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FBI Agent Talks Crime, Macs
hype7 writes "There's an article at SecurityFocus describing a visit an FBI agent to Washington University. His visit was ostensibly about computer security and the general public's complete lack of any idea on computer security whatsoever: 'I have spent a considerable amount in the computer underground and have seen many ways in which clever individuals trick unsuspecting users. I don't think most people have a clue just how bad things are.' His talk ranged from some of the pranks he's seen played on unsuspecting users, to Eastern European extortion of big banks." WeakGeek added, "FBI security guys are using Macs because, 'those machines can do just about anything: run software for Mac, Unix, or Windows, using either a GUI or the command line. And they're secure out of the box.' Another good quote: 'If you're a bad guy and you want to frustrate law enforcement, use a Mac.'"
More good quotes:
"If you're a glutton for punishment type of guy and you want to frustrate yourself, use a Windows based PC."
"If you're a script kiddie and you want to get caught, use a Windows based PC."
Gee, I wonder how all these horrible viruses, worms, etc. can spread so fast.
. . . most ordinary computer users have no idea about what security means. They don't practice secure computing because they don't understand what that means.
Oh. *smacks head*
----
"Ours was a free culture. It is becoming much less so."-Lawrence Lessig
Steve Jobs is smarter than Bill Gates. Not only is he giving discounted hardware and software to educational institutions k12 on up, he's found another entrance vector through which to enhance the brainwashing - send in an Agent with a "Macs are more secure, too" line.
Shoulda taken the blue pill.
I guess that explains why they use Macs in Hackers.
Buckethead
SCO flavored UNIX. If the law enforcement people are in any way technologically literate, they'll just assume you're "some idiot" and leave you alone.
Mod "Overrated" instead of replying "I disagree with you," you coward.
I can see the headline on drudge now, "Terrorists Prefer Apple"
Well... before you plug it in...
Information wants to be free.
Entertainment wants to be paid.
You just want to be cheap.
That was just because the computers came in black magnesium cubes. They looked the part.
There are no trails. There are no trees out here.
...the US government can't find bin laden, he's using a mac!
Natural-Selection Be
Criminals have figured out a way around (shipping restrictions to Eastern Europe), however. They hire folks to act as middlemen for them. Basically, these people get paid to sit at home, sign for packages from Dell, Amazon, and other companies, and then turn around and reship the packages to Russia, Belorussia, and Ukraine.
I bet you, too, thought those spammers were lying.
Quem a paca cara compra, paca cara pagará.
> "If you're a bad guy and you want to frustrate law
> enforcement, use a Mac."
Great. Now using a Mac will be considered to be probable cause.
Insert simplistic political, ideological, or personal proselytization here.
"If you're a bad guy and you want to frustrate law enforcement, use a Mac."
Nice try Mr. FBI man! This is just a thinly veiled plot!
1) Tell public to use FBI to foil law enforcement.
2) ???
3) Profi^WProsecute!
Someone hand me my tinfoil hat, I'm off to search for nsa_key in Darwin.
~Dalcius
Rome wasn't burnt in a day.
It's bad enough Mac users have been accused of rampant piracy due to Apple's slow adoption of DRM technology and their earlier "Rip, Mix, Burn" advertising strategy a few ago. Once again, we'll end up blamed for supporting the "criminal element" because the OS is secure almost right out of the box.
What is so inherently wrong about something that just "works"? We're not a bunch of luddites here, so why is the Mac always tagged as being evil?
Maybe it's the whole "Apple is satanic" thing. You know... founded on April 1st... sold their first computer kits for $666.66... the reasoning for choosing an apple with a bite of it for a logo.
Get real, it's just a computer.
8==8 Bones 8==8
"...I was trying to plan simultaneous suicide explosions in separate third world countries using the advanced CAJ (Computer-Aided Jihad) program that comes standard with Windows XP, when all of a sudden the computer was like, beep-beep-beep-beep-beep, and I was like, what in Allah is this? And I lost all the plans. It was going to be a really good terrorist strike too! Now I use a Mac. Apple: bringing you the user-friendly tools you need to exterminate all Jews and Crusaders!"
He mean "frustrate" in the sense that when the cop tries to do forensic analysis and hit cheat sheet says "right click"...
Learning HOW to think is more important than learning WHAT to think.
(Must.... click.... "Preview"!)
Of course, they're expensive as all hell
PC viruses spawn $55 billion loss in 2003"
You can pay a little more now for secure systems, or you can pay a lot later to clean up the mess when every Swiss cheese Windows box on your LAN gets assraped because one moron in your company can't resist clicking on every attachment in their Outlook inbox.
Hey, I live in my parent's basement, and I don't run Windows or Linux. I run Windows and Linux...
It's "no one," not "noone." Who the hell is noone anyway?
"If you're a bad guy and you want to frustrate law enforcement, use a Mac."
Sure, right. That's what he wants you to think!
I always knew there was a connection between Wendy's and the FBI.
Quick! - what's the FBI's number -- I found them in my very own company! -- I always knew the graphics department were up to no good -- dressing above their income in those european clothes - and insisting on only using Macs - and I've seen them, caught them! making websites!
I'd tell the server guys but they use Linux so you can't trust them not to 0wn your box...
In-fact they could be watching what I'm typing right now... AHHH... one's walking over this way...
[good - I hid under my desk and he seems to have gone away... I think I'll make a break for it]
If this message gets through the web of proxies set to trap and stop my messages... send help..
Unix Guy: Man WTF? Wheres /bin and /sbin? There's stuff like "applications" and "settings"... What in the hell does THAT mean?
just got cooler eh? But, they definitely didn't feature macs in the Matrix, did they? :D
|/________
|\A|ALYS|
"Huh. QNX. SCO. BSD. Uhh... OW!"
Qualitas edurus commercium, nullus penitus net rimor, nullus deus beneficium
He must have been the other Dave Thomas!
Okay! That's my post, so good day, eh?
Ernie Dambach
"It is no small thing to celebrate a simple life -Tolkien
"FBI security guys are using Macs because, 'those machines can do just about anything: run software for Mac, Unix, or Windows"
And i was thinking bad guys always used 3D interfaces with lots of moving things in the background typing commands like "send worm" "hack 127.0.0.1" etc.
42 + 1 = 42
Well no wonder I am considered a security threat just for using Macs!Once at ASU, I was using their mac terminals to get some new VIS images of Mars. I overheard the security guys saying: "oh come on, these kiddies were weaned on windows; none of them know UNIX!" Being a long time mac user, I (stupidly) said "I know UNIX!" And was labeled a security threat. (Fortunately, they were out of the "I am a security threat" Tshirts that day)
10 Bits= $.25
100 Bits= $.50
110 Bits= $.75
1000 Bits= 1 byte
"Are you sure you want to do this?"
yes/no
"Are you really really sure?"
yes/no
"I don't think you understand the question"
yeah i do/uhh....what?
"Click "yes" for me to comply with your foolish desire, human."
no/cancel
My point is that, by design, the action of clicking on something in an email message should not have significant consequences ever.
Click on a worm? The system calls "Shenanigans!", reports the changes that are being attempted, and asks you for the root password after telling you that this is a bad idea. That's good design.
Why yes, I AM a rocket scientist!