* Posts by Sherminator

21 publicly visible posts • joined 15 Nov 2017

Huawei mobile mast installed next to secret MI5 data centre in London has 7 years to do whatever it is Huawei does

Sherminator Silver badge
Pint

It's just a conincidence...... Surely??

No way that anyone is that clever.....?

UK data watchdog having a hard time making GDPR fines stick: Marriott scores another extension, BA prepares to pay 11% of £183m penalty threat

Sherminator Silver badge
FAIL

Toothless Crones

After all the fanfare and copious amounts of GDPR "expert" consultants getting UK PLC over the start line for GDPR, you do have to wonder what on earth is the point of the whole process and fines if they aren't going to be upheld.

I can understand a reduced fine for early payment, but dragging on negotiations ad infinitum is not exactly showing the corporate world that GDPR has any teeth when enforced.

I wonder if similar DP regulations are facing the same problem when it comes to enforcement and fines globally? i.e. the California Consumer one and others.

If any company being hit by fines thinks they can allocate lower amounts, then where is the pressure to perform and act correctly?

It would appear that the consumer will be the one taking the hit again as more data is lost and more PII etc, gets into the wild!

The mind boggles.

Hey NYPD, when you're done tear-gassing and running over protesters, can you tell us about your spy gear?

Sherminator Silver badge
Angel

This thread has become so off topic!

Lion Dung? Traffic Lights?

Just love the depth of conversation and discussion El Reg readers get into!!

Nothing fills you with confidence in an IT contractor more than hearing its staff personal records were stolen by ransomware hackers. Right, Cognizant?

Sherminator Silver badge
Devil

ID Protection?? Why bother

Is this going to be the next status quo from companies? Sorry we leaked all your data, here, have a crap service from us incase your PII is used elsewhere?

At some point, there needs to be some form of compensation to the Data Subject, beyond a crap ID checking service being chucked around for free.

Let's hope Data Protection Laws on either side of the pond don't just get used to fill up treasury coffers, I'm sure we'd hate to see Data Subjects being leveraged for financial gain now wouldn't we??? :)

While waiting for the Linux train, Bork pays a visit to Geordieland with Windows 10

Sherminator Silver badge
WTF?

ISO27.... So what?

Why do the PR/Media people seem to think rolling out the obligatory "We have ISO 27001 accreditation" some how exonerates them from the borking faux pas displayed ?

Having a basic understanding of what ISO27001 is would probably make them think about publishing said nonsense..... Wait? What am I thinking??

Meet the Frenchman masterminding a Google-free Android

Sherminator Silver badge

Nokia for sale---- good price and no google slurping

I, along with a great deal of other people so it seems, would welcome the return to more simplistic days of Nokia type phones with limited OS capability.

If I'm brutally honest, I use the following on my android device:

1. Email

2. WhatsApp

3. The phone, to actually make calls. Yes I know, quite radical and all that, but it is a feature I use.

4. SMS/Text

I occasionally use:

1. Banking App

2. Stock broker App

3. Google Maps when I have no idea where things are

All the rest of the pre-bundled/installed shite I can't delete, such as the offerings from Google et al. I never use them and disable the app in settings.

Maybe I'm just getting old and turning into a Neo Victor Meldrew, but I don't want the entire planet observing my comings and goings via my phone and then selling it onwards. It's about time we had some decent controls on phones.

I did look at the Granite phones at one stage, but I'm not that paranoid......?

Sherminator Silver badge

472 what?

Hahaha. 472 Metric Fuck tonnes.... I can't wait to use this in some project meeting, but would love to be able to drop it into a document and get away with it!!

Well played sir!

Security execs must prep for post-Brexit cyber challenges – report

Sherminator Silver badge

Logic?

There's unlikely to be any logic involved when you get the politics in full swing! :)

US cops go all Minority Report: Google told to cough up info on anyone near a crime scene

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Re: Not one to take the G-Men's side very often, but within tight limits...

True that! Can't beat a good old Council getting ideas above their station!

You can bet your bottom dollar that any powers given, will be stretched to the point of abuse by any power wielding body.

Transparency, accountability and oversight is needed at all points.

Cryptocurrencies to end in tears, says investor wizard Warren Buffett

Sherminator Silver badge
Alert

It's 100% your choice and decision

The old classic statement of only invest what you can afford to lose stands firm in this case.

Sure, we can all wax lyrical about the dangers of the unknowns of Cryptocurrency, I've seen as much volatility on the stock market, with some poor decisions on investment choices in some cases made by yours truly, particulalry on the AIM markets, but on the other hand I've had some absolute crackers as returns in some cases.

The crypto markets, if you can call them that, are nothing more than trading exchanges where you can maybe make some money, or maybe lose some money.

The only thing that isn't likely to happen is a major stock market crash if bitcoin folded overnight.

We can all dream that the holding of 10 Ethereum or whatever you invested in will be worth millions in 5 years time, there's also a danger it will be worth nothing too.

