Posts About Technology
Who Needs a Website?
I am asked this question so often, “Who needs a website?" Back in the late 1990s I started designing websites under the name of “Instant Web Pages”, to introduce small business owners to the new Internet. Websites were just getting going then and not a lot of...
Deception as a Cyber-Defense
Deception as a Cyber-Defense In a recent article I talked about how governments are adjusting their approach to collecting signals intelligence data in the fight against national enemies – both terrorists and unfriendly states. What about private companies and...
Bulk Equipment Interference
I remember a time when encryption standards were controlled by the government. The respective national information security agencies would not allow the export of software (or hardware) that contained new encryption algorithms (formulas) unless the software/hardware maker could provide the agency with a “key” to break the code.
Those days are gone. Computers have progressed so much that hackers can create their own encryption algorithms on the fly without any outsiders being given a key or an export license.
How do hackers get in?
Governments and most major companies have installed
extensive cyber security defenses. However their weakest links are the
contractors and independent devices that have links into their computer
networks.
These smaller contractors often do not invest in cyber
security at the same levels and many of the independent devices have little or no
security.
Do you use Google Chrome?
Have you noticed that many of the smaller websites you visit using Chrome now carry the admonition of “not secure”? These websites have not changed, Chrome has changed.
Elections and Cybersecurity
99% of votes in the USA are either cast or counted by computers. We have invested in computerized elections because they reduce miscounts, help voters with disabilities, improve access to voting for rural voters, and speed up delivery of results. That’s goodness. Unfortunately, we have NOT invested in strong security for our computerized elections.
Will the Russians again meddle in the upcoming American elections?
I’m sure they will.
And why shouldn’t they? Especially when we do the same thing all the time.
What if Facebook did not have passwords?
Passwords are there to protect you, right?
But it can be a pain remembering all those different passwords for every single website you log into.
So what if Facebook decided to make it easier and not require a password to get into your account? Would that be good?
Changing Technology
Technology is constantly and rapidly changing.
As we hand over more and more of our control to technology, we need to consider the cost of such delegation especially in terms of privacy and security.
Can you really trust a virtual assistant to be loyal only to you?
Extension of the Patriot Act by Congress And Government use of Meta-Data
My fear is that Congress, and a lot of the American people, are becoming paranoid about technology and losing sight of the real issue. Advances in technology should not be feared; they need to be used for our benefit. How to contain the abuse of technology is where our focus should be.