Thread

1. jacobgold · 1790110395 · focus · HN ↗

   At this point, no one seems capable of keeping a large database safe. I assume all medical and biographical information that exists is in the hands of the major state actors.

   China hacked 22.1 million records of US government employees:

   <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;en.wikipedia.org&#x2F;wiki&#x2F;2015_Office_of_Personnel_Management_data_breach" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;en.wikipedia.org&#x2F;wiki&#x2F;2015_Office_of_Personnel_Manag...

   1. coldpie · 1790111715 · focus · HN ↗

      It is unthinkable to me that anyone believes there is such a thing as computer security after so many years of nonstop hacks and leaks. If you have a computer and it is connected to a network with access to the Internet, assume that computer is semi-public. Meaning, if someone was interested enough in accessing your computer, they could do it. Do not hook any computer with access to anything that would be devastating if it was made public to the Internet. Do not put anything that would be devastating if it was made public onto someone else&#x27;s Internet-connected computers.

      For example, do not hook your goddamn water or traffic or electricity infrastructure up to the goddamn Internet, and then, do fire the guy who suggested it.

      The correct analogy for computer security is not locks and keys and doors and gates. It is a house in a floodplain. Your house will not survive the flood of it hits you. Do not store anything critical or irreplaceable in that house.

      1. josephg · 1790114976 · focus · HN ↗

         &gt; It is unthinkable to me that anyone believes there is such a thing as computer security after so many years of nonstop hacks and leaks.

         Of course there is. For example, SeL4’s security and reliability proofs still hold in the world of LLMs. The problem is that most software isn’t written on that firm foundation. Instead, most software is made by people with the philosophy of “if it looks like it works, ship it”. You don’t get secure software by working like that, because security vulnerabilities aren’t visible.

         We - humans - know how to write secure software. Just like we know how to make safe aeroplanes. The problem isn’t that we lack the capability to make secure computers. The problem is we don’t have a culture of security. Secure software is - somehow - niche. And as such, it’s much more expensive. And nobody wants to pay.

         1. taurath · 1790119248 · focus · HN ↗

            &gt; Instead, most software is made by people with the philosophy of “if it looks like it works, ship it”.

            I work in secure systems and it’s shocking how many people believe this - the incentives from management are all about it too.

            1. noduerme · 1790150413 · focus · HN ↗

               It&#x27;s not as if best practices aren&#x27;t well documented, or as if CVEs don&#x27;t come out every day, or as if the information is somehow unavailable to even the most junior devs to take basic security measures.

               Not all hacks are caused by pure negligence, laziness or stupidity, but most of them are. Even a little effort goes a long way.

               My grandfather spent a couple decades as a builder, ran a construction crew. Whatever the project was, he wanted to know everyone he hired personally was going to reinforce and report to him anything they had the slightest doubt about. &quot;Always hammer in an extra nail&quot; was basically his motto.

               What we do ain&#x27;t that different. The difference is that when an apartment building collapses, it&#x27;s bigger news than when a govenrment database does.

               1. josephg · 1790163317 · focus · HN ↗

                  &gt; The difference is that when an apartment building collapses, it&#x27;s bigger news than when a govenrment database does.

                  Also when a building collapses, people blame the builders. When software leaks user data, the engineers and companies face no repercussions.

                  1. taurath · 1790202029 · focus · HN ↗

                     Spain just put in place fines equaling to 30% of revenue for data breaches - that’s the only way to make companies care about it directly.

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