LostInTheText.com » Web Security

Importing bookmarks for FireFox without importing the History

Ryan Bishop — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 04:03:47 +0000

After several weeks of debugging and frustration dealing with a firefox installation that would freeze intermittenly with 100% CPU use, I decided to take another approach to find the solution.
After using the free program “MozBackup” to backup my previous installation, I loaded Version 7, then imported my bookmarks using mozbackup. To my surprise, I saw the last several months worth of my browsing history. After a little testing, it turns out mozbackup adds your history with your bookmarks even if you choose not to import the “other content”.

Solution (do BEFORE you import your bookmarks):

1. Create a new profile by going to the start menu in windows and selecting ‘run’, then entering ‘firefox.exe -ProfileManager’. This will open the FireFox profile manager.
2.Create a new profile, then select and run. Note – this profile won’t have your own preferences, but it’s just for temporary purposes.
3. Now, close firefox and go back to mozbackup.
4. Use mozbackup to import the same bookmarks file with all your history.
5. Go to the Bookmarks menu (top left menu > bookmarks > show all bookmarks). ‘Export your bookmarks to HTML’ using the “import and backup” menu.
6. Go to the start menu again in windows and select ‘run’, then enter ‘firefox.exe -ProfileManager’. This will open the FireFox profile manager. This time, select your normal profile.
7. When firefox loads, go back to the bookmarks menu from step 5. Use the “Import bookmarks from HTML” to find your file and re-import the bookmarks.
8. Presto, no memory-clogging history to search through!

Tips for creating incredibly secure passwords

Mon, 31 May 2010 20:37:32 +0000

Since the dawn of encryption and user accounts, password security has been of the utmost importance. However, It’s an often-neglected measure for keeping things secure, with users still using default passwords, easily guessable personal details, or otherwise insecure passwords. Here are a few quick tips to help new and old users alike keep their secrets safe.

Do not use whole words
Use a good mix of letters, numbers, and special characters as allowed (Like “$”, “&”, “%”, “!” and so on). A great mix is 40% letters, 40% numbers, and 20% special characters (may not be applicable in some circumstances)
Don’t use family names, pet names, birthdays, or any other easily-guessed items as these can generally be cracked using only a little observation and investigative skills.
Using characters to replace letters in words may seem like a clever idea, but in reality, password crackers have adapted to that technique long-ago. If you insist on using a word, consider using one that’s made-up, so it’s less vulnerable to being guessed.
The more characters, the better. Always use as many letters as allowed, as each digit or character makes it that much harder for a hacker.
If you find you can’t remember passwords very well, use a text file on a USB card, or write the passwords on a piece of paper. Make sure to guard either. On USB or SmartCards, you can encrypt the text file (At least 256-bit encryption is recommended)

EXAMPLES

Bad Examples: MomsName194, MYPetsName, Password, Guest, Default, Admin, 1234, ASDFGHJKL,

Good Examples : u!0Y9z!Lt$93E83P!4V, L05!a91MRnv8F2$3, jLAz091Rr$RM19cn2!RA