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5 Security Tips to Make Your MacBook a Mobile Fort Knox

Is your MacBook an easy target for thieves and hackers? Here are 5 tips to make your MacBook an impenetrable and unstealable mobile data fortress.

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Internet / Network Security Spotlight10

PS3 Root Key Reportedly Found. Hackers and Homebrew Devs Begin Salivating.

Wednesday January 5, 2011

A wise old security colleague  of mine once said, "with enough time and resources, even the best security can be broken." This may be the case for the one of the PlayStation 3's main security measures, according to recent reports from PC Magazine and other sources around the net.

George Hotz (a.k.a Geohot), the godfather of iPhone Jailbreaking, has reportedly leveraged the work started by a group known as failOverflow and released what is know as the PS3 Root Key. The Root Key is the encrypted code signing key previously reserved for use by Sony and Sony-approved developers and was the one of the main copy protection mechanisms used on the PlayStation 3. The Root Key ensured that only code signed with the key would run on the PS3.

Now that the key is reportedly available to the public it is likely only a matter of time before the key is used in an exploit to "jailbreak" the PS3, allowing non-sanctioned developers and hackers to run their own code on the console. This would open the door for homebrew developers to write applications, games, and even port operating systems to the PS3.  Sony had previously allowed Linux to be run installed and run in a limited capacity but has since removed the capability altogether in a recent mandatory firmware update. I'm going to speculate that the Root Key release  is most likely a response to Sony's removal of Linux capability which was seen as a slap in the face to the homebrew community.

Stay tuned. This is going to get interesting.

Lots of Information Security Job Openings Coming in 2011

Thursday December 30, 2010

According to a recent article in the Washington Post, it looks like the federal government will be hiring IT security professionals by the busload in 2011 and beyond. The article states that the Department of Homeland Security worked with the Office of Personnel Management to "attain new authority to recruit and hire up to 1,000 cyber-security professionals across the department over the next three years to help fulfill DHS's broad mission to protect the nation's cyberinfrastructure, systems and networks."

If your interested in these jobs, keep an eye on the USA Jobs website for job openings related to this effort. If you want to find out what it takes to be an IT security professional, check out my recent article on 5 tips to help you get your foot in the door in the Info Sec World for tips to get your resume moved to the top of the stack.

Fiery Firewall Password Crackers

Thursday December 23, 2010

I know this a security blog about hard-hitting security issues, but it's the holidays, and even security folks need to eat something now and then. The following recipe is a favorite amongst my security brethren. I make it for almost every office party I attend. It's easy and it's incredibly tasty. I didn't invent this recipe. It was passed down from someone in our office. I'll update this post at some point to give him proper credit.

Fiery Firewall Password Crackers:

  • 1 whole box of Saltine Crackers
  • 1 1/2 cups of Canola oil
  • 1 packet of Hidden Valley Ranch Dip/Salad Dressing Mix (the dry packet of mix only)
  • 3 Tablespoons of Crushed Red Pepper (the kind you sprinkle on pizza)
  • Two large gallon size Ziploc bags or a plastic casserole dish with lid

Combine the oil, hidden valley ranch dip mix, and red pepper flakes into a small pitcher. Use a whisk to stir the mixture together until thoroughly blended. Place the crackers in the Ziploc bags or other container. Pour the mixture over the crackers and seal the bags or container. Gently turn the bags/container over several times to distribute the mixture over the crackers. Continue to turn the bags/container at least 4 times over the next hour. Keep the crackers sealed for at least 8-10 hours before serving.

You might think that the oil would make the crackers soggy but IT DOESN'T! They look as if you baked them yourself from scratch. Serve the crackers with a Pimento cheese spread from you local deli (I like the kind with Jalapeno peppers in it). The crackers have a little "kick" to them, but even people who don't like spicy food will love them.

Enjoy! Happy holidays!

Word Lens App by Quest Visual - Augmented Reality Language Translation

Monday December 20, 2010

OK, I'm officially impressed. I just tried Quest Visual's Word Lens iPhone app and I have to say that it is one of the most impressive tech demos I have ever seen. This Augmented Reality app will take any printed text you point the iPhone's camera at and translates it into another language. The amazing part is that it does the translation in real-time and it superimposes the translated text over the original text so all you see is the translation. The effect is mind bending. They have a video on their site that will show you what I'm talking about.

"Hey Andy, you're a security guy, why are you so excited about this?"

I'll tell you why. This technology could be used for the real-time cryptanalysis of text on the fly. All the developer needs to do to make this possible is add a cryptographic module in place of the language translation. Users would just need the correct cipher key and BOOM! Instant real-time iPhone decoder ring!

The Word Lens app currently supports Spanish-to-English and English-to-Spanish translation with more languages supported in the future according to the developer. The app is free to try and features a demo mode. Languages can be purchased from within the app.

Check it out and let me know what you think.

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