What does your printer say about you?
20-10-2005, 08:26
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#1
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Guest
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What does your printer say about you?
There is an article in the Metro newspaper this morning (front page, actually) entitled "Big brother is watching you" - The word 'brother' being rendered as per the printer manufacturer.
Anyway it refers to an article from EFF http://www.eff.org/Privacy/printers/ which start as follows:
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Imagine that every time you printed a document, it automatically included a secret code that could be used to identify the printer - and potentially, the person who used it.
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The article in Metro quotes an EFF spokesperson as saying:
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What else has been made to ensure out technology rats on us?
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20-10-2005, 11:01
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#2
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Inactive
Join Date: Aug 2003
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secret codes in your printouts!
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20-10-2005, 11:26
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#3
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Inactive
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: London
Posts: 1,267
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Re: secret codes in your printouts!
Nothing new, I'm afraid. I'm not too worried - I don't do a lot of counterfeiting. 
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20-10-2005, 11:45
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#4
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Mum 30/09/20 Dad 08/08/24
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Re: secret codes in your printouts!
You could by any number of identical laser printers print of the same document to each, and forensics could tell which printed from each printer (CSI; MIAMI DID THIS)
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20-10-2005, 11:47
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#5
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Mum 30/09/20 Dad 08/08/24
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Galactic Sector ZZ9 Plural Z Alpha, A secret Moonbase (shh don't tell anybody)
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Re: What does your printer say about you?
Definatley reaks of Big Brother
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20-10-2005, 11:49
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#6
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cf.mega poser
Join Date: Jun 2003
Posts: 16,687
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Re: secret codes in your printouts!
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Originally Posted by david.ewles
You could by any number of identical laser printers print of the same document to each, and forensics could tell which printed from each printer (CSI; MIAMI DID THIS)
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That's different from taking one printout and being able to trace the address the printer was delivered to though...
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20-10-2005, 11:49
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#7
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Inactive
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Re: What does your printer say about you?
Dunno what it says about me, but it definitely whispers at me in the middle of the night.
Usual stuff - 'they're all out to get you, you know', 'kill 'em, KILL 'EM ALL!!'. Nothing too serious 
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20-10-2005, 11:56
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#8
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Guest
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Re: secret codes in your printouts!
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20-10-2005, 12:03
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#9
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Inactive
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Re: What does your printer say about you?
Threads merged.
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20-10-2005, 12:29
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#10
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Re: secret codes in your printouts!
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Originally Posted by jrhnewark
Nothing new, I'm afraid. I'm not too worried - I don't do a lot of counterfeiting. |
You don't have to be doing counterfeiting to be worried.
It means anything you print could potentially be traced back to you, even if you printed something you rather wasn't - for whatever reason.
As with so many security measures, unless there's some sort of control, it can just as easily be misused.
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Originally Posted by Nugget
Dunno what it says about me, but it definitely whispers at me in the middle of the night.
Usual stuff - 'they're all out to get you, you know', 'kill 'em, KILL 'EM ALL!!'. Nothing too serious |
I think you should check out this thread: http://www.cableforum.co.uk/board/sh...ad.php?t=36950
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Originally Posted by david.ewles
You could by any number of identical laser printers print of the same document to each, and forensics could tell which printed from each printer (CSI; MIAMI DID THIS)
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That's more like determining which gun fired what bullet, whereas this is a objective analysis method, rather than a subjective one.
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Originally Posted by tkiely
back to pencil and paper again then!
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Then they'll just use graphology against you!
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20-10-2005, 13:13
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#11
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Inactive
Join Date: Nov 2004
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Re: What does your printer say about you?
Hi.
I know this is not about printers, but several months ago there was an article in the PCPRO magazine that some scanners were programmed not to scan the us dollar or english currency notes, sort of remember HP was mentioned.
I have a HP and Epson but they scan the notes so it may have been refering to the more expensive profeesional scanners.
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20-10-2005, 13:15
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#12
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Inactive
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Re: secret codes in your printouts!
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Originally Posted by ScaredWebWarrior
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I was going to, but my printer told me not to 
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20-10-2005, 13:44
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#13
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The Invisible Woman
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Re: What does your printer say about you?
My printers all hate me..They uninstall themselves at the whisper of "I've got to print this out quickly",run out of ink before the cartridge is empty,and generally behave like some incontinent furry pet and leak all over the item you need printing for use in the next 10 minutes or get themselves instantly constipated with a paper blockage that uses up the last few sheets that you had left....
I'm presently keeping the old printer in the same room as the new one so I can kick it each time I pass thus encouraging the new one not to misbehave..
Incog awaits the first suggestion for a society to prevent the abuse of old printers.
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20-10-2005, 17:33
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#14
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Guest
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Re: What does your printer say about you?
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Originally Posted by Incognitas
Incog awaits the first suggestion for a society to prevent the abuse of old printers. |
I hereby announce the formation of RSPAP (we don't discriminate against the old!)
The aim of the Society is to find unwanted, unloved printers - anywhere in the UK - and to ensure they are properly cared for.
Failing that, we'll just chuck 'em in a skip!
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20-10-2005, 20:09
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#15
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The Invisible Woman
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Re: What does your printer say about you?
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Originally Posted by ScaredWebWarrior
I hereby announce the formation of RSPAP (we don't discriminate against the old!)
The aim of the Society is to find unwanted, unloved printers - anywhere in the UK - and to ensure they are properly cared for.
Failing that, we'll just chuck 'em in a skip!
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You couldn't come up with a better acronym? 
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