Elamb Cybersecurity

Category: Other Stuff

  • Obama and McCain Differ on Net Neutrality – Internet Policy

    If your an Internet geek like me, this issue will have a great influence on your vote.

    “It wasn’t a contentious topic at last night’s presidential debate, but network neutrality is the hot-button issue on the mind of PM’s senior tech editor. He explores the candidates’ stands on the issue in a Geek the Vote edition of his biweekly trends column.” – digg via PopMech (link below)

    Obama’s view on Net Neutrality:
    Protect the Openness of the Internet: A key reason the Internet has been such a success is because it is the most open network in history. It needs to stay that way. Barack Obama strongly supports the principle of network neutrality to preserve the benefits of open competition on the Internet.

    McCain’s view on Net Neutrality:
    OOPS! – the link doesn’t work.
    The page cannot be found
    The page you are looking for might have been removed, had its name changed, or is temporarily unavailable.
    ——————————————————————————–

    The irony is that Obama’s likely win is probably specifically because of the Internet. His teams organizational skills on the ‘Net have been unparalelled. The only other guy who came close to his fame on ‘Net is Ron Paul.

    read more | digg story

  • Top 10 Most Common Passwords

    Life these days has become largely dependent on passwords – whether we’re checking our emails, transferring funds or shopping online, passwords have their part to play.

    Security Comedy by Digg user Garfoli:
    Cthon98: hey, if you type in your pw, it will show as stars
    Cthon98: ********* see!
    AzureDiamond: hunter2
    AzureDiamond: doesnt look like stars to me
    Cthon98: AzureDiamond: *******
    Cthon98: thats what I see
    AzureDiamond: oh, really?
    Cthon98: Absolutely
    AzureDiamond: you can go hunter2 my hunter2-ing hunter2
    AzureDiamond: haha, does that look funny to you?
    Cthon98: lol, yes. See, when YOU type hunter2, it shows to us as *******
    AzureDiamond: thats neat, I didnt know IRC did that
    Cthon98: yep, no matter how many times you type hunter2, it will show to us as *******
    AzureDiamond: awesome!
    AzureDiamond: wait, how do you know my pw?
    Cthon98: er, I just copy pasted YOUR ******’s and it appears to YOU as hunter2 cause its your pw
    AzureDiamond: oh, ok.

    **Popcorn!

    read more | digg story

  • More Bogus Obama Donors Surface

    CBS News has learned that two donors to the Obama campaign that gave a total of $7,722 appear to have made their contributions under fake names that look like they were written by a mouse running across a keyboard: Dahsudhu Hdusahfd of Df, Hawaii with the following employer CZXVC/ZXVZXV and Uadhshgu Hduadh listed as living in Dhff, Florida

    “The Obama campaign says “out of an abundance of caution” all of these donations are in the process of being returned.

    Obama spokesperson Bill Burton sent CBS News the following email statement, “We constantly review our donors for any issues and while no organization is completely protected from internet fraud, we will continue to review our fundraising procedures to ensure that we are taking every available step to root-out improper contributions.”

    And this is somehow proof of some nefarious plot, according to the right wingers who can’t debate on issues? The next 30 days are going to be interminable…

    read more | digg story

  • “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.” — Arthur C. Clarke, “Profiles of The Future”, 1961 (Clarke’s third law)

    One day technology will seem more magical than the myth of magic. In fact, the very idea of magical power will seem weak, unimaginative and one dimensional compared to what is ahead. It will be the faded equivalent of a 100,000 year old print of a hand on a wall. Things that we cannot yet imagine are just beyond the horizon.

    From our current early 21st century understanding looking at future progress, physical reality itself will be the tool of choice commanded at the whim of awareness. Religion and myth will be cherished ornaments and magic will be replaced with a series of unfathomable miracles seemingly from nowhere. I could call this miracle science, math, or technology but our current ideas of what those things are will not apply; for it is something closer to what magic is supposed to be.

    Only futurists, inventors and brilliant mathmeticians have been able to catch a glimpse of the coming revolution. Some have been driven mad by its implications (ted kazinski), some driven to fear the future and others call it the Singularity (Ray Kurzweil).

