Wired journalist Mat Honan made the news this week when he wrote a story about how Apple and Amazon destroyed his life. Hackers took over Honan's Google account, Twitter account, and then his Apple ID, which allowed them to erase data on his computer.

Honan blames himself for not backing up his data, but he also points the finger at Amazon and Apple. Amazon stores partial credit cards online, which allowed the hackers access to Honan's Apple account (Apple uses those same credit card numbers to verify account information).

Dino Londis, who writes for Information Week, commented in this op-ed that the consumerization of IT gives people the option to choose convenience over security. He cites the example of RIM- RIM products are more secure, according to Londis, but the public does not flock to buy them. Androids, on the other hand, lack a secure mobile platform (Londis' words), but have a much higher customer base.

Readers, what do you think? How should people straddle the line between convenience and security? What can companies do to make our information more secure?

This is a sad and scary example of how the cloud-centric operating system is still in the very early stages of implementing appropriate security measures. Of course, it is frustrating that both Apple & Amazon tech support would be so casual about giving information away, as demonstrated in Honan's case and likely many others.

And this was all over a three digit Twitter handle and a simple motive for wreaking havoc?

Or, as the 19-year-old hacker claimed, a "goal to get it out there to other people so eventually every1 can over come hackers [sic]”

I digress.

This line from Honan's story resonated with me:
And it’s also worth noting that one wouldn’t have to call Amazon to pull this off. Your pizza guy could do the same thing, for example. If you have an AppleID, every time you call Pizza Hut, you’ve giving the 16-year-old on the other end of the line all he needs to take over your entire digital life.

Honan's story has not only highlighted the faults in Apple and Amazon security policies, but his experience reinforces the dangers of interlinking accounts. And he shares lessons learned so others don't make the same mistakes:
- Avoid "daisy-chaining" Google and iCloud accounts together
- Don't use same email prefix repeatedly across accounts
- Keep recovery address separate
- Don't use Find My Mac (or at least ensure a second method of authentication in set up)
- Backup your files

And with that, I should probably go enable two-factor authentication on my Google account.

This is an interesting thread - on its own, and in the context of security research that IT Market Dynamics just released (here's a link to the story). The research focuses on enterprises rather than consumers, and lists six key issues facing IT managers in 2012-2013:

• Cloud security


• Botnet and malware management


• Mobile and endpoint security


• Big data and legal compliance


• Staff culture


• IPv6 migration

By taking just a little license, it's possible to fit most of these issues into Honan's story. Data stored in the cloud was accessible to hackers; they then took over his PC; mobile access provided a key point of weakness that could be exploited; the connection of data was a major reason why a single exploit pyramided into a "destroyed life;" and mostly, it was his lack of awareness of the threats and safeguards - the culture issue - that exposed his data, accounts, life, to hijacking.

Maybe this is the real upshot of consumerization (at least with respect to security) - individuals will need to face up to the same threats, and the same remedies, that are already required in businesses!