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I'm just informed enough about IT security to know that I really know very very little about it. That said, I probably know ten times as much as do 99% of people. I'm an expert in my field, and while I've been a jack of all trades on many fronts, today's threats to privacy and IT security require expert knowledge to combat.
I do not have time.
- For example, I hear that Microsoft added updates to Win7/8 that threaten my family's privacy...yet I have not yet gone and removed the offending updates. I moved myself to Ubuntu/xfce, but my son is still using Win8. I'll get to it eventually.
- For example, java script is a security risk, and I have No-Script, turn off 3rd party cookies, etc, but invariably I have to turn it off for some website (i.e. to pay my bill), and eventually, I stop turning it back to full security.
- I installed Cyanogenmod and Fdroid on my phone. And for the most part its great..and I have very few apps with permissive permissions settings....but my wife is still using an iphone and ipad, with all sorts of apps...with ridiculous permission leaks..and that is a struggle.
The long winded point I have is that it is now just too damn much work to do it all right. I'm tired after a 10 hour workday. I've obviously taken more steps than most, but it is still leaky as hell...
I need a company/organization that I can reasonably trust to manage my information security/property, to manage my computers, manage my vpns, e.g., to isolate my web browser windows over multiple vpns, ... all of it, and it can't be GOOGLE. My data is my property, as long as I can hold it, so it needs to be a company/organization that built in privacy obligations (like lawyers and doctors supposedly do).
-Signed: A Frustrated Tired Old Nerd (with children)
[Ed's Comment: Does such a company exist? Is it even possible to provide such a service? Or have we just identified a niche in the market for some enterprising person to fill?]
(Score: 5, Insightful) by Runaway1956 on Monday October 05 2015, @12:55PM
Security is not a product, it is a process. A frame of mind. The price of freedom is eternal vigilance. "Freedom" is synonymous with "security". The moment you stop actively countering exploits, you've lost the game. Read the slashplaces. Read the "hacker" sites. Read the "security" sites. Read, read, read - and be prepared to take countermeasures. The Vandals, the Mongols, and the Huns are all at the gates, waiting for you to let your guard down. And, don't forget the Brits . . .
And, you can just forget about hiring a company or organization to do it for you. If such a thing existed, none of us could probably distinguish it from any of the scams out there. Might as well rely on McAfee as any other company, and we all know how well that goes.
Is that hard core enough for you? Well - maybe you'll listen to the Masters of Security - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sam4lq2WHos [youtube.com]
Abortion is the number one killed of children in the United States.
(Score: 2) by Hyperturtle on Monday October 05 2015, @02:23PM
Yes -- if you believe buying a firewall makes you secure, then by all means, by one.
How much money do you think it costs to be secure? $50? $500? $50,000? There are firewalls cheaper and more expensive than that!
Education is priceless. With that, you can probably get that $50 device to perform more like the $500 just by knowing what to enable and disable -- or to know to install some alternate OS on it.
Or perhaps use old hardware to act as firewall that does something you understand.
Outsourcing is not a solution to security, unless you trust the mercenaries to keep you safe even when you are not the highest bidder.
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Monday October 05 2015, @03:30PM
A good router costs between $100 and $200, from the distributor. As you suggest, installing a proper OS, and making that OS perform as you want, is priceless.
http://wiki.openwrt.org/toh/start [openwrt.org]
http://www.netgear.com/home/products/networking/wifi-routers/WNDR4500.aspx [netgear.com]
http://tomatousb.org/ [tomatousb.org]
https://downloads.openwrt.org/ [openwrt.org]
Hardware and software are subject to individual preference, of course.
Abortion is the number one killed of children in the United States.
(Score: 2) by VLM on Monday October 05 2015, @03:43PM
I've noticed an interesting growth over time in router costs. Back when it looked like routers were eternally going to drop to $25 I wondered how Soekris etc could stay in business, but now that you're looking at $125+ including sales tax and shipping, its not too out of line.