Terrorists leak Windows Source Code on the Net
February 12, 2004
I'm kidding of course, about the terrorist part. There are all sorts of implications to the Windows source code leak. Can you say zero day worms, exploits and all sorts of fun?
Smoking…
February 9, 2004
After months of suffering with my WISP provider and the unending series of service failures, I've made the plunge and run a T1 line to the house. After just one night, I am amazed at how much more productive I can be when the Internet is reliable. Not only that, but I can stream media again, download software updates and upload large files (things that would cause my WISP connection to barf). Finally feel like I am back in the Internet age and it feels good...
Profile of a Virus Writer
February 9, 2004
The New York Times has published a great article on virus writers. Nice detailed analysis that is worth the read. "This is how easy it has become. Mario stubs out his cigarette and sits down at the desk in his bedroom. He pops into his laptop the CD of Iron Maiden's ''Number of the Beast,'' his latest favorite album. ''I really like it,'' he says. ''My girlfriend bought it for me.'' He gestures to the 15-year-old girl with straight dark hair lounging on his neatly made bed, and she throws back a shy smile. Mario, 16, is a secondary-school student in a small town in the foothills of southern Austria. (He didn't want me to use his last name.) His shiny shoulder-length hair covers half his face and his sleepy green eyes, making him look…
All About the Dads Tonight
February 8, 2004
I've got the Grammy awards playing in the background and it is a surprisingly emotional evening with a theme about fathers. Having spent the weekend alone with my daugther, it is striking a chord with me. I found Warren Zevon's son the most impressive with his simple request that "when all you parents out there get questions about who Warren Zevon was after this, I hope you will add that he was a wonderful father to your description of him." (paraphrased of course). In addition, the Luther Vandross song, Dance with My Father was a clear crowd favorite. Dance With My Father (Luther Vandross Lyrics) Back when I was a child, before life removed all the innocence My father would lift me high and dance with my mother and me and then Spin me…
What’s wrong with the NHL?
February 8, 2004
Martin St. Louis was elected as a first team all-star, so you've got my atttention. I've tuned into the all-star game with my Powerbook on my lap hoping to catch some great moves and get some work done at the same time. However, and it is a big however, the game isn't being broadcast in High Definition! They claimed they were broadcasting in HDTV format at the start of the game, but it hasn't happened yet. Big disappointment... UPDATE: Whatever was wrong is fixed now and the broadcast is in HDTV. Thanks for your responsiveness ABC!
Shake things up…shake up the world.
February 8, 2004
I am nearing my goal of having a Windows free environment at the Devost household. Our desktops are running OS X and my servers are running Linux (RedHat and Fedora). One lone Windows machine remains, used only for Groove, which does not support Mac OS X. It shouldn't be surprising that my favorite SuperBowl commercial was the Linux one. In fact, IBM has produced a series of outstanding Linux commercials, which can be found here. "Never. Never make me no underdog. And never talk about who’s gonna stop me. Well, there ain’t nobody gonna stop me. I must be the greatest. I shook up the world. (Inaudible background voices) I shook up the world. I shook up the world. I shook up the world."
The RSS Solution
February 3, 2004
Eric posted a link last week to BlogLines, an online RSS reader. I've been using the site ever since Eric posted it, and I must admit I am very impressed. If you read RSS feeds, and are looking for a solution that works from any location using any platform (Palm device, laptop, desktop) then check out Bloglines. It has already significantly enhanced my RSS experience.
Microsoft in Human Rights Row
February 1, 2004
Technology sold by Microsoft to the Chinese government has been used by Beijing to censor the internet, and resulted in the jailing of its political opponents. An Amnesty International report has cited Microsoft among a clutch of leading computer firms heavily criticised for helping to fuel 'a dramatic rise in the number of people detained or sentenced for internet-related offences'. Full Story
More Mac Fun
January 31, 2004
"Never ask a person what computer they use. If it's a Mac, they'll tell you. If it's not, why embarrass them?" -- Tom Clancy
The Dean Scream
January 31, 2004
Here is an interesting take on the Dean scream that was played by the media over 700 times the next day. It turns out that the footage we've been seeing on TV had his voice isolated, so the viewer hears the scream out of context. Turns out, had you been in the room, or had his voice not been processed through the isolator, you would have heard the background noise of the crowd that he was trying to talk above. An interesting insight into the impact of technology and the media on a 30 second snapshot in time.
The Shoe Bomber Can’t Fill His Own Shoes
January 28, 2004
Doc first brought this statement by the Judge in the Richard Reid case to my attention: "There is all too much war talk here. And I say that to everyone with the utmost respect. Here in this court, where we deal with individuals as individuals, and care for individuals as individuals, as human beings we reach out for justice, you are not an enemy combatant. You are a terrorist. You are not a soldier in any war. You are a terrorist. To give you that reference, to call you a soldier gives you far too much stature. Whether it is the officers of government who do it or your attorney who does it, or that happens to be your view, you are a terrorist. And we do not negotiate with terrorists. We do not sign documents with terrorists. We hunt them…
Cyberwarning System
January 28, 2004
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…
Attempts to launch cyberwar on the rise
January 28, 2004
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…
Government Technology Interview
January 27, 2004
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
FBI Comments on Macs
January 26, 2004
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,…