Slashdot Mirror
AT&T Plans CNN-style Security Channel
An anonymous reader writes "Infoworld has a story about AT&T's upcoming effort to create a CNN of network security. From the article: "Security experts at AT&T are about to take a page from CNN's playbook. Within the next year they will begin delivering a video streaming service that will carry Internet security news 24 hours a day, seven days a week, according to the executive in charge of AT&T Labs.""
Presumably AT&T is going to go deeper into the security game and this is a good move for them. If they want to build credibility, brand this channel with subtlety and simply report the news. But rather than providing this as a service to their existing customers, stream it live to the Internet for everybody's consumption. That will help to build the AT&T brand for security much more so than limiting the audience. The costs cannot be that much more, right?
Interestingly, the page the article is linked on has a signal to noise ratio for this particular article of about
Visit Jonesblog and say hello.
The service, which currently goes by the code name Internet Security News Network, (ISN) is under development at AT&T Labs...
Ten good reasons not to use "ISN":
Naming issues aside, this souinds like it could be very cool...but will this ever be available to the public at large, or will it remain restricted to AT&T customers?
____
~ |rip/\/\aster /\/\onkey
I'd watch it. Maybe it will be available over streaming Theora.
You mean SBC, right?
Eslambolchi likened the effort to former U.S. President Ronald Reagan's Strategic Defense Initiative, also known as Star Wars. "My strategy in AT&T is the Star Wars concept because I am not in a cold war with these crooks anymore, I am in a nuclear war," he said. "Every time they form a nuclear missile, I have to know where they are going to hit me and I have to devise a new defense mechanism."
Go git 'em gipper! We need more nuclear war metaphors in network security, perhaps this will be a more FOX news inspired project?
air and light and time and space
Wow, at first I was going to laugh at AT&T...disgruntled former employee and all. Then I read the article...and wanted to clap. This is a meritous idea that hopefully will provide content to those of us who want more from this field.
Hopefully they won't outsource the reporting :P
From TFA:
ISN will look very much like Time Warner's Cable News Network, except that it will be broadcast exclusively over the Internet, Eslambolchi said. "It's like CNN," he said. "When a new attack is spotted, we'll be able to offer constant updates, monitoring, and advice."
Because we all know in the US that the only news worthy of reporting are attacks. Attacks by terrorists, attacks by US troops, and basically any violent act that gets the population fearful and anxious, and therefore riveted to the TV set to learn more.
Of course, economic (unless the economy is threatened one way or another), diplomatic and other news aren't interesting.
"A door is what a dog is perpetually on the wrong side of" - Ogden Nash
I mean even to people who LIKE technology AND work in networking, how much news relevant to networking could there possibly be in one day? I understand the desire for DoS warnings to be sent and investigated, or even reporting on trade shows...but 24/7?
Sure cure for insomnia.
ATTN
Get it? Like ATTENTION, but hyphenated? Badaboom. I'll be here all week.
it will be offered as an additional service to the company's customers
It's only going to be available to AT&T customers. That's too bad. Now it doesn't sound nearly as cool or half as useful to me.
How long do you think it will take for that to happen?
-73, de n1ywb
www.n1ywb.com
That part wouldn't scroll...it would just be a static banner on the screen.
____
~ |rip/\/\aster /\/\onkey
Within the next year they will begin delivering a video streaming service that will carry Internet security news 24 hours a day, seven days a week
Seen on a job availability notice for this project:
ANCHOR PREREQUISITES
- Ability to fluently read and speak '1337' while broadcasting
Do you like German cars?
95% warnings of new Windows vulnerabilities and ranting about same, 5% advertising the all new Google Commercials.
If my grammar and spelling are off, I am [distracted/tired/careless] (take your pick)
Most companies deal with IT security in secrecy, only disclosing new attacks and vulns right before they're ready to release a patch.
By the time it hits the news outlet, they'll be just too old for security professionals to be deemed useful.
Let's hope it won't be exactly like CNN, by which I mean won't soon come to feature endless "commentary" and "talk" shows devoted to making a lot of noise out of a little news. I'm personally quite sick of hearing rambling, repetitive discussion rather than some actual information.
Which begs the question of: how much actual security news is there to report? During a large virus or worm attack, as during a war for CNN, there is certainly enough to fill 24 hours; otherwise, what exactly will they talk about all the time?
Who will keep your border gateways clear of foreign packets.
