Tuesday, December 31, 2013
Sunday, December 29, 2013
Thursday, December 26, 2013
Monday, December 23, 2013
Wednesday, December 18, 2013
This Map Of Al Qaeda In Iraq Is Terrifying
Fighters from al Qaeda fighters are bombing strategic targets in parts of western Iraq as they seek to wreak havoc on security and establish an Islamic emirate.
The map below gives and indication of how successful they have been, and it is quite troubling given that sectarian killings are rising along with the groups influence.
The scariest part is not even highlighted: Next door in Syria, Islamic State in Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) administrates the largest rebel-held city, Raqqa, and fights to control the borders with both Iraq and Turkey.
“Establishing a geographical area comprising natural resources such as oil and gas and totally dominated by Sunnis is a priority for the [ISIS] in this stage,” a retired senior military officer who was responsible for making plans to combat al Qaeda told Reuters.
This Map Of Al Qaeda In Iraq Is Terrifying | Business Insider
The map below gives and indication of how successful they have been, and it is quite troubling given that sectarian killings are rising along with the groups influence.
The scariest part is not even highlighted: Next door in Syria, Islamic State in Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) administrates the largest rebel-held city, Raqqa, and fights to control the borders with both Iraq and Turkey.
“Establishing a geographical area comprising natural resources such as oil and gas and totally dominated by Sunnis is a priority for the [ISIS] in this stage,” a retired senior military officer who was responsible for making plans to combat al Qaeda told Reuters.
This Map Of Al Qaeda In Iraq Is Terrifying | Business Insider
Tuesday, December 17, 2013
Tuesday, December 10, 2013
Don't Freak Out About Ultrasonic Malware (Yet) | Gizmodo Australia
The internet’s been abuzz lately with news that computer scientists have found a way to transmit malware using ultrasonic audio signals. If true, this means that you’d never be safe from the hackers, as long as your computer has a microphone and speakers. But don’t freak out just yet.
We reached out to the cybersecurity experts at Kaspersky Lab to find out how much of a threat this capability might really be. It’s entirely possible, they said, that the German computer scientists who originally tested the idea of transmitting malware using nothing but sound were successful; after all, people have been ex-filtrating data through technology like FM radio for some time. However, it’s not like this thing is going to bring the mainframe crashing down.
“The problem is that the receiver needs to be physically close to the victim computer(s),” David Jacoby, Senior Security Researcher at Kaspersky Lab, told Gizmodo. “What they have proven is that it’s possible to exfiltrate data in non-traditional ways, but to make it possible the victim computers still need to be infected with some kind of malware.”
So hackers would already need to have accessed your computer physically to install the malware and would then need to be just a few feet away to activate it. Depending on how closely you watch your computer, this is pretty unlikely. It’s certainly not something that could enable hackers to punt a virus into a computer mainframe, like the Stuxnet worm was passed on to the computers in Iranian nuclear facilities without the help of a network. They used a USB stick, not this sort of super-acoustic sorcery.
Of course, don’t let this news tempt you into dropping your guard. There are plenty of other ways for prying eyes to sneak into your life.
Don't Freak Out About Ultrasonic Malware (Yet) | Gizmodo Australia
We reached out to the cybersecurity experts at Kaspersky Lab to find out how much of a threat this capability might really be. It’s entirely possible, they said, that the German computer scientists who originally tested the idea of transmitting malware using nothing but sound were successful; after all, people have been ex-filtrating data through technology like FM radio for some time. However, it’s not like this thing is going to bring the mainframe crashing down.
So hackers would already need to have accessed your computer physically to install the malware and would then need to be just a few feet away to activate it. Depending on how closely you watch your computer, this is pretty unlikely. It’s certainly not something that could enable hackers to punt a virus into a computer mainframe, like the Stuxnet worm was passed on to the computers in Iranian nuclear facilities without the help of a network. They used a USB stick, not this sort of super-acoustic sorcery.
Of course, don’t let this news tempt you into dropping your guard. There are plenty of other ways for prying eyes to sneak into your life.
Don't Freak Out About Ultrasonic Malware (Yet) | Gizmodo Australia
Saturday, August 31, 2013
CW's Wonder Woman Series AMAZON is Still in Development
In case you were wondering what's been going on with CW's Wonder Woman series, some of you will be happy to hear that it's actually still in development. The network is just taking their time with it, and it's currently in the process of being redeveloped.
While talking to reporters recently, CW President Mark Pedowitz emphasized that the series is still very much a part of the network's future plans. Here's what he said when asked about it:
Oh God yes. It is being redeveloped. We're waiting for the script to come in. We have not seen it yet. We are preparing to pilot it off-cycle should the script be what we want it to be. We do not want to produce something that doesn't work for that particular character. It is the trickiest of all the DC characters to get done.
