Microsoft recently advised against longstanding, conventional cybersecurity logic on required password changes. It turns out forced switches made users select more predictable and easy-to-breach passwords.

"The pattern that humans use, particularly when they're not using a password manager, is they come up with, sort of, this rubric," said Pedro Canahuati, chief technology officer at 1Password. "If that's really very complex, it makes it difficult for people to gain access to it. But the reality is, humans are not good at randomness."

"The previous advice for people to rotate their passwords so frequently led to some really bad habits: people writing passwords down, only changing maybe the last digit," said Lisa Plaggemier, executive director of the National Cybersecurity Alliance.

"Changing that one character at the end of your password is not enough when you're up against a bot who's just cycling away at different passwords and switching out letters and numbers."

Humans are notoriously bad at passwords. NordPass' research of commonly used passwords across 50 countries in 2021 found the most popular were strings of letters or numbers, like 123456 and qwerty or words like a password. Most could be cracked in less than one second.

Still, if you search online for advice on how often you should change passwords, you'll still find many results saying you should change them routinely.

Newsy spoke to four cybersecurity experts about best rotation practices. While all noted that there are times when passwords should be changed — like when your data is implicated in a breach — other, more important security features can be used to strengthen data protection.

"People just need to understand that passwords only go so far, and you need multifactor authentication," said Ed Skoudis, president of SANS Technology Institute. "Password management organizations also have an obligation to keep their users secure and safe."

"The simple solution at the end of the day is to use strong and unique passwords with a password manager because nobody can create them as strong as they can with the password manager," said Craig Lurey, chief technology officer at Keeper Security. "This is hundreds of engineers, solely focused on protecting passwords in an encrypted vault that's highly secure and protected from access, and all the years of implementation that went into that versus whatever you think you can do with your notepad."

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Holiday travelers may notice that the TSA has been expanding the use of facial recognition technology. It's now at more than a dozen airports across the country.

The agency says it's evaluating the efficiency of this technology before taking it nationwide.

The technology matches your face to the ID a passenger provides at security.

The agency is also testing another system, on a more limited scale, where a person's face is their ID. The machine compares a person's face to a database of pictures the government already has. With new technology also comes new concerns.

"There's a consent aspect, there's a privacy aspect, and there's a security aspect that really needs to be considered a lot more thoughtfully before TSA moves forward with any of this," said India McKinney, director of federal affairs with the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a digital rights group.

McKinney contends there are more privacy protections around the machine checking a person's ID than there are with the system that scans a traveler's face. She notes that the machine checking an ID does not have to be connected to the internet.

McKinney also says it's a mistake to assume the technology will work 100% of the time for everyone.

The TSA said it's continuing to monitor its systems to ensure there is no inherent bias. The agency adds use is voluntary.

"The question, when they say something is voluntary is, how easy is it to opt out? And we've gotten conflicting reports on exactly how easy that is," McKinney contends.

She believes it's going to be up to Congress to make sure people continue to have the ability to opt-out.

The SAT is going digital.

In January, the College Board announced it would move the standardized test to an online format in the U.S. in 2024, following a pilot program in 2021.

"The digital SAT will be easier to take, easier to give, and more relevant," a College Board spokesperson said in a written statement. "We're not simply putting the current SAT on a digital platform."

Robert Franek, the Editor-in-Chief of the Princeton Review, answered our questions about the changes in the test.

This transcript has been lightly edited for tone and clarity.

Q: Why now?

Robert Franek, Editor-in-Chief, Princeton Review: I think it is time to modernize the SAT and make it as relevant as possible to current students, their families, and their counselors.

There's a pretty big coup here for test-takers: The exam will now be two hours rather than three hours, which is a substantial time saving for the student. It also lessens fatigue that is so inherent to the SAT.

A couple of other things are going to be changing. Students can use calculators built into the platforms starting in 2024, so students can use calculators on all math questions. Right now, they're prohibited on some sections.

There are going to be more straightforward reading sections as well. It's going to be speedier for students, but also more accessible.

