Cyberwarning System
While communication with Internet users about security is a great idea, it still does nothing to hold corporations and other organizations accountable for security negligence. I am not a big fan of the HS Threat Alert level, so I am not very likely to get excited about this one unless they clearly communicate what citizens can do to be part of the solution.
"The U.S. Department of Homeland Security plans to announce details of a cyberalert system on Wednesday, two days after a virus called MyDoom spread rapidly across the Internet. The system, which will be detailed by the department's National Cyber Security Division, could mimic the color-coded scheme the government uses to warn citizens and alert law enforcement authorities of terrorism threats, a source familiar with some details of the plan said" Full Story
Attempts to launch cyberwar on the rise
From Government Computer News - > "Cyberwarfare—a sustained digital attack on critical infrastructures—isn’t easy to wage, but there are indications that some groups might be preparing to try.
“We really haven’t seen an act of cyberterror,” Matthew G. Devost, president of the Terrorism Research Center of Burke, Va., said at a recent conference held by the Terrorism Research Center and the Washington Metro Transit Police. “It’s more difficult to execute than you have been led to believe.”
Terrorist groups, however, could be financing the education of computer science students to get the necessary expertise. “We’re starting to see an increase in sponsorships of degrees in computer science,” Devost said, although no students have been tied to particular organizations. "
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Government Technology Interview
The interesting thing is I don't even remember doing this interview! Enjoy...
Matthew G. Devost: Ready the Defense
States should be working with private organizations and companies to ensure critical infrastructure and information technology are not vulnerable to cyber terrorism. By Steven Ferry, Government Technology, February 2002
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FBI Comments on Macs
From athis Security Focus Article.
"Dave had some surprises up his sleeve as well. You'll remember that I said he was using a ThinkPad (running Windows!). I asked him about that, and he told us that many of the computer security folks back at FBI HQ use Macs running OS X, since those machines can do just about anything: run software for Mac, Unix, or Windows, using either a GUI or the command line. And they're secure out of the box. In the field, however, they don't have as much money to spend, so they have to stretch their dollars by buying WinTel-based hardware. Are you listening, Apple? The FBI wants to buy your stuff. Talk to them!
Dave also had a great quotation for us: "If you're a bad guy and you want to frustrate law enforcement, use a Mac." Basically, police and government agencies know what to do with seized Windows machines. They can recover whatever information they want, with tools that they've used countless times. The same holds true, but to a lesser degree, for Unix-based machines. But Macs evidently stymie most law enforcement personnel. They just don't know how to recover data on them. So what do they do? By and large, law enforcement personnel in American end up sending impounded Macs needing data recovery to the acknowledged North American Mac experts: the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Evidently the Mounties have built up a knowledge and technique for Mac forensics that is second to none."
Social networks
I've been interested in the dynamics of social networks for some time at both a professional personal level. I've finally decided to test out one of the social network sites, namely Orkut as it was designed at Google and is invitation only. Thus far, with only two friends signed in, I am linked to over 5000 people. If you are interested in signing up, please email me and I'll add you to my list.
Latest News
At New York's Kennedy airport today, an individual, later discovered to be a public school teacher, was arrested trying to board a flight while in possession of a ruler, a protractor, a setsquare, a slide rule, and a
calculator.
At a morning press conference, Attorney general John Ashcroft said he believes the man is a member of the notorious al-gebra movement. He is being charged by the FBI with carrying weapons of math instruction.
This fascinates me...
John Perry Barlow and Joi Ito create an ambient connected environment while one is in Colorado and the other is in Japan. Description from Barlow.
iChatAV is an amazing piece of software and one that makes me wish Macs had a larger market share so I could take advantage of it more. Several of my staff will be working from home tomorrow and will use IM to chat throughout the day. This just adds a whole new dimension.
Hussein Captured
See the Terrorism Research Center site for more details. My personal opinions are in the Premium Content forums.
The future of man/machine interfaces
I am using a Touchstream keyboard right now, both at work and at home. It is a zero resistance keyboard with mouse and gesturing. What can I do with gesturing? A more appropriate question is what can't I do. If you seen the movie Minority Report, you've seen a gesturing interface when Tom Cruise interacts with gloves. Well, with this keyboard, there are no gloves, but all gestures are conducted via finger interactions with the keyboard. For example, I can minimize windows, search, cut, paste and about 100 other things simply by moving my hands on the keyboard or gently touching it with certain finger combinations. Pretty amazing stuff that you have to see to believe.
Don't get me wrong, this keyboard requires a lot of work to get used to. I type at a slower speed and have had to overcome some really bad habits. However, I see this as an investment in the future as would not be surprised to see this technology replace our traditional concepts of computers and mice. Fact is, I haven't touched my mouse in two weeks as the keyboard provides all the input capabilities I need. You can check them out for yourself at www.fingerworks.com
Codefellas - Tech Support for the Mob
Interesting story from Wired. Doesn't provide a lot of juicy details but addresses a reality that has been present for a decade...even organized crime needs tech support.
"On a traffic-clogged street in midtown Manhattan - sandwiched among the bars, massage parlors, and cheap diners - there's a small glass door that leads to my office. The building has no doorman, no front desk, and no video surveillance cameras. We don't go in for that type of security. I walk through the door, down a long corridor to an elevator. When I press the button, the elevator starts with a jump, and a bell on the third floor rings. Now the boys upstairs know that someone's coming." Full Story