The series was previously said to focus on Wonder Woman as a "young, budding superhero, rather than a fully formed defender of liberty. (Think, but instead of a 'no tights, no flights' rule, this show might have a 'no bracelets, no crown' mandate.)" We also have a previously released description of the series that you can check out here.
She comes from a remote, secluded country and until now has spent most of her life as a soldier and a leader on the battlefield. Because of relentless brutality of her life at home, Iris looks at our world with absolute awe and astonishment. She’s delighted and just as often horrified by the aspects of everyday life that we take for granted: skyscrapers, traffic, ice cream. It’s all new and fascinating and sometimes slightly troubling to her. Iris is completely unschooled in our world, our culture, our customs. And she’s completely inexperienced at interpersonal relationships. She has no social filter, does not suffer fools, and tends to do and say exactly what’s on her mind at all times. She’s bluntly, refreshingly honest. She can tell when you’re lying to her. And she doesn't have time or patience for politics or tact because she’s too busy trying to experience everything our world has to offer. There are too many sights to see and things to learn and people to care for. Hers is a true, noble, and generous heart. And she will fight and die for the people she loves. Iris is a fierce warrior with the innocent heart of a romantic and she will fight to the death to make the world safe for innocents and true romantics everywhere.
Since they're redeveloping the series I have no idea how much of this stuff will be included, but I imagine it will have the same tone. I guess we'll see. Hopefully the CW can pull it off!
CW's Wonder Woman Series AMAZON is Still in Development — GeekTyrant
Wednesday, August 21, 2013
10 virtualization tips every administrator should consider
Virtualisation can reduce costs, simplify administration, and enable organizations to get more mileage out of their tech investments. These tips will help you reap those benefits.
1: Plan hardware for virtual capacity
When you are in the early stages of planning your virtual environment, do not make the mistake of purchasing hardware that can't handle the strain virtualization will put on it. You need to think bigger than usual. Remember, this server might well be hosting numerous virtual machines, so it's going to need the raw horsepower and the space necessary for growth. The last thing you need is to have your host server choke and run out of space for virtual machines. Measure twice, cut once applies. Don't assume a virtual machine will take up little space on that server. And don't assume you'll be hosting only one virtual machine.2: Keep track of the entire lifecycle of every virtual machine
I've heard of administrators unleashing a virtual machine and leaving it do its thing with little to no monitoring. You need to be keeping track of every one of your virtual machines from birth to death. You should always know how large those VMs have become, the status of their snapshots, how much traffic they are getting, and just about every other piece of information you can get your hands on. It's very tempting to "set and forget" virtual machines, but that is a grievous error and could land you in a world of trouble.3: Don't virtualize everything
Not everything should be virtualized. That FTP server that gets only internal traffic of maybe a half dozen users? Probably not. Printer server? Probably not. You need to make a specific plan and have sound reasons for everything that is virtualized. The first thing you should ask yourself is, "Why do we need to virtualize Server X?" When you can answer that question with a modicum of certainty, apply that same reasoning to every server you think might benefit from virtualization.4: Monitor virtual traffic as well as you do non-virtual traffic
Make sure you monitor your virtual traffic as well as you do your non-virtual traffic. Don't be lulled into thinking the virtual hosts are safer simply because you can spin up a snapshot at a moment's notice. That is a false sense of security and should not be considered a substitute for security. But monitoring goes well beyond security. You need to keep abreast of both internal and external traffic to your virtual machines. After a certain period of time, you will know whether specific machines need to be given more resources and whether other virtual machines would be best served as stand-alone.5: Don't give away virtual resources for free
I've seen it plenty of times: Virtual machines seem to take up so little space and are easily given over to the realm of "free." Don't do this. Don't even migrate a server from stand-alone to virtualized for free. The client needs to understand the benefit they gain from their server being virtualized -- and along with all that comes with virtualization, there is a price. Besides, the technology required for virtualization has a cost associated with it, and sometimes that cost is high. Your organization can't foot that bill alone.6: Use virtual machines for disposable systems
This might seem a bit strange to some, but there are times when you need a system or service temporarily. There's no better way to supply a temporary service than with virtual machines. Need a temporary FTP server? Virtual machine. Need a temporary print server or Web server? Virtual machine. The nice thing about virtual machines is that they don't cost you the resource of hardware, so bringing a machine to life is quite easy. You could even create specific virtual machines for specific "disposable tasks" and bring them up only as needed.7: Create virtual machine templates for easy deployment
