Very interesting read

[Terpe]

Thanks Tone.
I read it carefully and for sure it's alarming. But, I'm no techie. I have no idea just how true that information is or how widespread or what I'm going to do.

The writer intimates that nothing can be done. After all, we are required to input passwords to gain access to our own data etc. What is the simple alternative? Or put another way, as consumers and owners of our data how can we protect given that the sytems we use demand us to pick and use a password?

Confused from a secret location

[tone]

Thanks Tone.
I read it carefully and for sure it's alarming. But, I'm no techie. I have no idea just how true that information is or how widespread or what I'm going to do.

The writer intimates that nothing can be done. After all, we are required to input passwords to gain access to our own data etc. What is the simple alternative? Or put another way, as consumers and owners of our data how can we protect given that the sytems we use demand us to pick and use a password?

Confused from a secret location

Hello Peter
He was pretty peeved at losing pics of his daughter (I would be too) but he leveraged Apples technology too much and when his apple account was hacked he lost everything.

Whilst there is no silver bullet I kind of think that everyone of us needs a computer that doesnt do anything other than store personal data! Its not connected to the internet - there is an old saying that the most secure machine is one that has no internet connection.
Vast parts of Government have such machines - they cant be hacked easily but what people do here is when they becaome aware the attack is via physical access so I may leave a usb stick or 20 lying around outside a said facility all with a few nasties on them, I can guarantee one plum will plug that into a computer and hey presto I am in. problem is how do I get stuff out - and along with that I may need to do something quite extraordinary to get data off that computer onto that stick and the stick back in my hands...alternatively I just use the stick as a transport mechanism and when that person goes home - my virus infects his computer (which is internet connected) and sends me the info I want.

So passwords hmm - first thing keep them all different, then use long passwords - 14 characters is good combine a lot of different strings but make sure its not a dictionary word - for example use two different number plates of two different cars (erm not your cars either ) or use something like a national insurance number or serial number or model number of a thingy..

does this help?

Tone

[Terpe]

Hello Peter
He was pretty peeved at losing pics of his daughter (I would be too) but he leveraged Apples technology too much and when his apple account was hacked he lost everything.

Whilst there is no silver bullet I kind of think that everyone of us needs a computer that doesnt do anything other than store personal data! Its not connected to the internet - there is an old saying that the most secure machine is one that has no internet connection.
Vast parts of Government have such machines - they cant be hacked easily but what people do here is when they becaome aware the attack is via physical access so I may leave a usb stick or 20 lying around outside a said facility all with a few nasties on them, I can guarantee one plum will plug that into a computer and hey presto I am in. problem is how do I get stuff out - and along with that I may need to do something quite extraordinary to get data off that computer onto that stick and the stick back in my hands...alternatively I just use the stick as a transport mechanism and when that person goes home - my virus infects his computer (which is internet connected) and sends me the info I want.

So passwords hmm - first thing keep them all different, then use long passwords - 14 characters is good combine a lot of different strings but make sure its not a dictionary word - for example use two different number plates of two different cars (erm not your cars either ) or use something like a national insurance number or serial number or model number of a thingy..

does this help?

Tone

Thanks Tone for your reply. Appreciated