By now it’s probable that most readers will have heard about LastPass’s “Security Incident“, in which users’ password vaults were lifted from their servers. We’re told that the vaults are encrypted such that they’re of little use to anyone without futuristic computing power and a lot of time, but the damage is still done and I for one am glad that I wasn’t a subscriber to their service. But perhaps the debacle serves a very good purpose for all of us, in that it affords a much-needed opportunity for a look at the way we do passwords.
What Does A Car Ferry Have In Common With A Password?
If I close my eyes, I can almost imagine I’m on a cruise! Stena Line, CC BY 3.0
One of my favourite ways to leave the UK is the ferry from Harwich to Hoek van Holland. There’s an odd difference between its two legs though, the UK end has airport style security with metal detectors and x-rays, while at the Hoek I simply walk through passport control onto the ferry.
It’s a particularly egregious demonstration of security theatre, the practice of overdoing largely unnecessary security measures to appear to be doing something. In the case of a car ferry it’s especially pointless to use measures on foot passengers designed to protect aircraft, when all the motorists simply drive onto the ferry unobstructed. A ferry might seem to have little relevance to password security, but the idea of security the ..
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