Paranoia, Insecurity, and Overall Anxiety

PA School Activates Spycam on Laptop

2010-02-22T12:19:00.001-08:00

Spyware for Your Blackberry

2010-02-09T10:48:00.000-08:00

This video is a demonstration of code that can be used to install spyware on blackberries. The spyware can be used to forward your SMS messages, logs, etc to an attacker. Not Cool!!!

TXSBBSpy Demo from Veracode on Vimeo.

Don't Forget Iron Man

2008-12-16T20:07:00.000-08:00

Since I'm on the topic let's not forget Raytheon's Exo-Skeleton suit that turns any soldier into Iron Man potentially or at least into the Terminator.

Pursuit Robots

2008-12-16T19:42:00.000-08:00

I meant to post this video sometime ago to stimulate dialogue. Are you ready for Pursuit Robots? Yes, Pursuit Robots, like straight out of the Matrix. You remember those squid-like robots from the Matrix that could only be stopped via EMP (electro-magnetic-pulse)right? Well, these aren't quite as sophisticated as those featured in the Matrix movies, and likely pale in comparison to what "they" probably really have to track down "non-cooperative adults," but it's definitely a proof of concept prototype if I've ever seen one.

I Have Returned

2008-11-18T20:10:00.001-08:00

It's been a long time, I shouldn't have left you
Without a strong post to "think" to...

I know. That line is awkward. I just wanted everyone to know that I have returned to the blogging scene. Lots has been happening to me professionally that has caused me to be "distracted" from posting to say the least. Nevertheless, I have decided to get back into the action. After all, posting is therapeutic. I have tons of security topics to tackle. Stay tuned!

Ubiquitous Computing - I Don't Like IT!

2008-08-06T18:56:00.000-07:00

This is way too much "convenience."

A Little Satire

2008-08-01T14:39:00.000-07:00

It's Friday and I don't want to begin the weekend with a bunch of doom and gloom which seems to be my M.O. lately. Here is this David Banner video that delivers some good, old-fashioned sarcasm.

Bundled Facial Recognition Software on New Laptops

2008-06-24T08:34:00.000-07:00

Did you know that some new laptops are shipped bundled with facial recognition software? I haven't done all of the research on this topic yet, but I did come across an interesting video that is making this point. Check it out.

I Have Been Slipping!

2008-06-17T09:44:00.000-07:00

No new post for such a long time. Sorry about that. I have been busy with work, training and all of the activities involved with trying to save the world. ;o)

I did take a week long class on Intrusion Detection. Interesting topic and lots to learn. First step, become competent in Snort. This may take longer than I would like to admit.

Unleash the Cracken aka DARPA

2008-05-07T11:13:00.000-07:00

A Presidential Directive and Congressional nod have been given to DARPA to go to work on a National Cybersecurity Initiative. Details are classified, of course. DARPA's general orders are to:

• Conduct unbiased, quantitative and qualitative assessment of information assurance and survivability tools in a representative network environment.
• Replicate complex, large-scale, heterogeneous networks and users in current and future Department of Defense (DoD) weapon systems and operations.
• Enable multiple, independent, simultaneous experiments on the same infrastructure.
• Enable realistic testing of Internet/Global-Information-Grid (GIG) scale research.
• Develop and deploy revolutionary cyber testing capabilities.
• Enable the use of the scientific method for rigorous cyber testing.

Question. Why?
Stay tuned...

I Think That My Internet is Tapped

2008-04-23T13:03:00.000-07:00

April 23, 2008 11:48 AM PDT
FBI wants widespread monitoring of 'illegal' Internet activity
Posted by Anne Broache | 2 comments WASHINGTON--The FBI on Wednesday called for new legislation that would allow federal police to monitor the Internet for "illegal activity."

The proposal from FBI Director Robert Mueller, which came during a House of Representatives Judiciary Committee hearing, appears to go beyond a current plan to monitor traffic on federal-government networks. Mueller seemed to suggest that the bureau should have a broad "omnibus" authority to conduct monitoring and surveillance of private-sector networks as well.

The surveillance should include all Internet traffic, Mueller said, "whether it be .mil, .gov, .com--whatever you're talking about."

In response to questions from Rep. Darrell Issa, a California Republican, Mueller said his proposed legislation "balances on one hand the privacy rights of people receiving information with...the necessity of having some omnibus search capability, utilizing filters that would identify illegal activity as it goes through, and allow us the ability to catch it at a choke point."

Issa suggested he would support such legislation.

If Mueller's omnibus-monitoring proposal became law, it could implicate the Fourth Amendment's guarantee of freedom from unreasonable searches and seizures. In general, courts have ruled that police need search warrants to obtain the content of communication, and the federal Wiretap Act created "super warrant" wiretap orders that require additional steps and judicial oversight.

