Technorati Tags: Defcon

Security Twits are people in security related jobs, companies, etc that use Twitter. We can thank Jennifer, aka Mediaphyter, for the name and the original blog post on the Twits. It’s actually a pretty impressive list of security folks using it.

If you have not tried Twitter you should. You may just find it useful if not downright addictive.

– Chris

Technorati Tags: Twitter, Security, Security Twits

I am curious as to what this will do for their NAC strategy, if anything.

–Chris

Technorati Tags: Juniper, switches, NAC

I first learned of Tor while at the NSA, back then it was more commonly known as Onion Routing. Tor is basically a series of servers setup with software that allows the forwarding of packets while hiding the originating IP address. One of the biggest problems with Tor is the “last hop” or exit router. This is the last Tor server (node) that handles the packet before it reaches the destination. This last node sees everything being passed and is not encrypted, unless the connection to the destination is done using SSL / TLS, IPSec, etc. The other issue with the exit router is that anyone can set one up. Since Tor is an open network you just need hardware to run the Tor software and a network connection. This is where Dan came in.</strong>

Dan simply setup several Tor servers and analyzed the traffic passing through these exit servers. All total he was able to gather over 1000 user names / passwords. In the interest of disclosure he did make some attempts to notify the organizations involved. It seems in most cases he was ignored or not understood. He then posted 100 of those accounts on the Internet.

The moral of the story. Encrypt it end to end if you expect any degree of privacy. Transport level and application level encryption is so common place these days it amazes me the number of people that don’t use it. The Wall of Sheep at DefCon is a good representation of this.  Will that solve everything? Of course not but it will definitely help.

–Chris

Technorati Tags: Tor, encryption, Dan Egerstad

blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2007/11/encrypted-e-mai.html

–Chris

Technorati Tags: Hushmail, encrytped email

Yesterday Fred Wilson had a post on the “lead investor”. It was a great description of those VC’s who say they will invest but didn’t want to lead the funding round. Having seen this first hand (from the other side of the table from Fred), I thought it was dead on. My favorite quote:

“If you are raising a financing of any kind, spend all of your time looking for a lead investor. Qualify every meeting upfront. If the investor won’t lead, don’t take the meeting.”

Good article.

–Chris

Technorati Tags: VC, investors, Fred Wilson

The good folks at CSI were kind enough to give me a press pass and 2 conference passes for zilch, as they seem to have done with several of my fellow security bloggers. Sorry, I have already given the 2 passes to a couple of security geeks who really wanted to go.

I hope to see you there.

–Chris

Technorati Tags: CSI 2007, security conference, Alexandria

Please stop by and check it out.

–Chris

Technorati Tags: MiketechShow, podcast, ustream, ComputerAmerica

Ouch…

–Chris

Technorati Tags: LAX, NIC, network outage

14 August 2007 – 23:58 GMT

With the industry and those in it so seemingly hostile to Whitedust, and
pure apathy from anyone who thinks otherwise. Why bother. This site is
now closed permanently. It’s staff have abandoned the scene and the industry
for real world projects – for good, you won’t be seeing us again. You “Won”.

Good luck out there. You’ll need it.

-The Staff

Hoax, hack or real? I have not noticed anything about them closing down. Anybody know more about it?

–Chris

Technorati Tags: whitedust security, whitedust.net