    Technological Singularity – The technological singularity is a theoretical future point of unprecedented technological progress, caused in part by the ability of machines to improve themselves using artificial intelligence.

  • The Singularity is Near (for security) pt. 1

    singularities take on securityI’ve been reading Ray Kurzweil’s The Singularity is Near. Its been blowing my mind. Its a detailed account of how, when and why artificial intelligence will out do humanity (as it is now) in every way in about 20-30 years.

    The book is the real deal. Its over 600 pages with 100 pages of notes. Its a college course and a 10 course meal.

    The first thing you have to realize about Ray is that he is not some kook with a sci-fi idea. His ideas are NOT some sci-fi “original movie” trash cooked up by a team of ex-dungeon master, fanboy geeks. Kurzweil is a world class inventor who created the first omni-font optical character recognition system. He is the brains behind text to speech, and next generation of music synthesizers (the one that are able to sound like any instrument).

    He is the father of the Law of Accelerating Returns that details about the exponential growth of technological progress and change.

    So far, the most startling idea I’ve read in his book is something I read from a Vernor Vinge article a few years back. Eventually, computers will be sentient and a trillion times smarter than us. I’m not just being sarcastic and throughout ridiculous numbers (bajillion kajillion) to get an over inflated point across, I mean LITERALLY the will be a trillion times smarter. If you subscribe to the Howard Gardner theory of Multiple Intelligence computers will able to out do us on everyone of them (plus a plethora of some we don’t yet have the capacity to conceive of). If that doesn’t stir you.. how about this? They will eventually build systems (AI) smarter than themselves. That is when they will be so far beyond us that we (in our current capacity) will not be able to comprehend them fully.

    Kurzweil is definitely not gloom and doom. He does not predict (for example) that the machines will send Arnold Schwarzenegger back to 1984 to kill Sarah Connors (Linda Hamilton is still safe). In fact, the book is about “when humans transcend biology”.

    Now just think about that… “transcend biology”. It gets me thinking of some sort of “Ghost in the Shell” type world where most people are cybernetically enhanced in a hundred ways. Ghost in the Shell is among my favorite anime franchises because it goes to great lengths to describe its cybernetic world. The singularity is a reality in the world of Ghost in the Shell.

    Its a world in which an AI can hack and/or possess anyone/thing with a cybernetic central nervous system. A world where the line between physical and virtual are blurred by visual enhancements and the definition of humanity must be expanded to allow people who are now 90% robotic.

    What do I think the Singularity will mean to security? That is a bit of a ridiculous question. Its like asking.. if the sun explodes, what will happen to all the plants. The answer is the same thing that will happen to all of humanity. Perhaps the sun exploding is a bad analogy.. because I don’t think the Singularity will feel the sudden need to enslave all humanity, turn us into batteries and lock us in a matrix like virtual world. I think it will be more of a collaboration between super computer and abacus, Rancher and cattle, Shepard and sheep but not at all like master and slave (well at least not a BAD master). Those of us unwilling and/or unable to change will be like a novelty item, neo-Amish. The Singularity will hack us and herd us like consumer, technology dependent sheeple we have become. And we will do nothing but smile and enjoy our everyday prices.

    Speaking of novelty, I can help but think of Terrence McKenna’s mention of an acceleration of everything in his Timewave Zero theory.

    The graph shows at what times, but never at what locations, novelty is increasing or decreasing. According to the timewave graph, great periods of novelty occurred about 4 billion years ago when Earth was formed, 65 million years ago when dinosaurs were extinct and mammals expanded, about 10,000 years ago after the end of the ice age, around late 18th century when social and scientific revolutions progressed, during the sixties, around the time of 911, and with coming novelty periods in November 2008, October 2010, with the novelty progressing towards the infinity on 21st December 2012 – wiki

    The rate of change is both inevitable and necessary to our nature.

    Once again, security is a piss ant in relation to the upcoming changes predicted by these modern mathematical prophets, but I will say this lately things in the Certification & Accreditation world have been changing drastically every 6 months, with each changes bringing in a wave of rumor of yet MORE change. The current rate of change is keeping me very employed.

