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From their security page: We are very secure and make sure to cover many angles to insure your data can never be compromised. Many often ask what exactly we do

by natrius 14y ago

From their security page: We are very secure and make sure to cover many angles to insure your data can never be compromised. Many often ask what exactly we do to make the data so secure. Unfortunately, one of the things that makes the site so secure is that we do not disclose the exact encryption practices. I just threw up in my mouth a little. It's also a bit weird that it's apparently two unrelated products in one. Pinterest and LastPass: two great tastes that taste great together?

notJim 14y ago
Translation: We know nothing about security, but we still want you to use our site. Look at this padlock. Security.
justauser 14y ago
This is quite an eye-opener too... "How secure is MySocialCloud.com? From day one, it has been our goal to provide the best security on the web. While we don't expose how we keep MySocialCloud secure (if we told you, it would be unsecured!), we do ensure that not even our employees are able to see any of your sensitive data." One of their videos shows a bookmarket so I'm going to presume they're using that for somekind of encryption clientside with AES???
- tylermenezes 14y ago
  "if we told you, it would be unsecured!" doesn't sound like AES... It sounds like they're using _entirely_ security through obscurity.
- borplk 14y ago
  Psst...they are using ROT13 (but don't tell anybody).
beambot 14y ago
Wow, that's either cool or the worst word choice ever. "insure": Provide insurance coverage. Arrange for compensation in the event of damage to or loss of (property), or injury to or the death of (someone), in exchange for...: "the car is insured for loss or damage" "ensure": Make certain that (something) shall occur or be the case.
- collision 14y ago
  "Insure" can also take the latter meaning; I think it's an American/British thing. The New Yorker uses "insure" for both meanings, and it trips me up every time.
  - rogerbinns 14y ago
    Americans don't use "ensure" and use "insure" for both meanings. As a Brit living in the US it really winds me up!
    - justauser 14y ago
      What part of the US are you living in where ensure is not used? As an American living in the US, this would wind me up too! But for all "intensive purposes" some just don't know any better and don't have the "gaul" to "care less."
      - rogerbinns 14y ago
        California. I even corrected Malcolm Gladwell once (which he thanked me for!) I think I have found an explanation in http://articles.latimes.com/1998/jun/17/food/fo-60599 http://articles.latimes.com/1998/jun/17/food/fo-60599 "and forget the fact that "insure" was nearly always spelled "ensure" in the 18th century." It is probably one of these things where Americans swung one way and Brits the other. Another example is http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aluminium#Etymology http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aluminium#Etymology where Americans use the original British spelling and the Brits use the original American spelling! But insure and ensure mean different things - they can't be interchanged!
        Arelius 14y ago
        Interestingly enough, as a California native, I got hung up on "insure" as well. I'm not sure I've ever used that spelling. Not sure if it's something unique to my upbringing however.
  - 14y ago
Destroyer661 14y ago
The small link "About SSL Certificates" points to Symantecs sale page for certs. Definitely know what SSL certificates are after reading that... /s
johndbritton 14y ago
They're just getting started, give them a break. Maybe shoot them an email and set up a Skype call to give them some advice.
- samstave 14y ago
  THIS is exactly what people on HN should be doing. Embrace and extend. Call these people up - say "Hey! I saw this and I was a little concerned. I am an [expertise goes here] who has done [experience ges here] - I'd like to either give you some advice or connect you with people who are masters of solving this problem. Mentor them and who knows, you may get to meet Sir. Richard someday and gain his interest in your own projects! (but dont make this the goal of reaching out to them)
  - mkramlich 14y ago
    > Embrace and extend. That's not what "embrace and extend" means. To give a hint, it typically has a third part: "... and extinguish."
  - lelele 14y ago
    > THIS is exactly what people on HN should be doing. I don't think so. If you start a business and you neither have a clue about your core product - i.e. security - nor care about asking someone who does, you better fail soon and the world will be a better place. There are too many wannabes already, don't you think?
    - samstave 14y ago
      While I agree, I was commenting more about the HN community than I was their competency.
- confluence 14y ago
  True on the advice. False on the break. You don't just "start" on passwords/usernames - seriously it's not a game (but I suppose consumers ask for it if they trust a bunch of kids). Look at all the password leaks over the last couple of years and you'll realise it's not a damn game - you really need to know what you're doing. Especially if that's your core value proposition. Security is not a "move fast and break things" start-up. It's a "don't screw up or you'll get sued into the ground" start-up.
robryan 14y ago
According to the terms page because it is a beta product they state that it is not fully secure.
pliny 14y ago
He stores your information on a spreadsheet, but the spreadsheet is in the cloud, so it can't crash.
- daemon13 14y ago
  Of course you mean paper spreadsheet? Because it is secure and can't crash.

