Facebook and Microsoft: Communing with the Spirit of Security
April 7, 2021
Two apparently unrelated actions by bad actors. Two paragons of user security. Two. Count ‘em.
The first incident is summarized in “Huge Facebook Leak That Contains Information about 500 Million People Came from Abuse of Contacts Tool, Company Says.” The main point is that flawed software and bad actors were responsible. But 500 million. Where is Alex Stamos when Facebook needs guru-grade security to zoom into a challenge?
The second incident is explained in “Half a Billion LinkedIn Users Have Scraped Data Sold Online.” Microsoft, the creator of the super useful Defender security system, owns LinkedIn. (How is that migration to Azure coming along?) Microsoft has been a very minor character in the great works of 2021. These are, of course, The Taming of SolarWinds and The Rape of Exchange Server.
Now what’s my point. I think when one adds 500 million and 500 million the result is a lot of people. Assume 25 percent overlap. Well, that’s still a lot of people’s information which has taken wing.
Indifference? Carelessness? Cluelessness? A lack of governance? I would suggest that a combination of charming personal characteristics makes those responsible individuals one can trust with sensitive information.
Yep, trust and credibility. Important.
Stephen E Arnold, April 7, 2021
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