Disagreements with Bruce's Home PC Advice

Interesting discussion over on Bruce Schneier's Page on sensible things to do to secure your home PC. Amusingly this guy appears to disagree with most of Bruce's points. Not sure why as they seem eminently sensible. Gordon Luk seems to be confusing security with system maintenance, and advises not securing unless you know what you are doing.


The problem with this is that not securing your PC doesn't just affect you, but the rest of the Internet. If you don't have the savvy to secure - speak to someone who does! It is getting closer and closer to the time when you WILL become legally responsible for what attacks your PC hosts, so secure it now. There really is no excuse!

Quick summary of my thoughts on Gordon's posts -

1) If you don't know how - get someone to help, don't just ignore the issue
2) Any useful support bod can use their own versions on CD
3) 5 seconds in any microwave is good for CD wiping, and good shredders cope fine
4) Absolutely - us techies live for free lunch
5) Switching to Firefox is staggeringly easy now - it "just works"
6) Users "should" use long random passwords for anything valuable. Or else...
7) Don't rely on the "lock" icon. Relatively easily spoofed - cross site scripting!
8) Agreed - free beer helps after free lunch!
9) ROFL!
10) and 11) agreed

The art of safe cracking

The art of safe cracking.

Very cool!

Stupid Security | Airline Security: Armed Soldier Loses Housekey, Gets To Keep Weapon

I just love the real life stories at Stupid Security It does go to show just how far down the crazy road America has gone in its quest for security, bringing in draconian (or just plain stupid) measures which do nothing to increase security, in fact they often decrease it....hmmm sounds like the way speed cameras were brought in to save lives. Hahahahaha! Utter nonsense

There's a need to illuminate the darknet - apparently

There's a need to illuminate the darknet



I just like the term Darknet - in my head it ain't this, but never mind.

Ever thought you were pretty clever or good with numbers?

Read this and weep. But then again - does he have a social life?

Slashdot | Verizon Seeks To Nix Fee-Based Municipal Wireless Grids

Slashdot Verizon Seeks To Nix Fee-Based Municipal Wireless Grids

What nonsense is this?! Verizon reckons a free community based wireless network is unfair competition so are trying to get a bill passed to restrict them. How sad!

BlackBerry prickles, sleep, school security and MS/Linux stats

More info in the ongoing saga of mobile devices:
Information Security News: BlackBerry prickles Department of Defence spooks.

And I must remember to sedate the kids.

Getting round security will always be fun for intelligent attackers and children.

Lies, damned lies and mi2g.

Structural Rigidity

Interested to see how my new strut brace will perform when I fit it to the Impreza. Could be the next step on the slippery slope to modding! Nahh - I won't go the rice route, maybe this is more like me:-)

Dreich and dreary drizzle

The weekend was great - I love this drizzly winter weather! Sunday was a pro-karting race with the TVR club, and despite a power cut out at the track, it was really good fun. Mainly because it got quite slidy due to the low temperatures and some drizzle in the final. I managed to make up many places by pressurising people until they made mistakes and spun out. Yay!

The Saturday was sunnier, and climbing was good - managed a new route...only a 5+ but a good psychological one. The next target is a long 6A, but I'll need to try it at the start of a session, not when I'm already knackered.

Always been a fan of Strongbad (I mean, even my car stereo tells me the time in his voice!) and this one is a good 'un:

http://www.homestarrunner.com/sbemail118.html

(posted by http://silverstr.ufies.org/blog/mt-tb.cgi/441)

First Blog

Thought I should finally start my own blog - y'know get onto the super-world-wide-interweb-highway and join the technologically advanced ones:-)

"Oooooo," I hear you say. I said "OOoooooo, I hear you ..." Oh never mind.

This is going to just be a collection point for things I find useful, interesting or vaguely amusing. We'll see how it goes.