In addition, it's unclear whether "illegal activity" would be limited to responding to denial-of-service attacks and botnets, or would also include detecting other illegal activities, such as online gambling, the distribution of "obscene" images of adults engaged in sexual acts, or selling drugs without a license.

To be fair, Wednesday's discussion of the plan was geared toward cybercrime and the Bush administration's classified "cyberinitiative," which includes a shadowy program known as Einstein.

Some politicians have already raised concerns that even Einstein, which is described as dealing only with government networks and not private ones, could infringe upon the privacy rights of American citizens. It's already in place at 15 federal agencies, but Homeland Security has said it's still preparing the necessary privacy impact assessments for a proposed $293 million governmentwide Einstein expansion.

Issa, for his part, referred on Wednesday to malicious attacks being undertaken by foreign and domestic hackers who want to "take control of computers" and harvest the national-security secrets and private information of government agencies, private companies, and individual Americans.

"What authorities do you need in order to monitor, looking for those illegal activities, and then act on those both defensively and, either yourself or certainly other agencies, offensively in order to shut down a crime in process?" Issa asked.

In response, Mueller said he would be happy to have his legislative staff work with members of Issa's committee on creating a bill for a broader-reaching surveillance system.

Issa suggested that perhaps the FBI already has the power to seek voluntary private-sector partners that would like to be "defended" by its agents, provided that they give the FBI their consent. Mueller, however, wasn't so sure, saying, "that's going to require some thought."

CNET News.com's Declan McCullagh contributed to this report.

Rupert Murdoch Firm Goes on Trial for Alleged Tech Sabotage

2008-04-22T10:40:00.000-07:00

What does Rupert Murdoch, DVD players filled with cash, a dead hacker, former US, UK, and Israeli intelligence officers and satelite TV all have in common? An incredible true story that reads more like a Tom Clancy novel. The ABC news article concerning this case is a little long, but a great read.

Insert consiracy question here --> This case is like five years old. Why are we just now hearing about it?

Met Police officers to be 'microchipped' by top brass in Big Brother style tracking scheme

2008-04-11T07:03:00.001-07:00

This article reports plans to microchip Met Police Officers in the UK. Hmmm. Interesting. Makes one wonder who's next.

DHS, RSA, and Internet Insecurity

2008-04-10T08:45:00.000-07:00

Some of DHS's highlights from the RSA Conference. Disclaimer: Remember, the initiatives being introduced below are for our protection only.
Great articles Ryan.

Zombie Computers Decried as Threat to National Security

CyberSecurity Manhattan Project

I Guess Someone At HP Was a Little Upset...

2008-04-09T08:47:00.000-07:00

HP has admitted that it sold malware infected flash drives that affect primarily Proliant servers. Preliminary investigation suggests that the infection happened at the factory. Maybe someone just received news that their job was being "right sourced?" Details of the malware and the fix appear below.

HPSBMA02323 SSRT080032 rev.1 - HP USB Floppy Drive Key (Option) for ProLiant Servers, Local Virus Infection
Local virus infection.
A potential security vulnerability has been identified with two types of optional HP USB Floppy Drive Keys intended for use with certain ProLiant servers. This vulnerability could cause a local 'W32.Fakerecy' or 'W32.SillyFDC' virus infection.
CVE-2008-0708
Option Part # 442084-B21 HP 256MB USB 2.0 Floppy Drive Key
Option Part # 442085-B21 HP 1GB USB 2.0 Floppy Drive Key
The optional Floppy Drive Keys listed above could be used on the following servers:
ProLiant BL20pG4; ProLiant BL25pG2
ProLiant BL45pG2
ProLiant BL260c
ProLiant BL460c; ProLiant BL465c; ProLiant BL465cG5; ProLiant BL480c
ProLiant BL680cG5; ProLiant BL685c; ProLiant BL685cG5
ProLiant DL120G5; ProLiant DL140G3; ProLiant DL145G3; ProLiant DL160G5; ProLiant DL165G5; ProLiant DL180; ProLiant DL180G5; ProLiant DL185G5
ProLiant DL320G5; ProLiant DL320G5p; ProLiant DL320s; ProLiant DL360G5; ProLiant DL365; ProLiant DL365G5; ProLiant DL380G5; ProLiant DL385G2; ProLiant DL385G5
ProLiant DL580G4; ProLiant DL580G5; ProLiant DL585G2; ProLiant DL585G5
ProLiant ML110G4; ProLiant ML110G5; ProLiant ML115; ProLiant ML115G5; ProLiant ML150G3; ProLiant Ml150G5
ProLiant ML310G4; ProLiant ML310G5; ProLiant ML350G5; ProLiant ML370G5
ProLiant ML570G4
IP Console Switch with virtual media
Server Console switch
Server Console Switch with virtual media
TFT7600 (USB Pass-through)
1U Rackmount Keyboard with USB
CVSS 2.0 Base Metrics
Reference Base Vector Base Score
CVE-2008-0708 (AV:L/AC:L/Au:S/C:N/I:N/A:P) 1.7

