Slashdot Mirror
Internet Based Attacks in a Physical World
scubacuda writes "In light of the /. backlash against Spam King, Alan Ralsky, (in which /.ers published his info online--including an overhead shot of his house--and signed him up for junk) Simon Beyers, Aviel Rubin, and David Kormann have written a report entitled Defending Against an Internetbased Attack on the Physical World. Bruce Schneier notes that there's no easy defence against such an attack, largely because companies want to make it easy for consumers to get their promotional information:'Subscribing someone to magazines and signing them up for embarrassing catalogs is an old trick, but it has limitations because it's physically difficult to do it on a large scale. But this attack exploits the automation properties of the Internet, the Web availability of catalog request forms, and the paper world of the post office and catalog mailings. All the pieces (that) are required for the attack to work.' But as Rubin and his colleagues point out, there's a real danger in this ploy, one that few people have likely thought about. 'A scenario could be imagined where an attacker would do this to delay the arrival of an important letter, to wreak havoc on the postal system for political reasons, or even worse, to serve as a diversion for a terrorist act, such as the mailing of a contaminated letter.'"
If you don't want to be attacked on a large scale from the Internet, don't piss off Slashdot readers!
It should be a no-brainer by now, and we have shown the effectiveness!
now, is a way for the internet to deliver a flaming bag of dog poo to the doorstep of your favourite enemy and life will be complete.
Subscribing someone to magazines and signing them up for embarrassing catalogs is an old trick, but it has limitations because it's physically difficult to do it on a large scale.
Heh, I gotta rember this excuse. "No, I didn't sign up for these dirty magazienes. It is some internet conspiracy..."
That, and why is he complaigning?
If I have nothing to hide, don't search me
Tryint to get people to subscribe to Slashdot and making them read embarrassing dupes is an old trick. These attacks exploit the lazy properties of the editors as well as their unprofessionalism. All the pieces (that) are required for this attack to work. There's a real danger in this ploy, one that few people have likely thought about: "A scenario could be imagined where a story could be posted to Slashdot, and then the same story could be posted again a couple weeks later, to wreak havoc on the Internet for political reasons, or even worse, to serve as a diversion for a terrorist act, such as the posting of a goatse link."
In Soviet Rush, today's Tom Sawyer gets high on you.
"But as Rubin and his colleagues point out, there's a real danger in this ploy, one that few people have likely thought about. 'A scenario could be imagined where an attacker would do this to delay the arrival of an important letter, to wreak havoc on the postal system for political reasons, or even worse, to serve as a diversion for a terrorist act, such as the mailing of a contaminated letter."
You know, aparently *nobody* thinks up terrorist acts until the newsmedia lets them know everything they need to know to pull one off.
I always liked the idea of placing a classified ad for a mint 1978 Camero for $750 (b/c you're getting a divorce yadda yadda) and then listing your bud's phone number as the contact info. Best to use Auto Trader or the like because the ads run longer than newspapers and can't be cancelled in a day. Never done it, but sure have been tempted on occasion...
If it's a rughead
So, if it is sent by William Shatner or Ted Danson it would be terrorism?
Life sucks, but death doesn't put out at all. -- Thomas J. Kopp
Apparently, he started getting calls from several states away from irate bikers who were pissed at HIM when he told them he wasn't selling one (he never owned a motorcycle).
science is a religion
I believe that this "slash-period" is a haven for terrorists, and I believe that they have weapons of mass destruction. It is therefore my duty, as the president of the great nation, to eliminate this threat to our freedom. In the next 12 hours, a campaign of "shock and awe" will be undertaken, the likes of which have never been seen. Nasty emails will be sent in unprecedented numbers. Trolls will abound, and will overcome the enemy.
The pentagon has recently developed a new weapon, a kind of super-goatse, and this new weapon will be used to great effect.
But, remember that this war is not against the people of "slash-period," but is against their terribly regime. CowbowNeal and his associate, Commander Taco. are the enemies here. Our targetted trolling will not be directed at the innocent and oppressed ACs of "slash-period" We are liberators, not conquerors.
Thank you, and goodnight.
(I'm not sure if I was trying to be funny, or if I'm just bored at work..)
GeekNights!
Late Night Radio for Geeks!
William Shatner is...... already guilty of... acts of... terrorism...... against. TheEnglishLangauge.
deus does not exist but if he does
Newsflash: the evil spammers are fighting back and hitting slashdot where it hurts, by submitting stories to the slashdot site that have already been posted and discussed.
...and probably again a few days after that, if a new newspaper article is written about it).
These stories are known in the slashdot community as "dupes", and the practice (now becoming well-celebrated in the spammer community) is called "duping the nerds".
Stay tuned for more details in the next posted article, (and again next week,
There are only 10 types of people: those who understand decimal, those who don't, and, uh, 8 other types I forget.
If someone shot him would you be asking about the abolition of guns
;)
actually i think thats precisely why we should have guns.
This is my sig. There are many like it, but this one is mine.
A sending list.
Instead of buying a CD with a million email addresses, you buy a CD with the location of 100,000 catalgue/political/newsletter mailing list signup forms and a program to fill them out with your victim's information.
paintball
Um, if you can get Aunt Martha's cookie recipe confused with a hot naked teen email, I'd like to eat those cookies! :)
Someone should write a white paper detailing ways to get Slashdot to post dupes, and how it could potentially be used to do malicious things, like delaying the posting of real news.
Manipulate the moderator system! Mod someone as "overrated" today.
when the local LUG, gaming club, and anime association all stormed krispy kreme at the same time.