April 17, 2015 at 12:48 am
Sometimes, having taken as many technical and physical precautionary steps that are feasible, you still need to do something that creates a risk. As in all situations, you need to evaluate and reduce the risk as much as is reasonable e.g. if you are travelling on a train and need the bathroom then wait until the train is just leaving a station to maximise the time you have to get back to your seat without the possibility of anyone leaving the train.
Gaz
-- Stop your grinnin' and drop your linen...they're everywhere!!!
April 17, 2015 at 9:09 am
Given the scenario, I'd leave power cord, mouse, umbrella, coffee, and egg bagel at the table, but not my laptop. It's too easy to just unplug and pack it with me, even if I have to prop it up against the bathroom wall while I finish my business.
"Do not seek to follow in the footsteps of the wise. Instead, seek what they sought." - Matsuo Basho
June 26, 2018 at 4:46 am
Jeff Moden - Monday, April 13, 2015 11:38 PMWow! Seriously? People actually do that? Why the hell would ANYONE in their right mind trust such a person they've just met with their laptop? That's like handing them your wallet and expecting them to stick around. Just plain stupid.
This was my first impression too.
Does anyone here do this?
Would anybody here leave their smartphone on a table while they went to the loo?
This strikes me as madness.
June 26, 2018 at 5:59 am
Sean Redmond - Tuesday, June 26, 2018 4:46 AMJeff Moden - Monday, April 13, 2015 11:38 PMWow! Seriously? People actually do that? Why the hell would ANYONE in their right mind trust such a person they've just met with their laptop? That's like handing them your wallet and expecting them to stick around. Just plain stupid.This was my first impression too.
Does anyone here do this?
Would anybody here leave their smartphone on a table while they went to the loo?
This strikes me as madness.
People regularly forget to do something. It's easy to, without thinking, just get up to head to the restroom, or the counter, or even to leave. Just the other day, I was at a restaurant, and a woman came in, caught our server and told her she had forgotten her credit card in the bill when she left.
I've come close to leaving my cell phone on the table in restaurants when I'm at lunch and have had to turn around to go back and grab it (but I'm fine leaving my paperback on the table.)
It's not easy to be 100% security conscious all the time, slips will happen. All anyone can do is make sure everything they have is as secure as they can reasonably make it based on the perceived value of what's on the object.
Cell phone? Have a PIN (not a pattern) to unlock, and ideally a long-ish PIN. Fingerprint unlock is also good unless you're concerned about nation-state interest in you.
Laptop / tablet? Full disk encryption for starts, a really solid password to sign in, and a really short time to lock and power off.
June 26, 2018 at 6:15 am
jasona.work - Tuesday, June 26, 2018 5:59 AMPeople regularly forget to do something. It's easy to, without thinking, just get up to head to the restroom, or the counter, or even to leave. Just the other day, I was at a restaurant, and a woman came in, caught our server and told her she had forgotten her credit card in the bill when she left.
Agreed. Accidents do happen.
And I have been very thankful to the kindness of others in the past, for example, when I left my wallet on top of a vending machine in rural Japan. It was waiting for me in the railway station when I got back. Having to explain the absence of my ticket to the train conductor made me very aware of it in future.
I was wondering whether people left their smartphone or laptop with strangers in a strange place as a matter of course.
June 26, 2018 at 6:28 am
Sean Redmond - Tuesday, June 26, 2018 6:15 AMjasona.work - Tuesday, June 26, 2018 5:59 AMPeople regularly forget to do something. It's easy to, without thinking, just get up to head to the restroom, or the counter, or even to leave. Just the other day, I was at a restaurant, and a woman came in, caught our server and told her she had forgotten her credit card in the bill when she left.Agreed. Accidents do happen.
And I have been very thankful to the kindness of others in the past, for example, when I left my wallet on top of a vending machine in rural Japan. It was waiting for me in the railway station when I got back. Having to explain the absence of my ticket to the train conductor made me very aware of it in future.I was wondering whether people left their smartphone or laptop with strangers in a strange place as a matter of course.
