In our hustle-bustle world of music and entertainment, record labels have become an integral part of the creative process for musicians. Many record labels are now pushing their products and artists on the Web. Most record label sites are similar in that they list artists, releases and merchandise, but some sites are merely online ads for the label, while others are virtual music resources. Some allow you to shop online while others still send you down to the old record store to get their stuff. Anyway, we're going to look at a few sites-a couple of major labels and a couple of independent labels.
First up is American Recordings, Rick Rubin's label out of Los Angeles. This label is the home of artists ranging from Slayer to Johnny Cash. This page is nearly as eclectic as the label's artist roster. The main page features Rubin's mug upside-down, and prominent. Very cute.
This is a very colorful page, with lots of cool links. I had a problem with some of the links, though; it took some time to get them to work. The site is easy to move around in, though some of the main page's links are a little confusing. There are tons of video clips and downloadable images (many of which are 1 to 2 Megs in size) of American artists. The World Wide Web of Music is also very resourceful.
Overall, American Recordings has a good page, which I have bookmarked. I like the site, I like Rick Rubin, I like the label, a friend of mine works there, and they have my site, The Pit, linked as a Cool Site. So, there ya go.
Next up is Sub Pop, the label largely responsible for the Seattle grunge sound spearheaded by Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden and Mudhoney. This is a colorful, eye- catching site with groovy graphics and swanky backgrounds. The links are atypical but easy to use.
The Sub Pop Newsletter is posted online for your perusal, and online shopping and ordering are available. This is cool because you can get a lot of stuff here that you can no longer find in stores. The band list and bios are extensive, billed as "more information than is probably necessary," and include tour info, bios and photos.
Once again, this is a cool site because it is a music resource and not merely an ad for a record label. Definitely, bookmark material and worth repeated visits. Their Megamart is filled with cool merchandise at good value.
Now, one of my favorite indie labels! Estrus Records is home base to many awesome surf/horror/schlock/sci-fi/ race track/swing bands. Despite the overly long URL and the "Under Construction" warning, this is a decent site. The graphics are nice and bright and the fonts are very Pixar "Toy Story" like.
Here you can learn the label's history, check out the discography of releases, or order the latest Sir Estrus Quarterly newsletter and catalog. The band sections are very hip and stylized, and you can learn all about the likes of the Monomen, Man or Astroman? and the Trashwomen. Plenty of cool links to outside Estrus- related sites, as well.
This is a very distinctive label and cool Web site. Probably the coolest label of its type out there. Definitely worth bookmark space and regular visits.
Now on to the big boys-the corporate labels. A&M Records is a pretty conservative site with a nostalgic feel to it. A&M is the home to the Police, Oingo Boingo, and Soundgarden, some very no conservative bands. There are some cool sections here, though.
Reel-to-Reel details what A&M bands are up to, whether it is recording, touring, or writing a screenplay about pre-teen serial killers (like Danny Elfman). My main problem with this site is that it's just an ad for A&M. You can't order merchandise, either.
Even though I like some A&M artists, this isn't enough to get me to keep coming back to this site. There is little value here beyond A&M, and I have other sites bookmarked that deal more directly with some of the A&M artists.
The next big boy is Atlantic, home of Bad Religion. (Need I say more? I think I will.) This is a cute site with some genie-in-a-bottle-lookin' Mr. Clean guy on the main page. My BIG problem with this site is the multi-window format it's presented in. I don't like this setup. Other windows are too distracting, keeping it hard to focus on a particular section. These sites are also hard to move around in. Finally, the text is usually cut off on one side or the other; you have to scroll around like a madman to read some stuff.
Typical links here. A fair site annoyingly set up, with little value and narrow appeal. Wouldn't, couldn't, and shouldn't bookmark it.
Finally, we have Reprise, home of Alanis Morissette, Morrissey, and other such whiners. It's ironic, don't you think? Reprise calls itself the "coolest record company in the free world." Oh. I guess I wasn't around when they held the Record Company Coolness Olympics.
Artist links, News and Contests. I do like the links page here. Lots of music, non-music and bizarre links. Overall, this is a good page, though not as high quality as some of the others. Less pretentious and self-centered than some, though. I might bookmark this page.
I obviously lean more toward the smaller labels than the big-business ones. The best sites I reviewed here were more like online magazines than mere fancy ads. Another surprise is that the big labels seem to lack online ordering capabilities. The smaller labels have online record shops were you can get hard-to-find and not-so-hard-to-find stuff.
