Category: hacking

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The Last 10 Years In Mobile Phones

SysRisk

This is a neat write-up of a timeline of the mobile phone over the past ten years. I wrote a similar timeline for the RSA security conference here is Japan last May, but went much further back to the original mobile phones. Wikipedia also has a great timeline in the history section of the mobile phone category. This is something we take for such granted these days, and was a rich man’s novelty just 20 years ago; but even then it was limited to gadgets installed in vehicles for the most part. My claims to this historical bit are – … Continue reading The Last 10 Years In Mobile Phones

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Security Through Obscurity – Word Processor Redaction

SysRisk

A couple weeks ago I had a small rant about the HSBC bankruptcy leak, where I found the bank’s reaction to the issue rather surprising. Then this morning as I go through my reading list (it’s Monday), this article from Network World shows that TSA fell into the same problem. However, this most recent article goes into the problem much deeper, especially on the second page of the article. The problem lies in developers, users, and security managers alike not knowing the process of document redaction, and what will and will not properly redact a document. Many people think that … Continue reading Security Through Obscurity – Word Processor Redaction

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Cool Serial Logging Device – Logomatic v2 Serial SD Datalogger

SysRisk

This cool little electronics device from Sparkfun Electronics allows you to log anything you can connect via a serial connection. A friend of mine handed this to me for Christmas, which is a good surprise that fits quite well with all the logging electronics applications that I have been prototyping lately, including some future ideas that I have for enhanced GPS/APRS/Wx logging, hiker emergency communications, and others. Enjoy! Comment – rants, comments, anything except spam. Continue reading Cool Serial Logging Device – Logomatic v2 Serial SD Datalogger

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Windows 7 Critique By An OSX User

SysRisk

Since the last blog posting I have done quite a bit – so much that I have not had time to blog about the activity. However, for the first catch-up blog, I decided to say a word or two about Windows 7. I joined Deloitte back in May of 2008 and our laptops were upgraded to Vista in November 2008. When the IT Center upgraded our laptops to Vista, they also upgraded RAM from two gigabytes to four gigabytes, which is always a welcome upgrade. Now, after about twelve months of using Vista and enduring 20 minute boot-up times, inexplicable … Continue reading Windows 7 Critique By An OSX User

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Active Directory Analysis

SysRisk

A couple of weeks ago I wrote this post because I had just found out that a group of security ‘professionals’ and ‘consultants’ (not from our company) that were assigned to one of my projects did not have the technical ability to download user records, or any other records, from Active Directory (AD) and perform the appropriate ID management analysis. While I am senior management, I do take the pride of being able to do about anything required, including the technical work that is necessary to figure out via Google, MS Support sites, or any other resource – a skill … Continue reading Active Directory Analysis

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Altoids Wireless Microphone

SysRisk

I do not know which one came up with the idea first, but these two web pages- AL7FS Jim Larsen and Pirate Nation Radio – show circuit board designs that fit into an Altoids box. But I also remember an IT Infrastructure Manager at a company that I used to work at that always had stacks of Altoids boxes on his desk. Wonder if any of those ‘empty’ boxes was really packing something like this little version. The view from the front is a bit deceiving except for the little yellow tail coming out of the back. For surveillance on … Continue reading Altoids Wireless Microphone

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The WanAway… A work In Progress

SysRisk

Over the past year or so, a friend and I have been mulling over a device that can be used in a variety of ways to deter animals from entering certain perimeter areas – such as keeping a dog from doing his business at the front gate of your house. There are other applications as I have learned that apply to keeping wolves off of ranches, or keeping coyotes away from designated areas. The high level design involves a circuit that produces an ultrasound output at about 20 KHz combined with a circuit that detects motion and size. The motion … Continue reading The WanAway… A work In Progress