If you know you'll want to deploy numerous virtual machines based on specific configurations or needs, create a set of templates so that deployment of these machines is as efficient as possible. This can really save you time and effort if you sell a specific service -- say, Web servers -- and sell them often. There's no need for you to constantly reinvent the wheel. Create a template and use it as often as necessary. That time saved is money in the bank for both you and the client.8: Use "thick provisioning" for disks when performance is key
Most admins will create dynamically allocated disks for their virtual machines. For those VMs that need as much performance as possible, you should allocate thick provisioning. In other words, set an actual size for the disk in the VM configuration. Yes, you will need to make sure you've done the necessary planning to ensure the host machine has enough space to accommodate those thick provisioned virtual machines. But the performance gains you get will definitely be worth the time invested.9: Install all guest add-ons and virtualization tools
This should be a no-brainer. Most virtual machine tools (like VMware and VirtualBox) offer guest add-ons and other virtualization tools created to improve the experience and performance and to make the communication between the guest and host more seamless. A lot of admins neglect these installations, assuming them to be unnecessary. Install them. Mouse integration, display drivers, guest-to-host time sync, and more can be installed to help make the virtual life a more efficient one. Though they are not required, they do a great job of improving the front-end usability.10: Keep your host system fully patched at all times
Most assume all the weight is on the guest OS. Although that is true for the virtual machine, the host plays a huge role in this process. The last thing you need is to have your VMs hosted on a vulnerable machine. Sure, if that server isn't hosting a litany of virtual machines, the only thing at risk is a single server's worth of data. But since that server is hosting any number of VMs (some of which could be for clients), the threat of loss is significantly greater. Because of this, you will want to make sure that the host machine is patched up and always secure.The payoff
At some point, your company is going to want to make the investment in virtual technologies. At that time, you will want to be as prepared as possible. With enough due diligence and work on your part, your virtual machines will save you money, time, and effort -- which, in the end, can make your clients very happy.10 virtualization tips every administrator should consider - TechRepublic
Review: Free DD-WRT network router firmware
Most network routers have fairly basic firmware that limits the hardware's full potential. You can change that.
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DD-WRT
Product Information
- Title: DD-WRT
- Company: NewMedia-NET GmbH
- Product URL: http://dd-wrt.com
- Price: Free
For an idea of what DD-WRT can do for you, I will highlight some of my favorite features included with the firmware.
If you wanted to set up an OpenVPN gateway for all systems that connect through the router, you can add your VPN cert and private key, flip a few switches to determine the encryption and tunnel type, and voila! Every computer that connects to the router will pass right into the VPN. No client end VPN software is necessary.
I also like how DD-WRT is extremely verbose on stats, showing you total inbound and outbound traffic to date, as well as router performance information, including free memory and CPU activity. Having access to this panel will give you insights into what kind of traffic you are dealing with and if you need additional hardware down the road.
An example of some of the available router stats
Finally, DD-WRT just seems to improve network performance by a decent margin. For instance, after switching the firmware from stock to custom, surfing web pages and downloads seemed a bit snappier than before. Not to mention, I could be more discriminatory of what protocols (i.e. Bittorrent) could do what it needed to do with the network to improve balance.Installing takes some research
Now, when it comes to getting DD-WRT installed to the router, there really is no one-size-fits-all method, as hardware from different manufacturers is handled on a case by case basis. There are some routers that are unable to be flashed too, so if you are shopping around for a new router, it would be advisable to refer to the DD-WRT hardware compatibility database first before committing to a purchase.Fortunately, for my router, installation was as simple as dropping into the firmware upgrade menu, selecting the custom-tailored ROM file for my hardware make and model, and then uploading it over the network. After a several minute upload process, followed by a mandatory router reboot, I was up and running in DD-WRT. In the unfortunate event of an endless reboot or other strange issue that might arise in the process of flashing, I also have the option to boot into the router's low-level recovery mode in order to roll back to the stock firmware and try again.
With all this interest surrounding router modifications, it goes without saying that flashing with un-official custom firmware could invalidate your warranty coverage and cause other problems. If this all sounds too risky, companies like Buffalo actually offer routers with DD-WRT firmware already flashed and ready to go with full warranty coverage. This way, you won't have to worry about accidentally bricking any hardware if you don't feel adventurous.
DD-WRT is available to everyone as freeware under the GNU GPLv2 license. So long as your router make, model, and revision are all listed, you should be good to go. One thing to note: if you have less than 8MB of flash storage space on your router, you won't be able to take advantage of every feature available. Therefore, you will need to choose the mini firmware "edition" that best suits your needs for the hardware.
Review: Free DD-WRT network router firmware - TechRepublic
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