The true price of fuel

This sad story of the untimely death of a woman who had called the police after seeing someone stealing diesel from her tank may soon not be a uncommon story in the UK of today. According to one of the insurers thefts of fuel are already up 30% this year.

I read the story yesterday with a thought that this couldn't happen around my area in Scotland which sees little in the way of crime. Then I noticed that in the local policing report that there had been 3 reported crimes related to stealing fuel tanks or similar in our area. Police advice was to tighten security on your tank which are now very valuable commodities. Our last bill to half-fill our tank was over £400 and a normal tank of fuel must now be pushing being worth over £1000. Not bad for a simple crime which just requires a little brawn and a suitable vehicle. Most tanks are not secured as they rely on the actual weight to make them difficult to steal and they are typically positioned in areas out of site of the actual householder.


Woman dies and her son is injured after chasing fuel thieves - Crime, UK - The Independent

Chocolate the key to uncovering PC passwords

According to a train station survey of 300 office workers carried out in London, the disturbing statistic that 64 per cent of those surveyed would hand over their office computer passwords for a bar of chocolate "and a smile".

Good-looking, chocolate-bearing researchers apparently had to probe a bit harder with the IT professionals than random train platform suits in order to get passwords, but the questions were simple.

Researchers asked IT conference delegates if they knew what the most common password is and then asked them what their password was. Only 22 per cent of IT professionals revealed their "Open Sesame" at this point, compared to 40 per cent of non-techie commuters. If at first they refused to give their password, researchers would then ask if it was based on a child, pet, football team, etc, and then suggest potential passwords by guessing the name of their child or team. By using this social engineering technique, a further 42 per cent of IT professionals and 22 per cent of commuters inadvertently revealed their password.

Even after all the stories in the press and internet people are still amazingly lax about passwords and use them willy-nilly. They use simple to guess ones and don't change them. They use the same password for every account, be it for Bebo, or their Bank and then they wonder why their accounts are emptied.

If in any doubt follow the simple advice here. Don't forget don't use the same passwords for all types of accounts. Use a number of passwords and use them according to the type of system you are using.

For example for a simple logon to a newspaper or something simple with only some basic details at risk, use a fairly simple password and don't bother too much about it.
For a system that stores more useful information like addresses use another and change it at least yearly.
For E-mail accounts use another and change it every 90 days.

Finally for Banking or really personnel information use a good long password according to all the rules and change it often (at least every 90 days), don't use it for anything else and don't store it on your computer or anywhere else!

Don't forget all the other Online Guidelines and stop taking chocolate from passing blondes!


Chocolate the key to uncovering PC passwords | The Register

Hackers Heaven - Opening near you Soon

The words "Government", "NHS", "Security" fill me with dread. The idea that our NHS could run a secure computer system, available to all and sundry, fills me with dread from some of the errors and foul-ups they have made in the past. I wouldn't trust them to keep my name and address secure far less more personal details.

Some idea of the task in front of the NHS is shown in this article.

Whilst reading the BBC article you wonder if it is the BBC dumbing down the level of security required on such a system or it is just the fact that the NHS is incompetent. The trouble is, that it is most likely, a bit of both.

After working for the past 28 years in the IT world I can tell you that no system available to all and sundry on the Internet can truly be secure, even if it has the best brains behind it. Even within a "closed" system available to only GP's and Hospital staff it will be insecure and the main reason will not be technology it will be people.

People who lend out their access as its "easier" , people who leave a PC logged on, people who just have a look for a bit of curiosity, People who design bad systems and processes etc etc. People will always be the weak link.

My advice, when the time comes don't let the buggers put any of your information onto the Spine. Say no!

BBC NEWS | Health | Home access to NHS records plan