We are aware that hackers are huge problem in the modern world, although for most people it is someone else’s problem. But the more we hear of it, the more wary we become. There are trends towards mitigating the risk by removing aspects of technology. This was in the news today:

Hong Kong’s banks have a new weapon against scams: Accounts that require customers to visit a branch to access their funds.

The territory’s Monetary Authority calls these accounts a “Money Safe.”

…Hong Kong’s government will now promote Money Safe with advertising and other tactics, and is already encouraging residents to use the accounts to store any cash they don’t intend to spend in the near future.

Presuming that the in-person verification cannot be thwarted, I love this. True peace of mind in a digital world. Many people otherwise can and do store cash secretly at home…

Similar measures are taking place in other areas.

Australian Defence has signed a multi-year Deed of Standing Offer with Google Australia to deliver enhanced, secure and air-gapped hyperscale cloud capability for Defence’s ICT Environment. It is confusing considering the entire idea of cloud computing was originally to be distributed across multiple locations, but this is an instance without connections to the outside world, especially useful for portable computation. It cannot be hacked remotely.

Also in Australia, the government just made it mandatory for supermarkets and gas stations to take cash. Which means cash is sticking around, and cash in your wallet cannot be hacked.

People with modern cars are resorting to old-school methods to protect them from theft, because it is easy to clone a digital key. Expect more and more physical keys returning as an option (at least) for vehicles.

And Tesla is in trouble because someone died in a burning car because electrical failure meant the doors wouldn’t open the usual way. Hopefully we return to mechanical doors, and more knobs and dials for things like air con.

And finally, smart homes haven’t really taken off, except for HVAC in the US. And door bells / security. I sense a trend towards more self-reliance, like backup power supplies and generators, and tech-free defence.