The other big difference is that now it will be an adaptive test. That accounts for some of the time savings. There's going to be fewer questions, but it's not going to be, 'You got these questions right and these questions wrong.' It will be based on the weighting of those questions based on their level of difficulty.

Q: Is this decision, in part, because of how many students take the SAT in school? (2021 data shows 62% of test-takers took their exam during a school day.)

Franek: That has been a big part of the market share for the College Board: Giving those tests in-school directly. It is probably a pretty significant focus for the College Board that we're going to see more of those tests being done in schools. When 2024 rolls out, students are going to likely have a choice to do it in a testing center, alone, or an at-school SAT. What they will not be able to do, however, is take that test remote and at home, as they were able to in May of 2020 for the AP exam, which was also created by the College Board.

Q: How will this decision improve equity among test-takers?

Franek: It's really the platform itself that we're seeing the biggest value to students for access and equity purposes. Number one, students will be able to use a laptop that the testing center gives them, or that's supplied by the school. Students can use their own laptop or their own tablet, but they're not obliged to do that. That is going to improve access and equity.

Then there's the idea of the calculator. Students were having to have a graphing calculator of a particular model. Some of those were expensive. So that will level the field as well, with the built-in calculator.

Q: Are there any drawbacks to going digital?

Franek: There's not a lot of testing materials out there yet on how to prepare for that new exam. I do think that will change as soon as the College Board releases more information of what the structure and content of that new exam are going to be. That's what my team does at the Princeton Review. That's going to be a pretty big coup for students.

Right now, we might see some students going to the old version - the known version - of the SAT. Or they may flock to the ACT during that guinea pig year of 2024, the first year that it'll roll out for all U.S. students. But, again, to be seen.

Q: How does this move affect test prep for students?

Franek: It's going to be significant. Any time a new exam happens - and this could be the SAT, ACT, or any of the number of professional and graduate school exams - students need guidance. Their parents want that as well. Counselors want those things as well. A lot of students turn to test prep in order to make sure that students are getting the best of preparation for that new exam. And that's what we've done for now 40 years at the Princeton Review. We'll certainly do it for this new iteration of the SAT.

Q: Should this change be cause for concern for parents of middle school students or students who are early in their high school careers?

Franek: I think there probably will be alarm. I gave a lecture last night, and I told the students there, just remind yourself that you are comfortable on an e-platform more than I ever will be. And that's what the new SAT is going to be. So feel the confidence and prowess that you already have coming out of the gate going into that new exam because you are primed to do well on it.

Q: Are there any other things worth noting about this decision?

Franek: Again, I'd remind students that they are primed to do very well in this new environment of the test. And this rollout over the next two years is a significant rollout. We're not going to see any surprises in the next iteration of the SAT in a couple of weeks. We know that it is going to be a metered approach, and for that, I give applause to the College Board.

CINCINNATI — Cincinnati Public Schools announced every child in the district will get access to digital learning, but exactly how big of a role that will play next school year is still to be determined.

With CPS students being out of class since mid-March, nearly 400 people tuned into the district’s Wednesday evening special meeting. Superintendent Laura Mitchell outlined four options for the fall, something she called “the presentation of a lifetime.”

“I hope that we’re never, ever in this situation again,” she said.

The options for fall include:

• In-person learning five days a week -- Of the four, this would present the highest COVID-19 transmission risk and require more money for buses and staffing in order to observe social distancing. Members say it would handle many parents’ childcare concerns.

• Blended learning -- This would bring students in one or two days a week, which would present a medium infection risk and partially address childcare.

• Distance learning with everyone at home -- This would present the lowest risk of transmission and keep costs low, but it leaves many parents returning to work with nowhere to send their children.

• Hybrid learning -- This would mean in-person instruction for students pre-kindergarten up to 6th grade and keeping 7th through 12th graders home except for one or two days a month. That would present a medium infection risk and address childcare concerns for those with young children.

Schoology, an online grading and assignment sharing platform, and CPS-TV, a dedicated local channel for educational material launched in April, comes with each option. The district also has a digital school.

“We identified what has to be in place in order for us to be able to say we are ready to go,” Mitchell said Wednesday night.