It just goes to show you that bigger doesn't necessarily mean better. The best record label sites are those that not only advertise the label and its wares, but also act as a valuable addition to a musician's bookmark section. It's also convenient to be able to order merchandise online at affordable prices and get hard-to-find stuff, as well.
Monday, February 4, 2008
rise of the mp3 revolution
Another from Netweek. I wrote this right at the cusp of the Mp3 explosion and soon after the launch of San Diego's mp3.com.
Once derided as a flash in the pan, the Internet-based MP3 audio format now seems to be at the forefront of a long-awaited revolution in the music industry. Much to the chagrin of some major record labels, the MP3 file format enables artists and fans alike to bypass all traditional channels for music distribution. If it survives the mounting legal challenges that lie ahead, MP3 may forevermore change the shape of the music business.
MP3 is shorthand for MPEG1 Audio Layer 3, a file format that compresses and digitizes music so that it can easily be downloaded from the Internet. Downloading an MP3 file takes only a few minutes and results in a near-CD quality copy of a song that has been compressed to nearly one-tenth of its original file size.
If you want to listen to the files using your computer's built-in audio capabilities, all you have to do is download and install an MP3 player. Most MP3 players are available for free or are available as low-cost shareware. To choose a player compatible with your operating system, visit www.mp3.com/faq/playing2.html.
If you'd rather take your music with you, portable MP3 players are available. These lightweight devices fit in the palm of one hand and are smaller and much more convenient to use than CD and tape players. They also have no moving parts, so your songs will never skip when you walk or jog (as they might with a conventional CD player). Portable MP3 players currently retail for around $200, but are expected to go down in price as more competitors enter the market.
The most popular model today is Diamond Multimedia's Rio player. The $199 Rio PMP300, which is powered by a single AA battery, can hold over 60 minutes of music and will play continuously on a single charge for up to 12 hours. It's available at most large electronics stores or direct from the manufacturer at www.diamondmm.com.
Some major record labels, as well as the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), fear that MP3s will promote bootlegging of copyrighted recordings. The RIAA recently filed a lawsuit to block the manufacture of the Rio player, but lost when Diamond proved that their player was designed only to record and play downloaded MP3 files, and was not capable of duplicating or uploading files to the Internet. The RIAA has so far been largely unsuccessful in combating the MP3 onslaught.
Not all record labels see the MP3 format as a threat. Some companies feel that the Internet offers a new market for old material that has (until now) been economically unfeasible to reissue. However, piracy is a concern, and the industry is currently scrambling to come up with an alternative file format that cannot be duplicated as easily as MP3.
Technically, MP3 is legal due to the fact that it is merely a file format. However, some of the applications people are finding for this new file format may be illegal. There is apparently a burgeoning subculture of audiophiles using the Internet to unlawfully distribute copyrighted music without the permission of the copyright holders. To make sure that you are not violating copyright laws and depriving an artist of his or her just compensation, you should always look for an ASCAP ( www.ascap.com) and/or BMI (www.bmi.com) license before you download an MP3 file.
More than a few established bands have been bitten by the MP3 bug. Many well-known artists (including recent chart-toppers such as the Beastie Boys) have defied their own record labels, offering their fans free MP3 tracks exclusively over the Internet. Other popular artists, including Tom Petty, are using MP3 as a promotional tool. Petty, with the blessing of his label, is offering early tastes of new and upcoming songs in MP3 format.
MP3 holds its real advantage for smaller, undiscovered bands, however. Talented musicians often struggle for years without ever getting noticed by the major labels. Those who do manage to sign a deal are given relatively little time to build a following. Recently, such critically acclaimed bands as the Reverend Horton Heat and the Supersuckers were dropped by their record label because they were unable to demonstrate immediate commercial success.
At a time when musicians seem to be valued less for their creative abilities and more for their economic potential, the MP3 file format may soon bring new vigor to the once-moribund world of popular music. Aspiring musicians must no longer depend upon the largess of a giant corporation in order to be heard. Today, any musician can record songs in MP3 format and sell them directly to listeners over the Internet. The format requires little, if any, investment in time or money, and the royalties can be high. In most cases, musicians retain all ownership rights to their music, a legal nicety most record labels disallow.
