* Posts by Halfmad

881 publicly visible posts • joined 16 Jan 2013

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Ford to build own data centre to store connected car data

Halfmad

200PB by 2021..

That's a lot of "where our customers have been" data.

Security co-operation unlikely to change post Brexit, despite threats

Halfmad

That's not what was said, essentially it's a case of "we won't be able to share information unless we have an agreement to share information", that sharing is two way.

It's stating the bloody obvious.

How to leak data from an air-gapped PC – using, er, a humble scanner

Halfmad

Morse code by clicking a pen, that's my bet.

Creators Update gives Windows 10 a bit of an Edge, but some old annoyances remain

Halfmad

I'm only here for the MS hate.. but

I quite like Windows 10, I just wish they'd stop all the bullshit with it. As a core operating system it's fine for most users and it's relatively easy to support.

But my god can cortana get to ****.

FYI Docs.com users: You may have leaked passwords, personal info – thousands have

Halfmad

Re: Wait, so ....

The entire point of the site is to share information and showcase it - I think that's potentially the problem, people have treated it like a dropbox alternative instead.

BT hit with £42m fine for Ethernet compensation delays to competitors

Halfmad

How incredibly convenient

That this news comes out shortly AFTER a decision is made not to completely split BT from Openreach, one may ponder why it wasn't announced just a few weeks ago where it would have been seen as a fairly damning indictment of the way the two work together (but totally don't, no way, not at all.)

Microsoft delivers secure China-only cut of Windows 10

Halfmad

Re: So...

A choice, like the EU browser choice window only country flags showing who you want your data to be shared with first. I'd suggest making the US flag into the shape of the old IE logo and forcing it to be default anyway.

World's worst botnet fiends switch from ransomware to stock scam spam

Halfmad

Re: We are no longer the botnet called Ni!

You should consider moving to SHHHHH!!2! ASAP AC!

London councils seek assurance over Capita's India offshoring plans

Halfmad

Being alert is one thing, giving a damn is another. They'll start caring when the first council is hauled over hot coals for breaching it, assuming the ICO actually uses it's new teeth.

UK's Association of British Travel Agents cops to data breach

Halfmad

Re: Dumbing down?

As it was outsourced I doubt they'd know themselves.

Halfmad

Re: Perhaps another approach...

It'd help if they stopped storing compressed images of the letters etc on a public facing web server too.

How UK’s GDPR law might not be judged 'adequate'

Halfmad

Re: NHS

random doesn't mean unannounced.

Fire brigade called to free man's bits from titanium ring's grip

Halfmad

That image

Never has the el 'reg put such an appropriate image on an article, bravo!

*continues crossing his legs*

Apple urged to legalize code injection: Let apps do JavaScript hot-fixes

Halfmad

Legalize ?

Don't you mean facilitate? or at a stretch simply approve?

Petya ransomware returns, wrapped in extra VX nastiness

Halfmad

Re: Priorities

Hospitals are only the "losers" if local IT don't have appropriate backups running and local/network permissions set properly. At worse ransomware should encrypt local docs and shares the user has access too - that's assuming it gets past firewalls/sandboxing/AV and malware protection and application whitelisting etc.

Restoring a few folders is the bread and butter of most sysadmin roles, hardly a big deal and that's the WORSE case scenario in a well run IT department.

Proper application whitelisting alone massively reduces randomware infections on it's own.

UK to block Kodi pirates in real-time: Saturday kick-off

Halfmad

Re: Why the obsession with Kodi?

Latest media obsession, expect Rory Kettle-on Jones on the BBC to catch up in about 6 months and still manage to get a few mentions of Apple in whilst writing about it.

Halfmad

Re: Meh

I prefer the term "Sniperdeathball" as that's what it looks like when they dive.

Scott McNealy: Your data is safer with marketers than governments

Halfmad

No it's bloody not.

The government (and people usually throw the NHS into that) self report to the ICO far, far more than any private companies do. That's a fact.

