For too long, passwords were the only thing standing between criminals and the valuable information you keep online. Now, websites and apps are adding a second layer of security called Two Factor Authentication and this video explains why it matters, and how it works.
New Video: Two Factor Authentication
What it Teaches:
Passwords alone may not be enough to keep criminals from accessing your sensitive online accounts and causing serious problems. Using a simple analogy of an offline storage company, this video explains Two Factor Authentication and why it matters. It teaches:
Why a second layer of security may be needed in addition to a password
Why two factor authentication is effective
How two factor authentication works
How to enable two factor authentication
What to expect when logging in with two factor authentication
Common Craft members use our videos to help explain technology and related subjects in classrooms, training sessions, and on websites. The videos can be downloaded, embedded or displayed from our website, with or without captions in English.
We've published a new video, the 102nd in our video library. It is part of our Net Safety category.
Ransomware - Explained
What it Teaches:
Like a kidnapped person, the information on your computer can now be held hostage by criminals, who demand a ransom to release it. This is called a ransomware attack and, unfortunately, it’s a growing problem. This video explains ransomware. It teaches:
For our latest video, we’re going behind the scenes of the Internet and taking a look at encryption and how “keys” help keep our sensitive information secure as it travels from computer to computer.
Do you want to learn to make animated GIFs like the one above? We'll teach you.
About This Video:
Encryption is a fundamental part of using the Internet securely, but it is mostly invisible to the user. This video explains the basic idea of encryption and specifically the two types of keys that are used online: symmetric and public. It teaches:
Why encryption matters on the Web
An example of encryption used in history
The basics of private key encryption
The basics of public key encryption
How public key encryption works when using a bank website
How to Use This Video
This video is designed to serve as an introduction -- it creates a solid foundation for deeper learning. Use it to kick-off a class or session on the Internet, technology, e-commerce, communications, etc.
Based on suggestions and votes from Common Craft members, we just published a new video called Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) - Explained by Common Craft.
What it Teaches: This video explains the business use of Virtual Private Networks. It tells the story of Candice who discovers her new employer’s VPN, which means she can securely connect to the company network over the Internet.
•Why normal Internet connections are not secure for business information
•Why VPNs make sense for businesses
•How VPNs connect employees and remote offices to headquarters
•How encryption works to make information secure on the Internet
This video is part of a series on Internet basics and is meant for use in technology education. Corporate trainers, teachers and librarians will find it useful for quickly introducing VPNs.
The video below was made with the Trustworthy Computing Team at Microsoft. As we learned, there is a debate brewing in the world of software security. It's a debate about how to report problems that are discovered in software - what the industry calls "vulnerabilities". I'll let the video speak for itself on covering the issues.
For this post though, I want to talk about the use and power of visual metaphors, which was a big challenge for this project. Here's a question for you: how do you visualize software? We've used box like you see in a computer store, DVDs, binary code, etc. These still aren't the best, but it's an ongoing challenge. Now, if software is hard to visualize, what about software vulnerabilities? That's a whole-other can of worms.
This project, like many that we do, prompted us to come up with a symbol that is used throughout the video. This is risky because if the symbol doesn't work for the client, it means taking two steps backward and completely rethinking the visuals. For the idea of software vulnerability, we chose to use a chain metaphor. Software is a system that works together and a vulnerability is essentially a crack in one of the chain links - it compromises the power of the whole system. By making this point clear early in the video, we were able to establish a visual symbol of vulnerability that we could use for a lot of scenes.
Thankfully, Ken and the Trustworthy Computing Team liked the chain idea and the video. See what you think:
If you have a laptop, you've probably worried about it getting lost or stolen. These devices have become the home of so much of our lives that thinking about one in the hands of a stranger is painful. Thankfully, products like LoJack for Laptops help you prevent potential problems and get your computer back. The video explains how:
A quote about how they've used the video:
“We had a very successful CES. The video was on all our ipads and was a hit with clients, partners and our CEO, so much so we’ll be featuring it at our global sales meeting next week!” Kate Kyle Brow, Director – Global Consumer Marketing.
Thanks to Joey and Kate at Absolute Software for a great project together!