Currently spearheading the MP3 movement is MP3.com, based in San Diego, California. MP3.com exists to bring musicians and audiophiles together at www.mp3.com. Other major distributors of MP3 music include Goodnoise, at www.goodnoise.com and MusicMatch www.musicmatch.com.
MP3 and the Internet promise to bring the consumer a wider array of music choices than was ever before possible. With nothing more than an Internet connection and an MP3 player, an audiophile can easily build custom albums containing some of the most compelling and eclectic music the world has to offer.
Once derided as a flash in the pan, the Internet-based MP3 audio format now seems to be at the forefront of a long-awaited revolution in the music industry. Much to the chagrin of some major record labels, the MP3 file format enables artists and fans alike to bypass all traditional channels for music distribution. If it survives the mounting legal challenges that lie ahead, MP3 may forevermore change the shape of the music business.
MP3 is shorthand for MPEG1 Audio Layer 3, a file format that compresses and digitizes music so that it can easily be downloaded from the Internet. Downloading an MP3 file takes only a few minutes and results in a near-CD quality copy of a song that has been compressed to nearly one-tenth of its original file size.
If you want to listen to the files using your computer's built-in audio capabilities, all you have to do is download and install an MP3 player. Most MP3 players are available for free or are available as low-cost shareware. To choose a player compatible with your operating system, visit www.mp3.com/faq/playing2.html.
If you'd rather take your music with you, portable MP3 players are available. These lightweight devices fit in the palm of one hand and are smaller and much more convenient to use than CD and tape players. They also have no moving parts, so your songs will never skip when you walk or jog (as they might with a conventional CD player). Portable MP3 players currently retail for around $200, but are expected to go down in price as more competitors enter the market.
The most popular model today is Diamond Multimedia's Rio player. The $199 Rio PMP300, which is powered by a single AA battery, can hold over 60 minutes of music and will play continuously on a single charge for up to 12 hours. It's available at most large electronics stores or direct from the manufacturer at www.diamondmm.com.
Some major record labels, as well as the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), fear that MP3s will promote bootlegging of copyrighted recordings. The RIAA recently filed a lawsuit to block the manufacture of the Rio player, but lost when Diamond proved that their player was designed only to record and play downloaded MP3 files, and was not capable of duplicating or uploading files to the Internet. The RIAA has so far been largely unsuccessful in combating the MP3 onslaught.
Not all record labels see the MP3 format as a threat. Some companies feel that the Internet offers a new market for old material that has (until now) been economically unfeasible to reissue. However, piracy is a concern, and the industry is currently scrambling to come up with an alternative file format that cannot be duplicated as easily as MP3.
Technically, MP3 is legal due to the fact that it is merely a file format. However, some of the applications people are finding for this new file format may be illegal. There is apparently a burgeoning subculture of audiophiles using the Internet to unlawfully distribute copyrighted music without the permission of the copyright holders. To make sure that you are not violating copyright laws and depriving an artist of his or her just compensation, you should always look for an ASCAP ( www.ascap.com) and/or BMI (www.bmi.com) license before you download an MP3 file.
More than a few established bands have been bitten by the MP3 bug. Many well-known artists (including recent chart-toppers such as the Beastie Boys) have defied their own record labels, offering their fans free MP3 tracks exclusively over the Internet. Other popular artists, including Tom Petty, are using MP3 as a promotional tool. Petty, with the blessing of his label, is offering early tastes of new and upcoming songs in MP3 format.
MP3 holds its real advantage for smaller, undiscovered bands, however. Talented musicians often struggle for years without ever getting noticed by the major labels. Those who do manage to sign a deal are given relatively little time to build a following. Recently, such critically acclaimed bands as the Reverend Horton Heat and the Supersuckers were dropped by their record label because they were unable to demonstrate immediate commercial success.
At a time when musicians seem to be valued less for their creative abilities and more for their economic potential, the MP3 file format may soon bring new vigor to the once-moribund world of popular music. Aspiring musicians must no longer depend upon the largess of a giant corporation in order to be heard. Today, any musician can record songs in MP3 format and sell them directly to listeners over the Internet. The format requires little, if any, investment in time or money, and the royalties can be high. In most cases, musicians retain all ownership rights to their music, a legal nicety most record labels disallow.
Currently spearheading the MP3 movement is MP3.com, based in San Diego, California. MP3.com exists to bring musicians and audiophiles together at www.mp3.com. Other major distributors of MP3 music include Goodnoise, at www.goodnoise.com and MusicMatch www.musicmatch.com.