More than 6,000 students, parents, employees and community members shared which option they would like to see in the fall, and 71% of parents surveyed said they were "extremely concerned or concerned" with "students' ability to effectively learn in a remote environment."

Additionally, 74% of parents said they were "extremely concerned or concerned" when it comes to "students' mental/emotional health during periods of remote learning."

“Pretty impressive sort of feelings, strong feelings about mental, emotional health as well as ability to learn,” said Krista Boyle, CPS chief communication and engagement officer.

Through the survey, CPS found that four "high level" concerns emerged, including consistent learning standards and equitable access to best tools and instruction, targeted communications, universal access to technology and IT support and social and emotional development "as important as academic growth."

While the details for fall are ironed out, it’s clear no option comes without its challenges; questions remain about how each option affects staffing, busing, after school sports and extracurricular activities.

“A group of 22 kids might all go to gym together from a classroom, so maybe you break that down into a smaller group,” Mitchell said.

Board Member Ben Lindy questioned if staffing changes were feasible during the transition this fall.

“Does this mean we’re doubling the number of elementary school teachers we have in CPS? Do we have money for that?” he asked.

Additional funding beyond the recent CARES Act would be needed to support meal distribution, technology, connectivity as school leaders estimate pandemic costs ranging from $35 million to $70 million. Officials are encouraging "direct-to-district funding" and hope to meet with legislators soon to learn more about a new recovery bill and the status of additional K-12 funding.

The Board is scheduled to vote on the fall plan on June 22, and a Strategic Engagement and Planning Committee will meet prior to that vote.

Also in June, CPS is launching a “Connect Our Students” program, a no-cost offer to qualifying families without internet access. The program will launch at a date to-be-determined for 2,000 students at five pilot schools: Rockdale Academy, South Avondale School, Hays – Porter School, Roberts Academy and Fairview-Clifton German Language School.

The Greater Cincinnati Foundation is administering the “CPS Technology Fund” without fees (except for required credit-card processing fees) so the fund receives 100% of donations. You can donate through ComputerXpress here or to the fund directly here.

Bitcoin rallied to a record Wednesday, topping $66,000 for the first time, amid a wave of excitement about how the financial establishment increasingly accepts the digital currency's rise.

Bitcoin was trading at $66,439, up 5.9%, as of 12:40 p.m. ET, after earlier climbing as high as $66,974.77.

It has roared back after sinking below $30,000 during the summer to top its prior record set in April. That previous all-time high was nearly $64,889, according to CoinDesk.

The surge has come as more businesses, professional investors, and even the government of El Salvador buy into Bitcoin, further broadening its base beyond its initial core of fanatics.

 

The latest converts came into the world of crypto on Tuesday, when the first exchange-traded fund linked to Bitcoin found massive interest from investors.

Shares of the ProShares Bitcoin Strategy ETF changed hands 24.1 million times in a resounding debut.

ProShares, an exchange trading company, listed an ETF that tracks Bitcoin futures on the New York Stock Exchange, the New York Times reported.

“2021 will be remembered for this milestone,” said Michael Sapir, the C.E.O. of ProShares, in an interview with the news outlet.

It was off to another strong start Wednesday, with volume topping 19.6 million within the first three hours of trading.

The ETF doesn’t invest directly in Bitcoin. It instead invests in the futures market tied to Bitcoin, but the industry sees the ETF bringing in a new class of investors.

Someone with an old-school brokerage account can buy the ETF, for example, without opening a trading account for crypto.

Investors are getting more interested in Bitcoin because they always look for assets whose prices move independently of everything else in their portfolios.

One school of thought says Bitcoin can offer investors protection from high inflation, and some fans see it as akin to “digital gold,” though it doesn't have a long track record to back that up.

More high-minded fans say digital assets are simply the future of finance, allowing transactions to sidestep intermediaries and fees with a currency that’s not beholden to any government.

Cryptocurrencies are still very far from winning over everyone, though. Critics point to how they're still not widely used as forms of payment. They also criticize how much energy is used by the cryptosystem, which adds to climate-changing emissions.