  • Nigerian Dating Scams: the eHarmony story, Damon A. Basinas

    I just wanted to share my eHarmony experience with the world so that unsuspecting single women can be alert to this kind of dating scam. This scam was pretty smooth…to an extent. It didn’t work on me but I don’t want anyone to fall for it.

    Here’s the story. I was a member of eHarmony and was matched to a nice man with similar interests, etc. We went through the eHarmony process and eventually started open communication on our own. We communicated through email, yahoo messenger, and later by phone. This process took months. He said he lived in Tampa and had a little boy. His wife had died tragically during childbirth. This man claimed to be a vet who worked as an independent contractor for the World Animal Health Organisation. He had just recently moved to Tampa he said. He said he was Greek but went to college in England. I live on a farm and know a lot about animal health, plus I am scientist currently working in the health care industry. I am educated and somewhat bright.

    He was a very sweet guy…sent some nice pictures of himself and his son, said all the right things, wrote a lot–he played his part well. I was skeptical though for the following reasons: he began most of his correspondence when he was “out of the country on assignments”. The first “job” he spoke of was in England. I asked about his son and school and he said that he hired tutors wherever he went to educate his child during these trips because he couldn’t stand to be without him. I thought this odd since that would be extremely expensive and a difficult way to raise a child. How would this child receive credit for his education from multiple countries? hmmmm; next for a person with an advanced education it seemed his English, spelling, writing, etc. were quite poor. Now we all get sloppy during instant messaging and emailing but this was worse than expected; when asked about his job specifics he was vague–the connection would be lost, he didn’t answer or his answers were kind of “off”. I have a farm with horses, chickens, cats and dogs, I know a lot about animal health and had some questions for him and his answers were not as expected. I also received vague information on the organization he worked for; he said he had his main residence in London, England…was still in the process of getting set up in Tampa Florida.

    Suddenly, he had a job in Nigeria– vaccinating an endangered species of peacock? The “reserve” was just outside of Lagos…scam city. He was charming and very attentive. Talked a good game. Claimed to be in love with me (how you can be in love with someone you never met over the internet, I’ll never know). Wanted to give me the world. Too good to be true. He even started to call. Once from England and then from Nigeria. He had somewhat of an English accent mixed with something else…the connections were always bad and he was difficult to understand. It was hard to hold a conversation. That and the time difference… we mostly stuck to email and chatting. He did make it more realistic by having a child talking and laughing in the background during one of his calls (his “son”). I wasn’t entirely convinced he was real but it he had me going to an extent. I wanted very much for him to be real. He asked me to send him something personal so he “could feel closer to me”. He wanted my iPod filled with all my favorite music or a digital camera so he could share his experiences with me (he can afford tutors but not a digital camera???. He gave me the hotel “address” to send the package too. It was a PO Box. I sent a package. It contained a little gift I had made (nothing of value) and a handwritten letter. He kept asking me what I had sent and I said it was a surprise–surprise sucker, nothing of value here.

    The Nigerian thing bothered me. I started surfing the net and read about all the scams. His project seemed to take weeks. He had every excuse. He never gave much detail. I waited for the “big emergency” to come up that would lead him to ask me for money. I hoped it wasn’t true but I knew it was going to happen.

