Online passwords - failing to match human behaviour?

A great article in The Guardian on Saturday about online passwords, what a nightmare they have become for all of us and how our natural response is making the job of the hacker easier - http://gu.com/p/3aptz

The interesting point it makes is how the requirements placed on users to have more complex passwords (mix of cases, including non-alphanumerics, etc) means that most of us, in a desperate attempt to have something memorable, end up choosing something that is easier to crack.  Also the use of passwords as the primary security measure means most of us choose the same password for everything - so hack one site and ID fraud becomes much easier.

Once again, a great example of the impact of a lack of joined-up user centred thinking and a failure to understand how people really behave.  We can't remember these passwords - it is a natural constraint on human memory - so we take the easier path which works for us.  Clearly our reliance on passwords is a weak point in security systems - what technology will provide the solution?

Doors opened on moving Vic Line train - human error?

From the BBC website -
 
An inquiry has been launched after the doors of a London Underground train were opened by the driver in error as it approached a red signal. The southbound Victoria Line train was coming to rest in a tunnel outside Brixton station, south London, when the doors opened. 

Transport for London (TfL) said the doors were immediately closed again. It added that the driver confirmed the incident on Wednesday evening was the result of human error.

A TfL spokesman said: "London Underground has launched a full investigation after a southbound 67-stock Victoria line train approaching Brixton on Wednesday evening unexpectedly opened its doors as it came to rest at a red signal. "The train was checked following the incident and no customers were affected."

This seems a pretty good example of where the failure is actually in allowing the human to make the error in the first place.  Whether in the design of the door operation or in how they are maintained, designing out the potential to make this kind of error is the important factor.

Control room safety in pipeline operations

From the US, came this interesting piece on utility / pipeline control room operations and human error.    It features some interesting views on operator fatigue and training possibly contributing to failures to spot abnormal operating conditions and subsequent incidents.  

http://www.mercurynews.com/news/ci_16230206?source=rss&nclick_check=1

It seems surprising that the understanding of the contribution of the use of the SCADA systems was not captured in accident investigation data until this year!

What is also surprising to us is why fundamental issues like alarm flooding have not been managed in parts of the pipeline industry in the way that they have in others.

Preventing human error even in TV control rooms

There have been lots of examples recently of the impact of human error in control rooms especially in the US.  

However, there are implications even in non-safety critical control rooms such as in TV broadcasting.  It seems sometime ago now that ITV bungled the World Cup football going off to an ad break whilst England were scoring one of their few goals in the tournament.

It now seems that they are taking a low-tech approach to try to prevent it this human error happening again -
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/mediatechnologyandtelecoms/media/7960203/ITV-covers-up-control-room-buttons-to-avoid-repeat-of-World-Cup-goal-fiasco.html