The biggest threat, meanwhile, is all the regulatory scrutiny shining on it.

Veronica De La Cruz at Newsy first reported this story.

Proving you're vaccinated against COVID-19 could be as easy as pulling out your phone in the future.

This week, one company started giving a digital vaccine record to people getting the shot in Los Angeles County.

Healthvana is partnering with the county to help make sure people get both doses of the vaccine. The company is also talking with other states to bring this technology there.

“Right now, that's the status quo is you'll get a piece of paper that will say, ‘hey you got a Pfizer vaccination, come back in this amount of days,’ and we think it's a complimentary feature to have something that goes onto your phone in a way that you can kind of capture,” said Ramin Bastani, CEO of Healthvana.

People have to opt in to get vaccine information digitally. Then they enter their name and birthdate into the Healthvana system to get access. From there, they can screenshot their vaccine record on their phone or put it into apple wallet.

“You can use it when you want to use it. As a patient or as a person, you may want to use it to show your school and airline if they require it or an employer, so it's pretty much our whole goal in this to make sure we get the information to the patient in a way they can have it at their fingertips,” said Bastani.

The company says this isn't an immunity passport like some people have been talking about. That's because they don't know yet who's going to accept this digital record from your phone.

But they tell us everyone from event planning companies to airlines and universities have contacted them about using the technology.

Healthvana says it has experience keeping private health information secure from its years of delivering HIV test results to patients. It stores data on Amazon Web Service's HIPAA-compliant servers.

CLEVELAND, Ohio — The digital divide in Ohio has been an issue for years. Now, it's escalating.

“We believe this is an economic issue,” said Angie Cooper, Chief Program Officer at Heartland Forward.

Right now, more than 1.4 million Ohioans don’t have internet service and 29% of Ohio K-12 students don't have adequate access, which may be causing a long-term domino effect across communities.

“Not having affordable high-speed Internet access is impactful to not just students, it's impactful to our workforce. It's impactful to our health care. We saw that even while people were signing up for vaccinations. If you didn't have access to get online these things became very, very challenging,” Cooper explained.

But state leaders are taking a step towards change by partnering with the FF and the nonprofit Heartland Forward. Together they're launching a $3.2 billion Emergency Broadband Benefit program, which is a Federal Communications Commission (FCC) program. If you qualify, can get up to $50 off broadband service in your area and up to $100 to help buy a computer or tablet to allow access at home.

However, the program will not be sticking around for long. The benefits are set to expire when funds run out or six months after the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services declares an end to the pandemic.

“Once funds run out, the emergency broadband benefit program will not be available. Those dollars will not be available to households,” Cooper said. “That's why it's so important. This was passed during COVID and it's so important for people to be aware that there's money out there for them to receive.”

So far 2.3 million households have signed up nationwide. Yet, we're told the numbers in Ohio are missing the mark.

“The numbers in Ohio still need to be increased,” said Cooper.

Cooper says the program is simply a temporary fix giving hope as the state looks for something permanent.

“Heartland Forward will be working over the months and years with state leaders and with the federal government to ensure that there are permanent solutions put in place.”

Do I qualify?

A household is eligible for the program if one member of the household meets at least one of the following criteria:

• Has an income that is at or below 135 percent of the Federal Poverty Guidelines or participates in certain assistance programs, such as SNAP, Medicaid or the FCC’s Lifeline program;
• Approved to receive benefits under the free and reduced-price school lunch or breakfast program;
• Received a Federal Pell Grant during the current award year;
• Experienced a substantial loss of income through job loss or furlough since Feb. 29, 2020; or
• Meets the eligibility criteria for a participating provider’s existing low-income or COVID-19 program

How do I apply?

Those eligible can enroll in the program in several different ways.

If you do not have access to the internet, you can sign up through a participating broadband provider or by calling (833) 511-0311 between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. any day of the week to request a mail-in application and more information about the program.

If you shave access to the internet, they can apply online by clicking here.

For more information about EBB, click here.

If you need help with the application process you can also call the RemotEDx Connectivity Champions at (844) K12-OHIO or click here.