Re: Re: choice-point screw-up and secure hashes

[Ron DuFresne <dufresne () winternet com>]

On Sat, 19 Mar 2005, Vincent van Scherpenseel wrote:

> On Saturday 19 March 2005 13:02, Kurt Seifried wrote:
> > > Don't forget that it's bad for the company's image to have confidential
> > > customer data stolen. As soon as the press catches on it's bad for
> > > business.
> > > So, companies *do* have a drive to secure your private data.
> >
> > Uhhh no. See consumers such as yourself don't actually purchase services
> > from choicepoint/etc (unless you're a Nigerian guy who is into ID theft =).
> > Businesses do. And businesses don't care if choicepoint is secure or not,
> > they care if choicepoint has the data. It's like Equifax, you don't buy
> > information from them, companies you deal with do. These firms have no
> > incentive to protect your information, because they'll never lose your
> > business.
>
> Consumer A pays for a service from Company B which uses a payment method from
> Company C. Company C holds data from Consumer A for Company B. Now, C gets
> compromised and data from A is stolen. Don't you think the consumer will
> knock on Company B's door? The consumer doesn't deal with Choicepoint, the
> consumer deals the company, as you said. Now, Company B has been found
> responsable for the mess by the consumer. Don't you think B will now knock on
> C's door?


Do you know which companies trade and buy personal data from your bank,
insurance company, the utilities <phone, electric, gas>, your city and
county, your ISP, <endless list>...?

How many people new of let alone knew/know which comapnies choice-point
obatined their data from?  Quite often putting pressure on company C is
not a straight forward matter for the public at large.

Thanks,

Ron DuFresne
-- 
"Sometimes you get the blues because your baby leaves you. Sometimes you get'em
'cause she comes back." --B.B. King
        ***testing, only testing, and damn good at it too!***

OK, so you're a Ph.D.  Just don't touch anything.



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