End-user Computer Security/Main content/Mind-reading attacks

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Mind-reading attacks  /  Chapter 6
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Mind-reading powers may at first appear to you as something confined only to the realm of science fiction and fantasy. However, technology has now advanced so much that it is now literally possible to read the minds of others (using technology), as is evident from the Wikipedia page on brain-reading.

It is left up to the reader to decide whether the psychics described to us in fiction, exist at all in reality. However, you should consider the principle that dictates that, if there is a chance that they do exist, then it may well be prudent mitigating against such risk, even if in reality such risk does not exist. Also, it’s worthwhile to consider that phenomena such as levitation that was previously associated with the miraculous, now can possibly be explained away using the discovered scientific phenomena of invisible forces such as those involved in magnetism, electric fields, etc.

Please refer to the earlier section entitled "Psychic spying of password", for information on mind-reading attacks related to the psychic spying of passwords, and on how they can be overcome.

‘Inception’ styled attacks

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Psychic attacks may take the form of trying to crack passwords and security credentials by entering one's dreams (like the film “Inception”). To mitigate against this security risk, it may in fact be preferable not to memorise passwords. It might be better to store them in computer files or on paper, and then only call them to mind when entering them. Also, the use of security tokens (such as USB security tokens[1]) as well as the use of password encryption, can overcome such psychic attacks.




Footnotes

  1. Some information on certain USB security tokens is contained in the earlier section entitled “Tokens for keys”.


Previous chapter: chapter 5, entitled 'Some measures that are primarily physical'

Chapter 5
Some measures that are primarily physical
Go to page for contents, index, and foreword

Contents, Index, Foreword

Chapter 7
Simple security measures
Next chapter: chapter 7, entitled 'Simple security measures'