Question for computer nerds

A few days ago ABC News ran a spot about how quickly the Russian hackers could download all personal information from Phones,PCs and Tablets.
(It took like 45 seconds from turn on)

Now that the board has a direct link to Sochi.

How safe is our info. Can our electronics be back tracked using this site

My loose info is reason for concern.
LordBeaverbrook's Avatar
Well "the board has a direct link to Sochi." is not accurate at all. Only tenuously an indirect link. The board shouldn't have any of your "loose info" and to get from DLS to the board to your electronics would be quite a feat so unless you are a billionaire and thus have something worth stealing for that level of effort I wouldn't be too concerned. You're way more likely to be hacked by an American or have your credit card info stolen from Target or UT.

No, that would have been through hacking an unsecured device on local wireless tha they all share and the local wireless network is probably not protected much at all. It would be much much harder to hack your PC, iPad or phone from that far away (difficult if not impossible for a moderately well secured device). If you are on work or home wifi you are probably behind a firewall as well (though no telling how secure that is) so fairly safe.
LordBeaverbrook is correct. Worry more about getting hacked around town. It isn't like Austin doesn't have enough bored techs to do it. I personally worry more about where I use my credit card than my mobile device.
Thank you

I have a nephew that is a Server Tec for a international investment co.

(while I am so computer illiterate I can't get spell check to work)

He has managed to scare the hell out of his mom and I with hacker horror stories
GneissGuy's Avatar
The security situation is so bad in general that you're not safe anywhere. Even if you do everything "right" in terms of computer security. The device manufacturers and software providers have done such a bad job in general that they should be thrown in jail.

However, eccie isn't particularly more of a threat than most other boards or activities you might indulge in with your device. If you're referring to one of our members posting from Sochi, that doesn't make eccie much if any more of a threat than before. I'm sure there are quite a few members already posting whose computers are already under the control of computer criminals of one type or another.

BTW, you're not completely safe if you do everything right, but your degree of risk varies a lot depending on what you do. You should definitely use caution, and do the "right" things in terms of computer security.