DO NOT WANT

from here (photo originally from here)

just a little lesson folks. when you click on the play button and get a download instead, something is just not right.

stealth fail

from failblog

yeah, the cops won't notice that at all. i can just imagine the driver pretending this SUV is some sort of spy car with license plates that flip around.

being a wiz at identity theft

from rofl razzi

that's taking the concept of identity theft to a whole new level, i think.

nothing between them and me but...

from that will buff out

now, i don't know about you, but i wouldn't trust canvas and soft plastic to protect me if i were going through african lion safari. so the thought of trusting it while going through jurassic park just seems a little ridiculous - no way that stops a raptor attack.

viruses vs knowledge

thanks to @Luis_Corrons and @jcanto for bringing this to my attention

it's virus day at secmeme, and it's also the day that i admit that graphs can be funny.

it's not a virus

from here

the misuse of the term computer virus is rampant, and it's especially noticeable these days when actual viruses are rare. if you got hit by malware, there's a much better chance it was something non-viral, like a keylogger or a banking trojan. moreover, if you've got a computer problem in general, chances are good it's not even malware related (nevermind being virus related).

(inspired by the character gregory house's frequent insistence that "it's not lupus")

registration

from here

as ridiculous as it sounds, apparently it can happen

i don't suppose it needs to be pointed out what a colossal security failure this represents. who are such registries meant to protect, after all? 

perceptual relativity

from XKCD

this really captures the cavernous gap between the perceptions of regular people and those of experts when it comes to computer concepts (and especially computer security concepts).

at the same time it highlights how more knowledge can make something seem less scary and less apt to evoke a panicked response. thus, more knowledge is good.

stranger danger for adults?

from here

inspired by a true tale of facebook dating gone horribly, horribly wrong

i know you're supposed to keep your friends close and your enemies closer, but nowhere in that maxim do they ever mention strangers.

poetic justice

thanks to brian krebs for tweeting about this

i think it's hilarious how a spammer (in fact some call him a spam king) can complain about people sending him too many emails. couldn't happen to a more deserving guy.