Month: February 2022

The 20 most common passwords leaked on the dark web — make sure none of them are yours

Your go-to password might be easier to guess than you think.

That’s according to a new report from mobile security firm Lookout, which recently published a list of the 20 passwords most commonly found in leaked account information on the dark web. The list ranges from simple number and letter sequences like “123456” and “Qwerty” to easily typed phrases like “Iloveyou.”

Choosing easy-to-remember passwords is understandable: The average person has more than 100 different online accounts requiring passwords. But simple passwords can be extremely easy for hackers to figure out, allowing them stress-free access to your personal data and accounts.

It’s a timely concern. Cybersecurity experts say the current Russian-Ukrainian conflict could result in an uptick in cyberattacks around the world, with U.S. banks expressing concern this week that they could be targeted. That’s on top of a record number of data breaches in the U.S. last year – 1,862, up 68% from 2020.

Lookout, which makes cloud security apps for mobile devices, noted in a December blog post that, on average, 80% of consumers have had their emails leaked onto the dark web. You could easily be among that majority without even knowing it.

Those leaked emails often lead hackers directly to your passwords for other online accounts and identity theft, Lookout said. Here’s the company’s list of the 20 passwords most commonly found on the dark web, due to data breaches:

  1. 123456
  2. 123456789
  3. Qwerty
  4. Password
  5. 12345
  6. 12345678
  7. 111111
  8. 1234567
  9. 123123
  10. Qwerty123
  11. 1q2w3e
  12. 1234567890
  13. DEFAULT
  14. 0
  15. Abc123
  16. 654321
  17. 123321
  18. Qwertyuiop
  19. Iloveyou
  20. 666666

If you use any of the above passwords for any of your online accounts, you’d be wise to swap them out for something more secure. Cybersecurity experts often recommend picking something longer than the minimum number of recommended characters, and using uncommon characters – like punctuation marks or other symbols – in place of letters and numbers, to make your password harder to guess.

Lookout also noted that the majority of people reuse passwords for multiple accounts, which is a practice you should avoid whenever possible. If hackers can get into one of your accounts, you can at least make it harder for them to get into the rest of them.

You should also figure out which pieces of information about you and your family are publicly available, and avoid using passwords that include that information – including birthdays, anniversaries, names of loved ones and even your hometown.

The U.S. Commerce Department’s National Institute of Standards and Technology also recommends screening your passwords against online lists of compromised passwords and using multifactor authentication, among other security tactics.

Article by Tom Huddleston Jr for CNBC©

Source: These are the 20 most common passwords leaked on the dark web — make sure none of them are yours (msn.com)

Should You Let Hot Food Cool Down Before Refrigerating?

Sometimes, certain habits are so, well, habitual, that you may not even know why you do them…it’s just what you do or something you picked up from your parents as a child, like whether your toilet paper rolls over or under. Same could be said about whether you cool food before refrigerating.

© Photo: Getty Images/ BRETT STEVENS
Food cool before refrigerating

From a food safety perspective, it’s totally not necessary to bring food down to room temp before popping it in the fridge, as the refrigeration process will rapidly cool the hot food and prevent bacterial growth.

Perhaps one of the biggest reasons to consider letting food cool before refrigerating is its effect on the other contents of your fridge. “If your refrigerator is set at 39 degrees and you put a pot of hot soup right off the stove in and close the door, that temperature can drop, and it can take a while for it to climb back up again,” says dietitian and food safety expert Kelly Jones, LDN. “In order to maintain a safe temperature in your refrigerator, most foods, especially those that are liquid, should be cooled close to room temperature before being stored.” Smaller foods, like a slice of pizza or single serving of chicken breast, may not have a big impact on fridge temperature, but larger quantities, such as soups, stews, or casseroles, as well as big-batch cooked grains and proteins, can impact the temp.

