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I wonder what will the next big security hole. I'm becoming very pessimistic about how I can trust computers. Computers can do amazing thing, but software see

by jokoon 9y ago

I wonder what will the next big security hole. I'm becoming very pessimistic about how I can trust computers. Computers can do amazing thing, but software seems fragile, unreliable and untrustworthy. I have been keeping notes on paper for years now, and it doesn't look like it's going to change.

sigmar 9y ago
Internet-connected computers are more secure now than they ever have been. Just take the standard precautions: update your OS and don't install untrusted apps.
- jacquesm 9y ago
  And do not visit untrusted webpages with javascript enabled? And how do you know which pages you can trust?
  - flukus 9y ago
    Even trusted webpages pull in crap from all sorts of places that I don't trust, the way the web is structured is a disaster. My public news provider for instance (http://www.abc.net.au/news/ http://www.abc.net.au/news/) has all sorts of shit broken when you run ublock or noscript. There "live breaking news feeds" that are rather important may as well be a blank page because it just reposts twitter messages. And they're one of the better sites with no advertising.
  - pstuart 9y ago
    They'll tell you if they're ok. /s
- jokoon 9y ago
  I think it's actually the opposite. Internet is still growing, and so is the computer security economy. Look at all the data breaches and leaks.
wott 9y ago
It's been a while I don't bother much about security any more, because I consider everything insecure. So I just do not put all my eggs in the same basket, I do not store much personal information on my computer, I store even less online, I do not store any money/payment related information, and I just admit I will however sometimes get my butt kicked here or there. It is like my house. Anyone can break in at any time, and steal my belongings. Do I install an armoured door? Do I build grids on windows? Do I install an alarm with a direct link to a security company? No, no, and no. I just lock my front door. It only protects from a part of opportunity robberies and that's enough for me. I won't take measures to prevent all other possibilities. They can happen at any time, with no difficulty. And so what? Back to computers. So this very basic mitigation, very limited damage control is enough to make me feel OK. It feels better to admit insecurity as a given, than to constantly fight for a false feeling of security I cannot achieve anyway.
- userbinator 9y ago
  It feels better to admit insecurity as a given, than to constantly fight for a false feeling of security I cannot achieve anyway. ...and more importantly, not make our lives significantly worse in pursuit of that "perfect security".
FLUX-YOU 9y ago
>Computers can do amazing thing, but software seems fragile, unreliable and untrustworthy. Think about how many successful jobs computers have done for you/us compared to how many breaches/failures actually occur. We get overwhelmingly more stuff done with computers than without. Even if I had to attempt to send an email 10 times before it worked, that's much more convenient than walking the actual distance and delivering it myself. A stack of vulnerability whitepapers looks intimidating, but you're not getting the whole picture.
- jokoon 9y ago
  You're right, but computer security can become an issue, and it can do incredible damage. It's a new threat, so it is creating new problems that must be solved, and quickly. Not to mention the damage it can do to individual people, because it hard to measure.

by jokoon 9y ago

sigmar 9y ago

Internet-connected computers are more secure now than they ever have been. Just take the standard precautions: update your OS and don't install untrusted apps.

jacquesm 9y ago
And do not visit untrusted webpages with javascript enabled? And how do you know which pages you can trust?
- flukus 9y ago
  Even trusted webpages pull in crap from all sorts of places that I don't trust, the way the web is structured is a disaster. My public news provider for instance (http://www.abc.net.au/news/ http://www.abc.net.au/news/) has all sorts of shit broken when you run ublock or noscript. There "live breaking news feeds" that are rather important may as well be a blank page because it just reposts twitter messages. And they're one of the better sites with no advertising.
- pstuart 9y ago
  They'll tell you if they're ok. /s
jokoon 9y ago
I think it's actually the opposite. Internet is still growing, and so is the computer security economy. Look at all the data breaches and leaks.

wott 9y ago

It's been a while I don't bother much about security any more, because I consider everything insecure. So I just do not put all my eggs in the same basket, I do not store much personal information on my computer, I store even less online, I do not store any money/payment related information, and I just admit I will however sometimes get my butt kicked here or there. It is like my house. Anyone can break in at any time, and steal my belongings. Do I install an armoured door? Do I build grids on windows? Do I install an alarm with a direct link to a security company? No, no, and no. I just lock my front door. It only protects from a part of opportunity robberies and that's enough for me. I won't take measures to prevent all other possibilities. They can happen at any time, with no difficulty. And so what? Back to computers. So this very basic mitigation, very limited damage control is enough to make me feel OK. It feels better to admit insecurity as a given, than to constantly fight for a false feeling of security I cannot achieve anyway.

userbinator 9y ago
It feels better to admit insecurity as a given, than to constantly fight for a false feeling of security I cannot achieve anyway. ...and more importantly, not make our lives significantly worse in pursuit of that "perfect security".

FLUX-YOU 9y ago

>Computers can do amazing thing, but software seems fragile, unreliable and untrustworthy. Think about how many successful jobs computers have done for you/us compared to how many breaches/failures actually occur. We get overwhelmingly more stuff done with computers than without. Even if I had to attempt to send an email 10 times before it worked, that's much more convenient than walking the actual distance and delivering it myself. A stack of vulnerability whitepapers looks intimidating, but you're not getting the whole picture.

jokoon 9y ago
You're right, but computer security can become an issue, and it can do incredible damage. It's a new threat, so it is creating new problems that must be solved, and quickly. Not to mention the damage it can do to individual people, because it hard to measure.