Name Calling
Right before Chris left for work today he called me a "hostile network element" and added something about what a shame it was that he had to design the network around his wife.
This started with him recommending an article in WIRED magazine about all the security flaws with Friendster (yeah, like I'm ever going to read that!). Then he asked me if I had Molly's phone number so I could give her a password and I said I'd just e-mail it to her. See, that was a joke, I know better than that, but Mr. "I'm a very important network security engineer and nerdy don't play that" started in with the name calling.
I pulled out my journal and said "wait, let me write that down, maybe someday I could use it" and started slowly pronouncing the offending term -- apparently when I say things slowly my Pittsburgh accent is very obvious. I can't hear it, but he said instead of saying hos-style I was saying haus-stawl.
Hence, more teasing insued.
Poets, be warned. Shacking up with technical people is not all wireless networks and Sci-Fi channel movie marathons. There is a price to be paid and I'm not talking about the ugly t-shirts.
posted by RL @ 12:21 PM
1 comments
1 Comments:
Defense in depth, its an important concept lost on the uninitiated. You have to have good strong passwords. You have to protect the usage of said strong passwords. You have to verify that you are who you say you are and you have to plan for failure.
Security is a complex and fickle bitch. If you are not careful you'll end up with some little lamer like adrian lamo running rampant over your network pretending he's a 'network explorer' in 'happy land' not causing you millions upon millions of dollars of revnue lost and confidential information leaked. In today's world of regulations regarding privacy and protection of private information you just can't be too careful.
And yes, sometimes you have to plan your network protections on the lowest common denominator. That isn't a slight to anyone in particular, just a point of interest. If you plan security precautions for more savvy users you'll invariably leave open holes which other less security aware users will get bitten by. Take Microsoft Windows as an example, under the correct controls I'm sure this system is not a security exposure. I'm just not sure I've ever seen anyone be successful controlling it yet, no matter the monetary expenditure used to attempt said controls.
So, while one user of the household network is capable, mostl of protecting themselves from the evils that are the internet, other household network users care not for the lengths and hurdles required for protection. This leads us to a place where protections have to be placed automateically and quietly in the path of the rampant badness that is the internet at large. So, in a sense, planning around this user is a valid design principle.
On the point of the word pronounciations, I find it quaint, cute, alluring and magical. It's one of my very favorite things about the individual in question. Well, that and their dancing.
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