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doing my public service
By heather | August 10, 2007
Although I haven’t written a lot about my job, day-to-day I focus on computer security. Without putting the non-tech readers to sleep it’s an interesting and varied field, somedays I’m doing analysis, sometimes its more technical hands on stuff. What I find the most interesting is that EVERYBODY needs help with computer security – from companies to your next door neighbor. Even those of us who do it for a living need help – I can’t know everything about everything because there is just SOOO much to know.
Unless you focus on this stuff all the time, you have no idea what’s even possible and even less of an idea of how to protect yourself. What scares me a lot for my friends and family is that a little knowledge in this area is such a dangerous thing. So if you’re feeling all technical because you have a website, or a wireless network or because you know how to use a hotspot I’m going to scare you into learning. If you’re wondering why would anyone be interested in your stuff, understand you are just a fish in the pool. Big or small, it doesn’t really matter – it’s nothing personal.
This is an article from a few years ago but the subject matter is currently being recycled into a series of official sounding government threat reports with more specific data. (Insert own joke about gov’t being two years behind…) Essentially when you take your wireless laptop to Panera or the airport and search for a hotspot to connect to, you really have no idea if its legit.
If it’s not, the person on the other end is watching all your traffic, so please please don’t use it to check your online bank statement or buy stuff. Same thing goes for you at home not paying for internet access and instead using your neighbor’s unsecured wireless access point. Are you really sure it’s your neighbor? If you have your own wireless network, did you secure it even a little?
So there’s your lesson for the day. If you don’t know what to do next and are now too freaked out to even check your email, ask for help even if you have to pay someone. Err on the side of caution rather than convenience no matter what you’re doing online.
Tomorrow, more adventures in baby stuff. =)
Topics: technology, unsolicited advice, work | No Comments »
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