Information on CVSS is documented in HP Customer Notice: HPSN-2008-002.
Virus Information: W32.Fakerecy and W32.SillyFDC
Discovered: January/February 2007
Type: Worm
Threat Level: Low
Systems Affected: Windows 98, Windows 95, Windows XP, Windows Me, Windows NT, Windows 2000
Virus detail: W32.Fakerecy and W32.SillyFDC are worms that spread by copying themselves to removable and/or mapped drives.
HP is providing the following procedure to resolve this vulnerability:
HP recommends that the optional HP USB Floppy Drive Key be checked for the potential virus infections and cleaned. To detect and clean this virus infection the HP USB Floppy Drive Key can be plugged into a USB 2.0 port on a system with current (up-to-date) anti-virus software and scanned
If the optional HP USB Floppy Drive Key has been used in an environment without current (up-to-date) anti-virus software then the W32.Fakerecy or W32.SillyFDC virus may have spread to any mapped drives on the server. In this case HP recommends that the server and mapped drives are scanned with current (up-to-date) anti-virus software
This virus infection would have been immediately detected and cleaned if the optional HP USB Floppy Drive Key had been used in an environment with any current (up-to-date) anti-virus software
Note: These are standard USB 2.0 Floppy Drive Keys (similar to 'Flash Drives') that can be plugged into a USB 2.0 port on any system.

PRODUCT SPECIFIC INFORMATION
None

HISTORY
Version: 1 (rev.1) - 3 April 2008 Initial release
Third Party Security Patches: Third party security patches which are to be installed on systems running HP software products should be applied in accordance with the customer's patch management policy.
©Copyright 2007 Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.

Hewlett-Packard Company shall not be liable for technical or editorial errors or omissions contained herein. The information provided is provided "as is" without warranty of any kind. To the extent permitted by law, neither HP or its affiliates, subcontractors or suppliers will be liable for incidental, special or consequential damages including downtime cost; lost profits; damages relating to the procurement of substitute products or services; or damages for loss of data, or software restoration. The information in this document is subject to change without notice. Hewlett-Packard Company and the names of Hewlett-Packard products referenced herein are trademarks of Hewlett-Packard Company in the United States and other countries. Other product and company names mentioned herein may be trademarks of their respective owners.

2008-04-03T07:00:00.000-07:00

It's been awhile since my last post. Sorry, but I was waiting for something interesting to blog about. Don't get me wrong, there are tons of topics on my radar, but many of them would just be my own strong opinions. That's really not what this page is supposed to be about because believe it or not, I attempt to remain as objective as possible.

I did find this one article about Cyber Storm 2 that I thought was blog worthy. Cyber Storm2 is DHS's Information Security Preparedness exercise. I am still struggling to grasp the concept of how any government, by increasing its control over the internet secures the user.

Anyway, back to Cyber Storm2. Feel free to read between the lines with respect to the stated goals and results of this exercise. While you're at it, pick up a copy of 1984. George Orwell wrote this book in 1949 and it is uncannily and eerily insigtful and relevant today.

Are You Ready for RFID Spy Dust?

2008-03-19T12:29:00.001-07:00

A company called NOX has introduced a new technique to track people without their knowledge. "NOX combines high-resolution video pictures and RFID for identification, tracking and tracing, overlaid in real time on a facility map to show the movement of people and assets. The system allows security officers to see theft as it happens, even if the stolen object is inside a briefcase, under a jacket, or stuffed inside a sock." This may be the first time that RFID technology is being used for clandestine surveillance. Just some of the highlights from the article:
The NOX team has perfected dozens of methods of tagging people without their knowledge. One of the more covert technologies they employ is ID-Dust, serialized dust particles that can be interrogated like a RFID tag. The NOX team can coat a person or object with it to track movement. ID-Dust can show if an item was handled or it can even be sprinkled on the floor. People unknowingly pick up the ID-Dust on their shoes as they travel through a dusted area. The software combines the video surveillance and RFID information to create an association between the ID-Dust and a person. The ID-Dust allows the person's movement to be tracked around a facility without the person ever knowing he or she is being tracked. While a criminal can easily defeat the motion sensors, the ID-Dust provides covert security with instant alerts when someone enters an area, plus a complete history of exactly where each person traveled and when.

