The computer hardware's not really at issue, it's their data. What's the price of losing the first photo of your kid walking that you just downloaded from your digital camera.

Folks are also starting to wake up to the fact that the cost may be their identity. If a hacker breaks into their system and finds their credit cards, social security number, etc, they could lose much more important things than their computer.

If you never do your banking etc on your computer, then what if they break into your system, commit some crime with your computer, and then the cops trace it back to you.

Would some jail time be motivation?

No one's been jailed yet for letting people break into their systems and commit crimes, but at some point in the future, people might become liable for gross negligence. Like letting someone set up a meth lab in your basement.

In any case, the author of the original post does not quite see the current immaturity of the security systems on our computers. We need better federated security systems, things like biometrics, better authentication. Until the computer industry grows up (mostly Microsoft :-) just kidding), the user is going to need to be a bit more careful out in the wild wild West of cyberspace.

Harold Shinsato

[ reply ]

Link to this comment: http://www.securityfocus.com/comments/columns/236/32145#32145