Cryptosmith

I’ve been looking at the evolution of electronic funds transfer (EFT) and payment systems recently. My research uncovered a gem: about two years ago, David Stearns completed a dissertation that looks at the early evolution of the Visa card (originally “Bank Americard”) in the context of other evolving electronic payment systems. Stearns’ work is both readable and filled with interesting information.

What I find most fascinating is that the card systems followed the same security trajectory as cell phones. The first cards, like the early analog cell phones, were  vulnerable to fraud. In fact, the cards were absurdly vulnerable to fraud.

However, the promoters believed that the long term benefits of electronic cash were worth the risks. They also assumed without evidence that they could fix the fraud problems eventually.

Continue Reading »

Posted under History of Technology & Security | No Comments »

The Whirlwind is my favorite first-generation computer. It is also the basis of SAGE, a nationwide air defense system built by IBM in the ’50s. Nuclear missiles made SAGE obsolete pretty quickly. By the mid ’60s, big chunks of the SAGE computers, affectionately called the AN/FSQ-7, started showing up in surplus.

These parts soon made cameo and even starring appearances in TV shows and movies. Mike Loewen has constructed a web site that tracks “sightings” of Q-7 parts in movies.

We’ve all seen them: those rows of blinkenlights installed at a slight angle and often rigged with pyrotechnics. They appeared in almost every science fiction TV show from the ’60s, and many movies. Surprisingly, these ancient panels still show up occasionally. Most recently, panels appeared in the background of a Comcast ad.

Continue Reading »

Posted under History of Technology | No Comments »

Here’s a recent posting on “how the web makes money,” focusing on the on-line gaming community.

The bottom line: successful game sites rely too much on questionable vendors. Game players like to acquire game currency to improve their experience, especially as new players. They can often either buy game money or they can “earn” it by clicking allegedly “free” links. These sometimes give them game currency for free, but too-often involve scams.

While this Cryptosmith site pays for itself through consulting leads, I’ve always been interested in  more direct methods (described here). I think it’s fair to collect a commission if I directly encourage someone to buy something, and I gave them the link to buy it. The jury is still out on whether this is worth the effort of constructing the links. I’m also curious as to whether this opens me up to various forms of fraud.

When I do provide links with commissions, I limit myself to links that I might use myself. I hope that that provides adequate quality control for my visitors.

Continue Reading »

Posted under Household Tech & Security | No Comments »