Paranoia

[monophoto]

I just noticed that there are two threads running simultaneously that address different aspects of modern life and reflect growing paranoia. One has to do with shipping, and items that are either lost or stolen by 'porch pirates' before the recipient can actually receive them, while the other addresses ink permanence and protection against check washing.

I am probably fortunate that I haven't actually encountered either. Yes, we did have some books that we ordered from Amazon many years ago that were damaged in shipment, and that Amazon promptly replaced, and many years ago I had a package that I had shipped via Fed Ex that was delivered to the wrong address ( was tracking in and reported the problem; FedEx found it and got it to the correct address within a few hours). But last year I took the step of installing a video doorbell that captures a video whenever packages are delivered, and that therefore would also record a 'porch pirate' removing a package. It was probably not necessary, but at least it provides a degree of comfort.

Likewise, I use Noodler's Bulletproof Black ink in the pen that I use on those very rare occasions when I have to write a check. BB contains a chemical that permanently bonds with the cellulose fibers in paper such writing cannot be removed without also destroying the paper it is written on. Again, it may not be necessary, but it provides some comfort, and because the ink is extremely black, it really does look distinctive.

Unfortunately, these are real issues in our society, but at least there are a few steps we can take to protect ourselves.

 

[SabertoothBunny]

Wow, I will have to look up that Noodler's ink and get some for the checkbook. Don't write a lot of checks these days but some utilities still require it and checks are useful for other things on occasion as well.

 

[penicillin]

I have yet to install video cameras or doorbells. My spouse has asked about them. I have many reasons for not installing one. I admit, all are paranoia:

• Closed source software. Who controls and manages updates? How quickly are vulnerabilities fixed? Who monitors vulnerabilities and decides what gets fixed and when? All out of my control.
• Usage and access to video and audio data is not fully under my control. Cameras may be used or misused by others, with or without my permission. Can it be subject to legal action against me? (Imagine a scammer who works with an attorney to target homeowners. Before you say, "That can't happen to me", note that similar scams targeted our local family-owned businesses for lawsuits a few years ago.)
• Scope creep. The product may be used for additional purposes for which it was not originally intended, possibly without my permission.
• Network isolation. I will not install them unless they are isolated on the network. I do not trust them on my home network.
• Lack of future maintenance. How long will the manufacturer maintain them with security updates to keep hackers out?
  • For an example, take a look at home network routers, which remain in widespread use long after vulnerabilities and exploits are published. They are frequently hacked as a result. The manufacturer does not maintain them forever and does not care if your old devices can be exploited by hackers. The fix is to buy a current model.
  • Will you remove or replace the devices when they are no longer supported in a few years?

 

[jttheclockman]

I have yet to install video cameras or doorbells. My spouse has asked about them. I have many reasons for not installing one. I admit, all are paranoia:

• Closed source software. Who controls and manages updates? How quickly are vulnerabilities fixed? Who monitors vulnerabilities and decides what gets fixed and when? All out of my control.
• Usage and access to video and audio data is not fully under my control. Cameras may be used or misused by others, with or without my permission. Can it be subject to legal action against me? (Imagine a scammer who works with an attorney to target homeowners. Before you say, "That can't happen to me", note that similar scams targeted our local family-owned businesses for lawsuits a few years ago.)
• Scope creep. The product may be used for additional purposes for which it was not originally intended, possibly without my permission.
• Network isolation. I will not install them unless they are isolated on the network. I do not trust them on my home network.
• Lack of future maintenance. How long will the manufacturer maintain them with security updates to keep hackers out?
  • For an example, take a look at home network routers, which remain in widespread use long after vulnerabilities and exploits are published. They are frequently hacked as a result. The manufacturer does not maintain them forever and does not care if your old devices can be exploited by hackers. The fix is to buy a current model.
  • Will you remove or replace the devices when they are no longer supported in a few years?

I feel alot of good points that I have thought about many times were brought up here. I will add that the use of computers and all kinds of electronics today are being monitored by who knows who. There is a thing going around that adds to the topic about the use of these house control system such as Alexia (sp) and others being monitored by outside entities. "Paranoia" sure can add it to the list. Your phones and cars have GPS and wifi. I am sure there are ways to hack these. We rely on passwords to keep things safe. But are they really.

 

[rixstix]

I have yet to install video cameras or doorbells. My spouse has asked about them. I have many reasons for not installing one. I admit, all are paranoia:

• Closed source software. Who controls and manages updates? How quickly are vulnerabilities fixed? Who monitors vulnerabilities and decides what gets fixed and when? All out of my control.
• Usage and access to video and audio data is not fully under my control. Cameras may be used or misused by others, with or without my permission. Can it be subject to legal action against me? (Imagine a scammer who works with an attorney to target homeowners. Before you say, "That can't happen to me", note that similar scams targeted our local family-owned businesses for lawsuits a few years ago.)
• Scope creep. The product may be used for additional purposes for which it was not originally intended, possibly without my permission.
• Network isolation. I will not install them unless they are isolated on the network. I do not trust them on my home network.
• Lack of future maintenance. How long will the manufacturer maintain them with security updates to keep hackers out?
  • For an example, take a look at home network routers, which remain in widespread use long after vulnerabilities and exploits are published. They are frequently hacked as a result. The manufacturer does not maintain them forever and does not care if your old devices can be exploited by hackers. The fix is to buy a current model.
  • Will you remove or replace the devices when they are no longer supported in a few years?

Yep. Google Amazon grants warrantless access to Ring doorbell video.

AFAIK, Eufy has one of the very few video doorbells without storage on their cloud servers. Ditto for their other cameras.

 

[penicillin]

I feel alot of good points that I have thought about many times were brought up here. I will add that the use of computers and all kinds of electronics today are being monitored by who knows who. There is a thing going around that adds to the topic about the use of these house control system such as Alexia (sp) and others being monitored by outside entities. "Paranoia" sure can add it to the list. Your phones and cars have GPS and wifi. I am sure there are ways to hack these. We rely on passwords to keep things safe. But are they really.

True, we don't have Alexa or Echo or HomeKit or Google Home or any of those, either. ... for many of the same reasons.

 

[penicillin]

P.S., adding:
By the way, when we were stuck at home during the start of the pandemic, I ran a WiFi scan of the area around our home. I uncovered two of our television sets, which were running their own WiFi access points without anyone's knowledge or permission. Figuring out how to turn them off was not easy. They were not labeled "WiFi access point" even though that is what they were.

I bet you did not know that some devices run their own networks in your home, did you?

Adding more later:
The scan that I ran at the beginning of the pandemic was very useful. I mapped out our neighbors' WiFi networks. I configured our access points to use channels that were well separated from the channels used by the nearest neighbor access points on that side of the house. The results were a boost in WiFi throughput by a factor of 5x to 10x. In other words, the improvement was very significant.

 

[egnald]

Remember, just because you're paranoid doesn't mean that they are not out to get you! - Dave