Schneier On Un-Authentication

Trailrunner7 writes "Bruce Schenier writes on Threatpost.com: 'In computer security, a lot of effort is spent on the authentication problem. Whether it is passwords, secure tokens, secret questions, image mnemonics, or something else, engineers are continually coming up with more complicated — and hopefully more secure — ways for you to prove you are who you say you are over the Internet. This is important stuff, as anyone with an online bank account or remote corporate network knows. But a lot less thought and work have gone into the other end of the problem: how do you tell the system on the other end of the line that you are no longer there? How do you un-authenticate yourself? My home computer requires me to log out or turn my computer off when I want to un-authenticate. This works for me because I know enough to do it, but lots of people just leave their computer on and running when they walk away. As a result, many office computers are left logged in when people go to lunch, or when they go home for the night. This, obviously, is a security vulnerability.'"

Comments

Re:Effective way to keep screens locked

[commodore64_love]

Yes well... I was 17 and stupid. I wasn't really thinking about the consequences of my actions - I just thought "free paper!" and went to work causing about two hundred in damages. I obviously wouldn't do the same thing today. ...

Unless it was Bank of America. I wouldn't have any qualms sticking-it to that corrupt organization, especially after they stole 20 billion in bailout money from taxpayer wallets*...... stupid thieves. Plus they charged me a $30 "underlimit fee" on my account that I had emptied last month and asked them to close that same day. Grrrr. If they had closed it when I asked them to close it, there wouldn't be a fine.

*
* legalized theft is still theft

Re:Effective way to keep screens locked

[commodore64_love]

(shrug) Still results in starving artists, due to people downloading the songs instead of paying. Maybe you think I'm not being fair, but you see it pisses me off when I hear someone say "C64love is a thief!" while you or your readers are running bit-torrent in the background.

Hello? McFly? Hello? Anybody home? (knock knock knock). I'm sure Sally the Singer whose song you're downloading doesn't see any distinction - she simply sees her labor being stolen.