I dont think even most of the posters really get the GRAVE SERIOUSNESS of the current situation.
Because of unexistant security in most widespread OS used on computers, general cluelessness of its users and poor design of the Internet protocols themselves, we have a situation where very large percentage of hosts on Internet, essentially THE Internet, could be TOTALLY CONTROLLED by one person, and nothing to be done about it.
Im saying it again, and Im not a alarmist type of person - but these could be the LAST DAYS OF INTERNET as we know it.
Most dangerous attitude Ive seen on the forums here is "I run Linux/BSD/Whatever and it does not affect me". Cant you realize, that once this kind of control is gained on the net, IT DOES NOT MATTER which OS you run when the Internet itself will not run anymore?
This is the time for all of us who understand the problem, to go and explain it to everyone we can, before propaganda from Microsoft inreversible dooms the net, by making automatic updates(read: obligatory security hole) a requirement in its OS.
Also strong pressure should be put on abandoning current email protocol and converting to some saner, more efficient and more secure system. There are several proposed.
Too bad for the virus that it depended on this list of servers to update. However, there are reports that it also contains a backdoor enabling updating it. Here is my worst case scenario what could happen further:
1. The authors of worm quickly release new worm, which uses same methods to propagate and which main purpose would be to scan IP's for already infected computers and update them to new version.
2. New versions of worm contain a strong encryption key to recognize next updates. They also contain a block of "secret", encrypted payload code, key to which is contained in update. This way this block can be instantly run right after getting key in update, without waiting to download whole update, speeding things up.
3. New versions do not depend on fixed port numbers for communications, which can be easily blocked in routers. Instead they listen on number of random ports and/or intercept commonly used ports which cannot well be blocked globally.
4. IP of previous computer in infection chain is kept by infected computer, also it actively scans ports for other infected hosts and keeps a list of found IP's. This list is also encrypted, with key coming in next update. When next update comes, list is decrypted and update quickly forwarder to all computers in it with previous version. This distributed network is similar to current p2p networks and makes global updates very, very fast and impossible to track beforehand.
5. New versions will continue to use email scams and windows security holes to continue spreading.
So now we have global network of infected computers that can be quickly updated by its controllers to stay ahead of any countermeasures that security people may think of, all continuing to spread and containing a secret payload which could be triggered even faster than update.
Well the sobig.f worm seems to have been contained, AV companies believe it could not connect to any of its list of 20 servers for a update.
They still dont know what the update was to be.
Too bad for the virus that it depended on this list of servers to update. However, there are reports that it also contains a backdoor enabling updating it. Here is my worst case scenario what could happen further:
1. The authors of worm quickly release new worm, which uses same methods to propagate and which main purpose would be to scan IP's for already infected computers and update them to new version.
2. New versions of worm contain a strong encryption key to recognize next updates. They also contain a block of "secret", encrypted payload code, key to which is contained in update. This way this block can be instantly run right after getting key in update, without waiting to download whole update, speeding things up.
3. New versions do not depend on fixed port numbers for communications, which can be easily blocked in routers. Instead they listen on number of random ports and/or intercept commonly used ports which cannot well be blocked globally.
4. IP of previous computer in infection chain is kept by infected computer, also it actively scans ports for other infected hosts and keeps a list of found IP's. This list is also encrypted, with key coming in next update. When next update comes, list is decrypted and update quickly forwarder to all computers in it with previous version. This distributed network is similar to current p2p networks and makes global updates very, very fast and impossible to track beforehand.
5. New versions will continue to use email scams and windows security holes to continue spreading.
So now we have global network of infected computers that can be quickly updated by its controllers to stay ahead of any countermeasures that security people may think of, all continuing to spread and containing a secret payload which could be triggered even faster than update.
.. of NUCLEAR power station on Mars, with very little clouds and a planet-sized desert to cover with solar arrays?? Nevermind that mars gets half the solar radiation of Earth, there is room for a bigger array. Also solar cells can probably be easily fabricated on spot, from local raw materials, by robots and also installed by robots.
On the other hand, trying to figure out how to haul a multithousand ton nuclear powerstation to Mars could give a real kick to space technology:P
You should not be surprised to meet the criminality, prostitution, drugs, mafia and general hostility of people, if you come here just for cheap booze.
..would be to be able to copy them without even touching them!
By my quick-and-dirty calculations, todays's large-format high-definition photo materials just might have enough resolution to enable us take a snapshot of a cd surface and later scan it and burn our own cd from "cd image";-) Lots of technical problems, but solvable, I'm sure. Has anyone heard of such a device?
I can already image someone sneaking into record store, taking a quick under-hand shot of cd of his favourite artist, crying "Got it!" and bolting away, chased by a security guard. Lots of other fun possibilities, too;-) Too bad the RIAA will outlaw photo cameras shortly after that..
And it can be duplicated in virtually every home nowdays - just place a video camera behind your TV set and adjust it according your viewing angle.. and WOW, your TV is invisible now!
