The New Dawn: Security is not Trust
Despite talk about encryption and security on the Internet, we are still falling short of true identity trust assurance every time we go online. Why? Our current attempts of encryption only encrypt our communications, but don’t check who is on the receiver. Thus giving users a false sense of security. After all, what is the point of encrypting something for someone you have not authenticated? For all we know we could be encrypting and securing information for the fraudster on the other end.
Through real world examples of fraud, phishing and finally trust, I will outline what steps are necessary to move the Internet from merely encrypted messaging to a secure environment with established trust between user and emerchant and back again. This article will outline why some tools work and some don’t, as well as what actions must be taken to prepare us for the next Internet revolution, the next threat and hopefully an age of trust
Not all Animals – or Internet Padlocks – are created Equal!
It’s a fact of life, we look different, we act different, and we feel different! And that is why browser providers like MS, Mozilla Firefox, Opera and KDE want to change the way their browsers look, feel and interact with the end user. Yet, their security padlocks seem to remain unchanged, providing us with an icon of trust and security that may not only be outdated, but may be a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
Today, not all Secure Sockets Layers (SSLs) – padlocks to the general user – are created equal, and some are even being used as tools in today’s phishing attacks. However, it is hard to tell a secure lock from a non-secure lock when they all look the same. This growing online inconsistency is making it more important that our end users be able to identify a true authenticated site and that browsers work with trusted Certification Authorities to ensure that the padlocks are doing what they promise.
But the good news is: All is about to change! We are about to have a more trusted indicator in the browsers! http://news.com.com/Browsers+to+get+sturdier+padlocks/2100-1029_3-5989633.html .
thanks
Melih