That depends on how big the letters are :-)
...here. They say it has some talk about Linux, Apple, politics, books, and the occasional movie too. I gotta see it someday... ;)
You can hold down the "B" button for continuous firing.
until Fox News or Talk radio say this netwrok has a bias towards left wing viruses?
Did Glenn Beck rape and kill a girl in 1990? gb1990.com
Wow, I can see this one just taking off. Move over NBC there's a new kid on the block.
11. Interstellar News
Go Babylon 5 go!!!
ISN is the Interstellar Network News channel right? Does this mean that AT&T has been part of the alien conspiracy coverup since Roswell?
*grin*... Sorry, couldn'r resist - was watching B5 last night and this one made me laugh
Andrew Jaquith, senior analyst with The Yankee Group in Boston. "There is really no good, consistent source for security information on the Internet," he said.
There are already a handful of really good sites out there. How will ATT compete with the likes of: The Internet Storm Center, Security Focus, Packet Storm, and Security Peline which are current and relevant.
Also in the TFA, there were statements that the news serviecs will be offered to ATT customers. Will non-customers also have access to the site for free? If not, how does this compare to other managed services offerings from the likes of Symantec, ISS, and others?
...is this will probably have more program content and be more interesting than G4Techtv.
Just imagine the shows you could syndicate:
Off The Hook - eh, second thought, better not. That show is 99% politics, 1% Emmanuel Goldstein acting like a 21st-century Andy Rooney.
RISKS Digest - now in video form!
The Defaced Web page report - attrition.org's newest show featuring defaced websites for the past week, and what vulnerability caused it
Monday Night Infection - Which Windows worm is spreading faster than the other 'round the world. the battlefield? your computer!
Oh the possibilities could be endless. Or, it would bore ordinary people to death. We may never know.
Microsoft :)
"I'm a leaf on the wind. Watch how I soar."
-Hoban Washburn
Can't wait to see this channel hacked, before they start 'educating' us about online security.
I didnt know Microsoft was putting up another channel dedicated for Windows.
The Paranoid News Network. 24 hours of the latest vulnerabilities, occasional how-to shows on fixing/upgrading/simple updating your systems, a Mclauglin group/Capital Gang-esqe group of hardware/software security leaders who discuss topics and berate microsoft, and a call in show for frazzled IT admins. That'd be cool ;)
0- Eamonman Proud member of DNRC
It has been said that with the large conglomerate ownership of media these days, that the Watergate scandal would not have come to light. Think about that for a few minutes and see where it takes you. Scary, is it not?
:)
I thought about it, and I'm not scared in the least.
If the Watergate scandal happened today, Deep Throat wouldn't have NEEDED the large conglomerate media to get the story out, he'd have just started a blog. If you doubt that a blog could have penetrated the cover-up and conspiracy, just ask Dan Rather, he's got some nice Word documents to show you.
I agree, mainstream media is a joke these days, luckily there is an alternative. No one needs a big corporate monolith to get news out, we all have access to the biggest printing press there is.
All movements for social change begin as missions, evolve into businesses, and end up as rackets.
Windows exploit found .... Windows exploit script available .... Linux kernel exploit found .... Linux kernel patched .... Windows user are waiting for patch .... M$ announced patch will be availabe next month .... XXXX nummber of windows system turned zombies ... Linux kernel exploit found .... Linux kernel patched .... M$ relesed long awaited patch .... 1/2 of the windows useres can not install patch .... Only licenced windows users can install patch .... Linux kernel exploit found .... Linux kernel patched .... ISP disconnected un-patched widows systems from the Internet
I already devote 24 hours a day to reading /.
I have worked in Nocs before and there were several reasons why the room was wired for cable. The simplest was to be able to watch CNN for events that might disturb the network. A specialized network could provide direct problems such as: /degrations
1) Weather including solar storms
2) Network cuts
3) Running stats on virus attacks
4) Coporate outages
5) Independent outages reports -- so you know who to blame.
6) Known reasons for increased bandwidth usage (ex Hey new star wars trailer)
Still I think there are already several sources of independent news that work just fine.
N3w VuLn3r481l17132 W3R3 D1C0V3R3d 70D4Y 1n m0s7 w38 8r0wS3r ScR1P71N' l4N9u4932. luCK1ly 0UR n37w0rK 12 1mMUN3 70 sucH 7H1N92, S0 w3'R3 P4s1n' 7h12 1Nf0 4l0n9 70 j00 1n 73h N1Ck 0F 71m3..
