Hacking, in the sense of a remote compromise of a networked or local compromise of a computer, is your data being accessed by parties unknown. Hacking has evolved from simple phone phreaking (ever wonder why cyberphreak.com is spelled with a ph?) to curious individuals, to corporations, to, now, entire governments being behind and subject to hacking.
I have been using computers for over 30 years and there is one thing I know: If someone wants your information, they will get your information. I don’t care how many firewalls or intrusion countermeasures you have, what operating system you are running, or hardware you are running; if it is networked, they can get in. If they can get local access to your machine, they will get in.
If it is hopeless, what can you do to keep sensitive information? You will need 3 things: A writing implement, such as a pen or pencil, paper, and bad handwriting. If it really matters, get a blank book, write it down in handwriting only you can read, and put that book in a safe place. Even if your home is broken into, it will be difficult to decipher the information. If the book is stolen, well, you know what was written down in there and exactly what was lost. At least with your poor penmanship, a human will have to painstakingly decipher your chicken scratch. You can also destroy the book in a fire and grind the ashes.
If you must use a computer, DO NOT NETWORK THE COMPUTER. DO NOT INSTALL A WIRELESS CARD. Have a specific computer that will never be connected to the internet, ever. Yes, very 1983, but what else can you do? DO NOT STORE SENSITIVE FILES ON A HARD DRIVE. Keep all files, encrypted, on a device that can be easily destroyed. Something like a micro-SD card. Tiny enough to hide anywhere, small enough to be destroyed if the need arises. A cross cut paper shredder will do. Someone with enough time and money might be able to get information using a scanning electron microscope, then decrypting the data, but, seriously, what are you doing to deserve that kind of attention?
If these steps seem a little extreme, they are. The paper/book based is my personal choice, and I have really bad handwriting. It can never be hacked remotely and I don’t write anything down that is illegal anyway, just personal that I don’t want strangers to see. Turns out that little diary or journal you kept as a kid is the most secure choice after all.
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10 years and some advice to young people
Looking back 10 years.
I was looking back at blog post from 10 years ago, and I was reminded just how bad those days were. The economy took a terrible hit; it was the start of the great recession. At the time, our son was only a year old, so that consumed most of our time, but it was hard not to notice how bad the economy was going.
Over the next year or so, there were two rounds of layoffs where I worked. Eventually, I think they shed over 40% of their workforce! I weathered the recession fairly well, except for the fact a ‘new normal’ was set with no raises, unpaid time off, and a cutbacks at every level. As a word of warning, if the company you are working for switches from Spoons, Knives, and Forks to Sporks in the lunchroom, they are in trouble. I think we, as a country, were really changed by that recession. The whole employer/employee relationship changed. You could no longer just ask for a raise, you should be happy that you have a job. For the generation that entered the workforce at the time, they will always have a skewed sense of what is appropriate or not.
For the young people out there: You should expect a raise every year. You should get paid vacation and sick days off. Your raises should be more that just inflation. If they are not, you are actually making less every year. You should have decent health insurance. I have heard of some nightmare plans out there, where you are more or less given a credit card, and when that money is gone, it is gone. Your employer should work hard to retain you, not you having to justify your position every 90 days. You should be able to work for years at the same company, no more of this ‘gig’ economy crap. You should expect free or inexpensive coffee. Most importantly, men and women died for you to have a 40 hour work week. Do not let their sacrifice be in vain.
Don’t let employers take advantage of this new normal. There are a lot of jobs out there, looking for skilled people. If you have any skill in engineering or mathematics, the industry really needs you. Get a STEM degree or a practical trade certification. There are not enough graduates or tradespeople to fill the positions. Don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty. Programming is great and all, but those willing to build and fix real things in the real world are well rewarded. Enough of my graduation speech, get out there and live!
Posted by admin on September 27, 2017 in General Comments, Social
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