Deprecation of SmartLink Social Media Sign-On

Tim - W4TME

This document describes the upcoming depreciation of using social media SmartLink account types. Specifically what you need to do if you are currently using Facebook or Google accounts to log in to your SmartLink account. If you are using an email address directly entered into the SmartLink login screen or do not use SmartLink, then this notification is not directly applicable, but you are welcome to review it.

Deprecation of SmartLink Social Media Sign-On

Jim Gilliam

Ken Wells

Logan KE7AZ

Your “spell wrecker” is using “depreciate”when you mean deprecate” in all of its various forms. Logan, KE7AZ

Joe N3HEE

I think this is a hint the next release is coming soon !

K1UO Larry

LOL..  I'm with you Joe!

KD0RC

It has, and I can't stand it.  On project meetings, anytime anyone used the term I would come back with "You are the worst piece of lousy, stinking software ever...".  Team members got tired of that and went back to saying something was retired.

73,
Len, KD0RC (I am retired, not deprecated...)

Val DM1TX

Thanks Tim for all the hard work. Since I have no social accounts (life) :-) it is easy for me. Stay safe and healthy. 73

Tim - W4TME

:-)

John Langdon

Hoping for multiple user logins w/ privileges, and adaptive predistortion.

N8SDR

Bill -VA3WTB

Bill -VA3WTB

N8SDR

Dan-N7HQ

N8SDR

Dan-N7HQ

N8SDR

Ted VE3TRQ

I almost wrote a response twice, and deleted them before submitting. But I just can't resist.

N8SDR had one good idea/comment: perhaps the SmartLink login should be somewhat more protected. His other arguments appear to be a result of not understanding some fundamental tenets of TCP/IP networking, and certificate-based secure logins. (Although I will admit that perhaps he has some insight that escapes me.)

There are always exploits out there that we do not yet know of, but certificate-based TLS logins are about as secure as you can get, as long as you protect the certificate. And if you do have the certificate to access a service, you will only get the access that the service allows, nothing more nothing less, unless it is badly designed and written. In this case, the service is operating the radio.

The radio's operating system is not exposed, and the network on which the radio finds itself is not exposed when random port scans are initiated - if the gateway router has no port forward, the probe is silently dropped. If there is a port forward, the destination network stack will exchange syn/ack in the case of a TCP connection attempt (a "probe"), but it exposes nothing other than the target system did not outright refuse the connection (a TCP reset response). The next stage, a successful TLS exchange, is required for further access of any kind.

No software subsystem is compromised, nor is generic operating system or local network access available to the outside "invader".

My 2 cents (I guess it has to be a nickel, as we have no pennies in Canada).

Ted VE3TRQ

N8SDR

Ted VE3TRQ

Unless you compomise the router, or forward traffic to a vulnerable port/service combination, that warning from the Xfinity is likely quite bogus. I saw it but decided it was not worth commenting on. I have been watching port scans since 1990 :-) It's all about the exposed, insecure services visible to the outside, or by an inadequate router/gateway.

k3Tim

Agree with Ted.  'SDR can safely delete your flex accounts now.

Have a Nice Day.
Tim / k3Tim/7

Dan-N7HQ

Tim - W4TME

ATTENTION: The changes described in this Community post where the use of social media logins for SmartLink accounts will be discontinued is scheduled to take place on Thursday, June 18th, 2020. 

If you have not converted your SmartLink login to the email-based Auth0 type of login, you need to make this change ASAP to ensure continued access to your radio that is accessed using SmartLink.

For additional information on how to change your SmartLink login, please see the following document.  Deprecation of SmartLink Social Media Sign-On

Logan KE7AZ

Tim - W4TME

It was a typo.  The change is happening today.