"Win treats sysadmins better than users. Mac treats users better than sysadmins. Linux treats everyone like sysadmins."
I can see it now:
"In the news today, several major Customers of AT&Ts' network services reported denial of service attacks - coinciding with the inaguration of AT&T's new Internet Security Network.
According to Mark Manigerium of ReallyMegaBigCo LTD, 'The network guys here told everyone to keep a window open in the background - so everyone could listen to how much they were at risk from, like viruses and stuff. This has completely stopped traffic to out web site and cost us Megayons of Lira.'
Asked for comment, Brain S. Small,AT&T Sr. VP for network traffic, responded 'We do not know who is responsible for this attack on AT&T's network customers - but we will find them and hold them responsible.'
We at the Internet Security Network will report more as events unfold, about this massive denial of service attack on AT&T customers.
Back to you, Slash."
OK, yes I know about multicast;)
Well, Duh...
"Most people in the U.S. wouldn't know they live in a tyrannical state if it walked up and grabbed their junk." - MyFirs
They sold their Unix business in the 80's. Spun off parts of the company into Lucent and Avaya. Cingular owns their former wireless service. Comcast owns their former cable tv/internet system. SBC just bought their wired phone service. Surely there can't be anything left of them now?
As the objective, linked to article says - "This sounds like something pretty innovative to me. Personally, I'd check it out". Then I think it said "And boy oh boy, do I love these fruity Trix! They aren't just for kids you know!"
I *WAS* the AT&T Security Sales overlay for Globals and have personally worked for Hussien the AT&T CIO. While I think this is a good move for AT&T to increase brand awareness for their security product offering, I think the SlashDot crowd will be left with an empty feeling as AT&T's security suite focuses almost exclusively on Network based attacks with little to no coverage for application based attacks, spoofs or social engineering. AT&T *does* have some inovative products in their space, but a fairly narrow focus on the total security picture. Because of this, I can only think the "TV-show" will be similarly focused.
-Adam
Why on earth would anyone want to have this kind of news delivered to them as a linear video stream of images of talking heads?
Even ink-on-newsprint would be a more efficient way to deliver this, as it makes it easier to glance through the news and pick out the items of interest.
Sounds like it would only be of use to what we used to call "magazine managers," people whose only knowledge was a shallow smattering of buzzwords picked from from BYTE and Datamation.
Say! Maybe they could use this Internat thing, the World Wild Web I think they call it. I hear it has "links" that make it easy to "navigate" and you can even "download" files over it...
"How to Do Nothing," kids activities, back in print!
The Paranoid News Network would have other news too, like:
Child kidnapped.
New killer computer virus released.
Adult kidnapped.
Terrorist arrested.
New killer human virus invades hospitals.
Spyware on your desktop.
Terrorist escapes capture.
Spies get your SS#.
Oh wait, we already have that.
I am just sitting here trying to figure out how, if at all, they will be able to adapt this idiom to computer security reporting.Aside from this, I wonder if they're going to adopt a Headline News style "looping tape" format, or if they'll have shows. I actually could totally go for a Snow-Crash-CIC-wet-work style "reality" show demonstrating various white and black hats at work.
Irritable, left-wing and possibly humorous bumper stickers and t-shirts
"Yo, b00tbl0ck!"
"What up?"
"My worm made ISN!"
"Whoop-de-shit. Remember that AOL outage last week? Mine. ISN covered it for two days."
"No way!"
"Way. Props on your first ISN troll, dude, but l337 is not you."
Just what we need.
Schwab
Editor, A1-AAA AmeriCaptions
This might also be a great way for the technical community to start convincing the rest of the world that not all hackers are up to no good.
Disclaimer: I am an AT&T security employee
r a.html
Recently the talk has started about Aurora http://www.networkworld.com/news/2005/053005-auro
which was available internally for some time and more recently became an offering (in test).
My own pet security project (OSS-based) within AT&T has recently been obtaining far more support too. I've also been in talks with some bigwigs about expanding some of our other security capabilities.
Everyone I have been in discussions with has stated one thing clearly - AT&T is going to be moving seriously into security.
honestly. who will watch this? it doesn't sound interesting. it doesn't sound compelling. the best this could be is a nice altenative to msnbc as background noise.
the toothpaste is frozen
feeding the troll. now, get back under the bridge.
