SoylentNews is people
SoylentNews
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: 3, Insightful) by nitehawk214 on Monday October 05 2015, @03:27PM
This is the best post here, which bridges the gap between, "there is no security, don't bother" and "don't use any electronic devices."
Find the thing you have that is the least secure. (probably a mobile device, since those tend to grow legs and walk away) Deal with any security problems there.
Think about the location and number of users and foot traffic. (My work computer has hundreds of people that can walk up to it, where there are only a few people in the world with keys to my house.), Think about the ramifications of the security being breached. (Breaking into my Steam account would be annoying but easily correctable. Breaking into my bank account would leave me broke for the time it takes the bank to fix it. A hackable wifi thermostat could burn my house down.)
Also look at non-electronic security. I no longer write paper checks out of my primary bank account. Simply knowing a person's bank account number allows you to completely drain it of funds. Just look up the routing number for the bank, and you can print off checks. The name on the check does not have to match the name on the account. The check infrastructure doesn't have the ability to verify if a check is valid. Stores never call the bank to see if it is real.
How are the locks on your house. How easy is it to break in? How many people have keys? Do you live in a secure neighborhood or at least trust your neighbors?
How secure is your vehicle? If you park on the street, consider a dash-cam that has a motion sensor.
Repeat this process until you feel that the thing is secure enough. The difficult part is determining the security level of a device.
Remember that "good security" does not exist, only "good enough security".
"Don't you ever miss the days when you used to be nostalgic?" -Loiosh