For best results and safety measures, per the USDA, you should store food in the fridge within two hours of sitting out to best guarantee safety and quality for later use. As a general rule: “Food should be cooled to 70 degrees within two hours, then cooled to 41 degrees or lower within four hours to prevent bacterial growth,” says Schuering. And if you’re concerned about the waiting time, these tips will help cool food a bit faster.

Tips to cool hot food down faster

1. Give it an ice water bath

“Place the food into your storage containers, then immerse the container (without entirely submerging it) in ice water, stirring the food as needed, or you can twist the container back and forth to agitate the food and help it cool faster,” says Schuering.

2. Transfer large servings to smaller containers

“Take large batches of food such as big soup pots and transfer into shallower [containers], so it cools down more quickly,” says Kelli Lewton, an executive chef and author of the upcoming book Make Your Own Party: Twenty Blueprints to MYO Party!. Plus: “Smaller sized portions are less likely to have an impact on the temperature of your fridge or freezer and can usually be placed in the fridge within a few minutes of packing into a smaller container,” Schuering adds.

3. Remove food from heat source asap

Not letting hot dishes sit on stovetops as they cool is step one. But step two should be removing them from their heated pots or pans. For example, if you make a soup or stew in a cast iron Dutch oven, they tend to hold onto heat for a long time, so remove the soup or stew and transfer them to food-safe storage containers in order to expedite the cooling process.

4. Take advantage of air flow

Even an oscillating fan in the kitchen can help create airflow to cool food faster, so put a few out, when possible. Every bit helps! For similar reasons (i.e. air flow) try using a rack for cooling larger cuts of meat. “Remove a roast carefully from a super-hot pan, then transfer into a room temp or cold pan and let it sit on top of a rack where air movement is more fluid,” says Lewton.

Article by Isadora Baum for Well + Good©

Source: Should You Be Letting Hot Food Cool Down Before Refrigerating? Here’s What Food Experts Say (msn.com)

This is the pet that lives the longest

#1. Turtle

– Average lifespan: 40+ years (varies by species)

Turtles such as red-eared sliders and painted turtles live for several decades, especially when they have proper heat sources and light. One reason for their long lives is their slow metabolism, which means they suffer fewer diseases and age more slowly. One study found that genes in a western painted turtle worked to protect its organs from oxygen deprivation, potentially providing a clue as to why they live longer than most other creatures

Other Pets:

#2. Koi fish

– Average lifespan: 15 years (40 years in Japan)

#3. Cockatoo (tie)

– Average lifespan: 30+ years

#3. African grey parrot (tie)

– Average lifespan: 30+ years

#3. Macaw (tie)

– Average lifespan: 30+ years

#7. Snake

– Average lifespan: 10-20 years (varies by species)

#8. Indoor cat

– Average lifespan: 17+ years

#9. Lhasa Apso

– Average lifespan: 16 years

Article written by Ellen Dewitt for Slacker©

Source: This is the pet that lives the longest, according to data (msn.com)

How a possible cyberattack could affect Americans and how to prepare

As Russia’s military continues to strike Ukrainian cities, national security officials are keeping eyes on a different battlefield.

Senior U.S. law enforcement and Homeland Security officials have told ABC News that there is growing concern that Russia could launch further cyberattacks against the West. The potential targets include electrical grids, banking systems and mobile networks, according to the officials.

Currently, there is no cyber threat to the U.S. homeland, according to the Department of Homeland security.

Cybersecurity experts tell ABC News that people shouldn’t panic over a potential cyberattack, but they should start preparing for one.

© STOCK IMAGE/Oscar Wong/Getty Images

“Freaking out is not a productive thing to do. There are lots of reasons to think that the fact that something is out there but that doesn’t mean it could happen,” Stuart Madnick, the founding director of Cybersecurity at MIT Sloan, told ABC News. “But there are still a number of things that people can do to stay safe and protected.”