by natrius 14y ago

notJim 14y ago

Translation: We know nothing about security, but we still want you to use our site. Look at this padlock. Security.

justauser 14y ago

This is quite an eye-opener too... "How secure is MySocialCloud.com? From day one, it has been our goal to provide the best security on the web. While we don't expose how we keep MySocialCloud secure (if we told you, it would be unsecured!), we do ensure that not even our employees are able to see any of your sensitive data." One of their videos shows a bookmarket so I'm going to presume they're using that for somekind of encryption clientside with AES???

tylermenezes 14y ago
"if we told you, it would be unsecured!" doesn't sound like AES... It sounds like they're using _entirely_ security through obscurity.
borplk 14y ago
Psst...they are using ROT13 (but don't tell anybody).

beambot 14y ago

Wow, that's either cool or the worst word choice ever. "insure": Provide insurance coverage. Arrange for compensation in the event of damage to or loss of (property), or injury to or the death of (someone), in exchange for...: "the car is insured for loss or damage" "ensure": Make certain that (something) shall occur or be the case.

collision 14y ago
"Insure" can also take the latter meaning; I think it's an American/British thing. The New Yorker uses "insure" for both meanings, and it trips me up every time.
- rogerbinns 14y ago
  Americans don't use "ensure" and use "insure" for both meanings. As a Brit living in the US it really winds me up!
  - justauser 14y ago
    What part of the US are you living in where ensure is not used? As an American living in the US, this would wind me up too! But for all "intensive purposes" some just don't know any better and don't have the "gaul" to "care less."
    - rogerbinns 14y ago
      California. I even corrected Malcolm Gladwell once (which he thanked me for!) I think I have found an explanation in http://articles.latimes.com/1998/jun/17/food/fo-60599 http://articles.latimes.com/1998/jun/17/food/fo-60599 "and forget the fact that "insure" was nearly always spelled "ensure" in the 18th century." It is probably one of these things where Americans swung one way and Brits the other. Another example is http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aluminium#Etymology http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aluminium#Etymology where Americans use the original British spelling and the Brits use the original American spelling! But insure and ensure mean different things - they can't be interchanged!
      - Arelius 14y ago
        Interestingly enough, as a California native, I got hung up on "insure" as well. I'm not sure I've ever used that spelling. Not sure if it's something unique to my upbringing however.
- 14y ago

Destroyer661 14y ago

The small link "About SSL Certificates" points to Symantecs sale page for certs. Definitely know what SSL certificates are after reading that... /s

johndbritton 14y ago

They're just getting started, give them a break. Maybe shoot them an email and set up a Skype call to give them some advice.

samstave 14y ago
THIS is exactly what people on HN should be doing. Embrace and extend. Call these people up - say "Hey! I saw this and I was a little concerned. I am an [expertise goes here] who has done [experience ges here] - I'd like to either give you some advice or connect you with people who are masters of solving this problem. Mentor them and who knows, you may get to meet Sir. Richard someday and gain his interest in your own projects! (but dont make this the goal of reaching out to them)
- mkramlich 14y ago
  > Embrace and extend. That's not what "embrace and extend" means. To give a hint, it typically has a third part: "... and extinguish."
- lelele 14y ago
  > THIS is exactly what people on HN should be doing. I don't think so. If you start a business and you neither have a clue about your core product - i.e. security - nor care about asking someone who does, you better fail soon and the world will be a better place. There are too many wannabes already, don't you think?
  - samstave 14y ago
    While I agree, I was commenting more about the HN community than I was their competency.
confluence 14y ago
True on the advice. False on the break. You don't just "start" on passwords/usernames - seriously it's not a game (but I suppose consumers ask for it if they trust a bunch of kids). Look at all the password leaks over the last couple of years and you'll realise it's not a damn game - you really need to know what you're doing. Especially if that's your core value proposition. Security is not a "move fast and break things" start-up. It's a "don't screw up or you'll get sued into the ground" start-up.

robryan 14y ago

According to the terms page because it is a beta product they state that it is not fully secure.

pliny 14y ago

He stores your information on a spreadsheet, but the spreadsheet is in the cloud, so it can't crash.

daemon13 14y ago
Of course you mean paper spreadsheet? Because it is secure and can't crash.