Just because they aren't reporting themselves doesn't mean breaches don't happen, they are merely more worried about bad PR than public employees, many of whom would report to the ICO even if their bosses told them not to (sorry MPs!).

Spy satellite scientist sent down for a year for stowing secrets at home

Halfmad

Re: It will happen this way...

Paper is exceptionally easy to sneak out of buildings especially if done over the course of several years. They only found 500-600 pages by the sounds of it, doesn't mean that's all of it.

As for them "missing" the 500 page set the first time around, there's nothing to say it was in the house at the time or if after the first search he thought "well that's that - let's get my own back".

Bottom line is we don't know enough about the discrimination case or investigation to draw any real conclusion.

Police Scotland and Accenture were at odds over ill-fated IT project i6

Halfmad

There's ideas being mooted of merging some of the remaining health boards and/or potentially parts of councils too. I can see the merit in some of it, but as always with IT there's a lot of contracts which need to expire etc for it to start happening without a huge amount set aside for buying out/penalty clauses.

What I don't get is why England can't do something similar, if anything everything there is becoming more fragmented year on year.

Halfmad

Re: £46m to save £20m PA.

It's likely more complicated than that, infrastructure will be quite different from one area to another and changing that can cost a lot of money and require existing contacts to expire first.

User lubed PC with butter, because pressing a button didn't work

Halfmad

There's a balance to be had with IT, I'm sure those who have worked in IT departments know this, there are always bad eggs (like every department).

If the organisation hero-worships IT then it'll never work properly, the bad eggs will do next to nothing and consider themselves above the rules that apply to other stuff. If the organisation treats IT like sh!t, they'll only have poor staff and a high turn over of decent workers.

Personally I think IT should always be treated like any core service department, it's given the funds it needs but oversight is fairly strict, importantly that oversight should be by someone who understands how IT functions e.g. a Director who has worked in IT hands on. You'd never have a finance director who'd never worked in payroll or accounting after all.

Brit ISP TalkTalk blocks control tool TeamViewer

Halfmad

Re: Re : I wonder where the scammers got hold of their client telephone ...

This would require two things which TalkTalk clearly don't have 1. Systems which are fit for purpose. 2. Management with an understanding of what's going on.

Road accident nuisance callers fined £270,000 for being absolute sh*tbags

Halfmad

Proving who did it is usually the problem.

They should be charged with handling stolen information and a new crime of "willfully using illegally obtained data".

It's easier to prove what someone has, than what someone did.

Internet declared a citizen's right for 34 million Indians

Halfmad

It's a great idea, but..

With the way the internet can change (like recent W3C green light to DRM) is it really a great idea to enshrine this in law?

Watt the f... Dim smart meters caught simply making up readings

Halfmad

Re: pah....

You assume they have an inventory that shows who has and who hasn't had one. I've twice been told to check my smart meter, I don't have one. I've also had quotes from my own supplier "based on my smart meter readings" via the post if I were to stay with them - after deciding to change.

They don't know, it's a complete mess and frankly that means I'll probably be considered to have one for decades to come despite having the old mechanical type.

Nintendo Switch orders delayed: Dun dun dun... dundundun dundundun dadada!

Halfmad

I honestly don't think that massively matters for most Nintendo fans, it's almost part of their styling to lag behind other consoles and 15 years behind the PC and it never seems to do them much harm.

Most of their games are about game play though, fair play to them.

YouTube TV will be huge. Apple must respond

Halfmad

Re: Apple has to do precisely nothing

Honestly I think this is different, it depends on the content they offer clearly but there is a market for it, I just think they may be a little late if they are looking to compete with Netflix and Amazon Prime.

I suspect Apple are just going to buy up a large company that currently dominates in another area and expand their portfolio, potentially something like Netflix.

Security slip-ups in 1Password and other password managers 'extremely worrying'

Halfmad

I use one, but with exceptions. My domain, email and master password for the PW manager itself are never stored there. Heck none of them are stored - they are the only ones I remember and change myself.