I know a guy who had CD exploding in the drive. He got a russian black-market CD with (supposedly) pirated games from someone and put it into drive and autorun it. It displayed a message box with text saying something along lines "this CD is illegal and will be destroyed" few seconds after closing the box there was a loud cracking noise and he shut down computer, frightened by it. After closer investigation he found the cdrom drive full of CD fragments.
The cd had looked quite normal, pressed type. I have no idea of how this could be accomplished by software, except by exploiting some bug in hardware and overspinning/prematurely releasing the cd.
Military maneuvers. Soldiers are standing in line and an officer is barking orders:
"Private Ryan! Left hand up, right hand to side, two steps forward march!" Soldier lifts hands and takes two steps out of line - and promptly falls into a trench.
"Private Johnson! Hands to the side, two steps forward march!" Soldier does as told and also falls into the trench.
This activity goes on for some time..
Finally, arrives a general, red-faced and mad as hell and yells at the officer: "You were specifically told at the briefing: NO TETRIS DURING THE MANEUVERS!!"
As can be seen from previous posts, if the number of bits is small, calculations get very complex, speculative and ridiculous.
Lets pose this question another way: what would be the most expensive cd of floppy, containing some existing and theoretically obtainable data? Blueprints to something? National secrets? Sientific data?
And another intriquing idea: lets suppose it is in our power to construct a "black box", performing some calculation on input data and outputting the result in some constant time. Lets set limit to 1 Megabyte of input and output and 1 second of processing time. What kind of black box would be most valuable?
Q: Does the hydrogen bomb really exist? A: No. If it did, it would be on sale on Odessa flea market.
:)
Re:We already have antennas
on
Lunar Lasers
·
· Score: 1
>>you simply stretch out a wire between two insulated poles, and the power just flows
>You bring up an important point: powerlines and phone lines already cover the globe. They will pick up the power too. This may not be a good thing.
On the contrary! Lets just not focus the beam, so it will fall over the entire globe, power lines will pick it up and lo' - everything lights up magically!:-)
You can control the size cand speed of sheep with movements of one hand, set the height of fence with other.. endless fun for insomniacs:)
Obvious enhancement overlooked
on
New Nokia Phone
·
· Score: 1
Of every possible enhancement that cell phones have, why is the most obvious and useful one overlooked?
Built in flashlight.
I mean, everyone is carrying a cellphone nowdays and while very few of us need a webbrowser or PDA in it, almost everyone needs a flashlight sometimes!
The batteries are already there, just add a white LED and I'd never again have to use dim illumination of the phone display to light my way in some unexpected dark place..
I'd like a prototype from a first company to make one:-)
Slashdot Mirror
I dont think even most of the posters really get the GRAVE SERIOUSNESS of the current situation.
Because of unexistant security in most widespread OS used on computers, general cluelessness of its users and poor design of the Internet protocols themselves, we have a situation where very large percentage of hosts on Internet, essentially THE Internet, could be TOTALLY CONTROLLED by one person, and nothing to be done about it.
Im saying it again, and Im not a alarmist type of person - but these could be the LAST DAYS OF INTERNET as we know it.
Most dangerous attitude Ive seen on the forums here is "I run Linux/BSD/Whatever and it does not affect me". Cant you realize, that once this kind of control is gained on the net, IT DOES NOT MATTER which OS you run when the Internet itself will not run anymore?
This is the time for all of us who understand the problem, to go and explain it to everyone we can, before propaganda from Microsoft inreversible dooms the net, by making automatic updates(read: obligatory security hole) a requirement in its OS.
Also strong pressure should be put on abandoning current email protocol and converting to some saner, more efficient and more secure system. There are several proposed.
My thoughts about possible "improvements", from my yesterdays post:
Too bad for the virus that it depended on this list of servers to update. However, there are reports that it also contains a backdoor enabling updating it. Here is my worst case scenario what could happen further:
1. The authors of worm quickly release new worm, which uses same methods to propagate and which main purpose would be to scan IP's for already infected computers and update them to new version.
2. New versions of worm contain a strong encryption key to recognize next updates. They also contain a block of "secret", encrypted payload code, key to which is contained in update. This way this block can be instantly run right after getting key in update, without waiting to download whole update, speeding things up.
3. New versions do not depend on fixed port numbers for communications, which can be easily blocked in routers. Instead they listen on number of random ports and/or intercept commonly used ports which cannot well be blocked globally.
4. IP of previous computer in infection chain is kept by infected computer, also it actively scans ports for other infected hosts and keeps a list of found IP's. This list is also encrypted, with key coming in next update. When next update comes, list is decrypted and update quickly forwarder to all computers in it with previous version. This distributed network is similar to current p2p networks and makes global updates very, very fast and impossible to track beforehand.
5. New versions will continue to use email scams and windows security holes to continue spreading.
So now we have global network of infected computers that can be quickly updated by its controllers to stay ahead of any countermeasures that security people may think of, all continuing to spread and containing a secret payload which could be triggered even faster than update.