Years ago I was in rural Japan, and noticed that some people had items for sale on a table with a money jar. Cultures vary and in the developed world have beend degrading rapidly.
I don't believe being constantly 'threat conscious' is psychologically healthy. Our tribal evolution involved a strong us/them, where trust was normal among one's fellow tribe members, even if outsiders were considered a threat. The ability to let down our guard is essential to our sanity.
...
-- FORTRAN manual for Xerox Computers --
June 26, 2018 at 6:41 am
First, why in the world would you EVER have data on your laptop? Much less passwords????? Second, why in the world would you EVER use WiFi, public or not? And third, why would you be working in a public place, out in the open?
Any one of those (much less a combination) is a failing grade in OpSec kindergarten
Every computer outside our office (desktop or laptop) never contains any data. ALL data is accessed via remote desktop, period. All laptops use cell modems instead of WiFi. That way if a laptop (or desktop, in the outer offices) is stolen all they get is the hardware. No passwords, no data, the only thing they might get of value is the remote desktop IP address.
Oh, and leaving your laptop unattended? Jeez.
Company policy says no laptops visible in a locked car, either.
Me, paranoid? I'm sorry, we don't give out that kind of information... (laughing)
June 26, 2018 at 11:21 am
Even if you don't abandon your device, there are still many ways it can get stolen, so encryption is essential.
"Do not seek to follow in the footsteps of the wise. Instead, seek what they sought." - Matsuo Basho
June 26, 2018 at 12:33 pm
Only dumb people walk away from their laptops at Starbucks. End of story.
Rick
Disaster Recovery = Backup ( Backup ( Your Backup ) )
June 26, 2018 at 1:16 pm
skeleton567 - Tuesday, June 26, 2018 12:33 PMOnly dumb people walk away from their laptops at Starbucks. End of story.
Unless your "work laptop" is really just a GPS tracking device with a remote controlled stink bomb. :Whistling:
"Do not seek to follow in the footsteps of the wise. Instead, seek what they sought." - Matsuo Basho
June 28, 2018 at 11:16 am
jasona.work - Tuesday, June 26, 2018 5:59 AMPeople regularly forget to do something. It's easy to, without thinking, just get up to head to the restroom, or the counter, or even to leave. Just the other day, I was at a restaurant, and a woman came in, caught our server and told her she had forgotten her credit card in the bill when she left.
Absolutely. The process/system should allow for this. That means we might have some catastrophic mistakes, but mostly we have things like autolock, requiring passcodes, etc. that limit the exposure for mistakes. CC companies do this, limiting liability because you can't be 100% sure you've caught everything.
June 29, 2018 at 3:36 pm
NO one should ever put themselves or allow themselves to be in this situation. Period.
NO excuses what so ever. Fire that guy immediately.
July 2, 2018 at 2:45 am
I think in certain situations where there's a lot of telemetry going on in remote locations - while the data may not be particularly sensitive it may be completely vital to the fulfillment of the contract and completely impossible to get more than once. Usually we would hire security to hang around the computers and equipment to prevent random passers by stealing stuff.
With time you get better at scoping the dangers of that kind of situation but inevitably there are situations like where security said they would turn up and they are late you have everything in place and then there is a halt in power for which you have to go off immediately and do something silly like fill up a tank restart a jenny tell someone they CANNOT plug in their coffee urn . In that situation I may chose to deputise someone on the spot but hopefully its someone who is an employee at least of the client and for whom I've know for at least ten minutes. Its an absolute last resort and I totally hate it but I can't simply let the systems go down that would probably be worse to the companies reputation than an outside criminal malicious theft (given that the data is not sensitive).
In such situations in a lot of places getting the data back to HQ (and safety) via a Starbucks WIFI would be welcomed.
These things are rarely black and white.
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