On Tue, 30 Jul 2002, at 1:28pm, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > Hmmm, I know this is probably way beyond the grasp of the average user > like "Ms. Billings", however, couldn't she choose to print the invoice, > select "print to file" and mail the postscript file herself?
I suspect "the average user" would be unable to do anything with said PostScript file. > Hmmm, I don't suppose there's the option to encrypt said invoices *before* > mailing it out, huh? Of course, that would pre-suppose that each party > created and supplied the invoicing user with a public encryption key. I have found that "the average user" has a very hard time understanding why their password should not be their birthdate. When presented with warnings in their web browser that a given website's SSL certificate is invalid, they click "OK" and continue anyway. They simply do not have even the fundamental knowledge required for them to know *why* security is important. This is, ultimately, an education problem. I suspect that, until we have had a sufficient number of computer security disasters (by "disaster", I do not mean "website defaced", I mean "widespread financial hardship and/or personal injury"), your average user will regard computer security as something they want to avoid. I once read a sci-fi novell that used an apropos plot device. At one point, the world-wide computer network fails, causing a decade-long global depression. That is the sort of thing I am envisioning. I fully expect it to be an unpleasant time to be alive. Cheery thoughts. -- Ben Scott <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> | The opinions expressed in this message are those of the author and do not | | necessarily represent the views or policy of any other person, entity or | | organization. All information is provided without warranty of any kind. | ***************************************************************** To unsubscribe from this list, send mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the text 'unsubscribe gnhlug' in the message body. *****************************************************************
