reason I believe that people get frustrated with computers is the time it takes to do certain tasks. Checking email especially can be tedious if you have a school and personal account. Some people may have 5 accounts some may only use their PLTS account.

In addition there is always the problem that you may lose important data. Especially in the Dels, a random outage can ruin all your work if your not on a laptop.

Some may also be frustrated by remembering passwords, filling in personal information each and every time, or losing bookmarks each time your on a new computer.

Luckily there are solutions for all of these issues. However one has to remember that to make a Computer helpful, there is a bit of an initial time investment. However this leads to extraordinarily savings in over time. Computer literacy is not like normal literacy or hand writing thing. You don't get fast by doing it over and over. You get fast by learning shortcuts and workarounds. In this post I hope to help you achieve some speed and literacy.

Today we will deal with email forwarding

Gmail, simply the easiest.
I wont beat this to death but I need to say it. No one uses AOL, livemail, earthlink, yahoo, hotmail or worst of all @charter.net or a cable providers email service.

For good reason. The reason is that Gmail is far superior in features and ease of use. It's also got the best spam filter in the world.

It integrates with all Google services, and many places simply let you use your Google account to sign up for their services.

However you probably don't want to switch emails or give up your old address, that's okay you you don't have to.  So sign up for an account and read the following


Email Forwarding, Only check one account forever (Gmail/PLTS email), available in others.

1. So we have logged into the account we want to set up forwarding from, i'm going to instruct using Gmail, with some critical thinking you can do this in any email client.
2. Click the gear in the top right corner
3. Press "Mail Settings"
4. Select the "Forwarding and POP/IMAP" tab
5. click "add a forwarding address" and enter your main email.
6. follow the verification process.
7. Select whether or not to move all the mail you have already to your linked account, or only send new things.
8. select whether or not to keep copies in this inbox
9. never ever have to look at 3 or 2 email accounts again

I only ever check one of my 4 Gmail accounts but I use all the addresses. I have my junk account, I have my personal, I have my school, and I have my easy to remember address. I still use these. However I do not log into them.

Don't worry about extra spam and junk. Gmail's filter is epic. If stuff does show up, then simply report spam.

Peace to you all.

Teaching Parish Google Map

I am especially proud of this map. The only problem is no one ever uses this feature, I don't blame them its pretty obscure and can be confusing.

So lets begin, this will only work with a regular Gmail account. Which I highly recommend getting, i'll talk more about Gmail later.

Go to your inbox and look for the invitation and open it up. Then click on the link. If your having trouble seeing the small map if you on windows then on your browser hold Ctrl and scroll with your mouse wheel. If you don't have a mouse wheel hit Ctrl + '=' to zoom in and Ctrl + '-" to zoom out.
On a Mac book with a touch pad and the new safari, there are multi-touch gestures  just like an Ipod. So tap or pinch.  Otherwise go to this website to read about enabling a desktop zoom
Your browser should take you here:

The next step is the Click on the "My Places Button" on the top right of the screen.
Then the side bar should look like this:

Then click the map circled in red. Now yours won't look exactly like this because this has my custom maps on it but it should be basically the same.

Here we see all the pin points for all the Reading Congregations maps. I figured some might be curious so made the Reconciling in Christ churches Red. The ones that are blue are unlabeled, meaning I am not sure how they are about GLBT people at their churches. In the description I also included a key that describes the features of each church as labeled by the LCNA website. So make sure you read the description.

I need to go back add service times still, but the locations all have address for you to use. Simply click on the pinpoints on the left side and they will appear on the map, or click on the pinpoint on the map and the description will appear. 

Here you can get directions just like on Google maps normally. You can also click on the name of the church that is highlighted and underlined in blue (Looks like this) and that will link you to the the official Google description.

The advantage of putting on a custom map rather than saving the address on your contacts is that we can completely customize this map!








What you need to do now is bookmark the map! Right next to the edit button it will say bookmark or save to my maps. That is important so you can keep track of it, and if you want to pull it up on your smartphone.



Follow me now as I show you the collaborative features!

Go ahead and click on the the edit button on the top right closest to the map. The change is subtle but it should look something like this:

Notice how now the highlighted things have appeared and are now editable. These edits will be seen by everyone who has the link to this web site. That is what the Unlisted box means. The only people who can see and edit this are people with this link.

If we click on the the pinpoint for University Lutheran Church it opens up the same box you saw earlier in the normal mode, but with the ability to edit and delete the pinpoint. Please don't delete the pinpoint, if you do, email me.

With this box we can add and edit the description, and place details. When your copying pictures from Moodle or a word document, make sure Rich text under the title is selected.

If we click Place details it shows us all the editing options for the Google Description. Feel free to correct or add something, but keep in mind that these must be approved by Google before they will show up to the public

Ideally I'd like to see us collaborate here as well as on Moodle, trust me its much easier. If we post our experiences in the descriptions, then we can get an idea of the church before we visit.

That's about all there is, if you questions feel free to comment. I'd love it if some people could add the service times.





Charles Foster also told me that there are several possible teaching parishes that are not on here. So to add a location you need to look it up just as if you were using Google maps, but make sure your still logged into your normal Gmail account.

Simply look it up and 1) press save to map on the page description, 2) select the previously bookmarked/saved teaching parish locations, 3) click save. Congratulations, you have just contributed to the welfare of all students!

If you have an Android phone and are logged into the same accounts for email and for android then you can get the the destinations on your phone easily.






Click on the icon circled in red to bring the layers menu.






















Then click the My maps button to bring up the lists of maps saved on your Google account.

Of course you don't have to do any of this, but I think its neat and want to share. It definitely makes my life easier and I hope it will make yours easier too.

Here is the link to the Map in case you didn't get it, forward it on to the classmates as well!

Thanks guys and happy hunting