With the release into the wild of MacDefender, one of the first widespread threats to OS X, it’s useful to restate the principles of computer desktop security. These are the kinds of things that should be baked into every computer users brain. Rote learning is sometimes a good thing.
1. Never enter your administrator password unless you know exactly why you are being asked, especially if you are asked in the middle of doing something else like browsing the web.
1. Never run a piece of software you don't trust.
1. If an installer appears on your screen you did not request, always cancel it.
1. Never enter credit card details into a piece of software. Always go via their website or, preferably, somewhere trustworthy like PayPal or Amazon---or an app store.
1. Never connect to open wifi networks.
1. Particularly on Windows, but perhaps on Mac too, don't run as a user with administrator rights. Many, many Windows attacks can be prevented with this measure.
Bearing this in mind, however, the problem is mostly not with the software any more. It’s mostly with the user. Both OS X and Windows 7 are very secure when compared to the virus heyday Windows XP and Windows 98. Going forward the problem is going to be with us and our propensity to be tricked into scams. If it seems too good to be true, it is. This seems is obvious. But increasingly, even if it seems to be true, it might not be.
Today, less than four years after introducing Kindle books, Amazon.com customers are now purchasing more Kindle books than all print books — hardcover and paperback — combined.
— Amazon
Internet security: Keys to the cloud castle
Dropbox has recently come under fire for some of its security practices, in particular for not describing them accurately in their security FAQ document (now changed). I think the criticism for the incorrect description is justified. Their security practices, however, were and are absolutely fine for the majority of users. They were also never a secret. Those who care about their security should have been aware of these issues in the first place. I certainly have been.
A worrying number of science “journalists” are woefully incompetent when it comes to knowledge of the basics of the scientific methods they report. Sadly, the majority appear to be fond of uncritically reproducing press releases without reference to the original research. As we wouldn’t accept a political journalist who couldn’t point to China or India on a map of the world, so we shouldn’t accept such obliviousness to subject matter from our science journalists.
If you have an iPhone and use a case, take it off for a second. Just hold it ‘naked’ for a second, and remember how it’s supposed to feel.
Count me firmly in the No Case camp.