MP3 and the Internet promise to bring the consumer a wider array of music choices than was ever before possible. With nothing more than an Internet connection and an MP3 player, an audiophile can easily build custom albums containing some of the most compelling and eclectic music the world has to offer.
hackers and hacking
I've always liked this one too...from the Education to Go weekly newsletter Netweek.
Hackers. You know them as gangly kids with radiation tans induced by too many late nights in front of a computer screen. Evil beings that have the power to wipe out your credit rating, cancel your cable TV, raise your insurance premiums, and raid your social security pension. Eccentrics who always avert their eyes and mumble under their breath about black helicopters and CIA transmissions. Paranoid social deviants who could start World War III from the privacy of their bedrooms. Or so the mainstream media would have you believe.
In reality, most hackers are ordinary people with a great deal of curiosity, above-average skills with a computer, a good understanding of human nature, and plenty of time to kill. Hackers have no distinguishing characteristics. Your next-door neighbor could be a hacker, as could your niece or nephew, one of your co-workers, or even the kid who serves you coffee in the morning. Not all hackers are dangerous and out to destroy business or damage lives.
The view of the general public toward hackers is mixed. A recent CNN poll shows 33% of respondents labeling hackers as "useful," 17% seeing them "as a menace," and the majority (45%) seeing hackers as "both" useful and a menace.
OVERVIEW
Hackers come in all sizes and shapes, but the types you hear the most about are network hackers, software hackers, and developers of virus and Trojan horses.
Network hackers generally will try to gain unauthorized access to private computer networks. Some will hack in just for the challenge, others will do so to look around and satisfy their curiosity, others will do so in an attempt to "liberate" (distribute) the information contained therein, and some will hack in to do damage. Network hackers employ strategies that they refer to as cracking to gain access. Such strategies include bombarding web servers with bogus access requests until it cries uncle, or flooding a mail server with mail until it crashes, spilling sensitive access information all over the net. Another common cracking strategy entails stealing, guessing, or cajoling passwords from users in order to gain complete access to a site or network.
A software hacker attempts to get around software security measures, such as registration, expiration dates, user limits, passwords, and serial number. Software hackers thumb their noses at copyright protections and ignore license agreements by using the Internet to distribute illegally obtained copies of costly applications.
Perhaps the most malicious and dangerous form of hacking has to do with the building and distribution of viruses, worms, and Trojan horses. Though these types of hacks can be harmless, more times than not they cause damage and cause hassle to individuals and companies.
Viruses are programs that attach themselves to a single file and slowly but methodically replicate themselves, spreading from one file to another until your hard disk is filled with copies of the virus code. Viruses often unintentionally damage the files they infect, and some have been known to destroy year's worth of work. Worms use a host computer's resources to replicate and spread from machine to machine throughout an entire network. Finally, a Trojan Horse is a program that fools the user into thinking it is doing one thing while it does something else entirely. A common ploy is to hide destructive code inside of an innocuous-looking game or silly multimedia animation. When the user tries to play the game or start the animation, the Trojan Horse erases the poor sap's hard drive or uses his modem to blast personal data across the Internet. The best way to protect against these attacks is to be diligent with programs and have up-to-date virus detection software in use at all times.
Network hackers take great pains to distinguish themselves from the more common software hackers and virus developers. While many software hackers and virus developers seem to act out of self-interest or with evil intent, true hackers see themselves as latter-day Magellans, exploring the electronic frontier to locate and share knowledge.
ARGUMENTS IN FAVOR
Proponents of hacking characterize hackers as intelligent individuals with a great deal of technological skill who see telephones, computers, and networks not as tools, but as toys to be enjoyed. They hack for the challenge and to satisfy their own curiosity. Most hackers try to avoid inflicting harm on the networks they conquer.
Emmanuel Goldstein, the editor-in-chief of 2600:The Hacker Quarterly, pointed out in a recent CNN interview "While it's certainly possible to use hacking to commit a crime, once you do this you cease being a hacker and commence being a criminal."
This distinction is important within the Hacker subculture. Hackers see hacking as the free distribution of information and not as a crime. Many feel that hackers may infringe on the privacy rights of a few, but they help protect larger society by pointing out weaknesses in computer and network systems.
