Gag Films has a great idea to get cheaper batteries. Get a 6v Lantern Battery (about $6), Take the label off, Pop the top, disconnect the wires. And you’ll find 32 AA batteries.
Category: Super GEEK
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Bruce Schneier’s Defcon Badge Goes for $200+
Get off of Bruce’s dick..I was hoping to snatch it up for $3. To my surprise, it is over 200 duckets! The hell with that.
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How I got into Security
Martin McKeay over at the Network Security Blog asks “How did you get into Security?” That is a good question. Its something that I’ve been asked and what I like to ask others in the business.
Up until recently, I’ve done security my entire adult life very reluctantly. I started off in the military as Security Policemen (now called security forces). I was a security specialist and was groomed into law enforcement. The description sounded like special forces. And even though security forces do some pretty cool stuff its NOT usually doing anything even close to what combat controllers, pararescue, Force Recon, Navy Seals and Delta Force do. Instead its like the Air Force version of infantry (when I was in we even trained with the Army infantry at Ft Dix).
I had about five years learning every aspect of physical security. I later “cross trained” into communications expecting to do some hardcore technical stuff. And I did, but while I wanted Routers I got the help desk and later pure security (firewalls, IDS, C&A packages, COMSEC, EMSEC) a little of everything. My experience in the military made it easier for me to pass the CISSP which covers a little of everything.
These days I teach certification classes and do auditing, policies, consulting as well as certification and accreditations.Â
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Digg will take over the world
When I was in high school, I read this book called Ender's Game, by a man named Orson Scott Card. The book is about a strategic prodigy named Ender who is the only hope for saving humanity from an alien invasion. It was a great book.
In the bookd Ender's brother and sister, Peter and Valentine, are just as bright
as he. Peter convinces Valentine to collaborate in his grand scheme
of controlling the planet Earth. They start by creating a huge following on the Internet.I think that the comment system created by Kevin Rose and the Revision 3 team is going to be copied enough to make it an unofficial standard. The one thing that is very powerful about digg is that it harnesses the power of the collective masses participating. Some topics that are supercharged with emotion moving hundreds of commenters on digg into action. The site becomes like a loaded gun.
Perhaps it won't be digg that starts catapults the current online revolution but it will almost definitely be something very similar.
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The Road to Defcon 14 Paved in Blood
I hope Defcon does not suck. When I go, I will definitely take pictures and report the cool stuff I see.
I went to Defcon 11 in 2003 and it was great even though the lines were ridiculous and some of the better events could only allow a certain number of people. The ideas and talent I was exposed to put me into a whole different way of thinking. I met up with a guy who claimed to work for the maphia! He wasn't happy about it and he said that his employer's didn't come out and say they were maphia, but he had very strong feelings that they were.
Being the only brotha at the defcon willing to drink a (highly, highly overpriced) beer with him, he'd singled me out. What is funny is this guy look A LOT like DMX. We hung out and met some GS (civilian government) employees that claimed to be too old to party. I could have crashed at his hotel (which was right in the center of it all) but I knew my wife would lose her flippin' mind if I didn't go back home (in laws house) and sleep with her.
I was there strictly for the briefings so I really didn't party too much. I do recall that some kid ODed, there was a very cool Hacker Jeapordy that was completely Hedonistic (i.e. naked women and Kevin Mitnick). It was out of control.
Before Defcon I saw all hacking as borderline or full blown criminal. But now I know that all “hacking” is not criminal (although most people believe different).
My love for technology and security were what drove me to check it out. I went on my own. Three years later with a degree and a high level of respect from my employers, I still can't get them to pay my way to Defcon. (what is funny is that it would probably be easier to get them to send me to Black Hat, which is like $2000 as opposed to $100 for the Defcon. Maybe I'll work that angle next year when they have more money).
I'm excited about going but I sincerely hope that it doesn't suck. It would be much more fun if I could participate in an event. But my skills are not even close to good enough.
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Delete Search Results: Cover your tracks
Ever search for something questionable on someone else system and go into a hyperventilation panic when you notice that their computer is retaining the keywords you typed into their search engine?
You typed in “boobies” on your mom's computer and now the word pops up everytime you type a “B”!!
Perhaps it was your spouses system and your were searching for evidence of pornography.
Maybe it was your kids computer and you want to make sure they are o.k. mentally.
Maybe your Internet connection has been down for a while and you’ve had to use your friends system or a public system.
Whatever the case maybe it is none of my business. And you don’t want it to be the business of the other who will use the system after you.
Here are two simple techniques to get rid of those bad keywords.
For Window XP “Recently Opened Documents”:
To delete “my Recent Documents”
Right – Click on the “Start†button
Select “Propertiesâ€
On the Start Menu Tab, Select “Customizeâ€
Select the “Advance Tabâ€
Select the “Clear List†button at the bottom. Don’t worry, it will NOT delete the files. (Deselect the checkbox if you don’t want the system to track previously opened files)
For Windows XP, Internet Explorer:
In IE, Select “Toolsâ€
Go to “Internet Option†at the bottom of the Tools list
Under Temporary Internet Files select “Delete Cookies†and “Delete Filesâ€
To delete the history of the websites you searched select “Clear Historyâ€
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China preparing information warfare army
The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) is developing information warfare reserve and militia units. Also, China is developing the ability to launch pre-emptive attacks against enemy computer networks in a crisis, according to the document, “Annual Report to Congress: Military Power of the People's Republic of China 2006.”
I wonder if this is a response to the US release of information about that Elite Hacker Unit last year. I guess the threats are turning Cyber.
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Yet another university hacked for personal records
College networks are always getting owned. Why is that? You'd think that these haven for some of the greatest developing minds in the country would be like digital fortresses with a battalion of young Internet hardened GEEKS patroling the college data 24/7.
This is a sign that even though security awareness has risen people still are not taking it seriously.
POMONA – Computer hackers added Cal Poly Pomona to a growing list of schools from which personal information has been accessed illegally. Notification went out to 31,077 people Thursday that their records might have been stolen after Cal Poly Pomona discovered two computer servers were compromised in late June…
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Mitnick on Hiring Criminal Hackers; elam on hiring crackheads
I basically look at it as… if the guy hacked into
Citibank and stole millions of dollars, would I hire him to secure my
bank? Maybe not!
I agree, Kevin.
Hiring a crimial hacker who has stolen millions from banks to guard
your bank is like hiring a crack head to guard your CRACK.
–Rob Elamb.
Rufus Griffin. -
Why Linux Wont Replace Windows
A well written article using the motorcycle/car metaphor on why linux will never need to replace windows.
This is a great article for those interested in the Linux vs Windows debate.
Linux is an alternative to
Windows, but not a replacement. It will never be a replacement, because
it has incompatible goals. Microsoft's goal is to get their software
onto as many PCs as posible, as their priority is profit. Linux has no
such goal, because Linux is free. It has a different priority.Free & Open Source Software (FOSS) is the exact opposite of
proprietary software like Windows: FOSS is all about the
software. It's not
about the number of end users. Software that works well but has only a
few users is considers a failure by comemrcial software standards, but
a success by FOSS ones.Lots of great, great points for those wanting to switch from Windows to Linux, A MUST READ for LINUX N00bs.
I use Linux for the security things that I can't do with Windows (or at
least I don't know how to do easily with Windows). Like carrying
an OS in my pocket loading it on a system in another country and *hacking a network.* Hacking
Disclaimer: (All is done legally, with consent of network owners… Do
not try this at home. Hacking networks is done by and in the
presence of trained professionals. No animals are harmed in my
hacking events).Thanks linux.oneandoneis2.org, I really learned something.