Obsession

[susandennis]

I have always been thoughtful, informed and careful about security but I have never bought into the panic that seems to grip most people.

I generally leave my front door unlocked.  I live in a secure building.  I live on the 4th floor.  My unit is one of 108 units.  The odds of some burglar getting in here, finding my unit and stealing my shit are low enough for me to live with.

I never lock my sliding glass doors to the terrace and most of the year I leave them open - especially at night.  I've always contended that if I rapest scales the 4 floors to get to me, I would be more flattered than anything else.

I nearly always lock my car - even though who the fuck would steal a Smart car?????   I actually lock it more as a way to confirm that I have the keys with me instead of leaving them in the ignition.

I have the same password on all computers.  It is a single key press.  No one uses these computers but me.  They are always on anyway.  I did finally lock down my wireless network.

And I have, until this week, been fairly cavalier about my online stuff.  I'm still not as locked up as most of the world would like me to be but... 1. I check my main financial sites daily - sometimes twice a day and 2. I get weekly emails about the non-main financials.  So if something gets hinky with any of them, I'll be on it like white on rice.

But my big hole o' disaster was brought to my attention on Monday when I heard Mat Honon on a podcast talk about how he got had by a clever hacker who wrecked havoc by getting into his Apple account.  The more I thought about his tale, the more I realized that my achilles heel is Google. 

I love Google.  Nearly every day I get more Google.  My Google account touches nearly everything in my life these days short of the toilet.  And, heck, it might be there already and I just don't know it.  If someone decided they wanted to cause me the most grief, they should seriously consider taking down my Google account because, that, alone, would render me DOA.

Plus, Google does not have the easiest customer service operation so recovery would not be even as good as Mat had with Apple which wasn't even that good.  

So...  time to shore up my Google myself.  I did the Two Step Verification which was kind of a pain in the ass and still is cause I'm having to re-verify all the stuff that plays with my Google account.  But, maybe it will prevent mayhem.  

While conjuring various doomsday scenarios, I got back to the single phone again.  I've had one phone now for a while and it just makes me twitchy. It's really stupid.  I have never needed another phone.  This one always works.  But phone whatifs are just the worst for me.  So I think today, I'm going to go get a Tracphone.  It looks like I can pay $80 a year and get more minutes that I will ever use and have the peace of mind of phone backup.  

One of the big old Giant Joys of retirement is the luxury of time to spend on stuff like this.  I can interrupt whatever and just indulge my whims.  It's amazing and I'm really enjoying that.

I just interrupted this entry because I got an email from Audible.com about their two books for one point sale  I had 3 points so a-shopping I went!  Now I'm back.

Amira and her daughter are here cleaning.  They were late enough today that I seriously thought it might be the end.  Although it's been more than a year since she didn't show and/or tried to play fast and lose with the agreed time so maybe her third strike situation needs to be reset anyway.  They just finished up and the place looks so nice and clean and fresh.  

The sun is out and I knew the outdoor pool class would be way too crowded so today I'm heading out to West Seattle.  Their class is at 1:30 and I can do Tracphone shopping before hand.  But first... lunch.

Comments

[cfchica.livejournal.com]

I have to admit, I'm hypervigilant about online security. I have jackshit to begin with, so the thought of anyone hacking my bank account, etc. makes me queasy. I have a DSL connection, and hardly ever use wi-fi unless its for something generic like Googling something.

A friend of mine does her online banking from her cell phone and has had two account breaches in the past month. I keep my yap shut because I've warned her before. She's on her third debit card.

I feel like a Luddite for not having a smart phone or wi-fi, but after reading that article, yeah, I think I can live with that.

Enjoy pool class today! That always sounds like fun when you describe the classes. None around here except for a class that starts at the asscrack of dawn.

[notmypresident.livejournal.com]

I generally leave my front door unlocked.

Please tell me you didn't just post this in an open-to-the-public blog!

Just think about the kitties and how they'd likely get out if someone were to "break" in...

[susandennis]

Come get me, baby!!!

But you raise a very good issue. There is a danger that the burglar would let the cats out and I'd get a fine from the condo association for pets in the hallway not on a leash I should put a Please Don't Let the Cats Out note for the burglar. Good tip!

[mixter11nm.livejournal.com]

I never buy anything from my smart phone and I only do online banking from my home computer. I have so many different passwords it's ridiculous. I especially hate when a work-related account makes me change my password every freakin six weeks. Ugh, very annoying.

The front door stuff I think you should change. Even if you do live on the fourth floor of a secure building, weirdos could still find a way in and may. Start reading some true crime and believe me, you'd be a door locker just like I am.

[susandennis]

If I lived like you do, where you do, I would likely lock my door as well. Here, though, it is totally unnecessary.

[(Anonymous)]

I notice that my computer is acting weird since i got back from my trip. I am thinking that I need to change passwords everywhere. I know my kitty sitter very well. Maybe my kids had a special computer need while I was gone and signed on. I can check this out, too. But when settings are altered...Just interrupted by a windows phone call from someone with a basically Indian accent. Sheeze... What is up?

[(Anonymous)]

I was a big Google fangirl but I'm getting disillusioned. I realize I don't pay for it but they just decided to discontinue iGoogle, the best homepage ever. It's made me realize that they could just pull the plug on any of their services at any time.

[howeird]

I read Honon's novelette on his hacking experience, and it was not a story of insufficient security on his part, no matter what he says about the Google 2-step dance. It was a story of minimum wage cretins at Amazon support not following the security rules and AppleID either doing the same, or not having the right rules in place. When support people are more interested in pleasing the person on the phone than they are in actual security, nothing you can do will protect your accounts.

---

I know where you live, and a couple of times have even walked past your place while killing time before my train boarded. But somehow actually taking that elevator ride and walking in your place never occurred to me. It still hasn't. Maybe it would destroy the magic.

[susandennis]

A couple of times I've known you were close and thought about forcing the issue but fell back on the magic thing.

But, you know, at this point it"s kind of silly. Next time you are near the hood, come on up. Or if you are car close, call and I'll come get you in the smart mobile!

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