Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Friday, December 16, 2011
"what happens if Google/AT&T/Starbucks/Apple decides to get into your business? You'll be dead."
er... Not quite sure.
I happen to think this is far from black and white.
Seth Godin put it quite eloquently in When Google comes calling... -
Quoting the last couple of paragraphs: "The most disruptive thing about the entrant of a huge player is the impact it has on partners. It's easy to get skittish when the 800 pound gorilla arrives. I'm not sure there's an obvious way to deal with this problem... we resigned ourselves to doing whatever we had to on our own, figuring the partners would figure it out eventually.
This week, three years after the launch, Google threw in the towel and closeddown Knol. Our pageviews and our user base have grown by many multiples since 2008. I'm not sure you should wish for (or even plan for) a showdown with the big player, but it should give you solace to know that a focus on your tribe of customers gives you a fighting chance."
I happen to think this is far from black and white.
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| http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b7/Gorilla_gorilla_gorilla12.jpg/450px-Gorilla_gorilla_gorilla12.jpg |
Seth Godin put it quite eloquently in When Google comes calling... -
Quoting the last couple of paragraphs: "The most disruptive thing about the entrant of a huge player is the impact it has on partners. It's easy to get skittish when the 800 pound gorilla arrives. I'm not sure there's an obvious way to deal with this problem... we resigned ourselves to doing whatever we had to on our own, figuring the partners would figure it out eventually.
This week, three years after the launch, Google threw in the towel and closeddown Knol. Our pageviews and our user base have grown by many multiples since 2008. I'm not sure you should wish for (or even plan for) a showdown with the big player, but it should give you solace to know that a focus on your tribe of customers gives you a fighting chance."
 |
| http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0a/Gorilla_skull-3D.jpg/474px-Gorilla_skull-3D.jpg |
Monday, September 12, 2011
identity theft insurance - some considerations
Quote from DETER - MINIMIZE YOUR RISK by the FTC:
"About identity theft insurance
Although identity theft insurance won't deter identity thieves, it can, in certain circumstances, minimize losses if an identity theft occurs. As with any product or service, as you consider whether to buy, be sure you understand what you'd be getting. Things to consider include: (1) the amount of coverage the policy provides; (2) whether it covers any lost wages (and, if so, whether there's a cap on the wages you can claim, or a separate deductible); (3) the amount of the deductible; (4) what might be excluded (for example, if the thief is a family member or if the thief made electronic withdrawals and transfers); (5) whether the policy provides a personal counselor to help you resolve the problems of identity theft; and (6) whether your existing homeowner's policy already contains some coverage. Be aware that one of the major "costs" of identity theft is the time you will spend to clear your name. Also be aware that many companies and law enforcement officers will only deal with you (as opposed to an insurance company representative). So, even if your policy provides you with a personal counselor, that counselor can often only guide you, as opposed to doing the work to clear your name. And, as you evaluate insurance products and services, you may also consider checking out the insurer with your local Better Business Bureau, consumer protection agency and state Attorney General."
"About identity theft insurance
Although identity theft insurance won't deter identity thieves, it can, in certain circumstances, minimize losses if an identity theft occurs. As with any product or service, as you consider whether to buy, be sure you understand what you'd be getting. Things to consider include: (1) the amount of coverage the policy provides; (2) whether it covers any lost wages (and, if so, whether there's a cap on the wages you can claim, or a separate deductible); (3) the amount of the deductible; (4) what might be excluded (for example, if the thief is a family member or if the thief made electronic withdrawals and transfers); (5) whether the policy provides a personal counselor to help you resolve the problems of identity theft; and (6) whether your existing homeowner's policy already contains some coverage. Be aware that one of the major "costs" of identity theft is the time you will spend to clear your name. Also be aware that many companies and law enforcement officers will only deal with you (as opposed to an insurance company representative). So, even if your policy provides you with a personal counselor, that counselor can often only guide you, as opposed to doing the work to clear your name. And, as you evaluate insurance products and services, you may also consider checking out the insurer with your local Better Business Bureau, consumer protection agency and state Attorney General."
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
name your fear
it's never too easy to do. just do it.
hurricanes of fears swirl around every option in all possible directions, as far as the mind can see.
name your fear.
start with a general description, proceed to some characteristics, and then name it. don't let go until you do.
name your fear and watch the sun rise through the clouds
hurricanes of fears swirl around every option in all possible directions, as far as the mind can see.
