"Social" - The Anti-Privacy

from here (source image)

Social this, social that, even social urination apparently. The word "social" seems to be the tool that corporations use to convince us to give up our privacy without even mentioning privacy. We are strongly conditioned to accept "social" as an unqualified good thing. Extroverts derive great pleasure from being in social situations, and introverts have a learned aversion to seeming too anti-social.

Obviously in order to be social you have to share things, which is pretty much the opposite of keeping things private. Not everything should be social, though. Maybe to fight this perversion of an extroverts ideal we need to employ something from the introvert's tool chest: I understand you want to be social, but I need my space.

It's Better To Be Pissed Off...

found on Meme Base

I doubt anyone could have predicted that outcome, and yet the gear seems to be successfully protecting people from whatever that liquid is.

Isn't It Enough To Just Be Sad?

from here and here

Yes, he's dead. No, the details don't matter. Yes, morally questionable people will try to exploit your morbid curiosity in order to infest your computer with malware so you should maybe leave well enough alone.

I Can't See You So You Can't See Me

found on Dump A Day

Anyone can devise a protection scheme that they themselves can't find a way to bypass, but that doesn't mean there isn't a way.

Schrödinger's Security?

from here (source image)

There are many tools in security and it's important to use the right one. If you're trying to keep your pet safe, then this is the wrong tool to use (even though Fluffy seems to feel safe in there).

Anti-Theft Overkill

found on Meme Base

Not only is this a bad idea from a legal perspective (I'm pretty sure lethal booby traps for people are illegal), it's clearly a bad idea from a security perspective too. The narrator's brother was obviously able to see the danger and if he'd been intent on robbing the store he'd have avoided the shotgun entirely and gone in through a busted window.

What Is The Future Of Privacy?

from here (source image)

As privacy becomes increasingly hard to come by, it also becomes increasingly abstract to younger generations because they've had less exposure to it. How can we expect them to respect it or stand up for it if they don't even have a strong sense of what it is or why it's important? In this way the disappearance of privacy becomes a positive feedback loop. We're going to have to start teaching privacy if we want to preserve it.

Sneaky Bike Security

found on LOLSnaps

Well, that's certainly a different way to secure a bike. It may not stop someone from walking off with it, but it will stop them from riding off on it, and the commotion they make when they fail might just draw some unwanted attention to them. But probably they'll see the lock and simply walk away with the bike.

AV Isn't Dead, It's Just Sleeping

from here

Sometimes I wonder if the people advancing their anti-AV agenda have really thought through the consequences of throwing shade on the tool with the lowest barrier to entry. What are average folks supposed to use instead?

Self-Defense Is The Best Policy

found on Meme Base

While it is certainly nice when others protect you, you can't always rely on them to do so. If all else fails it's good to have your own capabilities to fall back on.

You Can't Ride Into Battle Like That

from here and here

Yeah, you know all that military equipment that keeps getting into police hands? Give it back, the military still needs it.

What A Wonderfully Dirty Trick

found on Parent Hacks

As the author of Parent Hacks points out, thieves will either not touch your valuables or they'll have a craptacular time all over the world looking for the rare instance where there's something other than poop in a rolled up diaper. This is one of those rare bits of advice that work even when the thieves know about it, because it's just not worth the effort of dealing with all that poo.

I wish I could use this trick, but sadly I think people would give a single guy with no kids an odd look if he was carrying around a diaper.

A Keyway That Big Is Finger-Picking Good

from here (source image)

I have no idea if that's even a working lock, but if it is then it could serve as an excellent learning tool. You'd be able to see the inner workings all the way from the back of the classroom.

Does This Coke Make My Butt Look Fat?

Watch on YouTube

Maybe before trying to smuggle a butt-load of drugs through an airport you could try getting a second opinion - maybe about your life choices but at the very least about your appearance.

Those Sexy Threats You Hear About On The News Are Outta Your League

from here and here and  here

Stop pulling your hair out about being targeted by nation-states. If you can't stop even the most basic of attacker then you're not just a target of nation-states, you're EVERYONE'S target. Start with the easy stuff first and then work your way up. You have to learn to crawl before you can walk.

Remember When Car Remotes Were Convenient?

tweeted by Daniel Cuthbert

Thanks to Daniel Cuthbert for tweeting this warning sign photo. I'm not really sure why wirelessly locking your vehicle is even a thing. It's not as if you weren't right at the vehicle mere moments before where you could have easily locked it manually. I mean I get that sometimes convenience wins out over security, but in this case there was barely any benefit to the convenience at all and somehow it still won out over security. And even now that what little convenience there was is being chipped away to compensate for the security that was given up, it somehow still wins out over security. It doesn't feel like it should deserve to win but it does anyway.

Nobody Used To Hack Cars And Fridges

from here and here

One of the great ironies of smart devices is that they frequently don't live up to the name.

Sometimes Security Theater Works

found on Dump A Day

Obviously you can't rely on security measures that are just for show, but sometimes you luck out and they work anyway.

Rogue Turnstile On The Loose

from here (source image)

I'm pretty sure this turnstile is not where it belongs, so I image it must have escaped.

No Wonder The Cartels Are Winning

Watch on YouTube

Do you want a policeman? Hardly used, real cheap, just fell off the back of a truck.

You're supposed to respect the authorities but when they're dumb as a box of rocks that's kind of hard to do.

(The title of the post comes from here, by the way)

No Unauthorized Replacement Rolls Allowed

from here and here (source image)

Sometimes security is just dumb. What does the above accomplish? Security may be able to make you feel safe and secure but it's not going to make the toilet paper any less rough. It's also not going to stop the toilet paper from going away, it only stops it from being replaced. Do people really go around providing unauthorized replacement rolls, and if so why would you stop them? Nothing about this seems to make anyone's life better.

