Just came up with my father again. He blames me that mother forgot her phone’s and Google password because I recommended against it being a word. I mentioned encryption, “not necessary unless you’re doing something illegal”. When mentioning lack of privacy with targeted advertisements, he said that he actually really likes them, because he bought a couple of things he wanted for years. I don’t really have good arguments.
As far as I know, the thing is that randomly chosen words will be more secure because there’s simply too many words. However, sentences will be more predictable. And a single word will give quick access to someone with a sufficient wordlist.
Honestly, I don’t remember what exactly my recommendation was, just that I recommended against something quite simple (common word), and that she shouldn’t tell me or anyone else what it is.
Edit: but I am not a professional, so don’t use me for advice.
in which case you’ve lost before you even started.
And once I came across even better limitation. “Only English characters and numbers are permitted. Passwords are case-insensitive.”
OK, the last one wasn’t actually mentioned, but I just found out the case didn’t matter either.Something like “Yeah, I’ve heard that, but if you start scrolling through someone’s phone or listening to calls over their shoulder they don’t like it. Because nobody actually feels that way, they just have trouble understanding they’re being watched if they can’t physically see it”
Being really indirect is important. People say that, but people don’t actually want you looking through their stuff. If it came up point blank maybe that won’t even work. Nobody listens to attacks even when they make sense.
Now there’s the other less deontological argument that they just shouldn’t trust who’s watching, as well. Maybe it’s the cops and for their own good, but maybe it’s Google reselling the info to perverts, or maybe it’s a hacker trying to steal their identity and take out a loan.
Is there something that would perhaps also work on Android? Also, how do you move the passwords from password manager into the fields? My problem with clipboard is that anything can read it. Of course, that means there has to be something to exfiltrate the data, but 1 problem is better than 2.
I was thinking of Android, and whatever some apps may be doing. They should already be pretty limited in what they can do, so it might be forced to just read the clipboard from time to time and hope you don’t notice (android now shows pop-up when something reads clipboard).
Am I missing something or are you conflating two different issues? Why isn’t anyone saying anything about this.
The issue was choosing a password, which not being a single word, my mom ended up forgetting. That part is security. The privacy part comes with my father arguing that setting a more complicated password is stupid because they have nothing to hide.
Plus he mentioned usage of Google Photos backup system, which in this case wouldn’t really be secured. But he says the photos also aren’t private, because it’s just photos made in public and old photos of me as a kid (which I hoped he lost with his old phone).