I say have some fun, if it's what you enjoy and don't be surprised if it kicks you in the arse at some point.. :)

US Homeland Security breach compromised personal info of 200,000+ staff

Sherminator Silver badge
FAIL

Well that's embarrasing...

I wonder who they will find to extradite to the US for this one?

Some inward looking reflective thinking required all round at DHS then!

IBM lobs sueball at travel site Expedia for using some old Prodigy patents

Sherminator Silver badge
Stop

Seriously.....?

I can get behind the blatant use of a proprietary software or constituent components parts for commercial gain by a third party, as being worthy of pursuing for licencing or litigation, however, IMHO, the USPTO, is one of the worst bodies for entertaining loosely worded ‘patents’ I have ever seen.

Some of the patents I have seen presented aren’t even worth of being designated as such, FFS, go and invent something ground breaking and get it protected by all means, but patenting obvious fecking processes is lame.

I don’t know who is worse, the USPTO for allowing it, or the legal team at IBM for following up on it.

Proposed Brit law to ban b**tards brandishing bots to bulk-buy tickets

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Thumb Up

Re: Small bands

Well played tiggity.

I believe that is the first time I've seen the use of Croesus.

Well played indeed. :)

Surveillance law slip-up in sight for staff stalking citizens on socials

Sherminator Silver badge
Devil

Checks and balances are required

I'm all for investigations where necesary, however, half of the ass clowns in most councils are not trained to operate a keyboard properly, nevermind carry out a lawful surveillance job.

Get the people trained and authorised to do only what is required and no more, there's enough horror stories of councils using RIPA to spy on people over school catchment area validity..... is this what we want our council tax spent on?

I can't get my bins emptied half the time and I can't remember the last time I actually saw a Police Officer.

Me thinks Councils are not controlled well enough....

Google Chrome ad-blocking to begin in February – but what is it going to block?

Sherminator Silver badge
Facepalm

Is this censorship?

I find this most amusing, coming from the worlds biggest data collector.....

Facebook: Who needs millennials? The cops love us more than ever!

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Thumb Up

Re: At the A/C, ""It's a mystery why it's failing.

So it's not just me that feels like this?

When these sub humans are unable to communicate with others of the same species......It's like they've all got whiplash and their neck muscles are unable to lift their heads into the vertical position from the horizontal app interaction position.

We're in danger of wiping ourselves out as a species....

Oi, force Microsoft to cough up emails on Irish servers to the Feds, US states urge Supremes

Sherminator Silver badge
Facepalm

Follow due process

Irrespective which party ends up as the actual winner of that argument, the fact remains that the law has to be followed.

Is it me, or is law enforcement in the US beginning to follow the Hollywood narrative?

Tough moody cops and lawyers hell bent at getting the bad guy, despite the irony of breaking the law to bring the law to the bad guy......etc.etc??

Hello, Dixons Carphone? Yep, we're ringing from a 2015 handset. Profits down 60%, eh?

Sherminator Silver badge
Mushroom

Darwinian selection

Those businesses that are unable to adapt will find themselves coming unstuck and potentially folding.

Shopping has changed universally across the globe and big organisations need to work out how to adapt to that.

Adapt to change or die... simples....

Accused hacker Lauri Love's extradition appeal begins

Sherminator Silver badge
Paris Hilton

Ahh yes... Come on in Mr USA, how can you shaft us today?

It will be interesting to see what the outcome of this latest hearing is.

Will it be yet another example of how intrinsically biased "Special Relationship" between the UK and US is? Or as we actually going to stand on our own two feet in this country and let the UK judicial system deal with this in our courts?

Whilst I fully appreciate the gravity of the alleged crimes are, and, as other posters have rightly pointed out, you can hardly hack some of these agencies and then expect to get away with it.

The US Judicial system is hell bent on following up on things like this, as ultimately it has left a number of agencies with egg on their faces for having a plethora of vulnerabilities that could be easily remedied, so nothing like having lost some face internationally!

That said, I don’t like the way we seem to pull our pants down and wait for a good old US of A shafting every time they want something.

Paris Hilton... well everyone loves a good shafting.... don't they?? :)

Death, taxes, DXC job cuts: Three of life's sure bets

Sherminator Silver badge
FAIL

I had the pleasure of working at an organisation that was supported by CSC/DXC.

To be honest, if DXC had a look at the insane way some of it's contracts are billed, they could retain business by not expecting the ridiculous charges to continue.

If they spent as much time and effort at looking at reviewing contracts they may find some inventive ways to generate profit from existing and potential new orders......

Now of course some of these contracts may be legacy from days of CSC and HPE as seperate entities, but killing head count is alwayes the easiest way to appease the shareholders!!!.....

How can airlines stop hackers pwning planes over the air? And don't say 'regular patches'

Sherminator Silver badge
IT Angle

Re: When you land in serious weather and can't see a thing ...

ILS... It's been around a long time.

Way longer than everyone's incessant need to have everything connected and accessible at all times.... can't survive without my social media on my 10 hour flight....

How about we go old school on aircraft journeys? Just get pissed and fall asleep... :)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Instrument_landing_system