The Lazy Genius

Bejtlich points out Gartner Wisdom

Xavier Ashe — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 10:28:25 -0400

2003: "IDSs [intrusion detection systems] have failed to provide value relative to its costs and will be obsolete by 2005." (Gartner, "Gartner Information Security Hype Cycle Declares Intrusion Detection Systems a Market Failure")

2008: "Our adversaries are very adept at hiding attacks in normal traffic. The only true way to protect our networks is to have an intrusion detection system." (Robert Jamison, Under Secretary of the National Protection and Programs Directorate at DHS)

From TaoSecurity.

Security in Dilbert

Xavier Ashe — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 13:22:47 -0500

Bill Gates’ last day at Microsoft (spoof)

Xavier Ashe — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 09:34:01 -0500

A video spoof shown during the CES 2008 keynote by Bill Gates about his last full day at Microsoft in July starring himself, Brian Williams, Steve Ballmer, Matthew McConaugheyr, Robbie Bach, Jay-Z, Bono, Steven Spielberg, George Clooney, Jon Stewart, Kevin Turner, Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, Al Gore, Ray Ozzie and Craig Mundie,

Amazing who they can call for a guest appearance in the name of Bill Gates.

Teen Calls Bush’s Secret Phone; Creates Security Scare

Xavier Ashe — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 20:22:45 -0500

An Icelandic teen, MSNBC reports, figured out President Bush’s private phone number, and called it recently, leaving a message saying he was the president of Iceland and wanted Bush to call him back. When police visited the teen, after being alerted by Secret Service, he would not say how he learned the top-secret number. Big Head DC is speculating that he somehow deciphered the code from when Jenna Bush called her parents during a recent taping of the Ellen show.

From Big Head DC.

Need to print something?

Xavier Ashe — Sun, 21 Oct 2007 21:04:59 -0400

Try this Google Search. Have fun!

I'm sorry... I am too busy blogging!

Xavier Ashe — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 23:03:48 -0400

Wireless Video Scanner

Xavier Ashe — Fri, 08 Dec 2006 20:20:31 -0500

[aboxman] brought this nice wavecom jr mod to my attention. I first ran across scanning for wireless video signals a couple years ago when the X10 version came out. People were surprised at just how many video signals were flying through the air.This little project results in a unit that can scan a wide 2.3 to 2.7Ghz range. Of course, if you're across the pond, you might want a european version.

Ooh, I found my next project! From Hack-a-Day.

Nintendo DS Homebrew how-to

Xavier Ashe — Sun, 08 Oct 2006 22:52:28 -0400

Intrigued by the notion of playing old school games on your DS but don't know where to begin? Would you like to use your DS as a map or check out a free browser? Never fear -- no matter how technically challenged you may be, there's a solution for you. This time, it comes in the form of a beginner-friendly guide to checking out homebrew options for your very own Nintendo DS.

The guide takes you step by step through the process of preparing to use homebrew apps. After all, understanding is one thing -- actually taking the plunge is another, and the guide is very helpful when it comes to recommendations on what to get and what to do with it once you have it. While this guide covers the basics about preparing for homebrew and looping around the built-in protections, it doesn't get into applications. Baby steps, people. They're saving those things for future guides. So if you're looking to get started but haven't a clue what to do, check it out.

Awesome Guide from S0rethumbs. I know what I am doming with my DS tonight! [via]

How To: Dismantle an Atomic Bomb

Xavier Ashe — Thu, 05 Oct 2006 13:35:53 -0400

Sure, the odds are slim that you'd ever be faced with an atomic device ticking down to zero. But think of how Jack Bauer it'd be if you were. And then who're you going to trust? Us or some do-gooder rock band?

Very important information from Wired.

If these tips don't work, give us a call and let us know what we got wrong.

White and Nerdy

Xavier Ashe — Mon, 02 Oct 2006 16:12:10 -0400

Labor Day fun

Xavier Ashe — Sun, 03 Sep 2006 21:30:04 -0400

I will be onsite at a client for the next few weeks, so there's no telling how much I will be able to post. Here's a nice geeky comic to pass the time:

This is from kxcd, "A webcomic of romance, sarcasm, math and langauge".

Great Comic

Xavier Ashe — Thu, 24 Aug 2006 09:48:28 -0400

Web 2.0 Image Generator

Xavier Ashe — Thu, 17 Aug 2006 15:53:26 -0400

Make your own.

XBox 360: Texas Hold 'em Free in Arcade

Xavier Ashe — Thu, 17 Aug 2006 11:01:56 -0400

Microsoft isn't bluffing: Log on to Xbox Live® within the first 48 hours after launch and download Texas Hold 'em completely free of charge! This full-featured poker title for Xbox Live Arcade on Xbox 360™ will launch on Wednesday, August 23, at 0800 GMT (1:00 A.M. Pacific Time).

