undefined | Better HN

0 pointsnkrisc2y ago0 comments

There’s a big difference. The latter requires information not contained in the URL to access the information.

0 comments

deathanatos2y ago

> Here's the URL to the thing: https://example.com/a/url?secret=hunter2

This is indexable by search engines.

> Here's the URL to the thing: https://example.com/a/url and the password is "hunter2".

This is indexable by search engines.

Yes, the latter is marginally harder, but you're still leaning on security through obscurity, here.

The number of times I have had "we need to securely transmit this data!" end with exactly or something equivalent to emailing an encrypted ZIP with the password in the body of the email (or sometimes, some other insecure channel…) …

pests2y ago

Right, but you settled on the answer as well. You must communicate the password via a different medium, which is impossible with links.

nkriscOP2y ago

Sure if you’re comparing worst case of one to best case of the other it’s functionally similar, but if the password is strong and handled properly then they are not functionally similar at all.

ironmagma2y ago

That's not a fundamental difference but a difference of convention. A lot of us have been in the convention long enough that it seems like a fundamental.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse

0 comments

deathanatos2y ago

> Here's the URL to the thing: https://example.com/a/url?secret=hunter2

This is indexable by search engines.

> Here's the URL to the thing: https://example.com/a/url and the password is "hunter2".

This is indexable by search engines.

Yes, the latter is marginally harder, but you're still leaning on security through obscurity, here.

pests2y ago

Right, but you settled on the answer as well. You must communicate the password via a different medium, which is impossible with links.

nkriscOP2y ago

Sure if you’re comparing worst case of one to best case of the other it’s functionally similar, but if the password is strong and handled properly then they are not functionally similar at all.

ironmagma2y ago

That's not a fundamental difference but a difference of convention. A lot of us have been in the convention long enough that it seems like a fundamental.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse