The birth of the mobile phone and PCI payment

The BBC today released several archived clips from Tomorrow's World (their long running future technology program).

I was so taken with a couple of these clips I thought i would post them.

The first one from 1979 is a new technology called a 'radio mobile telephone' sending 'digital packet data' that I felt the need to post it. See the video here.... We have come a long way but in some regards full circle with this 'analog' dial app for the iPhone.

The second video is of the first PCI type payment system from 1969. Observations of vulnerabilities please form an orderly queue. See the video here...

Nearly half of Brits use the same password for all accounts

In a new password/log-on survey of 1,661 Britons for CPP there have been some very poor (but perhaps not surprising) findings.

• 46% use the same password for their banking, shopping and social networking
• 54% use a variant of the same password
• The average person visits 23 sites per month that require a password
• 40% admit that someone else knows their password, of these 39% believe these people may have logged in using their credentials!
• 18% use their pet's name for a password
• 12% use memorable dates for a password
• 10% use their children's names for a password
• 9% use their mothers maiden name for a password

A good way to look at electronic security is to make the analogy with physical assets. You would not use the same key for your office, car, home, parents house and safe-deposit box etc. so probably very wise not to use the same password!

One method of risk reduction is to take out and use a single credit card for all your on-line purchasing. Keep the limit on this card low and make sure you check the statement in detail. This can significantly reduce your on-line fraud exposure.

One must consider that if you are using the same password for multiple systems and platforms your risk of being compromised goes up exponentially.

If you and your company are lost in a sea of inappropriate password practices and don't know the way out contact FaberBrent now.

more here...

$27 billion lawsuit could fold due to $50 covert surveillance device

In what may be the deciding twist in a 16 year, $27 billion lawsuit between the oil giant Chevron and the country of Ecuador covert video recordings have been released. These videos (and audio recordings) appear to implicate Ecuadorian politicians and officials (including possibly the judge overseeing the case) in potential wrong-doing.

The recordings appear to suggest that a $3 million bribe for environmental clean-up was obtained (or trying to be obtained) and the damages had been pre-decided.

What is a real eye-opener is the cheapness and effectiveness of the mass-produced 'spy cameras' used in this incident. Two main types were used; the 'spy pen' (here on Amazon UK from £14.99 and Ebay from £15.49) and the 'spy watch' (here on Amazon UK from £29.99 and Ebay from £23.49). These kind of devices are now being produced in the millions per year (predominately in China) and most can happily record 2 hours of audio and video.

If you are concerned about your privacy (or where the millions of covert video recorders are) contact a counter-surveillance specialist (like FaberBrent) to help mitigate this ever growing risk.

Chevron have published the actual videos and full transcripts here...

New York times article here...