HOW TO DEVISE PASSWORDS THAT DRIVE HACKERS AWAY

By: Nicole Perlroth

Published: The New York Times; November2, 2012; http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/08/technology/personaltech/how-to-devise-passwords-that-drive-hackers-away.html?pagewanted=all

Level of Difficulty: *

Time Limit: 30 min if you are an intermediate student; longer if you are pre intermediate

BEFORE YOU READ

1.       What security software have you got on your computer? Would you like to have more? If so, what?

2.       What are the best ways to protect against hacking?

NOW WATCH THE VIDEO  
HOW TO : Make the Best Password Ever! (And Memorable)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8PXjhhcWS04

QUESTIONS

1.       What is the root cause of the writer’s obsession with security online?

2.       Although his friends thought some of the measures the writer took just right / a little excessive ( select), she turned out to be right / wrong (select) because……………………. Use your own words.

3.       A popular program used by hackers is called ……………………………………………………………………

4.       Why are words out of a dictionary a bad choice as far as passwords go?

5.       What is the advantage of having a passphrase rather that a password?

6.       You can only say you are unable to remember your password if you have…………………………. To create it.

7.       How safe are LastPass, SplashData and AgileBits according to the text? How do you know?

8.       The two reasons why you should have illogical answers to straightforward questions on your email account are ………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

9.       What is the advantage of using different browsers for different activities?

10.   What is tenminutemail.com?

WRITING TASK

Write a paragraph describing how to best protect your email account. Before you do so, seek out a related video on ted.com, listen and take notes. Begin you paragraph as follows:

Internet security has become an ever increasing problem with developments in technology. Software companies and individuals are involved in fierce competition to outwit each other. However, there are some simple measures that individuals can take to safeguard their email accounts...

End your paragraph as follows:  As can be seen, with a little bit of know how one can make one’s email account very much safer.

HOW TO DEVISE PASSWORDS THAT DRIVE HACKERS AWAY KEY AND TEACHER’S NOTES

I was overjoyed when I found this simple yet interesting text on the New York Times website; no mean feat I can assure you. Such texts are very thin on the ground. Yet this text has it all: lexical simplicity, a wow factor and the kind of style that enabled me to write questions. I am sure your students will love it and come up with other bright ideas. This activity turned into what I like to call “a detailed search reading” or “a nasty search reading”; you know like some of those curve balls you sometimes get on tests. Enjoy…

1.       Writing about cyber security

2.       Excessive, right, he was hacked.

3.       John The Ripper

4.       Because hackers will often test passwords from a dictionary or aggregated fro breaches

5.       The longer you password, the harder it is to crack.

6.       Randomly jammed on the keyboard

7.       Not very safe because the password still lives on the computer…. ; hackers demonstrated how easily….

8.       There are a limited set of answers to questions like this; most answers can be found on the internet.

9.       That way, if your browser catches an infection when…, your bank account isn’t necessarily compromised.

10.   It is a site that offers throw-away e-mail addresses.