Madnick, whose group has consulted with U.S. agencies and private companies such as Nasdaq, said the world is in uncharted territory when it comes to cyber security since this involves alleged cyberattacks by a major superpower. However, what has transpired so far is similar to previous cyber security incidents, he said.

There are two types of cyberattacks, he said: ones that have an indirect impact on people’s livelihood and attacks targeting the tech of specific people.

The biggest indirect hacking examples in the past have targeted key infrastructure points such as the Colonial Pipeline ransomware attack in May 2021, which affected everything from gas prices to flights.

“In the last two years, we’ve been seeing more of these attacks around the world,” Madnick said. “You need to realize how many of our systems are connected to computers and just one hack can have bigger effects.”

U.S. and international officials have accused the Russian government of committing cyber-attacks that targeted Ukraine’s banks in recent weeks.

Javed Ali, the former senior director of counterterrorism at the National Security Council, told ABC News that the attacks could escalate to affect utilities, such as gas and electricity.

“Organizations like banks that have been targeted for a long time have done a better job in shoring up their cybersecurity,” he said. “Others, like hospitals and smaller municipalities that haven’t been attacked in the past tend not to do well.”

Madnick said when it comes to individual Americans, there is very little they could do to prevent an indirect attack on the country’s infrastructure systems, but they should always prepare for the possibility. He likened it to preparing for a big storm and suggested that individuals who are concerned about their money should always have cash available for emergencies.

Madnick also urged people to back up their important computer files, including bank statements, important e-mails and other documents frequently and to offline sources such as an external drive.

“Everyone should be doing this regardless of increasing cyber threats,” he said.

Madnick said cyber attackers linked to foreign agencies wouldn’t likely conduct attacks that target individual Americans, but people should still be mindful of the vulnerabilities in their tech. Having updated anti-virus and malware software, staying on top of computer updates and avoiding any suspicious links and e-mails, go a long way he said.

“Cyberattacks and cyber security are not something we talk about a lot, but we need to,” he said. “This is not a brand new issue.”

Source: How a possible cyberattack could affect Americans and how to prepare (msn.com)

One Right Way to Store Your Home Covid Tests

 Two years ago, at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, any Covid tests were hard to come by. While it’s proven to be challenging to find a testing site at peak travel times, there’s no denying that they’re definitely easier to get your hands on than they were in 2020. And back then, who would have thought you might be able to take a test at home by now, in addition to having various vaccine options?

© Daisy-Daisy – Getty Images

Where to put home covid tests to prevent false results, false positives, false negatives for a proper reading?

Something that may or may not have crossed your mind, however, is if you’re storing them properly. Turns out there is a right way to do this. Here’s the lowdown on what you need to know to keep your home tests in prime condition as you save them for when you truly need them.

How does poor storage affect home Covid tests?

Temperature changes are the main culprit that can negatively affect the validity of Covid tests, and extreme temperature changes specifically can degrade the chemicals within the solution needed to run the test, explains Suneet Singh, M.D., an emergency medicine physician and medical director at CareHive Health in Austin, Texas.

“This, in turn, can affect the accuracy of the results because the validity of results are placed into question when improper storage and handling issues arise,” he says.

How to properly store home Covid tests

According to Dr. Singh, Covid tests should be stored at room temperature to avoid diminishing their overall accuracy. (sic) No fridge or freezer) “The overall acceptable range tends to be 35 to 86 degrees, but be sure to check the information provided by the manufacturer specific to the test you have,” he explains. “If your tests happen to go out of this range for up to a day, your tests may still work, but the validity of the test, especially if negative, will be in question.”

When storing your tests, you should avoid keeping them in any area that is prone to fluctuations in temperature, Dr. Singh says. For example, bathroom shelves might not be a good idea if the area steams up when someone is taking a shower. Similarly, an area that is exposed to direct sunlight would also not be your best bet, either. Opt for a cool, dark place like pantry or kitchen cupboard shelves, or in a bedroom or closet, over a bathroom or light-filled space.

