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Security

 
July 12
2010
Filed under:  

Bruce Schneier
  Internet Kill Switch
  Law
  Legislation
  Quick Quote
  Schneier On Security
  Security
 

Quick Quote: Bruce Schneier On Proposed "Internet Kill Switch" Legislation -- via @schneierblog [Security]

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Last month, Sen. Joe Lieberman, I-Conn., introduced a bill that might -- we're not really sure -- give the president the authority to shut down all or portions of the Internet in the event of an emergency.
via schneier.com

This is a great post about the potential widespread problems that flipping such a kill switch might cause, and why implementing authority -- presidential or otherwise -- to unilaterally shut off internet connectivity would actually do more harm to the good guys than the bad guys.

Read the full post to learn of the flawed assumptions upon which Schneier believes such legislative proposals are based.

Source: Schneier On Security

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June 28
2010
Filed under:  

AdBlock
  Advertising
  Browser Extensions
  Firefox
  Law School
  Mobile Advertising
  Privacy
  Security
 

"Can We Haz Privacy and Security?" Some @Firefox add-ons and a shout-out to @GrouponPhilly [Privacy]

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I said this:
Addons to help you stay safe and secure and maintain your privacy on the web while using Firefox. Some are more complicated to use than others, but consider reading and asking other users for help.
via addons.mozilla.org

The title isn't very pretty, but sitting in Cyberprivacy class compelled me to make sure I was mentioning some of the better extensions I've come across. Targeted, contextual advertising, done well and with full disclosure, can be mutually beneficial to both consumers and marketers.

These extensions are particularly useful if you find yourself bombarded by poorly or nefariously implemented online marketing strategies.

Hopefully, I'll dig up their equivalents for other browsers soon. Any comments, criticisms, suggestions are welcome.

[ View the collection ]

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March 29
2010
Filed under:  

Engadget
  Image
  Security
  USB Drives
  Utility Knives
  Victorinox
 

"Victorinox Secure Pro USB drive is 'un-hackable,' can file your nails" -- Via @Engadget [Image]

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Engadget tells about how Victorinox hired some hackers to crack the security on this bad boy and no one earned the sizeable cash prize they were offering to the one who could get a look at the information on the drive.

Not too shabby. 

Source:
http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/28/victorinox-secure-pro-usb-drive-is-un-hack...

-- Sent from my Palm Pre

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February 12
2010
Filed under:  

Hacking
  Homeland Security
  PDF
  Quote
  Security
  Threat Level
  Wired
 

Hacker's 13-Year Sentence Is A New Record Waiting To Be Broken -- Via Threat Level [PDF]

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"Vision’s 13 year term is the longest U.S. hacking sentence, though that record will likely be eclipsed next month when confessed TJX hacker Albert Gonzalez faces the first of two sentencing hearings. One of Gonzalez’s plea agreements contemplates a term of 17 to 25 years in prison."

via Threat Level

The government should aggressively recruit these guys, monitoring them from the little leagues and offering them paying jobs before they graduate to the majors. Show them simple charts outlining the money they can make with the government--and it behooves the feds to be generous--versus the time they could serve and the fines they could pay if they work on the dark side of the force. This guy is probably going to be a gold mine of knowledge and talent for the government, it's just a shame his criminal tendencies and desperate situation combined before anyone suggested a brighter path.

I attached the letter he wrote to the judge about how he got into jail, outlining what led to his crimes and clearly indicating that the guy isn't crazy--he's just a criminal. Hopefully the feds will take him on his offer of assistance to Homeland Security and others. Hopefully, jail won't make him stealthier and outright hostile.

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February 9
2010
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Conficker
  Quote
  Security
  The Register
  Virus
 

And you thought Conficker was so 2000 and late... -- Via The Register [Quote]

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We can confirm that some of our servers have been affected by the Conficker virus. We’re currently disinfecting the infected servers in the system and expect this process to be complete by the end of the week.

- Spokesperson for NHS Leeds (branch of England's National Health Service)

via theregister.co.uk

It's not. It's still around. Dormant on millions of computers. Estimates range from 3 million to 15 million. Yours could be one of them.

Check for the infection here:

http://www.confickerworkinggroup.org/wiki/

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January 13
2010
Filed under:  

Google
  Official Google Blog
  Security
 

"Official Google Blog: A new approach to China"

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These attacks and the surveillance they have uncovered--combined with the attempts over the past year to further limit free speech on the web--have led us to conclude that we should review the feasibility of our business operations in China. We have decided we are no longer willing to continue censoring our results on Google.cn, and so over the next few weeks we will be discussing with the Chinese government the basis on which we could operate an unfiltered search engine within the law, if at all. We recognize that this may well mean having to shut down Google.cn, and potentially our offices in China.
via googleblog.blogspot.com

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January 6
2010
Filed under:  

PDF
  Security
  Verizon
 

Verizon's 2009 Data Breach Investigations Report: "285M Records Were Compromised In 2008"

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This is old news -- the 52-page report was originally published in April 2009 -- but the quote alone is a stark reminder of how much data is out there for the stealing. I suppose a report like this is somewhat encouraging in that it illustrates that Verizon takes this issue very seriously, as it should.

Source: http://www.verizonbusiness.com/resources/

Download the report: http://www.verizonbusiness.com/resources/security/.../2009_databreach_rp.pdf

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