Goldstein continues, "I'm the first to say that people who cause damage should be punished, but I really don't think prison should be considered for something like this unless the offender is a true risk to society."
ARGUMENTS AGAINST
Those who oppose hacking see it as a serious crime, because hacking generally entails unauthorized entry and access to computer and/or network systems. Hacking opponents see hacks as damaging even if no information is taken or damaged. Most hacking attempts slow down networks, stealing computer time from legitimate users and squandering expensive system resources. Many critics equate the curious hacker who merely snoops around to a criminal who breaks into a house, changes the locks, turns on all the lights, the air conditioner, and other appliances, takes a long shower or two, and goes through personal belongings, but does not steal any tangible objects.
THE KEVIN MITNICK CASE
The hacking subculture sees imprisoned "super hacker" Kevin Mitnick as a poster child for the cause of hacking. The hackers say that Mitnick has been unfairly targeted and imprisoned, while his opponents cite the millions in damages for which they claim Mitnick is responsible.
Mitnick has been in prison since 1995, held on a 25-count indictment with charges ranging from wire fraud to illegal possession of stolen computer files. At one time Mitnick was on the FBI's Most Wanted list.
Interestingly, Mitnick has been held without bail since his arrest, and has been held for over four years without a trial. He is currently housed in a Los Angeles facility reserved for violent criminals. Additionally, he was allowed no computer access until recently to review some 10 gigabytes of evidence against him.
Mitnick recently signed a plea bargain that may set him free after another year in prison. In the plea bargain, Mitnick admits his hacking activities caused between 5 and 10 million dollars in losses to the companies named in the indictment. Mitnick will not be allowed to tell his story for seven years, or be allowed to touch computers or other forms of high technology for three years.
WHAT TO DO
Whatever stance you take on the hacking issue, it's still a good idea to protect your computer, data, or network.
The best way to protect yourself is to back up your most important data files to disk or tape every day. Avoid downloading and opening executable files from sources you do not know and trust. Choose passwords consisting of nonsense words that cannot easily be guessed, don't give them out to anybody, and change them occasionally. Don't open files attached to e-mail messages. Finally, keep informed. Monitor the International Computer Security Association, Symantec Antivirus Research Center, and the other resources listed below to stay abreast of new threats and tools that can help protect your data from malicious attacks.
We must accept one fact: information wants to be free. Information caretakers must be ever vigilant: once information is made available to some, others will try to access that information if they can. The key words to remember are if they can.
Hackers. You know them as gangly kids with radiation tans induced by too many late nights in front of a computer screen. Evil beings that have the power to wipe out your credit rating, cancel your cable TV, raise your insurance premiums, and raid your social security pension. Eccentrics who always avert their eyes and mumble under their breath about black helicopters and CIA transmissions. Paranoid social deviants who could start World War III from the privacy of their bedrooms. Or so the mainstream media would have you believe.
In reality, most hackers are ordinary people with a great deal of curiosity, above-average skills with a computer, a good understanding of human nature, and plenty of time to kill. Hackers have no distinguishing characteristics. Your next-door neighbor could be a hacker, as could your niece or nephew, one of your co-workers, or even the kid who serves you coffee in the morning. Not all hackers are dangerous and out to destroy business or damage lives.
The view of the general public toward hackers is mixed. A recent CNN poll shows 33% of respondents labeling hackers as "useful," 17% seeing them "as a menace," and the majority (45%) seeing hackers as "both" useful and a menace.
OVERVIEW
Hackers come in all sizes and shapes, but the types you hear the most about are network hackers, software hackers, and developers of virus and Trojan horses.
Network hackers generally will try to gain unauthorized access to private computer networks. Some will hack in just for the challenge, others will do so to look around and satisfy their curiosity, others will do so in an attempt to "liberate" (distribute) the information contained therein, and some will hack in to do damage. Network hackers employ strategies that they refer to as cracking to gain access. Such strategies include bombarding web servers with bogus access requests until it cries uncle, or flooding a mail server with mail until it crashes, spilling sensitive access information all over the net. Another common cracking strategy entails stealing, guessing, or cajoling passwords from users in order to gain complete access to a site or network.
A software hacker attempts to get around software security measures, such as registration, expiration dates, user limits, passwords, and serial number. Software hackers thumb their noses at copyright protections and ignore license agreements by using the Internet to distribute illegally obtained copies of costly applications.