So what should you do if you haven’t stored your tests properly?

According to Dr. Singh, you should go ahead and toss your tests in the trash if they’ve spent longer than a day outside of the acceptable temperature range described above.

“For tests that have been kept in a non-optimal location but it has been less than one day, it is recommended to return the test to a climate-controlled area that is at room temperature,” he says. “But again, the results of these tests may not be as accurate compared to tests that have always remained at a suitable temperature.”

You’ll likely also want to restock your stash to store them accordingly in the future. In any case, if you’re experiencing symptoms, stay home and maintain distance from others until you start to feel better. If you test negative with a potentially faulty test, hopefully you can obtain a new at-home one or visit a testing site, but do your best to protect others in the meantime.

Article by Emilia Benton for Men’s Health©

Source: There’s Only One Right Way to Store Your Home Covid Tests (msn.com)

3 Exercises to use every day to stop overthinking

Overthinking is an anxious tendency that I encounter often in my psychotherapy practice. There are many ways we tend to overthink, such as rehashing the past — replaying the same scenario over and over in our head. Worrying is another form, in which we obsess over what the future might bring.

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I can empathize. When I was younger, overthinking decreased my quality of life. Research has shown that overthinking can decrease energy, limit creativity and cause sleeping problems.

Eventually, I knew I needed a healthy way to cope, and I created a career out of helping other people do the same. Here are three strategies I use every day to stop overthinking:

1. Positive reframing

This is often confused with “toxic positivity,” which asks people to think positively — no matter how difficult a situation is.

Positive reframing, on the other hand, allows you to acknowledge the negative aspects, then asks you to evaluate whether there’s another way to think about the situation. Perhaps there are benefits or things you can change about it.

Example:

You constantly find yourself complaining: “I hate being a boss. On top of all these deadlines and responsibilities, it’s hard to manage so many complex personalities. It’s emotionally and mentally exhausting. My job just sucks.”

Venting might feel good for a second, but it doesn’t solve anything. And you’ll likely continue to dwell on how much you hate your job or how bad you think you are at managing.

To practice positive reframing, replace the thought above with: “Things are challenging right now and I’m feeling disconnected from some things on my plate. I wonder if I can change anything about this situation or my expectations about it.”

This thought pattern gives you the power to change your situation. You could start small by examining what important tasks needs to get done first, then either delay or delegate the rest until you are feeling less anxious. The key is to take a step back and deal with things one at a time.

2. Write down your thoughts once, then distract yourself for 24 hours

When our brains think we are in conflict or danger, a built-in alarm system goes off internally to protect us.

One thing I have found success with is writing down my feelings and waiting at least 24 hours (or just a few hours if it’s an urgent matter) before replying or taking any sort of impulsive action.

Then, I put that draft away while I distract myself with another task.

Example:

You just received an email about something that went awry. You are upset, your heart starts to race, your breathing gets shallow, and you become hyper-focused on what’s going wrong and why it’s your fault.

If you respond to the email while your brain is in “alarm mode,” you might say things you’ll regret later on, which may then fuel the vicious cycle of overthinking.

Writing negative thoughts down takes the power out of them; I often don’t feel the need to take action based on my anxious thoughts once I’ve written them down. 

3. Practice ‘specific gratitude’

In psychology, we know that expressing gratitude can increase our happiness. It can help us contextualize our frustrations against what we love and help us connect to something larger than ourselves — whether that’s other people, animals, nature or a higher power.

But I find that repeating the same gratitude practice over and over again can become rote and diminish the returns. For me, it can start to feel like a meaningless chore instead of a mindful practice. So, I like to practice something that I call “specific gratitude.”

Example:

Instead of writing in my journal every day that “I am grateful for my health,” I’ll write something like, “I am grateful that I woke up today without any back pain and have the ability to do today’s workout.”

This helps me stay focused on the here and now, rather than overthinking on general abstractions. Tomorrow, I might still be grateful for my health, but I might specifically be grateful that I have enough energy for a long run.