For 48 hours only—through 0800 GMT (1:00 A.M. Pacific Time) Friday, August 25—as a special limited-time only promotion, all Xbox Live Gold and Silver members can download (and own) the game at no charge. Starting at 0801 GMT (1:01 A.M. Pacific Time) Friday, August 25, Texas Hold 'em will be available for 800 Microsoft Points.

From Xbox.com.

Bruce Schneier facts - Chuck Norris style

Xavier Ashe — Wed, 16 Aug 2006 13:30:12 -0400

If Bruce Schneier wants your plaintext, he'll just squeeze it out of the ciphertext using his barehands
Beyond computational complexity, there is Schneiertational complexity
Bruce Schneier doesn't need steganography to hide data in innocent-looking files. He just pounds it in with his fist.

Get More Bruce Schneier Facts

Who would win in a fight - Capt. Morgan vs Capt. Kirk?

Xavier Ashe — Tue, 08 Aug 2006 14:02:20 -0400

How readable is your site?

Xavier Ashe — Wed, 02 Aug 2006 17:11:25 -0400

This service analyses the readability of all rendered content. Unfortunately, this will include navigation items, and other short items of content that do not make up the part of the page that is intended to be the subject of the readability test. These items are likely to skew the results. The difference will be minimal in situations where the copy content is much larger than the navigation items, but documents with little content but lots of navigation items will return results that aren't correct.

The Readablity Test by Juicy Studio. Here are my results:

Reading Level Results
Summary	Value
Total sentences	926
Total words	5261
Average words per Sentence	5.68
Words with 1 Syllable	3039
Words with 2 Syllables	1154
Words with 3 Syllables	640
Words with 4 or more Syllables	428
Percentage of word with three or more syllables	20.30%
Average Syllables per Word	1.71
Gunning Fog Index	10.39
Flesch Reading Ease	56.68
Flesch-Kincaid Grade	6.76

That puts me somewhere in between Time, Newsweek, and the Wall Street Journal.

Who would win in a fight - Hobgoblin or Ghostrider?

Xavier Ashe — Wed, 26 Jul 2006 12:42:15 -0400

Who would win in a fight - Hobgoblin or Ghostrider? Two characters from the indie movie Geekin' argue it out. See more on the Geekin' extras page. If you like it, Digg It!

Cryptography Rap

Xavier Ashe — Fri, 05 May 2006 15:42:48 -0400

The rapper MC Plus+ has written a song about cryptography, "Alice and Bob." It mentions DES, AES, Blowfish, RSA, SHA-1, and more. And me!

From Bruce Schneier's Blog.

The Evolution Of Spy Tools

Xavier Ashe — Thu, 20 Apr 2006 12:10:22 -0400

Real spies may tell you that their lives are nothing like what you’d see in a Hollywood movie, but don’t be fooled: They’ve still got some pretty cool gadgets.

And aside from the relatively recent tools that monitor electronic correspondence, most of those gizmos have been around for a pretty long time. Spies claim that theirs is the second-oldest profession, and basic espionage needs haven’t changed: looking and listening, getting the information they need, and smuggling it back home.

What has changed is the way those spy gadgets work. As technology advances and enemies get smarter, spies have had to constantly re-invent the tools of their trade.

Neet article on Forbes.com.

Xbox Waterballoon Fight In Real Life

Xavier Ashe — Mon, 03 Apr 2006 16:42:08 -0400

Those crazy aussies are trying to recreate the famous water balloon fight commercial for the Xbox 360 in Sydney on April 22.

Xbox 360 is hoping to set the world record for largest water balloon fight at Coogee Beach in Sydney to celebrate the console's launch. You have to buy tickets to get in, but each entry comes with an Xbox 360 Challenge Pack.

The pack's include an unnamed 360 game, a T-shirt (which I desperately want), atrucker cap, swimming goggles and canvas bag.

The event will include hands-on time with unreleased games, music by Melbourne band Kisschasy and both a radio station and a TV show both capturing all of the fun.

The current record for largest water balloon fight was set in 2005 when 2,677 Spaniards threw 50,855 balloons.

From Kotaku.com.

TaoSecurity Blog

Xavier Ashe — Wed, 08 Mar 2006 17:47:43 -0500

Every once in a while it's good to be reminded of certain principles. In my first book I outlined three lessons I've learned while monitoring intruders. Sometimes threats in nature provide examples of these lessons.

Sguil developer Bamm Visscher pointed me to these images, which I have cropped and annotated for your network security monitoring enjoyment.

Fun post from Richard Bejtlich at TaoSecurity. I am able half way through his first book and am quickly becoming a fan, especially with my new job.

LA Police to Test GPS Darts During Car Chases

Xavier Ashe — Fri, 10 Feb 2006 12:57:04 -0500

Police officers in Los Angeles, Calif., the "car-chase capital of the world," are testing a Global Positioning System (GPS)-enabled dart as part of the Los Angeles Police Department’s strategy to end high-speed pursuits, the Associated Press (AP) reports.

The "dart" would be fired from a police car onto a fleeing vehicle, where it would stick, allowing officers to follow the vehicle at a safer distance.

