#1045 – In Search of Perfect Security

Thank You!

A thank you to all 100,000 YouTube subscribers! Courtesy of your support, Google was nice enough to send me this award to mark the milestone:

The next award is at 1,000,000 subscribers. I've got a ways to go for that.

I felt powerless

Literally. Because of the "bomb cyclone" (aka heavy rain and strong winds) knocking trees into powerlines, I was without electricity for 49 hours this week. Over half a million others were affected as well, and some still have no power as I write this four days after the event. Yikes!

The internet was out, as was my backup internet! I'm playing catchup, but if there was a delay in my response to a question or comment, blame the weather.

The good news is that we've now fully tested our backup generator, which also ran for two full days. It kept the fridge and freezer cold and frozen, respectively, and the humans and Corgis warm. Yay!

There's no such thing as perfect

A common theme in many of the questions I get is the ongoing search for perfection, namely perfection of security solutions and habits. Folks would like to be able to say "it can't happen to me".

You can't say that. I can't say that.

As hard as it is to hear, there's no such thing as perfection when it comes to technology, and certainly not security. There's still always a chance that something could happen. Our job is to make that chance as small as possible.

In Search of Perfect Security goes into this in more detail.

Also this week

• I have a not-so-secret secret.
• Save us from encryption backdoors and the entities that want them.
• Macrium Reflect released a new version with good news and bad.
• Scammers are using AI more than ever, and it's scary.

As always, links below.

TEH Podcast

Something came up (it was one of those weeks, trust me) so we had to skip.

•

Take care,

Featured Article

In Search of Perfect Security
You're gonna be looking for a while.

Perfect security is a myth. What's important is to pay attention to the trade-offs you make.
Read: In Search of Perfect Security

Also This Week on Ask Leo!

The Deep, Dark Secret Behind Ask Leo! Well, not all that deep. Not all that dark. Not much of a secret.
Not long ago, I came up with the words to describe part of what I do. It was kind of a secret... until now. Read: The Deep, Dark Secret Behind Ask Leo!

Why Encryption Backdoors Are a Horrific Idea They assume perfection, and we all know how that goes.
Read: Why Encryption Backdoors Are a Horrific Idea

Let's Talk About Macrium Reflect X There's good news and bad news.
Macrium Reflect X is the successor to version 8. It includes a few new features and a controversial change to the licensing model. Read: Let's Talk About Macrium Reflect X

How AI is Revolutionizing Scams: Can We No Longer Trust Our Eyes or Ears? Vigilance is called for.
Scams are bad enough. Throw AI into the mix, and things only get worse. Read: How AI is Revolutionizing Scams: Can We No Longer Trust Our Eyes or Ears?

Ask Leo! on YouTube

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How AI is Revolutionizing Scams: Can We No Longer Trust Our Eyes or Ears? Scams are bad enough. Throw AI into the mix, and things only get worse. Watch: How AI is Revolutionizing Scams: Can We No Longer Trust Our Eyes or Ears?

Let's Talk About Macrium Reflect X Macrium Reflect X is the successor to version 8. It includes a few new features and a controversial change to the licensing model. Watch: Let's Talk About Macrium Reflect X

Why Encryption Backdoors Are a Horrific Idea They assume perfection, and we all know how that goes. Watch: Why Encryption Backdoors Are a Horrific Idea

In Search of Perfect Security Perfect security is a myth. What's important is to pay attention to the trade-offs you make. Watch: In Search of Perfect Security

The Deep, Dark Secret Behind Ask Leo! Not long ago, I came up with the words to describe part of what I do. It was kind of a secret... until now. Watch: The Deep, Dark Secret Behind Ask Leo!

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• Tip of the Day: Recognize Footnotes

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