, 2006-11-27
Scott Granneman looks at a hard lesson in personal privacy and security through the lens of a very public and well-known female television show host in Europe.
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A Hard Lesson in Privacy
2006-11-28
Erik N (2 replies)
Erik N (2 replies)
1) Computers are getting "easier" to use, while the OS is simultaneously getting more complex and opaque. Computers are now a commodity item, like microwave ovens. Microwave owners don't know how the things work, they frequently can't take advantage of all the "neato" features that require more sophisticated programming, and they DON'T care. As long as they can get the basics to work and the food is hot, they are happy. Same thing with computers, only much more so.
2) The vast majority of computer users are not only ignorant of security issues, even after many well-publicsized incidents and direct personal experience with problems at work, they have no interest in learning about these issues and how to deal with them. Most people are "too busy with life to waste time on this junk". Or so I've been told many times.
3) You would be amazed at how many people default to things like IE for web bvrowsing, on systems with alternative browsers available on the machine. Even after being told repeatedly that IE is very insecure. The reson given is "that's what I'm used to using" based on the fact that their home system only has IE available.
4) Securitty is an effort, in many cases fairly significant. Passwords are a particular pain for the majority.
This is a lost cause. The msjority of computer users are not and NEVER will be interested in or concerned about security.
The suggesstion of a previous poster that the OS should include better security features has merit, except for the trivial detail that the leading OS and Web browser are both from the company with the worst record for security out there. And you think they'll do any better with this?
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Link to this comment: http://www.securityfocus.com/comments/columns/424/34136#34136