4 ms·

I think you know already that any answer you get is pure speculation. Unless the source code is open source and their infrastructure is audited, you'll never kn

I think you know already that any answer you get is pure speculation. Unless the source code is open source and their infrastructure is audited, you'll never know.

gjsman-1000 4y ago
In which case... how many businesses are screaming from the rooftops that you should never, ever, use a file conversion website that hasn't been approved by IT? How many healthcare providers could be running patient records through, to convert their TIFFs to JPEGs? The IP theft ability of running a well-targeted file conversion service, for the right formats used in the right industries, could be horrifying... But that's just a could be...
- PaulHoule 4y ago
  You'd assume people in a business like finance or health would have rules about what kind of software they can use. I know people who work for Bloomberg and big banks have strict rules about what kind of software they can install on their laptops (one person at a big bank got permission to use a python package I wrote) In an environment like that they'd treat using a file conversion web site the same way. But I'm sure somebody out there is running a file conversion site that's there for intelligence gathering and some fool uploads something they shouldn't every day.
  - gjsman-1000 4y ago
    > You'd assume people in a business like finance or health would have rules about what kind of software they can use. I would assume... but the NHS was running Windows XP on thousands of computers, often with internet, as late as 2019. Finance? Well, Experian had a website which would not show credit information and redirect you if it couldn't verify your identity... unless you changed the URL to the regular report link. Then it would dump it all out. Let's say I was an information gatherer, for say, the NSA or GCHQ. Or maybe I'm a Chinese PLA soldier. I'd corner the market with shell companies that offered online conversion of 3D files to other 3D formats. There's over a dozen formats to choose from, and you can tell a lot just by the format selected. DGN file? It's MicroStation, meaning its highway, bridges, and infrastructure information. Neat.
    - PaulHoule 4y ago
      If I had to pick just one tactic for intelligence gathering it would be "count on somebody to make a mistake with operational security." They got Che Guevara that way.
    - NoZebra120vClip 4y ago
      I would think that at scale, any significant use of a "CONVERT4FREE" site is going to be severely rate-limited and ultimately curtailed by a lack of resources and capacity. I mean, can you imagine how many photocopies an office needs in a day? Now imagine a single 9-5 medical imaging office, running every TIFF through a free website converter? Improbable.
  - c22 4y ago
    I'd think in an environment like that people would be using dodgy web-based file converters all the time because of the hassle required to install a converter locally.
    - culopatin 4y ago
      Often there is a data leak prevention software installed that won’t let you upload local files to external sites and flag your manager if you do. You can’t block all the sites, so this is a better way.
  - deleted 4y ago
    [deleted]
JohnFen 4y ago
And even if the source code is open and they subject themselves to audits, you'll never know.

I think you know already that any answer you get is pure speculation. Unless the source code is open source and their infrastructure is audited, you'll never know.

gjsman-1000 4y ago

In which case... how many businesses are screaming from the rooftops that you should never, ever, use a file conversion website that hasn't been approved by IT? How many healthcare providers could be running patient records through, to convert their TIFFs to JPEGs? The IP theft ability of running a well-targeted file conversion service, for the right formats used in the right industries, could be horrifying... But that's just a could be...

PaulHoule 4y ago
You'd assume people in a business like finance or health would have rules about what kind of software they can use. I know people who work for Bloomberg and big banks have strict rules about what kind of software they can install on their laptops (one person at a big bank got permission to use a python package I wrote) In an environment like that they'd treat using a file conversion web site the same way. But I'm sure somebody out there is running a file conversion site that's there for intelligence gathering and some fool uploads something they shouldn't every day.
- gjsman-1000 4y ago
  > You'd assume people in a business like finance or health would have rules about what kind of software they can use. I would assume... but the NHS was running Windows XP on thousands of computers, often with internet, as late as 2019. Finance? Well, Experian had a website which would not show credit information and redirect you if it couldn't verify your identity... unless you changed the URL to the regular report link. Then it would dump it all out. Let's say I was an information gatherer, for say, the NSA or GCHQ. Or maybe I'm a Chinese PLA soldier. I'd corner the market with shell companies that offered online conversion of 3D files to other 3D formats. There's over a dozen formats to choose from, and you can tell a lot just by the format selected. DGN file? It's MicroStation, meaning its highway, bridges, and infrastructure information. Neat.
  - PaulHoule 4y ago
    If I had to pick just one tactic for intelligence gathering it would be "count on somebody to make a mistake with operational security." They got Che Guevara that way.
  - NoZebra120vClip 4y ago
    I would think that at scale, any significant use of a "CONVERT4FREE" site is going to be severely rate-limited and ultimately curtailed by a lack of resources and capacity. I mean, can you imagine how many photocopies an office needs in a day? Now imagine a single 9-5 medical imaging office, running every TIFF through a free website converter? Improbable.
- c22 4y ago
  I'd think in an environment like that people would be using dodgy web-based file converters all the time because of the hassle required to install a converter locally.
  - culopatin 4y ago
    Often there is a data leak prevention software installed that won’t let you upload local files to external sites and flag your manager if you do. You can’t block all the sites, so this is a better way.
- deleted 4y ago
  [deleted]

JohnFen 4y ago

And even if the source code is open and they subject themselves to audits, you'll never know.