(cue final scenes from Terminator 3)
Well the sobig.f worm seems to have been contained, AV companies believe it could not connect to any of its list of 20 servers for a update.
They still dont know what the update was to be.
Too bad for the virus that it depended on this list of servers to update. However, there are reports that it also contains a backdoor enabling updating it. Here is my worst case scenario what could happen further:
1. The authors of worm quickly release new worm, which uses same methods to propagate and which main purpose would be to scan IP's for already infected computers and update them to new version.
2. New versions of worm contain a strong encryption key to recognize next updates. They also contain a block of "secret", encrypted payload code, key to which is contained in update. This way this block can be instantly run right after getting key in update, without waiting to download whole update, speeding things up.
3. New versions do not depend on fixed port numbers for communications, which can be easily blocked in routers. Instead they listen on number of random ports and/or intercept commonly used ports which cannot well be blocked globally.
4. IP of previous computer in infection chain is kept by infected computer, also it actively scans ports for other infected hosts and keeps a list of found IP's. This list is also encrypted, with key coming in next update. When next update comes, list is decrypted and update quickly forwarder to all computers in it with previous version. This distributed network is similar to current p2p networks and makes global updates very, very fast and impossible to track beforehand.
5. New versions will continue to use email scams and windows security holes to continue spreading.
So now we have global network of infected computers that can be quickly updated by its controllers to stay ahead of any countermeasures that security people may think of, all continuing to spread and containing a secret payload which could be triggered even faster than update.
(cue final scenes from Terminator 3)
.. of NUCLEAR power station on Mars, with very little clouds and a planet-sized desert to cover with solar arrays?? Nevermind that mars gets half the solar radiation of Earth, there is room for a bigger array. Also solar cells can probably be easily fabricated on spot, from local raw materials, by robots and also installed by robots.
:P
On the other hand, trying to figure out how to haul a multithousand ton nuclear powerstation to Mars could give a real kick to space technology
>But I can get there cheap booze :D
You should not be surprised to meet the criminality, prostitution, drugs, mafia and general hostility of people, if you come here just for cheap booze.
.. might be the next big brand in computer industry..
..who drowned in a river with average depth of 1 meter? ;-)
has ability to remember string of numberst to do with intelligence??
By my quick-and-dirty calculations, todays's large-format high-definition photo materials just might have enough resolution to enable us take a snapshot of a cd surface and later scan it and burn our own cd from "cd image" ;-) Lots of technical problems, but solvable, I'm sure. Has anyone heard of such a device?
I can already image someone sneaking into record store, taking a quick under-hand shot of cd of his favourite artist, crying "Got it!" and bolting away, chased by a security guard. Lots of other fun possibilities, too ;-) Too bad the RIAA will outlaw photo cameras shortly after that..
And it can be duplicated in virtually every home nowdays - just place a video camera behind your TV set and adjust it according your viewing angle.. and WOW, your TV is invisible now!
The cd had looked quite normal, pressed type. I have no idea of how this could be accomplished by software, except by exploiting some bug in hardware and overspinning/prematurely releasing the cd.
Military maneuvers. Soldiers are standing in line and an officer is barking orders:
"Private Ryan! Left hand up, right hand to side, two steps forward march!"
Soldier lifts hands and takes two steps out of line - and promptly falls into a trench.
"Private Johnson! Hands to the side, two steps forward march!"
Soldier does as told and also falls into the trench.
This activity goes on for some time..
Finally, arrives a general, red-faced and mad as hell and yells at the officer: "You were specifically told at the briefing: NO TETRIS DURING THE MANEUVERS!!"
As can be seen from previous posts, if the number of bits is small, calculations get very complex, speculative and ridiculous.
Lets pose this question another way: what would be the most expensive cd of floppy, containing some existing and theoretically obtainable data? Blueprints to something? National secrets? Sientific data?
And another intriquing idea: lets suppose it is in our power to construct a "black box", performing some calculation on input data and outputting the result in some constant time. Lets set limit to 1 Megabyte of input and output and 1 second of processing time. What kind of black box would be most valuable?
This reminds me of a old soviet-time anecdote:
Q: Does the hydrogen bomb really exist?
A: No. If it did, it would be on sale on Odessa flea market.
:)
>>you simply stretch out a wire between two insulated poles, and the power just flows
:-)
>You bring up an important point: powerlines and phone lines already cover the globe. They will pick up the power too. This may not be a good thing.
On the contrary! Lets just not focus the beam, so it will fall over the entire globe, power lines will pick it up and lo' - everything lights up magically!
Way to count the sheep without closing your eyes!
:)
You can control the size cand speed of sheep with movements of one hand, set the height of fence with other.. endless fun for insomniacs
Built in flashlight.
I mean, everyone is carrying a cellphone nowdays and while very few of us need a webbrowser or PDA in it, almost everyone needs a flashlight sometimes!
The batteries are already there, just add a white LED and I'd never again have to use dim illumination of the phone display to light my way in some unexpected dark place..
I'd like a prototype from a first company to make one :-)