Perhaps the most malicious and dangerous form of hacking has to do with the building and distribution of viruses, worms, and Trojan horses. Though these types of hacks can be harmless, more times than not they cause damage and cause hassle to individuals and companies.
Viruses are programs that attach themselves to a single file and slowly but methodically replicate themselves, spreading from one file to another until your hard disk is filled with copies of the virus code. Viruses often unintentionally damage the files they infect, and some have been known to destroy year's worth of work. Worms use a host computer's resources to replicate and spread from machine to machine throughout an entire network. Finally, a Trojan Horse is a program that fools the user into thinking it is doing one thing while it does something else entirely. A common ploy is to hide destructive code inside of an innocuous-looking game or silly multimedia animation. When the user tries to play the game or start the animation, the Trojan Horse erases the poor sap's hard drive or uses his modem to blast personal data across the Internet. The best way to protect against these attacks is to be diligent with programs and have up-to-date virus detection software in use at all times.
Network hackers take great pains to distinguish themselves from the more common software hackers and virus developers. While many software hackers and virus developers seem to act out of self-interest or with evil intent, true hackers see themselves as latter-day Magellans, exploring the electronic frontier to locate and share knowledge.
ARGUMENTS IN FAVOR
Proponents of hacking characterize hackers as intelligent individuals with a great deal of technological skill who see telephones, computers, and networks not as tools, but as toys to be enjoyed. They hack for the challenge and to satisfy their own curiosity. Most hackers try to avoid inflicting harm on the networks they conquer.
Emmanuel Goldstein, the editor-in-chief of 2600:The Hacker Quarterly, pointed out in a recent CNN interview "While it's certainly possible to use hacking to commit a crime, once you do this you cease being a hacker and commence being a criminal."
This distinction is important within the Hacker subculture. Hackers see hacking as the free distribution of information and not as a crime. Many feel that hackers may infringe on the privacy rights of a few, but they help protect larger society by pointing out weaknesses in computer and network systems.
Goldstein continues, "I'm the first to say that people who cause damage should be punished, but I really don't think prison should be considered for something like this unless the offender is a true risk to society."
ARGUMENTS AGAINST
Those who oppose hacking see it as a serious crime, because hacking generally entails unauthorized entry and access to computer and/or network systems. Hacking opponents see hacks as damaging even if no information is taken or damaged. Most hacking attempts slow down networks, stealing computer time from legitimate users and squandering expensive system resources. Many critics equate the curious hacker who merely snoops around to a criminal who breaks into a house, changes the locks, turns on all the lights, the air conditioner, and other appliances, takes a long shower or two, and goes through personal belongings, but does not steal any tangible objects.
THE KEVIN MITNICK CASE
The hacking subculture sees imprisoned "super hacker" Kevin Mitnick as a poster child for the cause of hacking. The hackers say that Mitnick has been unfairly targeted and imprisoned, while his opponents cite the millions in damages for which they claim Mitnick is responsible.
Mitnick has been in prison since 1995, held on a 25-count indictment with charges ranging from wire fraud to illegal possession of stolen computer files. At one time Mitnick was on the FBI's Most Wanted list.
Interestingly, Mitnick has been held without bail since his arrest, and has been held for over four years without a trial. He is currently housed in a Los Angeles facility reserved for violent criminals. Additionally, he was allowed no computer access until recently to review some 10 gigabytes of evidence against him.
Mitnick recently signed a plea bargain that may set him free after another year in prison. In the plea bargain, Mitnick admits his hacking activities caused between 5 and 10 million dollars in losses to the companies named in the indictment. Mitnick will not be allowed to tell his story for seven years, or be allowed to touch computers or other forms of high technology for three years.
WHAT TO DO
Whatever stance you take on the hacking issue, it's still a good idea to protect your computer, data, or network.
The best way to protect yourself is to back up your most important data files to disk or tape every day. Avoid downloading and opening executable files from sources you do not know and trust. Choose passwords consisting of nonsense words that cannot easily be guessed, don't give them out to anybody, and change them occasionally. Don't open files attached to e-mail messages. Finally, keep informed. Monitor the International Computer Security Association, Symantec Antivirus Research Center, and the other resources listed below to stay abreast of new threats and tools that can help protect your data from malicious attacks.
We must accept one fact: information wants to be free. Information caretakers must be ever vigilant: once information is made available to some, others will try to access that information if they can. The key words to remember are if they can.
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