David L. Farquhar on technology old and new, computer security, and more
While the legality of Bittorrent, or at least what people typically use Bittorrent for, is questionable, there’s another question. Is Bittorrent safe? Let’s dig into that question, with something more than unsubstantiated claims.
The CIA triad of security has become controversial. I think this is due to a lack of understanding of what it means. The CIA triad remains a good fundamental model of why security exists and what it protects. Here’s what the CIA triad is all about, and what’s wrong with the trendy model some say should replace it.
The CIA triad refers to three things: the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of computer systems and data. Although it is an old model, it is also enduring.
I tell my kids if they have to ask if something is legal, that’s a good sign it isn’t. But when it comes to computer matters, sometimes it’s a bit grayer. Bittorrent is a good example. Is Bittorrent legal?
Bittorrent itself isn’t inherently legal or illegal, as it’s just a protocol. What you’re using Bittorrent for is what’s legal or illegal.
No matter what I say in response to this question, someone’s going to say I’m wrong. But I’ll bite. Are password managers a good idea? I’ll hedge and say they solve more problems than they cause. We need a better idea, but no one has found it yet.
The problem with password managers is there’s always the danger they’ll get breached. But the alternatives are people using weak passwords, reusing passwords, or both–and that’s worse.
Some epoxies work better on plastics than others. Modern plastics can be tricky to glue. But there’s more to repairing plastics than just making sure you bought the best epoxy for plastic. Prep work is essential too. While some epoxies definitely work better than others, the prep work can also make or break your project.
There are people who want you to think VPNs are illegal. As a security professional, this is a point of frustration for me. If anyone ever asks, “are VPNs illegal?” the answer most certainly is no. VPNs are a necessity, and protected by various constitutional amendments. Yes, more than one.
The Atari 2600 and 7800 are directly related. After the Atari 5200 flopped, Atari needed a better successor to take over for the aging 2600. So the Atari 2600 vs 7800 is a natural comparison. Let’s look at the improvements the 7800 had over its predecessor, and why it wasn’t able to match the 2600’s runaway success.
How long does it take for caulk to dry before painting? It depends on the formulation of the caulk, so the right answer the last time you did a project may not be the same as this time.
Paintable caulk is ready for paint in about 30 minutes. Other types of caulk take considerably longer, from 24 hours to as much as 10 days.
I do a lot of statistical analysis in my day job. Though my job title is no longer security analyst, I literally analyze computer security issues and make recommendations for a living. You couldn’t study information security when I was in college, because the field barely existed then. My formal training is in journalism. But my journalism degree means I have more formal training in statistics than most people I know. So let’s look at median vs mean vs mode, and when to use each of them.
Median, mean, and mode are three different approaches to trying to answer the same question. Out of all the numbers you collected, what is typical?
I hate when this happens. I’m at the end of a project, I take the battery out of whatever Ryobi tool I was using, put it on the charger, and get that infernal flashing red light. Why are Ryobi batteries so bad? Here’s what to do when your Ryobi battery won’t charge.
Sometimes your Ryobi battery won’t charge just because it’s too hot. Other times it’s because it’s discharged too far, in which case, you may be able to jumpstart it to bring it back to life.