But for the nerds that the OTHER nerds think are weird!
IANAL, but I've seen actors play them on TV
To keep on top of activities, security wise, you need to get your information from multiple sources. This may or may not be a good source. It certainly won't be my only source.
isc.sans.org
cert.org
are two good sources to start with...
Bah, no it's not. Everyone knows Miami is the capital of Cuba. *ducks anonymously*
Coming up after the break, we'll go in-depth into the wild PHPNuke cross-scripting 'sploit released today by bl4ckh4t l4bz and ask experts if it really matters to anyone at all...
So long, michael. Don't let the door hit you...
If they're like CNN, certain stories will be puffed much like CNN does environmental hysteria. If they're like CNN, other stories will be suppressed, much like CNN did Saddam's genocide. All done deliberately and willfully as part of a self-serving agenda. It's no accident that, given decent competiton, CNN's audience share has nosedived. Most people don't like being manipulated.
No, if they can't think of a better analogy than CNN, they're not worth bookmarking on a browser. When someone draws a comparison to CSPAN, then I'll pay attention. I trust CSPAN to give all sides to a story.
--Mike Perry, Editor, Eugenics and Other Evils
+++
ATH
NO CARRIER
Can we get a web site traffic report?
:)
I can see it now - a web site describing who's recently been slashdotted or fark-ed. Hell, why not even include email updates with automatic mirrordot links?
Yeah, I know, I know, not exactly security related per se, but nothing would help me out more sometimes than to know which direction the world's largest, legal, unintentional DDoS attack is pointing.
I hope the land around you yields, a crop like all the other fields, and then your waiting might make sense...
And of course this video+audio data will be delivered to viewers exclusively in a proprietary and/or patent-encumbered format which requires proprietary software to see and hear.
Thus the irony: the software you will need in order to see the presentation is proprietary, and therefore, insecure by default--you can't legally inspect it to see what its doing when it runs. If you somehow learn that it is doing something you don't want it to do you can't legally improve it. And, to hold your community helpless, you can't legally share any improved version of the program with the community so that they don't have to live with the insecurity.
No doubt, the self-licking ice cream cone of "popularity" will be offered as the rationale to lure users into this downward spiral.
Digital Citizen
For the lastest merger news. I believe is the public site for merger info.
AT&T and SBC Merger is not yet complete, so the companies are suppose to proceed as still two companies.
However, the time frame for this is after the merger SHOULD be complete - End of 05 or early 06. Though, this would seemly play very nicely with SBC IPTV plans for Project Lightspeed. Lightspeed PR
All information in this post is based on public information released by SBC.
Wasn't ISN the Earth news network on the old Babylon 5 TV series? The one that got taken over by the Clark government, and turned into a propaganda service?
Since a huge portion of their networks are the main source of security breaches. Maybe they can run 24-hour tickers showing the amount of spam, worms and viruses they are unable to control originating from their network, and at some point, one of their idiot executives will agree that port 25 needs to be filtered from their broadband users?
What IT security admin has time to sit and watch a video feed during the day? Well-presented text is much more information-dense than video.
11. Interstellar News
Everyone knows ISN is just a mouthpiece for the Bush^H^H^H^H Clark administration, ever since they ordered the bombing of civilians in Iraq^H^H^H^H on Mars.
I don't care what Sheridan says, anything coming from ISN should be taken with a grain of salt, post interregnum or not.
The Future of Human Evolution: Autonomy
Consider my blood pressure raised. When people like YOU, can just post crap like that the terrorists win! Your kind of scum make me sick, I'm going to go out and enact petty random violence and insult people because of that. Thanks for ruining my day.
btw , that AT&T security channel sounds jolly good doesn't it. Now if the channel could be used to broadcast actual data/patches on a sidechannel that would also be neat.
How long it will be before black hats start using this as their toy. I mean, a lot of people have suggested the idea of the broadcast getting hacked. But, what about groups using it to taunt their rival hacking groups? Could this end up invoking more attacks so the groups get their names out more?
how very kind of you :)
indeed it would be neat. does CNN's do that? i can't seem to find it...
"A new Microsoft security hole threatens to kill you and your family. Film at 11!"
I thought AT&T was bought out by Cingular and is no longer. Am I mistaken?
Virus writers and script kiddies alike are going to love this channel. It will provide an awesome trophy for these losers. Getting your virus or exploit mentioned on the security channel will serve as great incentive to make ever more newsworthy attacks on the net. The more airtime it gets, the more successful you are...