This means should my passwords all be leaked, the method of recovering access to those accounts (generally via e-mail) is secure.

Prisoners' 'innovative' anti-IMSI catcher defence was ... er, tinfoil

Halfmad

Re: A cheaper option in the long run?

Or just do random searches one or twice a week rather than going months ?

Still amazes me how we're looking for a tech solution to basic prison functions - in other words confiscating banned items regularly.

Halfmad

Re: Generally agree about other spaces but

I'm the primary carer for my elderly father and he's got an alarm that alerts me if he falls or he can press if he needs urgent help such as confused, lost etc. It sends me his GPS location as well as calling me (I have to answer it) in order for it not to then call other relatives.

I just find it amazing that we're even considering this tech when the bottom line is theatre staff not chucking people out who are using mobiles and prisoners not being searched and having cells searched frequently.

Net neutrality? Bye bye, says American Pai

Halfmad

Re: Most Unpopular Administration

I work next to an American who apparently voted for Trump, he never stops telling me. It doesn't matter what the current administration do - my colleague approves of it. I asked why he voted for Trump - he said to protect his right to guns.

Which is odd as he's been living in the UK for 10 years.

When pressed why, he said if he wanted to move back to the US he would become a gun owner again to protect himself.

Why don't you have one whilst living here? You could join a club?

No need, UK is safe, we don't need them at home. It's great.

I just.. I just.. /facepalm.

Revealed: UK councils shrug at privacy worries, strap on body cams

Halfmad

Re: Who's in charge?

They have no choice, it's in their charter that they must have opposing views in most shows. It's the same on radio 4 (which I listen to far more than I watch TV), you'll usually find someone from the opposite side of the argument even if they're a numpty that even the presenter clearly dislikes.

The BBC are left leaning, it's pretty obvious to anyone taking an impartial look at them - and I'm left leaning myself, just not someone who's loyal to any political party or the BBC.

ESET antivirus cracks opens Apple Macs to remote root execution via man-in-middle diddle

Halfmad

Re: Less secure?

Yes and they don't even charge for this extra functionality, such kind hearts.

San Francisco uni IT bods to protest Tuesday over cuts, outsourcing

Halfmad

I'm not a fan of outsourcing IT..

But it sounds as if the IT department there is pretty huge, it's possible that it's simply grown too big over the years as projects were added, department sprung up etc. It happens surprisingly frequently in large organisations particularly when IT staff initially start as part of a department before being merged into the IT department later, I've seen that a couple of times over the years.

The problem here is they seem to be wanting to primarily reduce spend, but outsourcing tends not to do that from my experience and will always result in lower customer (staff) satisfaction and/or increased cost per completed incident/project.

Microsoft slaps Apple Gatekeeper-like controls on Windows 10: Install only apps from store

Halfmad

Re: @Streaky First it's optional...

They won't remove it for one very simple reason - it'd force many companies to use Linux.

I work in Healthcare, if they did this we'd be on Linux within 12 months and we'd never be back to Microsoft, so naturally I'm hoping MS do it.

However my biggest problem would be that only 2 of our 200 IT staff have any real 'nix knowledge, they've spent their entire life supporting Windows or Mac OS and only a handful have even used a linux live CD..

Apple's macOS is the safer choice – but not for the reason you think

Halfmad

Re: systems that are no longer "secure" but "immune."

We could also do with a clever-UAC model. One which learns which permissions are not routinely required and resticts the user more as time goes on, whenever one of those permissions they haven't used in 6 months suddenly needs to be used - it should prompt the user for authorisation rather than just saying "ah screw it, this is within his rights".

We need our permissions models to be more reactive, right now we set them in stone and hope that's enough but there are permissions which could be removed over time which purely by prompting could alert the user to unusual activity.

Google Chrome 56's crypto tweak 'borked thousands of computers' using Blue Coat security

Halfmad

Re: A Symantec product is total shit

They are when they initially buy the company which produces it, then it's merged, screwed with and forgotten about and of course the original coders behind it leave. Job done - the Symantec way.

