TexasCHLforum.com

Russell wrote: Please provide evidence and/or proof of concept showing that outside of the website's servers being compromised, or the security of the client computer being compromised (infected by a trojan, malware, or outdated software that has not been maintained properly), history and/or cache files can be pulled from your computer by other sites. Otherwise you are spreading FUD. (Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt).

Sorry, not gonna play the "prove to me that within my specific guidelines that this technology does this thing" game. Had enough of that purse swinging at work. My computer security guidelines require a layered approach, involving physical, network and software layers. I don't separate them. I take it for granted that some layers will fail and the redundancy will give me the results I need.

For my real world security, I have weapons, recent, relevant and realistic training and physical barriers to keep me and my loved ones safe. If you consider that policy spreading "Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt", so be it.

I hope everyone has a safe Internet day and a safe real world day.

Thanks, Gringop

Russell wrote: Neither of them pose a security risk either*.

There are very real security risks re. cookies and caches. Before I go further, let me acknowledge that there are varying levels of needed security. For someone who only uses their computer to visit this site, there would not be much risk to allow cookies and never clear a cache.

For someone who makes purchases online, does banking, uses their computer for work or keeps personal financial info on their computer, allowing all cookies and never clearing the cache runs an enormous risk of problems should that computer be accessed by an unauthorised user. Laptops and home computers get stolen every day.

If you have your bank website set to auto login, how long do you think it will take someone to do a few fund transfers? If you have data on your clients and customers, do you really want others to be able to see the files that are in your cache?

Russell wrote: As for any privacy concerns, I tend to visit the same sites more or less everyday. I have no problem sharing that I have browsed reddit, this site, and fox news.

The fact that you have no problem sharing that data doesn't mean that there are no risks to it. Some users have higher security needs than you do. If you like the convenience of having merchants track your actions and sending you "You may also like this" messages, understand that hackers can and do the same thing all the time.

The internet is like great big crowded flea market. While 90% of the businesses and people there may be as honest as you, you still don't flash your cash, don't let your kids run loose and don't yell out your address and vacation plans in a loud voice. Keep your private info private.

I have this attitude from 13 years of working IT for a nationwide retail corporation and having to work many nights and weekends because employees couldn't follow simple security procedures.

Once again, not everyone needs to treat their computer like top secret data, but don't just use the default settings and think that you will be secure.

Gringop