Posts by Paul Crawford

Re: Linux mint and no longer have this sort of problem

For now.

You see, if you can run arbitrary software on ANY platform, then you can encrypt your own files (as pointed out above).

Sure it is less likely on Linux and one reason I migrated, but if you are properly paranoid about this then you will (A) have an isolated backup anyway as that covers hardware failures and "gross administrative misconduct", and (B) set user-writable areas to non-execute so you can't accidentally run something unpacked from an archive (because your were drunk and it promised good pr0n).

Re: Every time I see "<3"...

Ah, the double polaroid moment:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ofl_UP3apM

You ought to be questioning why you use MS in the first place?

<cough> ICANN

Re: A final throw of the Minty dice before

But at the present, I would NEVER install Linux - either Ubuntu or Mint on my Aunt Lucy's PC. Her old desktop could just not take the excitement of those interminable problem fixes via a list of arcane and lengthy commands.

Quite the opposite, I have put Ubuntu on father's laptop and friends' home PCs and it gives me FAR less support trouble than Windows and the inevitable AV that still fails to stop infestations. Oh yes, and none of this in-your-face nagware or the privacy violations MS are now pushing having conveniently forgotten all about the "Scroogled" campaign.

That sure is a lot of pussy!

Re: square hole

An amusing (but NSFW) take on the square hole / round peg idea:

http://oglaf.com/annuitcoeptis/

Indeed, as this parody shows:

http://youtu.be/-a6HNXtdvVQ

Re: Says everything that there is to be said

I forget who said it, but: democracy takes power from the corrupt few and hands it to the incompetent many.

"valuable feedback on how people use the OS so Microsoft can improve it even more"

Ah yes, so that is why Windows 8 & 10 are so much loved and respected by the users?

As for blocked updates for Win7, if the fsckers had not been abusing the update mechanism for this there would NOT be blocked!

Re: Formatting has two options

Lets face it, if you worry about a TLA recovering data you should have been using an encrypted file system with the HDD when in use, so not only do they have to try and undo the overwrite, but they also have to know your encryption key as well.

Re: Of course, given a choice...

Greece was looking like a good cheap holiday option with ancient historical sites to visit and fantastic food.

Not so cheap from the UK now, of course...

Re: IoT and it will get worse?

Have an up-vote!

"I wonder how many of these aren't supported by anyone including the manufacturers of them?"

Fixed it for you...

Re: Why use and array of any type anyway?

I can think of a few very good reasons for centralised storage, such as (1) simplifying the task of recognising, protecting and managing your data (snapshots, data replicated to off-site store and/or tape robot), and (2) allowing common data/programs to be updated in one go for everyone who needs access, (3) allowing applications on differing native OS to share data.

However, (1) it will never match local storage for speed on any comparable basis, and (2) you get a degree of redundancy in your company that one central fault won't take down everything.

So really depending on what attribute matters more you you will go for one, the other, or maybe a bit of both (e.g. fast data local, central for share/replication/off-site transfer).

Re: No backup, no commiseration.

I thought Dropbox provided snapshots? What went wrong with that?

Re: fingerprinting

What the web browser dev should be doing is fixing this, not endless dicking around with GUIs or finding ever smarter ways to whore us to the advertisers.

We should have browsers that only yield the minimum of necessary information back to a web site, and that tricks like canvas rendering hashes, etc, are deliberately broken by inducing some ~1/2 pixel random dither in the drawing so now two hashes are ever the same.

And that is before we get in to the unholy mess of SSL certificates and the half-measures like pining to try and catch MITM by state level actors.

Re: Is this even practical....?

Also if you are not "doing business" in Russia by making the app free and not whoring for profit with their advertisers, who do they fine?

Yes, they could start a Great Firewall of Russia to try and block apps that are not on the good list but a little use of P2P technology and/or making use of ports like 443 that always look encrypted will make that whack-a-mole game a bit harder.

"It is made deliberately difficult if not impossible to repair."

That is why we should have 5 year warranties on electronics. Then they would have to consider the repair cost or replacement cost when designing it and one way or another you would see up front what the true cost of a gadget is likely to be..

And you know this via....???

Why, by the 9" already mentioned!

"when your customers only have ONE factor to them?"

Difficult, though some of my accounts have a card reader that generates a code based on the card/PIN and the transfer amount to be used. This is a separate validation path that is very hard for a compromised phone (or PC, or MITM from hacked wifi point, etc) to to bypass.

Advantage - no internet connection to said device so it can't be hacked (directly, lets overlook the RSA Token breach for a moment).

Disadvantage - it is something annoying to carry with you if you really want banking on the move.

Re: An analogy

I also have a couple of mechanical watches, one is self-winding if I wear it all day, otherwise needs wound up daily. But the thing is, I don't have to carry a special winder with me, nor do I need an compatible power point for the winder.

My usual watch is a Casio that is automatically set by radio and is solar charged. Had it now for several years and no battery change needed (and resulting leaky seals) so pretty happy with it. Now if a smart watch could do the same...

Indeed the discovery phase and details of the data gathering are essential. After all, if the police have hacked in to my computer to gather evidence, how can the jury be sure they did not plant it there?

I'm not saying such techniques should be banned, but there must be proper rules for the use and full traceability of the actions and method presented at the trial so both sides can be sure the evidence is valid.