Eric D. is on a self-proscribed leave of absence from mailing lists (he has too much work to do), so he asked me to post this:
"It doesn't directly relate to Macs (or even computers for that matter), but I think the points raised may lead some to re-examine their attitudes towards security. It's certainly given me something to think about." Homeland Insecurity <http://www.theatlantic.com/issues/2002/09/mann.htm> The Atlantic Monthly | September 2002 A top expert says America's approach to protecting itself will only make matters worse. Forget "foolproof" technology�we need systems designed to fail smartly � by Charles C. Mann � ..... � To stop the rampant theft of expensive cars, manufacturers in the 1990s began to make ignitions very difficult to hot-wire. This reduced the likelihood that cars would be stolen from parking lots�but apparently contributed to the sudden appearance of a new and more dangerous crime, carjacking. After a vote against management Vivendi Universal announced earlier this year that its electronic shareholder-voting system, which it had adopted to tabulate votes efficiently and securely, had been broken into by hackers. Because the new system eliminated the old paper ballots, recounting the votes�or even independently verifying that the attack had occurred�was impossible. To help merchants verify and protect the identity of their customers, marketing firms and financial institutions have created large computerized databases of personal information: Social Security numbers, credit-card numbers, telephone numbers, home addresses, and the like. With these databases being increasingly interconnected by means of the Internet, they have become irresistible targets for criminals. From 1995 to 2000 the incidence of identity theft tripled. -- G-List is sponsored by <http://lowendmac.com/> and... Small Dog Electronics http://www.smalldog.com | Refurbished Drives | -- We have Apple Refurbished Monitors in stock! | & CDRWs on Sale! | Support Low End Mac <http://lowendmac.com/lists/support.html> G-List list info: <http://lowendmac.com/lists/g-list.shtml> Send list messages to: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To unsubscribe, email: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> For digest mode, email: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subscription questions: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Archive: <http://www.mail-archive.com/g-list%40mail.maclaunch.com/> Using a Macintosh? Get free email and more at Applelinks! <http://www.applelinks.com>
