Security, Security, Security

So far, 2011 is the year that computer security — or insecurity, as the case may be — returns to the world stage.  We have high-level security hacks ala WikiLeaks, another round of China vs. Google, and just today, beleaguered Sony — who according to this article, arguably deserve it — gives up another few million customer records to the hackers.   Meanwhile, closer to home, we have a well-publicized and widespread set of Mac-specific malware threats.  Apple has unwittingly been drawn into the ol’ security cat-n’-mouse game; having responded just last week to the threat with a tepid software patch that only works with the very latest version of its’ Snow Leopard software, the hackers countered with a version that bypasses same — within 8 hours.

When you consider that the computer industry is going full-tilt for “cloud services” — and Apple is set to roll out a big update just next week to their cloud — these security issues are more than a trivial concern.   This all represents a clarion call for all of us — users and industry insiders alike — to look very carefully at how we deploy technology, rely on technology, and safeguard our technology.

Here at Creative Goose, I don’t have a silver bullet, but I can say this:

- Mac OS is still one of the most secure computing environments, recent scareware notwithstanding

- multiple, redundant, backups — with both a cloud and a local backup component, with some time-depth in each — are your best protection

- think of eMail as a “postcard,” that anyone could potentially read, as versus a security envelope.  Don’t send passwords in eMail, don’t send anything you wouldn’t want forwarded on someday.

- as always, good ol’ common sense applies: don’t put your password in unless you know why you’re doing it.  Don’t put your credit card in unless you know who and why you’re doing it, and you trust the site.   Look for the little lock icon at any website you are putting it into.   Opt to NOT store your passwords and credit cards in online “wallets.”  And so on.

While it’s not time for panic, it is time for us to be vigilant.  For the industry movers and shakers, it’s time to look at security as a serious business, not an afterthought.  For us in the Apple community, it’s well past time to stop with the smug “Macs are immune” mentality.  As is always the case, this problem carries in it an opportunity for whomever can innovate a solution that moves us all forward —  something new and different than what is being done now.   Got any ideas?

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