"Instead of us pushing them doing 70 or 80 miles and hour, this device allows us not to have to pursue the car," William J. Bratton, LA’s chief of police, told the AP. "It allows us to start vectoring where the car is."

How cool is that... reminds me of James Bond. From CSO Online.com.

NSA's "Super Secret" toolset

Xavier Ashe — Mon, 06 Feb 2006 10:05:21 -0500

I posted a new photo to RandomPics.

SpoofCard

Xavier Ashe — Sun, 05 Feb 2006 14:22:38 -0500

SpoofCard calling cards offers you the ability to change what someone sees on their caller ID display when they receive a phone call. Key Benefits: Make calls truly private, Ability to record calls, Change your voice, Fun and inexpensive, Easy to use and fast to set up!

SPOOFCARD FEATURES:

Caller ID Spoofing
Voice Changer
Call Recording
Web Control Panel

No computer needed! Simply dial the toll free number from the calling card you purchase.

1.Enter your pin number.
3. Enter Destination number.
2. Enter Any Caller ID Number you wish to display.
4. Choose the voice you would like to use.
5. Your call is connected using the specified Caller ID Number.

As an added bonus, we offer you the option to record your conversation for FREE which you can later retrive by logging-in to your control panel or calling our 800 number from anywhere.

We also offer you the ability to change your voice to sound like a man or women for FREE.

Found on UneasySilence.

Humor time

Xavier Ashe — Fri, 13 Jan 2006 11:49:59 -0500

Hilarious song about gamers.... Funniest thing I have seen in a while:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=1329362959167995041

Apple's share price an in-joke for Intelites

Xavier Ashe — Wed, 11 Jan 2006 11:37:17 -0500

In a bit of unintended humor, Wall Street closed Apple's stock Tuesday, the day the company unveiled its first Intel processor-based computers at Macworld, at $80.86.

That may mean nothing to the average person, but techies will no doubt catch the accidental reference to Intel's 8086, the 1978 processor that spawned the x86 architecture that PC users are so familiar with.

Now, it's pretty unlikely that Wall Street was able to manipulate Apple's share price, given the thousands upon thousands of people who no doubt bought and sold the stock Tuesday. But it's little coincidences like this that make technies and geeks sit up and take notice. Or at least I and the friend who pointed this out to me did.

Ahhh... you just can't make this stuff up. It's like a bleesing from the geek gods. From C|Net.

Make a lockpick out of an Oral-B Toothbrush

Xavier Ashe — Wed, 11 Jan 2006 10:46:31 -0500

Often when it comes to true invention and discovery, crossing the line of ethics of the day leads to great discoveries. There seems to be several areas of humanity that create social boundaries preventing discoveries of all types. Lets all take a moment to reflect on the nature of humanity.. Ok that was enough of that! Supposed ethical boundaries have often stymied the progression of insight both to our surroundings, but also into our self's. It is in one of these perceived dark recesses of humanity that I have felt like delving into with this project. Any type of project that effects perception of security and stability of life is never popular. While lock picking is nothing new, for those who know nothing about it, it often shocks and scares people with its ease and sharp reality

From InventGeek.com. [via]

Student arrested for "F5 attack"

Xavier Ashe — Fri, 06 Jan 2006 14:23:24 -0500

A Stark County high school senior has been arrested and charged for allegedly trying to crash his school's computer system. Police say the student, created a website which connected to the school's system.

When enough users logged on and hit the F5 button, it overloaded the school's system.

But, Lake High School caught-on before the system crashed. Its computers started slowing down.

"It's a crime and it is important we take this seriously ... especially for school officials ... it could have done a tremendous amount of damage," said Canton City Prosecutor Frank Fronchione.

Stone is charged with a felony and could face jail time.

Friggen ridiculous huh? Here's the news story from WKYC.com (or watch the video), but go over to digg.com and read the comments like this one:

I just called and spoke to a school administrator. I referred in the the fark and digg posting regarding this offense, and politely informed him of the fact that until we get bored or all charges are dropped, I don't see this getting off the front pages of these sites any time soon. I explained to him what it means when a site gets "Dugg" or "Farked" or "Slashdotted". I think he understood, but I don't think he is going to do much about it.

Remember that good news I promised a week or two ago?

Xavier Ashe — Wed, 28 Dec 2005 09:30:02 -0500

Well I can finally announce that I am no longer an Independent Consultant. I am now a happy post-sales consultant for Guarded.Net, the maker of NeuSecure, easily the best SIM out on the market. But WAIT, Guarded.Net is no more! They were bought bought by Micromuse a few months ago. But WAIT, Micromuse is no more! Last Thursday, it was announced that IBM intendeds to buy Micromuse. So I still will be doing security consulting, implementing NeuSecure at most of the best IT shops in the world. Eventually NeuSecure will be integrated with Tivoli, which will be fun as well. This blog will live on as I travel and hope to bring some interesting anecdotes.