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A shield against hackers Mail Tribune / Roy Musitelli Alan Oppenheimer and Charles Whitaker are going to Macworld in San Francisco in January to give a presentation on Macintosh security. By BILL KETTLER Mail Tribune Macintosh computer enthusiasts flock to San Francisco every year in January to learn about what's new and important in the "other" computer system. This year, many will fly in to listen to two Ashland men. Alan Oppenheimer and Charles Whitaker will be among dozens of presenters at Macworld Expo this week at the Moscone Center. Oppenheimer and Whitaker will tell Mac users how they can prevent others from using - and abusing - their computers. They know their subject well. Last July, they published "Internet Security for Your Macintosh" (Peachpit Press, $19.99). Oppenheimer said the book emerged from his experience as a local Internet service provider and Mac users' need for information to protect their computers against hackers on the Internet. "The number of hacking incidents is growing faster than the Net itself," Oppenheimer said, but many people still have a lackadaisical attitude about computer security. "Here in Ashland people don't even lock their doors," he said, "let alone worry about their computers." Oppenheimer said they should worry, especially if they have a permanent Internet connection or a high-speed modem. Hackers from anywhere could take control of a computer, gain access to its files, or use the machine to wreak havoc on other computers. "Once they have broken in they can use that computer as a weapon against other computers because it's very fast," he said. "Someone could start downloading files and you'd be none the wiser," said Whitaker. "Many security breaches are not detectable unless you're looking for them and you know what to look for." Oppenheimer and Whitaker had decades of computer experience between them to provide fodder for their book. Oppenheimer worked for Apple Computer before founding Open Door Networks in 1995 to provide Macintosh-based Internet access and create Macintosh utilities. Whitaker worked as a software creator and publisher during the 1980s and '90s and came to work at Open Door Networks in 1998 as a technical writer, tester and webmaster. Whitaker said many of the basic principles of Internet security are nontechnical concepts. Computer passwords, for example, should not be any single word, because hackers can write a program that will use every word in the dictionary to uncover a password. Passwords should use at least six characters and ideally combine letters, numbers and special characters to make them difficult to guess. "Don't use something obvious like the name of your favorite pet," he said. "Don't store passwords near your computer, or put them on Post-it notes on your computer. That's a bad idea." The pair's book has drawn rave reviews from Macintosh users on at least two continents and brought them a measure of celebrity in the Macintosh computer world. They've been interviewed on several radio programs, and Oppenheimer will make his first television appearance on Tech-TV's "Call for Help" show while he's in San Francisco. "It should be an interesting experience," he said. Oppenheimer also will lead workshop sessions on Macintosh network security, security for Macintosh's new operating system and maintaining secure Internet connections under the new system. Whitaker will speak on Macintosh Internet security and the topics in the book. "I'm kind of nervous," he said last week. "I'm not much of a public speaker. I'm practicing and practicing so I can do it with my eyes closed." Reach reporter Bill Kettler at 776-4492, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.