Tag Archives: Security

The Google Nest Hub Max

Posted on 2019-09-16 by jcs

I don’t know about you but I couldn’t help thinking of telescreens from Nineteen Eighty-four when I read this article about Google’s always on Nest Hub Max. The similarities are striking. The camera is always watching so that it can … Continue reading →

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Bad Password Policies

Posted on 2019-09-14 by jcs

It seems like I’ve been shouting into the wind forever about password policies and it hasn’t made a bit of difference. There’s probably little anyone can do about users choosing really dumb passwords—like password or 123456 and so forth—but you’d … Continue reading →

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Mozilla Talks About Its Plans for DoH

Posted on 2019-09-12 by jcs

You may recall that back in July I wrote about Google’s and Mozilla’s plans for DNS over HTTPS (DoH) and the furor it caused among the nannies in the UK who resented having their ability to spy on their users … Continue reading →

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Internet Villains

Posted on 2019-07-06 by jcs

This is hilarious. The UK government and a UK ISP trade group are wetting their pants because Google and Mozilla are planning to implement a more secure, privacy respecting DNS lookup in their browsers. They’ve even declared Google and Mozilla … Continue reading →

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iPhone Security

Posted on 2019-06-28 by jcs

One of the reasons I have an iPhone rather than an Android device is that I feel it’s more secure. Everyone—except maybe the bad guys—likes more security, of course, but not everyone is willing to pay the price to get … Continue reading →

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Haldar Reads Reflections on Trusting Trust

Posted on 2019-06-25 by jcs

I’ve written at least twice about Ken Thompson’s Turing Award Lecture, Reflections on Trusting Trust and each time I told you to be sure to read it. It describes one of the—if not the—greatest hacks of all time. In the … Continue reading →

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The Government Can’t Protect Your Data Either

Posted on 2019-06-13 by jcs

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about the Equifax and First American Financial Corp breaches. I noted that the situation was out of hand and that even the curmudgeons at Irreal were ready to put aside their distaste for … Continue reading →

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The Unpickable Lock

Posted on 2019-06-08 by jcs

It used to be, and probably still is, a rite of passage for young hackers to learn how to pick locks. I believe this started at MIT where the idea of locked /anything/—software, doors, …—was an anathema, and challenge, to … Continue reading →

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How to Limit Google Tracking You

Posted on 2019-06-02 by jcs

It turns out that there are some steps you can take to limit the type and amount of data that Google collects on you. This is especially relevant if you live in the Android ecosystem but even for those of … Continue reading →

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Taking It Very Seriously

Posted on 2019-05-28 by jcs

The other day I wrote about the costs Equifax is finally having to bear for its 2017 breach of 150 million consumer records. Apparently, First American Financial Corporation upon learning of the Equifax breach said, “Hold my beer.” Over the … Continue reading →

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