A few words about computer security

I wrote this in 2010. The details may have changed but the importance of computer security is eternal!

Computer Guy here…. I have received several requests from some high profile people inviting me to befriend them on Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, etc. Such sites are referred to as Web 2.0, referring to their primary function as social networking sites. I wanted to give everyone a heads up about security. Social sites do not provide an acceptable level of security for discussion of sensitive information! The sites are commonly watched by law enforcement as well as by the criminals. For example, if you mention on your page that you will be on vacation during October, don’t be surprised if you come home to find all your stuff gone! If you use Facebook to discuss your current legal woes or defense plans (even if you are careful who your “friends” are), don’t be surprised if the other side already knows your strategy when you go to trial. If you mention that you are filing for back child support don’t be surprised if Child Protective Services shows up at your door because someone(!) filed a complaint!

Even potential employers and landlords probe your online posts and information! 

File sharing sites like Googledocs, acrobat dot com, scribd and Microsoft Live Workspace are dangerous! You have no idea where your documents are stored. They might be on a server in Dallas, Seattle, Singapore, Bogata, Tokyo, Moscow, Fairbanks or hundreds of other cities around the world. You have no idea who the administrator might be or which terrorist group he/she is sympathetic to! If you use a document sharing site don’t be surprised if documents you thought were private show up in the prosecutors evidence book. Password or otherwise encrypt or don’t use the sharing sites!

“Peer to Peer” or P2P applications can actually open your computer to crackers. P2P applications like Skype, Yahoo Messenger, and Kazaa can poke a hole in your firewall and effectively terminate you security measures.

Online mail sites (Hotmail, Yahoo Mail, Gmail, etc) are also questionable. Sarah Palin’s YahooMail was cracked during the last presidential campaign and her private and personal emails were made public. If you use an online mail site you should use a strong password and change it often. A strong password would be long (like 10 or more characters) and include UPPERCASE, lowercase, numbers and special characters. (Example, Y2&18~gvA*) Note also, online email sites READ your email without regard to your PASSWORD, ostensibly so they can target advertising to your web surfing preferences. The important point is, if Gmail, or YahooMail can read your email with a computer for advertising purposes do you actually believe that the government will not spy on you! Caveat Emptor!

The internet is like the wild west in the U.S. Be careful out there! There are bad guys lurking behind the next router. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly really do exist! The internet and all its assets are very useful but are also very dangerous. Be advised!

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David D. Johnson