Comments on: PayPal crime vs. False Authority Syndrome http://Vmyths.com/2009/03/29/reiser/ Truth about computer security hysteria Thu, 03 Feb 2011 05:36:21 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Sean Reiser http://Vmyths.com/2009/03/29/reiser/comment-page-1/#comment-113 Sean Reiser Mon, 30 Mar 2009 19:47:08 +0000 http://Vmyths.com/?p=465#comment-113 It's Sean, the author of the source material. Thanks for picking this up, and validating my opinions. It isn't often I see my name on one of my favorite security blogs. I considered trying to go toe to toe with her to refute her "they can attach something to the transaction" thing for a second but I had 2 things against me: 1) I wasn't sure that Paypal didn't leak account numbers in their interface, so I wasn't absolutely certain that closing the account wasn't the best course of action. 2) I was only dealing with facts, she, OTOH, could also invoke the plots of CSI and 24 episodes to "make her case". Quite frankly Jack Bauer's adventures are more compelling then my "facts". In a refereed match I would've been fine, fiction without sources would've been called out of bounds. In a no holds barred street fight I knew I was never going to convince her. The innocent bystanders were more interested in the score of the hockey game on the TV then this little debate. Long ago I learned to stop fighting this type of battle. And that wasn't the mission... I knew I could call my friend after the dinner, when I could've done 10 mins of research and speak from a position of strength. At the end of the day her real question was "am I at risk?", even if it isn't the question she asked. I wanted to say "yes" or "no" and here's why. Have her understand the issue and not succumb to the hysteria. It’s Sean, the author of the source material. Thanks for picking this up, and validating my opinions. It isn’t often I see my name on one of my favorite security blogs.

I considered trying to go toe to toe with her to refute her “they can attach something to the transaction” thing for a second but I had 2 things against me:

1) I wasn’t sure that Paypal didn’t leak account numbers in their interface, so I wasn’t absolutely certain that closing the account wasn’t the best course of action.

2) I was only dealing with facts, she, OTOH, could also invoke the plots of CSI and 24 episodes to “make her case”. Quite frankly Jack Bauer’s adventures are more compelling then my “facts”.

In a refereed match I would’ve been fine, fiction without sources would’ve been called out of bounds. In a no holds barred street fight I knew I was never going to convince her. The innocent bystanders were more interested in the score of the hockey game on the TV then this little debate. Long ago I learned to stop fighting this type of battle. And that wasn’t the mission…

I knew I could call my friend after the dinner, when I could’ve done 10 mins of research and speak from a position of strength. At the end of the day her real question was “am I at risk?”, even if it isn’t the question she asked. I wanted to say “yes” or “no” and here’s why. Have her understand the issue and not succumb to the hysteria.

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