The Canadian Privacy Law Blog: Developments in privacy law and writings of a Canadian privacy lawyer, containing information related to the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (aka PIPEDA) and other Canadian and international laws.
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The author of this blog,
David T.S. Fraser, is a Canadian privacy lawyer who practices with the
firm of McInnes Cooper. He is the author of the Physicians' Privacy Manual. He has a national and international practice advising corporations and individuals on matters related to Canadian privacy laws.
For full contact information and a brief bio, please see David's profile.
Please note that I am only able to provide legal advice to clients. I am not able to provide free legal advice. Any unsolicited information sent to David Fraser cannot be considered to be solicitor-client privileged.
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The views expressed herein are solely the author's and should not be attributed to his employer or clients. Any postings on legal issues are provided as a public service, and do not constitute solicitation or provision of legal advice. The author makes no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained herein or linked to. Nothing herein should be used as a substitute for the advice of competent counsel.
This web site is presented for informational purposes only. These materials do not constitute legal advice and do not create a solicitor-client relationship between you and David T.S. Fraser. If you are seeking specific advice related to Canadian privacy law or PIPEDA, contact the author, David T.S. Fraser.
Wednesday, February 23, 2005
You too can be hacked when the answer to your secret question is the name of your famous, book-writing dog
How secret is your "secret question" when you are famous for being famous and your life is an open book. It is looking more and more like Paris Hilton's Sidekick II was hacked into thanks to really, really bad password protection. Or, as MacDevCenter points out, a really obvious "secret question" to make it really easy for users who have fogotten their passwords.
"Like many online service providers, T-Mobile.com requires users to answer a 'secret question' if they forget their passwords. For Hilton's account, the secret question was 'What is your favorite pet's name?' By correctly providing the answer, any internet user could change Hilton's password and freely access her account. "
Apparently her dog, Tinkerbell, is almost as famous as her. He is an author (The Tinkerbell Hilton Diaries: My Life Tailing Paris Hilton), a fashion accessory and a dog-about-town. Anybody with more interest in inane celebrities than I would have been able to get her secret question and log into the T-Mobile system.
For a good review of the inherent weakness of these systems, see Schneier on Security: The Curse of the Secret Question.
Labels: information breaches, schneier
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