Have you ever tried to sign up for a “free” webinar only to be bombarded with a five-page interrogation sheet that asks you for all kinds of information that you find yourself saying “I just wanted to watch a presentation”? Did you come across a report or whitepaper you wanted to look at only to end up spending two to three minutes taking an exam and then the “report” turns out to be a two-page sales sheet? How about that eBook you saw and thought would be a good read until you were made to fill out a police report on why you are trying to get educated?
This issue has bothered me for quite some time. It is the practice of vendors, publishers and everyone in between offering “free” software, whitepaper, Mp3s, “special” reports and useless one-page drivel that makes you want to do some harm to the producers of such garbage in exchange for your personal information.
This is truly the age of information at your fingertips and most users may not even be aware of the vast array of tools available on the Internet – from tutorials on paper and video to easy to use applications that can do everything, even make coffee.
“Today, we’re announcing our newest opt-in security feature that I’ve worked to build over the past few months: Login Approvals.”
It is amazing how much the world of IT support has changed. Just a few years ago, the tech support folks were the reservoir of knowledge and users always took their advise, suggestions or diagnosis as the words of the wise. That, thankfully, has changed. We have computer users who are so savvy and tuned in to technology now that it will be foolish for an IT support technician to attempt pulling a fast one on them.
We’ve all been subjected to it: ” Install our software or hardware and use it for 30-60 days and if you do not like it, simply remove it and you will get your money back, no questions asked”. Well, there-in lies the problem – that no questions are being asked.
The recent rash of exposures about successful attacks against information security vendors may come as no surprise to a lot of people in the information security world who probably see or hear about it frequently, but it will surely come as “shocking” to most “ordinary” folks.