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3 years ago
in Spanish Credit Card Fraud on Elliott Back's Blog
I get e-mails everyday from the dataloss mailing list over at attrition.org regarding loss of, well, data. You would be surprised on how many 'safe' companies lose personal data of customers through various means, about half of which are caused by crackers. Deloitte and Ernst & Young are just the most recent names to come to mind. These companies have blocks of CC numbers, not just one or two. This, then, explains how your number got to Spain.
People that have CC information will usually trade them overseas. They will then write out white-cards and proceed to cash-out at the nearest bank machines. Sometimes they will order goods, but that's too risky. Much easier to go with 20 cards at an ATM in a shady convenience store, pop a grand or 500 from each and leave. Some people make a lot of money out of cash-outs like these.
Of course liability should fall on those companies that do not use enough protection on their systems, physical, digital and otherwise.
People that have CC information will usually trade them overseas. They will then write out white-cards and proceed to cash-out at the nearest bank machines. Sometimes they will order goods, but that's too risky. Much easier to go with 20 cards at an ATM in a shady convenience store, pop a grand or 500 from each and leave. Some people make a lot of money out of cash-outs like these.
Of course liability should fall on those companies that do not use enough protection on their systems, physical, digital and otherwise.
3 years ago
in “Choose your Country” widgets on Elliott Back's Blog
A few notes worthwhile:
IPs are not always assigned geographically. More than once my IP was traced to somewhere in the NY area although I leava in Vancouver, Canada. It depends who buys IP blocks from whom and so on, so forth.
I see no reason why Wikipedia would modify that page. They are asking you about your desired language, not location. I can read texts in a few languages [and so can you, I take it] and maybe it's nice to be given that option sometimes. There are other issues as well like proxies and public access sites.
Cheers!
IPs are not always assigned geographically. More than once my IP was traced to somewhere in the NY area although I leava in Vancouver, Canada. It depends who buys IP blocks from whom and so on, so forth.
I see no reason why Wikipedia would modify that page. They are asking you about your desired language, not location. I can read texts in a few languages [and so can you, I take it] and maybe it's nice to be given that option sometimes. There are other issues as well like proxies and public access sites.
Cheers!
3 years ago
in GPL 3 Draft — Elliott C. Back on Elliott Back's Blog
What this aims to cover is issues like the Sony rootkit; part of that software had LGPL'ed code inside and it was used to restrict others' free use of software and other electronic technology. I think GPLv3 aims at not allowing those kinds of things from happening; but I'm not sure this is precise. If the iTunes was not the one enforcing DRMs, but a different application, as long as iTunes was not 'touching' any DRM aspect [including, I think, trying to see if DRM is present] then it could be GPL'ed.
3 years ago
in The interpersonal politics of being sick — Elliott C. Back on Elliott Back's Blog
Well it's much better to complain, then, to a throng of 'interested' strangers on the `Net right? =)
It varies through, I tend to accentuate insignificant ailments while downplaying the important ones.
Cheers!
It varies through, I tend to accentuate insignificant ailments while downplaying the important ones.
Cheers!
3 years ago
in PANIC MODE JAVA — Elliott C. Back on Elliott Back's Blog
Well instead of bitching about it you'd find some elegant way of working besides it.
So going further on into toURI and toString tells you that both URI and String are Comparable. Issue ends here.
So maybe they weren't so lazy after all. Given that, you know, they did Java.
So going further on into toURI and toString tells you that both URI and String are Comparable. Issue ends here.
So maybe they weren't so lazy after all. Given that, you know, they did Java.
3 years ago
in Too Cool For Firefox on Elliott Back's Blog
I don't even know where to begin, really...
It's not a matter of MSIE being 'good enough' for the average user. We all share the Internet, for what it's worth. MSIE gives a "sure path" for malware and worms to keep spreading and not much has changed in the last 2 major versions or so. So this issue stops being simply that of the home user in his little private space; it goes on to affect me and others due to all the crapware that propagates on the 'Net because of user stupidity and Microsoft's poor code review practices.
Yes, I do think they have some of the best coders in the world. But it doesn't do them any good. They're too greedy.
It's not a matter of MSIE being 'good enough' for the average user. We all share the Internet, for what it's worth. MSIE gives a "sure path" for malware and worms to keep spreading and not much has changed in the last 2 major versions or so. So this issue stops being simply that of the home user in his little private space; it goes on to affect me and others due to all the crapware that propagates on the 'Net because of user stupidity and Microsoft's poor code review practices.
Yes, I do think they have some of the best coders in the world. But it doesn't do them any good. They're too greedy.
3 years ago
in International Characters in Windows Filenames — Elliott C. Back on Elliott Back's Blog
Wow yes, the prettiness can certainly make all the "crash and boot" routine much more pleasant because... heck, it's pretty?
Umm so this is such a big thing because... Windows 2000 couldn't do it? Cause we on this side of the front had it for a while now...
Umm so this is such a big thing because... Windows 2000 couldn't do it? Cause we on this side of the front had it for a while now...
