Recently, a young person’s data was stolen and shared illegally across social networks and other media. What struck me is the fact that the file in question was not sent to anyone and was instead hacked directly off the victim’s phone.
What happened is utterly deplorable but unfortunately cases like this keep happening regularly. Below, I’ve listed some points that could help you prevent unauthorized access to your own data.
- Only send data to people you trust: When sending data over messaging services, make sure that you trust the person on the other side. They might be your friend but…
I would like to propose a new software development principle, to be enshrined alongside other fan-favourites such as the Single Responsibility Principle (SRP) and the Principle of Least Astonishment (POLA). It goes as follows,
The Fat Finger Principle (FFP)
Assume that all user-supplied input and data is erroneous and will require modification in the future.
The FFP is not talking about validation of user input or the sanitization of data. Rather, it applies to data which a computer system considers as being valid. The actual content, however, is inaccurate or incorrect.
Founding a digital nation using smart contracts
In my previous article I wrote about how smart contract technologies can help us build societies which are fair, transparent and just for everyone involved. One of my colleagues who read the article was worried though that something like that will take a long time for governments and nations to adopt. It’s possible that certain people who stand to lose will even attempt to stifle progress towards adopting blockchain technologies on a larger scale.
“What if we could found a new country ourselves?” my friend asked. …
Eliminating trust using smart contracts
Immutable, Public Programs
Although blockchain technologies are mostly associated with Bitcoin and the current ICO craze going on right now, another less mentioned feature that blockchains enable are the use of smart contracts for computation. Not many people are aware of the possibilities that come from smart contracts and such technology will revolutionize the way the Internet works and perhaps how our societies function.
In short, a smart contract is a computer program which is deployed onto the blockchain. In the Ethereum platform, for example, the code will be placed on the blockchain and associated with a public address just like any other…
Kyle Pullicino
Software developer. Interests: Computer Science, Enterprise Systems and Blockchain Technologies.
