Today I came across a very interesting article...one of those articles you read that really gets you thinking. This particular one is a very interesting and extremely frightening story of how someone's online life has been ripped apart in less than an hour...
http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2012/08/apple-amazon-mat-honan-hacking/all/
It is lengthy, but well worth a read!
After reading this it got me thinking about how online safety measures seem to be nothing more than burglar bars on your windows or noisy car alarms...basically just visual pacification of your security conscience. Have you actually stopped and considered how secure your email password is? That email and password combination that you use as your login account at work, for your Facebook account and probably for your online banking profile?
I feel this story goes to prove that although the tech world is going in so many exciting directions it might be moving too fast for our security conscience to keep up.
My favourite quote from this is where he mentions that the same four digits thought of as safe enough to publish by one company is considered secret and secure enough by another to protect all your online information. Maybe that is what we need: some kind of global security standard? Or even simpler: basic user awareness?
Hackers don't need fancy tools and 12 wide screens daisy chained together in some seedy basement...they can get any information on you they want through the somewhat exciting game of social engineering or even a quick google search or look at your Facebook page! I recall a brilliant security assignment from my varsity days - Black Ops off the books the lecturer knows nothing about it if you got caught type assignment- where we setup a "password strength check page" on our University network and boy did we net those suckers...it was like fishing with dynamite!
Anyway, I would urge you again to take five minutes and read that story...who knows, it might save your life savings one day...
Stay safe,
Warbrad.
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