Jedes Jahrzehnt hat seine Überschrift. Wenn die Siebziger sich unter dem Banner von „Love, Peace & Happiness“ versammeln und in den Achtzigern der Schlachtruf lautete: „Ich will Spaß“, so steht unter dem ablaufenden Jahrzeht „Security First“, Sicherheit hat Vorrang.

Zitat aus dem Artikel „Zeit der Exzesse“, Spiegel Nr. 50, S. 155

On page 2 product manager Ian Fette says that browsers as such “need to be more secure.” He proceeds: “Given what’s known about browser exploits, browsers need architectural changes to disadvantage malware.” Saying so, he stands in front of a big safe. This promise of a safe browser is consolidated by the casual crossing of his arms; and by his glasses that contribute to his (and the company’s) competence.

Ian Fette tells us more about malware in chapter four, page 25. On the right-hand side of the page, the shocked reader (or future user) can see how a masked criminal reaches from inside the user’s screen onto the actual keyboard—alarming! Apparently he escaped from prison lately, because he is still in prisoner’s garb. In the background one can see an angler. A casted fish with a dollar sign serves as baitfish for the criminal. The caption reads “Malware is very financially driven. It is all about stealing passwords and moving money around.”

On page 37 another classic depiction of safety comes in—the lock. Usually the lock is used to visualize encrypted connections, passwords or safety as such. Yet Google makes use of the somewhat restricted connotation of the lock and uses it as a symbol for proprietary software. The head of Chris DeBona turns into a lock. Unhappily he states “Sure. We could ship a proprietary browser and hold it in.” Freed from the lock and standing on the classic internet visualization (a cloud consisting of ones and zeros) he continues: “But Google lives on the internet.” Reminding us that without competition there is stagnation and that Google really is not evil and actually needs the internet to be “a fair, smart, safe place”, he opens the lock. What a gesture.

????? ????? ???? P ?????? ????? ?? ???? ???? ???? ????? ??????? ???? ??? ??. ??? ???? ?? ’7?? ???’??? ??? 7? ?????? ??? ???? ???? ? ???? ‘??? ???? ??’? ??? ? ??? ????.

In English: johannes p osterhoff is an interface artist, whose works explore users’ and companies’ communication with popular operating systems. for “7 windows” he dug deeply in windows 7′s system folders and presents his findings :)

For more information, please refer to the blog on the Homepage of Platoon or the Project Page of “7 Windows”.

I very like how the studio lights reflect on the fake pixel reflections of the shields. Kind of a double hyper real…

I guess this is why I never felt save using my iPhone.

I decided to do an icon like one Apple will have to do after some more reports about bugs or worms come up. As the iPhone icons for YouTube and the watch the rounded outline of the icon shape the depicted carrier of meaning—a rounded down safe with a exaggeratingly big turning knob on it and a reflecting surface. And I think it is not too farfetched to call it File Vaults little brother.

To get it on your home screen, simply bookmark this blog and to use it yourself for other purposes, feel free to download it. More icons to come.

“Al-Yac” from “Al-Tools” is the Korean equivalent to Avira in Germany: a free anti-virus program, updating itself and checking the system on regular basis and, not least, making one feel safe with a nice icon in the systray.

Al-Yac is funnier than the German counterpart, of course. When you open the program you see a personalized egg. This very cute and friendly egg was the icon of a very popular local compression format some years ago. Because this format could not maintain its ground against WinZip and open formats, the software makers had to come up with another business concept. Now Al-Yac serves as security center on most Korean PCs. This is why the illustrated egg now is holding a huge medical pill in its hands. This pill is very rich in detail and with the magnifying glass on the right, one understands that the big pill actually is a container for smaller (yellow, orange and green) pills. Very complex, indeed. These are not only simple vitamines, this looks like serious stuff :)

In Korea computers have to regularly swallow pills to keep them from catching a virus (or to relieve chronic afflictions), while in Germany (at least Avira) expectably plays it safe and offers an iconic umbrella as a precaution for wandering PCs.

You can download the program at Naver (it intergartes well with Windows 7 security center) and get a bigger version on Al-Yag’ website. When you do, also have a look at the cool ambulance car!!

But what is inside the safe? Maybe just data, maybe the data processing center of Lufthansa with a lot of servers. Actually I do not know and from the unknown it is only one step to the uncanny. And from the uncanny only one step to fear.

The screenshot of miles-and-more.com is from February 4, 2010.

As it seems the editorial article is a camouflaged advertisement. According to it, the answer to all this is “Paragon Backup and Recovery”. The article announced on the front page is exclusively about this software and another hint for the downfall of printed (technology) magazines.