    After nearly a month it happened. He claimed to have made medical mistake administering the vaccine to the rare birds. He said he made a dosage error. I asked him the specifics and sadly he didn’t know enough to answer my questions correctly. I know a lot about vaccines and birds. He claimed about 150 birds became ill because of his error and he was panicked because his career was at stake. He said he talked the reserve workers into staying quiet about this while he “contacted someone in China to request a medication that would make them better.” At this point, it was a huge joke but I kept up my side to see where it went. So sure enough, he kept quiet for a few days to make me worry a little, then told me he had sent almost all his cash to China for this medication–which much to our relief saved all of the fictional birds! Amazing! Now, however, he was broke. He had almost no money. He saved his career and reputation but he was in trouble. Couldn’t pay his hotel bills, food, transportation…what a mess. He at first claimed there were no banks (Lagos is a huge city–the commercial/industrial hub of Nigeria EVEN my bank has a branch there!) I pointed out that that couldn’t be true and then he broke down and “confessed” to me that he didn’t have any freed up cash in his London account…all of his money was in stocks and bonds! REALLY? I WAS SHOCKED! Even his credit card was no good…he had it canceled because of illegal activity (probably his). He said he didn’t have time to get a new one and besides he said “I’m in a third world country, no one takes credit cards here”. Wow, in a city of that size? Horrible. BTW, the hotel he gave me didn’t check out right. The address he gave didn’t match the address on the internet and it wasn’t in the right area of Nigeria. What could I do? He then asked for a “loan”. I told him at first I couldn’t pay but later decided I wanted to get as much info as I could from him so I could post it on every web site I could find. So I wrote a sweet letter saying I was so worried for him that I asked to borrow the money from a family member and wanted to get it to him as soon as possible. What did I need to do? He wrote back and ask for $1000 to be wired via Western Union (sound familar?). I claimed I was worried about that (gee no banks but we have Western Union hmmm)and would feel more comfortable sending the money directly to the hotel– what was that address and phone number? A phony address was given but not a phone number. He “couldn’t find it and would have to give it to me later.” I insisted that I needed it to properly send the package. Then he said “he was going to be too busy with lectures and meetings to keep a watch for it at the hotel and that I maybe should just send it to his driver (a man he has known only for a month?)” I argued that was unwise but then later asked for that name and address. I’m waiting for that to be emailed. He wanted to know when the money would be sent. I said in a few days. Then connection was lost again and I couldn’t finish my conversation. I’m not sure I’ll hear back from him now. I think he knew I was on to him. Anyway, here is what he has given me so far. I’ll bet he has 10 other women going on this same story as we speak!

    Damon A. Basinas
    Age: 41 birth date 08/12/67
    Son: Milo birth date 08/10/2000

    Cell Phone: 234-803-347-4079

    London Address:
    136 Gilbourne Road
    Plumstead, London SE18 7NX

    Nigerian PO Box 3537
    Apapa, Lago Nigeria

    Nigerian Hotel:
    WhiteLeaf Hotel & Suites
    14 Devon Drive
    Ikeja, Engu Lagos Nigeria
    (this isn’t the hotel address)

    Email address:
    dbasinas@yahoo.com

    Western Union site:
    Enugu Nigeria

    Other Info:
    I have pictures too of some good looking man with a cute kid. Says he was educated at Yorke (should be spelled York) University, England. Says he has three dogs and a place in Tampa Florida. Wife died in childbirth. Mother raised him on her own in Greece. Mother died of breast cancer in 1995. He moved to England for school in 1985. It just goes on.

    So everyone, be careful! Don’t EVER send money. I will post an update if he gets back to me with any more info. but I doubt I’ll hear from him. I was duped to an extent but don’t feel bad because I didn’t fall for it or lose any money. He was a great actor but just not good enough. The only thing I lost was a little time and energy. I’m know others weren’t so lucky. I’m off now to post this EVERYWHERE I can LOL.

    Good luck!

    If you are looking for real relationships online, here are some good resources on how to make it happen!

    Avoid dating scams

    Avoid dating scams

    Avoid dating scams

    Avoid dating scams

    Avoid dating scams

    Avoid dating scams

  • Code Amber: Gustav

    On Sunday, August 31, we were forced to evacuate our Louisiana offices
    and move operations to a hotel on the panhandle of Florida. Some of you
    may remember our evacuation from Hurricane Katrina three years ago at
    which time we were in Florida for over two weeks. We probably will be
    able to return sooner this time as the damage is not as severe. However,
    our office in Louisiana has lost power, telephone and high speed
    Internet access indefinitely which, of course, we need to operate Code Amber.

    As a result of our displacement, we are experiencing extraordinary
    Code Amber operating expenses.

    If you are able, please help
    Code Amber through this time of crisis by making a small donation.
    Any amount you are able to contribute will help us continue to operate
    while we are displaced.

    Please help us keep Code Amber operating by contributing what ever
    you are able. Visit http://codeamber.org/index-1.php?nl0902
    to make a contribution now, please.

    Purchases of the Amber Stick Child Id device or the Safety Net Kids
    Child safety DVD also help with our expenses
    http://codeamber.org/idkits.html?nl0902 for the Amber Stick
    http://codeamber.org/video.html?nl0902 for the Video

    Without you, what we have accomplished thus far would not have been
    possible.

