A death that brings need for passwords into focus

RECENTLY Gerry Cotten died, a sad event like all of the deaths that have occurred.

The thing that makes this a major media event is that he operated Quadriga a Canadian cryptocurrency exchange, a real storage for imaginary money.

It was secure as only he had the password.

The $250m stored there is still there, or so everyone assumes as no one has the key to open it and check.

The imaginary money will probably be there long after the 115,000 users have also died.

The issue of bitcoin and other imaginary currencies has already been discussed thoroughly in the papers and general media but what of the need for passwords.

A song ‘Down Home’ by Alabama includes the lyrics ‘When a man’s word and a handshake was all that was needed.’

There were no passwords then and trust was the standard but that approach is so far from the current approaches that it is unrecognisable now.

Most people are honest and trustworthy although not all are so some form of security is now needed but does it need to be that secure.

It ‘s a shame trust is gone and probably access to the $250m.

Will there eventually be a time when fake news, social media and password are only words in a dictionary and not blights on our society?

Dennis Fitzgerald via email

RISING costs and uncertainty relating to Brexit are to blame for the sharp drop in output growth in January 2019.

The January 2019 PMI data revealed a fall from 52.8 in December to 50.6 in January, against the neutral reading of 50.0.

January data pointed to a loss of momentum for the UK construction sector, with business activity growth grinding to its weakest for 10 months.

The latest data shows a slowdown in growth in construction with business activity growth easing to its weakest for ten months.

The ongoing political uncertainty is partly to blame for this set-back.

Political uncertainty is the enemy of construction firms that rely on the spending power of homeowners to commission home improvement projects.

The UK is set to leave the EU next month, and yet we are still none the wiser about what the future holds. Given these intense headwinds, it should not be surprising that the sector suffered such a sharp decline.

Alongside the political uncertainty, the cost of doing business is also rising for construction firms up and down the country.

Material prices have been rising steadily since the depreciation of sterling following the referendum.

Looking ahead, material prices are expected to continue to cause a headache with recent research from the FMB showing that 87% of builders believe material prices will rise in the next six months. What’s more the construction skills crisis means key trades are difficult to recruit and the upshot of this is rising wages in construction.

Tradespeople know they can command higher salaries than they did as workers are scarce. This will only worsen if the post-Brexit immigration system the Government has planned goes ahead.

If the sector isn’t able to draw upon crucial EU workers of all skill levels, who have so far served to mitigate this shortage, the slowdown of growth will continue.

Brian Berry Chief executive SOCIETY LANDMARK

FMB ALZHEIMER’S Society will mark its 40th anniversary this year, celebrating our story so far and our on-going commitment to stopping dementia in its tracks.

Alzheimer’s Society recently announced that a staggering two and a half million people in the UK have become a Dementia Friend. This initiative asks people to take one small action to help people with dementia feel supported and able to live well in their communities.

With more than 16,200 people living with dementia across Lancashire, the need to unite in the fight against the condition has never been more pressing.

There are so many ways your readers can get involved in 2019 and what better time to take on a new challenge. From becoming a volunteer – either for our Side by Side service or at this year’s Virgin Money London Marathon where we are Charity of the Year – to fundraising, campaigning to Fix Dementia Care or signing up to join dementia research.

Whether you give an hour, a day or more, please visit alzheimers.org. uk/getinvolved to find out how you can unite against dementia.

Tara Edwards Alzheimer’s Society