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Ask HN: I'm quadriplegic – can you help me with my security?

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Re: Ask HN: I'm quadriplegic – can you help me with my security?

#121

Post by lessnonymous »

chrisfarms wrote: post #29
nicholassmith wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

From what I've read a lot of them can be spoofed with either a printed picture, or a video playing back.

So I guess the next step in the arms-race would be twin cameras (kinect?) to build a 3D image of a face. Then the bad guys would make a sculpture. Then the good guys could add some kind of mannerism detection (smile?, wink?). Then the bad guys would work on latex masks. ....I quite want to see how this evolves tbh.

Totally off topic, but why don't laptops come with twin cameras already?!?!?

Re: Ask HN: I'm quadriplegic – can you help me with my security?

#123

Post by luke_s »

Your adversary is extremely simple. You haven't mentioned in your post if you are open to or able to do any custom coding.

I would suggest writing/getting an app written that runs in fullscreen and looks exactly like an OSX login screen. Bonus points if it can disable multi-tasking shortcuts such as the 3 finger swipe up. The app can be hardcoded to only accept one password - yours. Since the app is running with OSX logged on you can use your usual tools to enter the password.

It goes without saying that this won't fool anyone determined - you can just reboot the laptop to make the app go away. However it should be enough to stop casual passers-by.

Re: Ask HN: I'm quadriplegic – can you help me with my security?

#124

Post by femto »

escapologybb wrote: post #57
willvarfar wrote: post #48

When I messed with army radios - these being the made-by-the-lowest-bidder-and-not-secret analogue variety - they were throat-operated. You spoke silently, and the microphone - pressed to your throat - sent speech over the radio. It took practice to talk perfectly clearly, but it could be mastered. Google "throat microphone".

If I had one of them, I would totally be able to pretend I'm in the SAS on some secret mission!:D Obviously a mission that didn't involve any stairs, and nothing above 6 miles an hour (top speed of my chair!) With lots of ramps and extrawide doors :-) Seriously though, I'm connected to this computer with a ton of cables and if that could be made to play nice with Dragon, and it wasn't too tight across where the break…

In a similar vein, emotiv [1] sell an EEG headset, which is purported to offer mind control. I've no clue whether these things actually work or what they are useful for. I'm only aware of this device because I used to work with one of the principals in the company.

[1] http://www.emotiv.com/

Re: Ask HN: I'm quadriplegic – can you help me with my security?

#125

Post by gaetan »

I don’t know much about Apple computers but on a Windows PC I wouldn’t use startup password to avoid friction when starting the PC. For login in a website, I would use an application like Keepass. For my private data, I would create a virtual encrypted disk with Truecrypt. If you leave your PC alone or take a nap, just close Keepass and Truecrypt and your data are secured. And to enter the password when you start Keepass and Truecrypt, I would create a few pages text file on my desktop and just copy/paste a combination of 2 or 3 words so I wouldn’t need to speak my password loud.

Re: Ask HN: I'm quadriplegic – can you help me with my security?

#126

Post by hobs »

Simucal wrote: post #114
moheeb wrote: post #113

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I use this exact method to get around VPN restrictions. Works great running a VM Windows 8 within another instance of Windows 8. On an SSD the VM seems to be as fast as the actual machine.

How does that get you around VPN restrictions? Do you then forward your traffic through some proxy?

I think the virtual machine is vpned and the external machine is not. Then you can get all the traffic you need passed through the inner vm while still getting outside traffic on your main.

Re: Ask HN: I'm quadriplegic – can you help me with my security?

#128

Post by wtallis »

TylerE wrote: post #62
almost wrote: post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

He can type things using dictation and that would presumably let him log into the VM, his problem is that the dictation won't work for the OSX lock screen. The idea probably has some other practical problems though.

I don't see how that would make it harder. Audio surfing is easier than should surfing. Wonder if he could somehow get his one-button clicker to translate morse code into ascii. Then he really could log in in a fairly secure way.

Audio eavesdropping could be pretty easily defeated with a challenge/response system. And if the speech recognition system is powerful enough, the response to the challenge could simply be to repeat the challenge in your own voice - which would be really user friendly.

Re: Ask HN: I'm quadriplegic – can you help me with my security?

#130

Post by s_q_b »

Okay, sounds like an interesting challenge. Let's describe the problem and examine possible solutions.

Goals: 1. Securely login to websites. 2. Securely unlock a Macbook Pro.

Solutions to (1): A. (1) Can be solved with a password memorization app, once we solve (2).

So let's examine 2.

Solutions to (2):

Seems like there are two parts to this problem: authentication and OS X integration.

OS X has a login API that can be used to build extensions, or since the adversary is unsophisticated we could use an input blocking regular application.

Okay, so the integration piece is possible, and we can flesh that out later. So let's look at authentication.

A. Use Physical Authentication: Bluetooth, RFID, and Wifi devices come to mind. All of these require purchasing additional hardware. Buying new hardware seems inelegant though, so let's table this option for now.

B. Biometrics: Voice print ID or facial recognition. More promising, but false negative rate is too high, especially for accessibility purposes. Really don't like the idea of a temperamental biometrics program keeping you out of your computer.

C. Speech Recognition: Get voice recognition working on the log in screen. Apple has APIs for dictation and log in. This one seems promising. But then you might need a rotating set of passwords or an algorithmic password,, as others suggested, to keep passers-by from overhearing your password.

One more thought. Is there a way to set up Dragon Dictate as a native input device? If so, Mac lets you access the input device switcher from the log in menu.

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