    Sincerely,
    Bryant Harper
    Founder
    CodeAmber.org

  • WIMAX/3G Geek out

    I must admit, I’m geeking out over WIMAX. WiMAX stands for the Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access. It will allow 70Mb/second upload and download which will allow for some pretty decent prawn video. So you’ll be able to go to youpawn and watch all kinds of prawn. There is an even better technology called 3GPP LTE (Long Term Evolution) on the way with is another improvement on the 3G stuff that is already out and marketed.

    What is frustrating is that WiMAX will likely have the same level of control that 3G has. It will be tamed and completely corporate run. I plan on getting the new iPhone on 11 July 2008. After seeing the iPhone upclose I started to feel funny in my underpants. Iphone + 3G should shock my WiMAX arousal into erectile dysfunction.

    It’s all about the killer app. If the big dogs pushing WiMAX (Nortel/Alvarion & Sprint/peon) can come up with a device that allows you to bypass XXX ass Comcast, AT&T and other broadband monopolies they will seriously shake up the market. WiMAX, 3G and others should be in the business of creating devices, drivers and software that allow you to network all of your systems from anywhere in the contiguous United States. That would be very cool. But they seems to have serious limitations (at least in the US).

    Jun 11, 2008 (Hugin via COMTEX) —-Joint End-to-End WiMAX Solution Will Offer Operators Broader Coverage and More Capacity

    TORONTO, ONTARIO and TEL AVIV, ISRAEL–(Marketwire – June 11, 2008) – Nortel(1) (TSX: NT: 9.13, +1.02, +12.57%)(NYSE: NT: 9.13, +1.02, +12.57%) and Alvarion(2)(R: 66.46, -1.77, -2.59%) Ltd. (NASDAQ: ALVR: 7.97, +0.46, +6.12%) entered into a joint strategic WiMAX agreement to create an end-to-end WiMAX solution to meet the needs of the evolving wireless broadband market. The Nortel and Alvarion mobile WiMAX solution is expected to combine industry-leading technologies from both companies to allow operators around the globe – including well-established service providers and new entrants to the wireless market – to simply and efficiently deliver high-speed wireless broadband for a variety of applications, mobile or nomadic, including VoIP, streaming music, and HD video.

    The joint solution features the integration of Alvarion’s advanced radio access network technology, which has been proven in over 200 commercial WiMAX deployments, with Nortel’s core network solutions, backhaul solutions, applications such as Nortel’s number one carrier VoIP solution, and Nortel Global Services for WiMAX.. The Nortel and Alvarion WiMAX solution will allow operators to offer high speed wireless Internet access across large areas, including those currently underserved by broadband capabilities. The joint WiMAX solution will also provide the speed and capacity to help operators meet the exploding demand for true mobile broadband.

    http://www.foxbusiness.com/story/markets/industries/telecom/nortel-alvarion-combine-strengths-strategic-wimaxtm-agreement/-883292264

  • untraceable movie

    untraceable movie

    I just saw a movie called Untraceable. It is cyberterrorism meets Seven. Although it is very violent, it falls short of the pure “torture porn” genre (i.e. Hostel, Saw). They didn’t sensationalize the FBI computer crime team. They made the characters real people with real problems.

    The best part of the movie is that it addresses hard societal questions that we are still struggling with. The killer’s greatest weapon was the Internet itself. He used the anonymity and distributed non-centralized power of the net to broadcast killings on the Internet. Once he captured a victim, he would put them in a contraption that would torture them to death based on how many people came to the site. The FBI is at a loss, because their equipment (while it can easily bait & hunt small time phishers, criminal hackers and adults soliciting sex from kids online) it is useless against this serial killers level of software, Internet, and electronics sophistication. They eventually call upon the NSA, who tell them that they are not allowed to use their resources for domestic issues. With the Patriot Act and NUMEROUS presidential NSA acts, I don’t believe this is entirely true. But the movie seems to suggest that it is.

    Although, I disagree with the message of giving more power to the FBI & NSA to catch bad guys (as it would require the loss of more civil liberties of law abiding citizens), I definitely recommend this movie.