By Jenny Maenpaa, LCSW

Source: A psychotherapist shares the 3 exercises she uses every day ‘to stop overthinking’ (msn.com)

Happy Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday, February 21)

Why is it called Fat Tuesday?

The name “Fat Tuesday” refers to the practice of consuming all of the food forbidden while fasting during Lent, which begins on Ash Wednesday. Why do we celebrate Fat Tuesday? It’s called Fat Tuesday because it’s the last day that many people eat meat and fatty foods before Lent begins.

stayhappening.com

Perhaps your familiar with its’ French derivation, Mardi Gras.

While not observed nationally throughout the United States, a number of traditionally ethnic French cities and regions in the country have notable celebrations. Mardi Gras arrived in North America as a French Catholic tradition with the Le Moyne brothers, Pierre Le Moyne d’Iberville and Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville, in the late 17th century.

The festival season varies from city to city, as some traditions, such as the one in New Orleans, Louisiana, consider Mardi Gras to stretch the entire period from Twelfth Night (the last night of Christmas which begins Epiphany) to Ash Wednesday. Others treat the final three-day period before Ash Wednesday as the Mardi Gras.

Sources: bing.com and en.wikipedia.org

On Fat Tuesday it’s eat drink and be merry for the next day we fast! (If Catholic).

USPS Warns to Never Use This Kind of Envelope

Whether writing a letter to a long-distance friend or sending off cards to loved ones, we’re all pretty well versed in sending out mail. But even with a lifetime of experience, there are some surprisingly simple errors you might make that could prevent your mail from getting to the right place or arriving in a timely manner. According to the U.S. Postal Service (USPS), one of these common mistakes is using the wrong envelope to put your post in. 

The USPS says there are certain envelopes you should never use.

When it comes to sending off letters or documents, most of us settle for the traditional white envelope. But if you’re looking to expand your horizons, make sure you don’t expand them too far. According to the USPS, some envelopes should never be used for mail because they can potentially create complications.

“Don’t use patterns, prominent flecks or shiny-coated paper for your envelopes,” the Postal Service warns. “Some types of paper interfere with the machines that read addresses.”

The system that the USPS uses to read addresses can get confused easily.

To send your mail, the USPS has to know where to send it. Unfortunately, the technology the agency uses to read your post doesn’t make this easy. According to the Postal Service, automated mail-processing machines will be reading the addresses you include, and these machines “don’t leave much room for error,” the agency says. That’s a problem, because the accuracy with which these machines read and process the address listed does affect the speed and handling of your mail.

“Double-checking that you’ve addressed your mailpieces correctly will help ensure they arrive where they’re supposed to,” the USPS says.

There are other address mistakes you should avoid when sending mail.

Using the wrong type of envelope isn’t the only thing that could interfere with the automated mail-processing machines that are reading off the addresses on your letters. In order to make sure your mail is able to reach its destination, you should also avoid using reverse type such as white printing on a black background, letting parts of the address slip out of view, cutting off important information when using address labels, applying labels at a slant, and using punctuation in anything other than the hyphen in an extended ZIP Code.

You should not include anything below the ZIP Code line either. “Automated mail-processing machines read addresses on mailpieces from the bottom up and will look first for a city, state and ZIP Code,” the Postal Service explains.

You might also have to pay more if you use the wrong envelope.

Size also matters here. According to the USPS, envelopes must be rectangular and made of paper to qualify for letter prices, but they also have to maintain certain size requirements. A mailable envelope can be a maximum of 11 and a half inches long and six and one-eighths inches high. But you have to watch out for its thickness, too. Your envelope must stay flat, which means it can measure no more than one-fourths of an inch in thickness. If you fail to meet these standards, you could be subjected to a higher cost.