Having worked as a consultant for one of AT&T's Managed Security Centers, I can only weep for the people who rely on this "service".
A few good people at lower levels, but middle and upper management was *completely* clueless about real security. Complete disorganization, and falsification of reports.
But Hey! - now they'll be on video, so I guess that will make them the de facto experts.
It does.
its called INFOTEXT or something of the sort.
and if so, will the Second Language channel carry the byte codes of the virus defs themselves?
-- Tigger warning: This post may contain tiggers! --
You mean, this is an idiot.
'Nuff said...
That is all.
Subtle but when you quote an article quoting a commentary, piece of literature or any other possible scenario citing written word it would make Slashdot and any other site look more intelligent getting their punctuation fixed.
not quite. i was trying a new thing, you know, just to see how well it works. instead of going through all the trouble of spreading disinformation or saying something controversial, i decided to simply cut to the point and spare everyone the bother of getting ruffled up over something that really doesn't matter in the first place.
:)
apparently my new idea only served its intended purpose in the first two replies and not the third. oh well, i'm satisfied with two out of three
Will they also attempt to become as sensationalistic and irrelevant as CNN?
Parent is a trolling, idiotic genius.
Boss, I need a flatscreen TV...
I feel safer knowing I wasnt the only one that when they first read "ISN" though "Interstellar Network News" from Bab5.
I'd be really intrested in finding out if it was purposeful or not - Someone at ATT involved with this project is bound to be a B5 fan.
snowulf.com
Right when you network has crawled to a halt, you want ot tune into a broadband security video.
RSS anyone? Just have some XML feed, and put effort into making the content so unbelievably timely and incisive that people will switch.
That is where you money should go, the steak not the sizzle.
Imagine, you want to know about *scriptkiddyvariant*
20 seconds $1000000 video logo of A-T-&-T Security channel, bringing you security... blah blah blah - TTWENTY FOUR HOURS A DAY!!! baddab boom bom b de da deheda ede *jingle*
And now, on todays *shit this has taken 1 minute already of streaming video*.....
And now, the main event! !!!! ECHO ECHO ECHO
Today *scriptkiddyvariant* was released, you are advised to like, you know, upgrade! I am ellen Feiss, whoring myself to a 2 bit internet tv venture!
Lame.
The people this would be aimed at would be execs, and lame ones at that. Think scaremongering and well placed, pay us you money, keep your job! ads.
I just wait until they pay or use their influence to have them being watched on some up comin high tech hacker film.... you can imagine *insert trendy actor* (maybe female) is the worlds best security expert, knows EVERYTHING about computers,and is pitting her/his wits against some teen hackers we are h4cking t3h plan1t!
However, if it wasn't for her broadband subscription to ATTsecuriTT.com videos, she would not win against them!
dun dun duuuun! sucks
#hostfile 0.0.0.0 primidi.com 0.0.0.0 www.primidi.com 0.0.0.0 radio.weblogs.com
At least it will provide kicks for those botnet operators...
[Person Sitting At Computer]
*click, click, click*
[Phone rings, answered]
Excited teenage voice: Hey d00d, look that's my attack on TV!
Get your Unix fortune now!
More at 11!
It should be mod'd up to +5. That'll fix him!
The world according to SComps
I don't know why people offer that as a viable option. It implicitly agrees with the parent stance by not criticizing its logic at all, yet simultaneously offers no course of action which allows people to help one another out of a fundamentally flawed situation. We should want to (and actually engage in) helping other people. My friends and neighbors might be amongst the viewers and, simply through ignorance of how computers work and what the free software movement proved is possible, might accept the bound-to-be-bad advice offered. I don't think they deserve to be treated that way.
I've seen similar responses most recently around media criticism; point out how corporate news agencies will run government propaganda pieces as if they are news but they're really not, or point out how weapons manufacturers interests are served by the videogame-like war footage we see (Amy Goodman of "Democracy Now!" made this point in an intriguing talk she gave during a book tour), or point out an instance where pro-war voices are overrepresented in the popular news media and the almost non-sequitur response is "but you don't have to watch it! Just turn it off!".
This response tries to reframe a systemic issue as a point of personal preference--it's not about how the proposed system is likely to fail people in making important decisions, ignoring objectionable behavior instead of pointing out its failings is about letting the system have its way with people unimpeded in the slightest way.
Digital Citizen