    Movie fact:

    The site used by the killer (www.killwithme.com) actually exists. It’s owned by the movie studio and it’s used to promote the movie. In it, users are taken to a replica of the FBI computer used by the character Jennifer Marsh. Her desktop gets hacked by the killer who provides the visitor with four test he/she must complete to deactivate his site.

  • Computers Hacking People ver 2.0

    [display_podcast]

    I honestly think you ought to calm down; take a stress pill and think things over. – Hal, 2001 Space Odyssey

    Information Systems will eventually have the infrastructure and ability to “socially engineer” its creators. This is far fetched science fiction blooming before our very eyes being created by our own hands.
    It will happen when three criteria are in place: 1) The creation of laws that can completely disregard the privacy and sovereignty of human beings. 2) The advancement of Information Awareness System and 3) Smart Artificial Intelligence

    LAWS
    Lets discuss the situations that will give governments the pretext to implement laws to track their citizens. This is happening now. Laws and systems are being created for unchecked monitoring of individuals under the guise of security, safety and prosperity. Systems such as national ID cards.
    They were implemented after the Sept 11 attacks on the World Trade Center and in the U.K. after the 7 July attacks in London.

    It was 19th Century philosopher Samuel T. Coleridge who said, “In politics, what begins in fear usually ends in folly.”

    Imagine it: The PATRIOT ACT IV is passed as a result of recent Critical Infrastructure cyber-terrorism attacks. International terrorists implement a globally synchronized Distributed Denial of Service Attack against the worlds Root nameservers and successfully cripple the Internet for three days. The impact is devastating as corporations lose billions.

    Domestic Cyber Terrorists infiltrate hospitals by becoming apart of the staff only to socially engineer and infecting HIPPA protected networks with virus’ that wipe out databases and actually scramble prescriptions causing an array of death by misdiagnoses.

    Local police and security personnel repeatedly thwart numerous attempts by religious fundamentalists to detonate suit case sized tactical nuclear weapons inside major United State cities but security professionals predict that it is only a matter of time before at least one slips through the cracks. All the enemy needs is one.
    Patriot Act IV is the patron saint of lawmakers who have been screamed at by constituents to “DO SOMETHING NOW!” The new Patriot Act is eventually internationally accepted and allows for unrestricted Data Mine into commercial and state owned databases worldwide (US-EU). It of course has deferent names and variations world wide but its application is the same. In the United Kingdom it is called the Civil Contingencies Bill. The data mining would tap into the “transaction space” by accessing hospital, financial transaction and legal databases world wide to be shared by all law enforcement agencies (county, federal, city local and international). The system works like a global Amber Alert system that can track criminals anywhere in the world and notify the respective local agency immediately. The system works very, very well.
    I honestly think you ought to calm down; take a stress pill and think things over. – Hal, 2001 Space Odyssey

    Information Systems will eventually have the infrastructure and ability to “socially engineer” its creators. This is far fetched science fiction blooming before our very eyes being created by our own hands.
    It will happen when three criteria are in place: 1) The creation of laws that can completely disregard the privacy and sovereignty of human beings. 2) The advancement of Information Awareness System and 3) Smart Artificial Intelligence

    LAWS
    Lets discuss the situations that will give governments the pretext to implement laws to track their citizens. This is happening now. Laws and systems are being created for unchecked monitoring of individuals under the guise of security, safety and prosperity. Systems such as national ID cards.
    They were implemented after the Sept 11 attacks on the World Trade Center and in the U.K. after the 7 July attacks in London.

    It was 19th Century philosopher Samuel T. Coleridge who said, “In politics, what begins in fear usually ends in folly.”

    Imagine it: The PATRIOT ACT IV is passed as a result of recent Critical Infrastructure cyber-terrorism attacks. International terrorists implement a globally synchronized Distributed Denial of Service Attack against the worlds Root nameservers and successfully cripple the Internet for three days. The impact is devastating as corporations lose billions.

    Domestic Cyber Terrorists infiltrate hospitals by becoming apart of the staff only to socially engineer and infecting HIPPA protected networks with virus’ that wipe out databases and actually scramble prescriptions causing an array of death by mis diagnosis.

