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Comment by standardUser | Hacker News Reader

At this point HN should just have a permanent module in the top right corner announcing the latest data breach.

"Days since last publicly disclosed data breach breach: 0"

Honestly? A minutes scale might be more appropriate there. Unless we add the "Major" but then, what is major?

Nah, a minutes scale would require data entry frequently, and HN's volunteer moderators probably don't want to have to click "Reset breach counter" all the time, plus you'd need to write code for both that button and the minute counter.

Let's keep HN Javascript-light: "Days Since" is much easier to implement. Just one line of static HTML will do:

    <b>Days Since Last Breach: 0</b>

The UK ICO has an upper limit of 10 accounts leaked, above that they consider it to be a major breach.

I can't find a reference but when I first learned about this I was actually surprised the number was that low. That was before I realized that working with computers and databases for so long has totally desensitized me to the fact that we are dealing with stupendous amounts of data on a daily basis and that what we IT people see as 'small' is likely not what entities such as the ICO or other DPAs see as small.

Show a histogram. Logarithmic scale, number of accounts affected.

A rounding error.

Breaking news: There is someone who has been walkabout living in the woods since 2000, and nobody has his data!

I know you're joking, but I have a relative like this.

Owns a huge swath of land someplace remote. Only deals in cash. (His special skills are such that his employer gladly pays him in cash.) Doesn't trust cars with electronics, so he builds his own motorcycles to get around. As far as I know, the only record of him existing is property tax and income tax.

I went to visit once, and he doesn't even have a mailbox. I assume he has a PO Box somewhere. He built his own house. It's not a very good house, but it's good enough for him and his wife. The only electronics he has is a TV that runs off of some kind of tiny water mill in the creek. It only gets over-the-air channels.

I guess he's happy, but it's not the kind of happiness I could bear. He also seems to have lost all interest in shaving.

Equifax has his data probably lol

Imagine being afraid of car electronics and choosing a motorcycle as your safe method of transport.

I asked my wife about it, and she remembers him saying something about in his state that if a vehicle is a certain percent cobbled together, it doesn't have to be registered. I wonder if that's his motivation.

Ya, some pre-2010 car should be perfect.

Maybe we’re dealing with the same guy. Lives out in the woods. He only corresponds by fax. Checks are sent to a PO Box. Machinist who creates custom metal work.

It's far too common now and there doesn't seem to be any meaningful consequences for the websites/companies involved.

IMO think this is the core of the issue.

As long as there are no serious consequences for leaking user's data these things are going to continue to happen.

But if you suggest large fines for data breaches, suddenly HN resounds with a chorus of "regulatory capture!"

Large fines can—and probably should—be relative.

Edit: I’m not sure I’ve ever heard anyone suggest “regulatory capture” as a reason to not levy fines against companies who held breached data. HN discussions on this topic seem to trade in the same repeated points—“identity theft” is bank failure/fraud masquerading as the customer’s problem; there should be consequences and/or fines for the party who held the data; the frequency of breaches should make us rethink how private PII really is; etc.

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