Nox is currently being deployed by the FBI and has been offered to "select commercial companies." Here is the link to the original article.

Hacker's Break Into Harvard's System

2008-03-13T07:59:00.000-07:00

The Associated Press March 13, 2008, 9:02AM ET
Harvard says hacker broke into system

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.

Harvard University is notifying thousands of graduate students and applicants that their personal information may have been exposed by a data breach.

The Ivy League school says a computer hacker gained entry to its server last month.

Harvard says about 10,000 of last year's applicants may have had their personal information compromised, with 6,600 having their Social Security numbers exposed.

The school says it will provide the applicants with free identity theft recovery services and help them with credit monitoring and fraud alerts.

How Google Keeps Your Information Secure - Their Story

2008-03-11T06:39:00.000-07:00

This post on Google's official blog spot outlines their approach and philosophy with respect to the way they collect and secure our data. It's very high level, but does offer some links to more detailed reports that may provide the reader with greater insight into Google's data collection/security methodologies and processes.

I definitely think that it's worth the read particulalrly since I am always surprised at the amount of data that I can "google" utilizing my own limited Google hacking skillz!

The Mosquito Teenage Dispersal System

2008-03-05T19:17:00.000-08:00

Maybe I'm the last person to hear about this, but I still thought that it was worth blogging about. This product is called The Mosquito. It's been reportedly deployed effectively in the UK to disperse unruly, loitering teenagers so now it's going to be making its debut here in the U.S. How does it work? I'm glad that you asked. Straight from the vendor's website; "The system generates a pulsed, near ultra sonic tone at around 16KHz, close to the limit of the hearing range of people under 25 years of age. The sound, though not painful in any way, becomes highly annoying after 5 or so minutes exposure. The result is that most under 20s leave the immediate area, whilst the majority of those over the age of 30, because of natural age related hearing loss, either just hear, or, as in most cases, are totally unaware of any noise.
The system is designed to be used for up to 20 minutes at a time. The unit incorporates a 20 minute cut-off time to avoid unnecessary annoyance."

Wow. I have a ton of concerns about this product, but I am actually very interested to see it working in action. Not on me of course, but on some other annoying person. That brings me to another question. What product exists to annoy people over 25?

I Knew This Router Was A Fake!

2008-02-29T10:00:00.000-08:00

This is a pretty good article about the joint efforts of US and Canadien law enforcement Agencies (FBI, ICE, RCMP, etc) to sieze more than $78 million dollars of "counterfeit" Cisco gear. According to the article, the equipment included routers, wics, network modules..., you name it. All eventually likely destined for an EBay auction near you. The gear consists of parts (probably manufactured to Cisco standards without the serial numbers) and counterfeit Cisco labels to make them appear authentic. The equipment is sourced from China. Bad China, very bad. Federal Agencies take this matter extremely seriously as they intepret it as an attempt to weaken the US and Canadien network infrastructures.

Say Hello to My Little Friend

2008-02-22T15:07:00.000-08:00

The Cult of the Dead Cow, aka "the world's most attractive hacker group," released a Web auditing tool called Goolag Scanner which basically upgrades your Google Hacking arsenal significantly. Penetration testers only please... (Tongue in cheek moment).

The RFID EcoSystem Project aka Minority Report Stuff

2008-02-14T10:17:00.000-08:00

I feel like I have been stuck on the same topic for more than a few posts now. Sorry for the lack of diversity in topics, but I am attempting to document trends. Perhaps this RFID EcoSystem Project was the original screenplay for Minority Report. The research is attempting to find a compromise in RFID application and utility vs. privacy. Sorry, but you can't have both. For the record, I enjoy my privacy, (what I have left anyway) and I don't have the desire or need to have the ability to track coworkers, family, friends or whatever else in real-time. Well, maybe my boss. Just kidding. Seriously though, this Orwellian technology is really making me extremely uncomfortable to say the least.

Embedded Microchips...???? Um, I'll Pass

2008-02-12T19:17:00.000-08:00

Folks, this is just way too crazy. Biometrics run amuck. Check out this clip of some of the first volunteers to get "chipped." And just in case you would like to know where you can receive more information to obtain your very own embedded microchip, Channel 2 news will gladly point you in the right direction.

FBI Biometric Database

2008-02-10T20:48:00.000-08:00

This is a folllow-up to a previous post about the FBI's goal to create a large biometric database. I like to document trends here. Also, the news bite benefits those who don't like to read articles. Hey, I have to provide a little something for everyone.

