Authentication: Features

Chris Nickerson is willing to push it about as far as a person can go when it comes to security assessments. The founder of Lares, a security consultancy in Colorado, Nickerson conducts what he calls "Red Team Assessments" for clients. He is paid to try and dupe a client, and the client's employees, to give them a clear picture of the weak spots in their security plan. He then advises them on how to shore up defenses more effectively in the event a real criminal comes knocking.

Even if your spouse doesn't know your e-mail password, he or she probably knows enough information to get it.

Passwords have been standing guard over our computer user accounts seemingly forever; for a long while, and for most purposes, they could go it alone.

False positives and faulty readers are common criticism of biometric security systems. But with the right plan, can they be practical in your security portfolio?

The annual report from Georgia Tech Information Security Center identifies five evolving cyber security threats, and the news is not good.

If there is a Holy Grail in the information security industry, it surely is the answer to the question, "How secure is secure enough?"

Theft of laptops and other mobile devices is spiraling, and the consequences -- financial and other -- are getting increasingly dire.

Whether you hire outside consultants or do the testing yourself, here are some tips for making sure your time and money are well spent.

Security assessment and deep testing don't require a big budget. Some of most effective security tools are free, and are commonly used by professional consultants, private industry and government security practitioners. Here are a few to start with.

Web-based e-mail is booming. Services such as Gmail, Yahoo Mail and Hotmail are convenient, accessible and, best of all, free. Many of us have come to rely on them without giving it a second thought.