Defending The Kingdom

Here’s the story:

Who among us doesn’t love a good hack? After putting forth a $10,000 come-and-get-us challenge, it’s possible that StrongWebmail CEO Darren Berkovitz is rethinking his stance on that. The company, which makes voice-based authentication software, dared hackers to break into Mr. Berkovitz’s Web-mail account and report back details from an upcoming date on his calendar. A week later, a team of high-profile security researchers contacted a reporter with precisely that information.

Once again, it’s worth pointing out that there is no such thing as perfect security. You have to choose a level that is good enough. It can be uncomfortable to know and accept that your email address could get hacked, but there’s no way around it. All you can do is decrease the chances in a way that doesn’t cramp your style too much.

I advocate cramping your style a bit more than others in your category of “target juiciness”. If you have typical assets to protect, put just a bit more effort into security than the typical person. If you are atypical, put just a bit more effort into security than those with your level of assets.