    Local police and security personnel repeatedly thwart numerous attempts by religious fundamentalists to detonate suit case sized tactical nuclear weapons inside major United State cities but security professionals predict that it is only a matter of time before at least one slips through the cracks. All the enemy needs is one.
    Patriot Act IV is the patron saint of lawmakers who have been screamed at by constituents to “DO SOMETHING NOW!” The new Patriot Act is eventually internationally accepted and allows for unrestricted Data Mine into commercial and state owned databases worldwide (US-EU). It of course has deferent names and variations world wide but its application is the same. In the United Kingdom it is called the Civil Contingencies Bill. The data mining would tap into the “transaction space” by accessing hospital, financial transaction and legal databases world wide to be shared by all law enforcement agencies (county, federal, city local and international). The system works like a global Amber Alert system that can track criminals anywhere in the world and notify the respective local agency immediately. The system works very, very well.

    Information Awareness Systems

    The system, developed under the direction of John Poindexter, then-director of DARPA’s     Information Awareness Office, was envisioned to give law enforcement access to private data without suspicion of wrongdoing or a warrant. — Electronic Privacy Information Center.

    Government funded unrestricted Data Mining and Information Awareness programs develop and run revolutionary Information Awareness Systems. Despite public opinion, these National Security systems continue to work to protect the nation against enemies foreign and domestic. The system extracts data from its transactional databases and recognizes patterns of behavior that would fit that of a terrorist. The system is so exhaustive that is works with 70% accuracy and seamlessly in conjunction with systems such as Next Generation Facial Recognition systems and Activity, Recognition Monitoring for enhanced surveillance.


    Artificial Intelligence
    Within thirty years, we will have the technological means to create superhuman intelligence. Shortly after, the human era will be ended. – Vernon Vinge, 1993, What is the Singularity?

    Artificial Intelligence has been in use for many years. It is greatly relied upon for businesses, hospitals, military units and even in forms of entertainment such as video games. However Strong Artificial Intelligence, the development of cognitive systems simulating the human brain, have been developing quietly in research labs around the world under programs dedicated to the “scientific understanding of the mechanisms underlying thought and intelligent behavior and their embodiment in machines. (AAAI)”

    Smart Information Awareness is Strong Artificial Intelligence merged with Information Awareness Systems. Smart Information Awareness seems to go beyond merely recognizing patterns of behavior as it predicts the future actions of a given psychological profile with over 75% accuracy allowing Law Enforcement to be like an all seeing eye with incredible new methods of forensics and counterterrorism. Crime as a whole will be greatly reduced. System that recognize criminal patterns have been around for some time, Smart Information Awareness systems are a new trend.

    The Smart Information Awareness system is so accurate in determining human behavior trends that it is used to track and manipulate consumer buying habits for corporations. With its accuracy, the system will be able to determine what marketing tools can be used to influence the behavior of buyers.

    With unfettered access to consumer’s personal transactions, buying habits, methods of payment, and credit history a system would be able to pin point buyers who demonstrate interests in certain products and offer “special deals” a specific group of highly interested buyers.

    Inevitably the very system (laws, practices and technologies) that successfully protects humanity from itself is used to manipulate and exploit humanity.

    Perhaps you believe that there is nothing wring with this level of target marketing. If so, I submit to you these questions: What will separate humanity from cattle if every man, woman and child is seen as nothing but a number and a consumer to the system that we rely on to survive? Since we are already regarded as merely numbers and consumers by the corporate beast, how much control and information will we allow them to have?

    Perhaps this is a bit much. Perhaps I exaggerate the technology and extent of fear that will breed it.

    http://www.p2pnet.net/issue03/page1.html

    http://www.epic.org/

    http://www.jbholston.com/weblog_discussion.php?post_id=74
    Statewatch.com – Secret EU-US agreement being negotiated. http://www.statewatch.org/news/2002/jul/11Auseu.htm
    http://www.eff.org/Privacy/TIA/20030523_tia_report_review.php

    http://www.aaai.org/

    nin – TheSlip (thanks Trent)

    Ray Kurzweil @ Google Zeitgeist

    Civil Contingency Bill

    Eschelon TIA – Total Information Awareness