Somebody's In For A Surprise

found on Pet Humor

Make sure you check your sink for cats before you turn on the water or nobody's gonna be happy.

So I've Got This Bridge I'd Like To Sell You

from here and here

It amazes me that security vendors still use this marketing road apple.

Bad Security Sticks Around

found on How To

People don't really "guess" passwords anymore, for the most part. If they don't have a special computer program that can perform billions of guesses per second (such programs do exist) then they'll try easier things like physically going to your computer to see if you did something dumb like this (because lots of people still do this after all these years).

Like Litter Training A Cat

from here and here

Essentially what a sandbox does is provide a bit of isolation between what's inside the sandbox (your browser and everything it encounters) and what's outside (the rest of your system). If you don't want things on the web interacting with the rest of your system, how do you suppose you stop that?

Biometrics Still Has A Few Kinks

found on Dump A Day

I worked in facial recognition for a few years. Seeing it find faces in ceiling tiles, plants, and the occasional shadow sort of makes the promise of biometric technology seem empty.

More Powerful Than The Almighty Dollar

from here (source image)

Years ago I realized that the increasing trend towards carrying plastic instead of cash was probably not going to end well for the homeless who depended on small, impulsive donations. It's not like they accept payment by credit card, but maybe bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies can offer something even cash can't. With bitcoin you don't need to go anywhere near him in order to help out, which should make it even easier because you don't have to overcome any fear of a physical altercation or judgement over the amount given or anything like that. And when I say you don't need to go anywhere near him, I mean in both time and space. Theoretically, if that QR code is readable in this photo, you could help him out right now from the comfort of your home or office. Just one more way in which cryptocurrencies are amazing.

2 Factor Or Not 2 Factor

tweeted by Frank Konkel

Thanks to Frank Konkel for tweeting this meme (and associated article) extolling the benefits of using more than just passwords.

Sometimes The Hunter Becomes The Hunted

from here (source image)

If you've got any bright ideas about attacking others, just remember that the moment you do, you reveal yourself to and become a target for those who specifically attack attackers.

Can I See Some ID Mr. Robber?

found at Unmotivating

I can't imagine why his wallet wouldn't have stayed securely in his pocket during the robbery, unless maybe he were upside down during part of it - but that sounds more like a burglary.

Camouflage Or Sabotage

from here (source image)

I'm pretty sure you won't be doing yourself any favours by wearing one of these. It's got to be one of the worst applications for camouflage possible. When you need a condom, hiding what your wrapping doesn't seem like a successful strategy. When you need to hide that, pants are far superior to a camouflage condom.

My Next Countermeasure

found on Dump A Day

On the one hand, maybe if you let yourself go enough it really will repel search dogs. On the other hand, if you let yourself go that much maybe search dogs won't be necessary.

Who's Copying Who?

from here and here

I'm sure I'm not the only one who's seen questionable upgrade prompts from AV products. Frankly, I have a feeling they pre-date scareware, which suggests that the scareware authors were just following free AV's lead.

Finally, A Useful False Positive

found on Piximus

Sometimes our security measures catch the wrong things and we need a way to undo the mistake.

And sometimes catching the wrong thing still protects what we wanted to protect.

(Good thing that was a humane trap.)

What Better Way To Bash The Enemy?

from here and here

Someone needs to come up with pithy cyberwar sayings.... Aaaaand now I'll do just that. BRB, gonna go watch war movies.

I Bet He's Not Feeling Very Secure Right Now

found on Fail Blog

In security (and other places I'm sure) they say a chain is only as strong as it's weakest link. That weak link might be missing backups, it might be a password on a post-it note, or it might be a belt to hold your pants up.

Sorry About Productivity Being So Low

from here and here

For the record, I don't do this and neither should you, but it wouldn't surprise me if people did actually try to get their computer infected in order to get a break from a particularly mind numbing job.

How Intelligence Agencies Work

found on Memebase

Maybe if they knew how to use the information they'd realize which pieces are useful and which ones aren't and wouldn't be trying to collect it all.

Rather Not See That Side Of You

from here and here

I know someone who's fallen for this ploy repeatedly. It makes me wonder what kind of conversations people normally have over instant messenger apps because when I've seen that kind of thing it's only ever been a trick.

Mother Nature Is A Master Of Disguise

found on The Meta Picture

I don't know whether to call it a caterpillar or centipede. It's hard to tell what it is, it's so well hidden.

Not-So-Smart Surveillance Systems

from here and here (source image)

Thanks to the folks at Sucuri Security for highlighting this particular IoT risk.

I Would Fail These CAPTCHAs

found on 9Gag

I'm just not metal enough to access sites protected by these heavy metal CAPTCHAs. You know who is mostly metal, though? Robots.

Check Out The Guns On This Cop

from here (source image)

I don't know what I'm looking at here (I wish I knew the back story) but from the looks of it this is not an officer you want to disrespect. He seems to be breaking the law of gravity. He is a lethal force.

Not The Police Encounter You Were Expecting

Watch on YouTube

With all the stories about violent or even deadly encounters between people of colour and the police, it's nice to see something a little different once in a while. It almost restores your faith in the authorities.

Don't Try Breaking Up After Giving A Ring Like This

from here (source image)

I suppose it might not break the bank if it's got cubic zirconium instead of diamonds, but this Til Death Do Us Part brass knuckle engagement ring will certainly break your face if she hits you with it, so be careful about who you give it to.

So You Think No One Notices You Stealing Their WiFi

found on Acid Cow

Looks like someone got fed up with their neighbors mooching Internet service off of them and finally secured their wireless network..