“If your envelope can’t fit through USPS mail processing machines, or is rigid, lumpy or has clasps, string, or buttons, it’s ‘nonmachinable’ and you’ll have to pay $0.30 more to send it,” the agency warns. “You’ll also have to pay more if your envelopes are square or vertical.”

Written by Kali Coleman for Best Life

Source: USPS Warns to Never Use This Kind of Envelope (msn.com)

If You See a Green Porch Light, This Is What It Means

By Melany Love 

There are ways to show support for certain issues without outright telling everyone we meet. People use red porch lights to bring awareness to women’s heart health and teal Halloween pumpkins to show awareness of children’s food allergies.

Doing this is a great way to spark conversations about issues that deserve the spotlight without seeming in-your-face. That’s the case with green porch lights.

It started in 2013 with a campaign led by Walmart, called the “Greenlight a Vet Campaign.” This initiative worked to guarantee jobs for honorably discharged U.S. veterans after they returned home from service. In addition, Walmart also encouraged members of their communities to change their porch lights to green in order to show appreciation for veterans across the nation.

The campaign described the color green as symbolizing renewal and hope. With all of these positive ideas in mind, Walmart hoped to start a new conversation about U.S. veterans as valued members of every community.

So next time you’re out in the evening, look around. You may just see some neighbors lighting the night for veterans.

Porch Light Colors – What They Mean

Porch Color Light Meaning

  • Blue Porch Light Meaning. Choosing a blue porch light can either mean autism awareness or honoring police officers
  • Green Porch Light Meaning. Veterans Day is honored every November 11th by US residents
  • Red Porch Light Meaning. …  Halloween, while in February, St. Valentine’s Day
  • Purple Porch Light Meaning. …represents Domestic Violence Awareness
  • Blue and Green Porch Light Meaning…  veteran recognition by valuing them as members of your community…

Source: If You See a Green Porch Light, This Is What It Means (msn.com)

Why the #1 worst drink for inflammation is a sugary cocktail

Chronic inflammation is a common condition that can wreak havoc on your body. It can cause everything from uncomfortable health issues, such as joint pain or stiffness, abdominal pain, and fatigue, to more serious, life-threatening chronic diseases.

“Chronic inflammation has been linked to diseases like cancer, obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and even depression,” says Amber Pankonin, MS, RD, a registered dietitian and owner of food blog the Stirlist.

If you’re looking to reduce inflammation, there are a number of things you can do, including exercising and making dietary changes; for example, you can give up foods that contribute to inflammation and increase your intake of anti-inflammatory foods. Pankonin notes that there are several studies that point to how certain nutrients like heart-healthy oils, polyphenols, and antioxidants may help reduce inflammation in the body.

Besides being mindful of your food intake, it’s important to know that what you drink can also contribute to reducing or worsening your inflammation. And there’s one drink, in particular, that may be the worst culprit of causing inflammation: sugary cocktails.

Some of the worst sugary cocktail offenders

You may not realize how much sugar you’re consuming when you have these popular alcoholic beverages:

Alcoholic malt beverage, like Smirnoff Ice or Mike’s Hard lemonade (1 can or bottle, 12 ounces): 245 calories and 35.2 grams of sugar

Rum cooler, like Bacardi Breezer (1 can or bottle, 12 ounces): 257 calories and 36.9 grams of sugar

Frozen margarita (1 cup): 274 calories and 36.2 grams of sugar

Pina colada (1 cup): 340 calories and 39.6 grams of sugar

Frozen Daiquiri, like Master of Mixes Mango Daiquiri Mix (4 ounces): 200 calories and 45 grams of sugar

For context, the American Heart Association recommends limiting added sugars to no more than 6 percent of calories each day, which is the equivalent of 25 grams of sugar per day for women or 38 grams of sugar for men. With that in mind, having just one of the above cocktails will cause you to hit your limit of added sugar per day.

Written by Emily Shiffer for Eat This Not That©

Source: The #1 Worst Drink For Inflammation (msn.com)

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