Privacy and Passwords

This post is an expression of dismay but also serves as a public service announcement.

Privacy

Recently we witnessed a client logging into a new site and were taken aback by how casually they clicked on any icon or dialog without actually reading it. Accept All Terms? YES. Accept All Cookies? YES. Download this file? SURE.

At the studio, we are privacy and security first, and we realize that it creates friction from the ideal on-boarding process for users. But it's so important. We all know that Big Tech already knows way too much about us, but there's something to be said about privacy awareness and hygiene.

As device technology improves, so will the ability for things to be processed locally. A new MacBook Pro with 32GB of RAM can run many things locally including some viable AI models, and it's up to software developers to ensure that their apps and solutions are designed in such a way as to keep even local data from being exposed (despite their claims of being privacy-first).

So please slow down, take the time to at least understand what you're saying yes to. Once it's on the net, it's there forever, and it will be used against you (either to market to you or worse).

Passwords

This is important. Use long passwords (more than 22 characters). XKCD says it all:

XKCD #936 -- Use long passwords

Don't use the same password on every site as well, and don't think that SMS MFA is secure, because it's not.