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| Hurricanes Gordon Helene 2006 |
start with a general description, proceed to some characteristics, and then name it. don't let go until you do.
name your fear and watch the sun rise through the clouds
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| Winter Sunrise - geograph.org.uk |
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
We need a new identity
In a fascinating article titled "Facebook isn't the problem - Identity is the problem", Brett King writes about the cumbersome process of the KYC (know your customer) identity checking, which is basically an exercise in futility.
He rightfully ridicules the current methods of identity verification, and the advocates of "share less!" movement that tries to convince you to share less personal info online, fearing it could lead to ID theft.
I wish he wouldn't hang his hopes on the false promise of biometrics as the ultimate solution. While a profound form of identification, biometrics are far from perfect, and pose grave privacy concerns. On top of that, reliance on biometrics alone is rather risky, as it too can be abused.
In the last paragraph of the article, Mr. King hints of what I believe is at least as important as biometrics - the behavioristic element:
"In reality though, the likelihood is that someone like Facebook or Google would be more likely to create a common identity platform because they understand that customer behavior means you can’t prop-up an outdated, outmoded KYC and identity model. It’s just one more reason why banks in the future are unlikely to own the customer."
I believe the customer will be the one to own the customer in the future. Banks and other service providers would have to comply with customer-centric security models, or keep loosing customers due to fraud on the one hand, and futile security measures on the other.
All in all, this article is a good, recommended read.
He rightfully ridicules the current methods of identity verification, and the advocates of "share less!" movement that tries to convince you to share less personal info online, fearing it could lead to ID theft.
I wish he wouldn't hang his hopes on the false promise of biometrics as the ultimate solution. While a profound form of identification, biometrics are far from perfect, and pose grave privacy concerns. On top of that, reliance on biometrics alone is rather risky, as it too can be abused.
In the last paragraph of the article, Mr. King hints of what I believe is at least as important as biometrics - the behavioristic element:
"In reality though, the likelihood is that someone like Facebook or Google would be more likely to create a common identity platform because they understand that customer behavior means you can’t prop-up an outdated, outmoded KYC and identity model. It’s just one more reason why banks in the future are unlikely to own the customer."
I believe the customer will be the one to own the customer in the future. Banks and other service providers would have to comply with customer-centric security models, or keep loosing customers due to fraud on the one hand, and futile security measures on the other.
All in all, this article is a good, recommended read.
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| Brett King |
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Comments on "Brits Risk Identity Theft Online - Survey"
In an article by Raju Shanbhag in INFOTECH, the writer is charging the Brits of complacency regarding online security. Well, not so much charging, as quoting a press release by BullGuard - a computer security company.
Anyways, the complacency is centered around these main issues - positing personal information in social networks, information related to:
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| BillGuard press release |
Anyways, the complacency is centered around these main issues - positing personal information in social networks, information related to:
- Personal information that can be used to guess answers to security question, passwords etc.
- Pictures of high value items.
- Location related information.
Anyone should be careful about what they say - in general - and what they post online - in particular.
Posting a picture of a gold ring, on the kitchen table, with a note say "we're out, leaving our jewelry on the table, be back in a few days (btw - we live at 33 shouldknowbetter road, lamevill)" is not a smart thing to do.
However, criticizing the act of sharing personal information in social networks is rather old school. Sharing personal information is the very essence of social networks.
If anything should be changed, it's the silly form of security questions. It may have been considered appropriate in the past, when information such as where you went to school was considered private info. Probably not too secure - but it covered some asses. Nowadays, this sort of information should be considered private shared info, and as such it mustn't be used for security measures.
The comedians behind this sort of security questions have got to come up with new material...
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| By jlcalgary |
(I'm not saying anything bad related to BillGuard - as far as I know they are great. It's the attitude towards social networks, privacy and security that must change)
Monday, August 22, 2011
Facebook Terror
While I do not agree with the title or the accusation in this article by Maria Kamal, is serves as a second hand account of a Facebook identity theft.
Read it and think - do I really want to be an easy victim? Go and change your password!
It's best to learn from other people's mistakes!
Read it and think - do I really want to be an easy victim? Go and change your password!
It's best to learn from other people's mistakes!
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| http://www.quansite.net/blog/uploaded/posts/newmediamarketing-mistakes.jpg |
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