Upgrade from 802.11G to 802.11N on the Cheap!

2008-02-08T09:00:00.000-08:00

Don't ever say that I don't scour the bowels of the internet to find my readers bargains on stuff that you may actually need or really nice-to-haves. Ok, perhaps I am giving myself far too much credit here, but here is a cool product that will take care of that upgrade to the 802.11N standard for about $63 and has software that you can configure to get your wireless security just right. <-- Tongue in cheek moment.

An easy (and cheap) way to upgrade your 802.11g router to Draft N by ZDNet's Rik Fairlie -- Looking for an inexpensive and easy way to move up to 802.11n Wi-Fi throughput? Trendnet has just launched a product that transforms your 802.11g router into the higher-speed Draft N device. The $63.99 300Mbps Wireless Easy-N-Upgrader (TEW-637AP) also works with 802.11b wireless and wired routers. To install Easy-N-Upgrader, all you need is a free LAN [...]

Tapping the Internet

2008-02-06T10:54:00.000-08:00

Ok, this article feeds right into my paranoia. For the record, I am merely attempting to document a trend. Spychief Mike McConnell is drafting a plan to tap into the internet. Get this. Mike McConnell says that "the government must have the ability to read all the information crossing the Internet in the United States in order to protect it from abuse." Uh, what? Am I reading too much into this?

Gone Phishing!

2008-01-31T07:27:00.000-08:00

Or Pharming. There appears to be a rise in phishing and pharming attacks that are increasingly making use of DNS servers controlled by the phishers. How dastardly... Check out the article --> here.

Introducing the Yoggie Pico Security Solution

2008-01-29T18:43:00.000-08:00

Every now and again I come across a product that just makes me excited. Wow, what a geek I am becoming, but I must confess that I really like the Yoggie. For about $100 you get a device about the size of a flash drive that acts as a mobile stateful firewall, anti-malware, anti-phishing, email and web proxy, IDS/IPS, and vpn client. Check out this informative review. Incredible device.

US Government Seeks to Invest $6 Billion in Security by Obscurity

2008-01-28T18:43:00.000-08:00

I suppose that I'm just adding to my paranoia, but the U.S. Government is planning to spend $6 billion in one year to upgrade the U.S. telecom infrastructure. The trouble here is that the proposed upgrades are classified. Since when is security by obscurity a good thing? Sorry folks, but my spider senses are tingling again.

US Government seeks to invest $6 Billion in security by obscurity by ZDNet's Richard Stiennon -- According to the Wall Street Journal this morning the Bush administration is pushing to spend $6 billion on cyber security in one year! They claim that US telecom systems are not adequately protected and that they need to spend this money to protect it. Just one problem, the government is not revealing to Congress just [...]

Bush Order Expands Network Monitoring

2008-01-26T14:21:00.000-08:00

Here is an article in the Washington Post that details a directive signed by President Bush, whose content is classified, that "authorizes the intelligence agencies, in particular the National Security Agency, to monitor the computer networks of all federal agencies -- including ones they have not previously monitored."

Apparently, there was a battle between the NSA and the Department of Homeland Security to determine which agency would ultimately implement the new directive. It would appear that the NSA won.

The directive also may include a provision where "Under the initiative, the NSA, CIA and the FBI's Cyber Division will investigate intrusions by monitoring Internet activity and, in some cases, capturing data for analysis, sources said.

The Pentagon can plan attacks on adversaries' networks if, for example, the NSA determines that a particular server in a foreign country needs to be taken down to disrupt an attack on an information system critical to the U.S. government. That could include responding to an attack against a private-sector network, such as the telecom industry's, sources said."

‘Server in the Sky’: FBI international biometric db planned

2008-01-20T09:10:00.000-08:00

Very interesting article that details the FBI's ambitious program to create a massive international biometric db.

http://government.zdnet.com/?p=3605

Real ID. Be Real Concerned

2008-01-18T11:46:00.000-08:00

I've known about the Real ID for a long time now, but now it's upon us, like coming soon to a DMV near you. Unfortunately, I don't find that many people outraged or concerned about how the REAL ID potentially will impact their lives.

Oh, you don't have to get one, but if you don't want to live on the outside of the "flock" then I suggest that you jump in line at the DMV.

My Predictions for 2008

2008-01-17T11:41:00.000-08:00

You've probably already read plenty of predictions for 2008. I will keep mine brief and to the point. Hopefully, I will be wrong on all of them.

1. U.S. Recession.
2. Further collapse of the dollar.
3. So-called terror attack on U.S. soil.
4. Implementation of martial law.
5. Bush will remain president indefinitely.
6. U.S. elections suspended.