NHS patient letters meant for GPs went undelivered for years

Halfmad

Re: Optional

Missing the point a little, these would have included referral letters, diagnosis notifications, letters asking people to come in for appointments etc etc.

These haven't been acted on, heck I bet they can't even find out if some of these people are still alive and if there was a negative impact on health of those who are and those who not aren't.

Bottom line is that some of these could have been letters to patients or to a patient GP updating them on something VERY important such as urgent treatments for cancer, Hep C etc.

Linux on Windows 10: Will penguin treats in Creators Update be enough to lure you?

Halfmad

I'm only here for the MS hate.. but

As one of my friends who teaches computing at school says - this will be handy for some of his classes as more kids at home will have some form of access to linux even if their parents are averse to them using linux live CDs etc.

Oh UK. You won't switch mobile providers. And now look at you! £5.8bn you've lost

Halfmad

Does it take into account

Free calls to people on the same network? Most of my family are on O2, so whilst I may swap company to get a better deal (go through one of the resellers etc.) I try to stay with it so I can make all those mobile calls for free and just as importantly my friends and family can contact me - free via mobile.

I *could* probably save £5 a month by moving but then I'd have to spend more than that in call charges.

I'd also debate whether Uswitch, who have more than a passing business interest in stoking up the idea of switching is the best source for this sort of data.

London Internet Exchange members vote no to constitution tweak

Halfmad

63% who bothered to vote for it. Slightly worrying that there's no minimum turn out required, just a percentage of those that do in order for this to come into force.

TeamSpy hackers get the crew back together after four-year hiatus

Halfmad

Re: Huh

Shouldn't even have been published as an article without more information, come on el'reg!

Google agrees to break pirates' domination over music searches

Halfmad

Re: Dangerous precedent

I'm not usually a tinfoil hat fan myself but when I heard about he deal with google and co I was genuinely surprised. This is NOT good and is exactly what google have been accused off repeatedly in the past by government, the EU etc - basically fiddling with the algorithm to suit themselves, well now they'll do it to suit others.

I'm honestly wondering if now is the time for the likes of Yahoo to hit the reset button and give the search engine game another, proper go - and avoid this sort of "deal".

Oh happy day! Linus Torvalds has given the world Linux 4.10

Halfmad

Re: your driver accepted in the kernel as a start up company?

Visionary? What? He was a salesman and a good one. Might as well have been a different coloured double glazing with LEDs and fancy glass.

Halfmad

Re: your driver accepted in the kernel as a start up company?

Wow, are we Linux fans so unable to debate a topic these days that we've got to drag in MS or Windows into every instance?

Addressing the OP's concerns - One of the reasons Linux is arguably as stable as it is has to do with Linus's being such a hands-on protective type who's not afraid to snarl when required. It'd be a bloody mess otherwise.

Beeps, roots and leaves: Car-controlling Android apps create theft risk

Halfmad

Incentivised

We need the public to start demanding better from companies and we need governments who are more than willing to fine, massively for any failure by companies to keep infosec standards high in products they produce.

We're not just talking about information here, this is vehicles that are a ton or more moving at high speed, I see a potential weapon - not just a info security risk.

BT and Virgin Media claim 'broadband' tax will cost £1.3bn

Halfmad

Re: Any chance of some detail being added to the text?

This requires journalism and not a lazy FOI fired off, you're chances are slim if it's not on the first google answers page.

Round-filed 'paperless' projects: Barriers remain to Blighty's Digital NHS

Halfmad

Due to the number of legacy systems still in place with no retirement plans I'd say the opposite is true, they should be doing more but focusing it better.

UnBrex-pected move: Amazon raises UK workforce to 24,000

Halfmad

Personally I'm glad

They're opening three new fulfilment centres, including those three new fulfilment centres that are then listed. I'd hate for those three to be excluded from the three new fulfilment centres.

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