MISSION STATEMENT
The United States Secret Service is mandated by statute and executive order to carry out two significant missions: protection and criminal investigations. The Secret Service protects the President and Vice President, their families, heads of state, and other designated individuals; investigates threats against these protectees; protects the White House, Vice President's Residence, Foreign Missions, and other buildings within Washington, D.C.; and plans and implements security designs for designated National Special Security Events. The Secret Service also investigates violations of laws relating to counterfeiting of obligations and securities of the United States; financial crimes that include, but are not limited to, access device fraud, financial institution fraud, identity theft, computer fraud; and computer-based attacks on our nation's financial, banking, and telecommunications infrastructure.
Please, in the future, be more accurate when referring to people whose arguably most important job is to
take a bullet for the president (Officer Leslie Coffelt and Special Agent Tim McCarthy, see question six).
Last time I checked the US Air Force existed was back in the 1950s, and has been fully integrated with the UNSP (United Nations Space Patrol) since approximately 1965.
And what is this "Anti-Matter" which you keep talking about?
And myabe Columbus should have waited for super-sized ocean liners before crossing the Atlantic.
We have to start somewhere, might as well be now. (But lets be careful not to cut EVERYTHING open, or dig up EVERY site, since there's a probability of 1 that there will be a better way of doing later.)
However, the reality of the situation is that people are going to use Windows, whether we like it or not. And if they use Windows, they are going to use Outlook/IE.
Lets fight for the 90% win that we can easily get, and worry about the 10% left over later.
Otherwise, you could write a tool that probes for those.
Whatever happened to "lint"?
And, BTW:
Allways check return values from function calls, even printf.
Always limit the number of bytes/chars read into ANY variable.
Always check the validity of your input in terms of characters expected, and characters received. For example: if you are looking for a number, make sure you only get numbers, commas, and periods in your input.
How many security flaws would be solved if everyone followed those three simple rules?
Computer security means
many things, but can be summed up simply as:
The protection of the information and physical assets of a computer system.
As a reminder, this means Hardware AND Software security.
As a Real-world security geek, it appears to me that the three worst software issues are:
Viruses/trojans via email
Viruses propagating on their own
Viruses/trojans via web pages
Please note that "Crackers hacking into your system in order to steal trade secrets" isn't even on the list.
So, no matter which of the top three you care to rant about having security issues in your software, they ALL can be solved with the same two pieces of software on either your own PC, or on a corporate side, ie: Firewall softare (set to deny all unless allowed), and any reasonably competent virus checker (Scan local drives/emails/web pages before loading to the browser)
So, the real question is not which has more bugs, closed source, or open source, but is instead "Why don't more users have those two pieces of software?"
Maybe, instead of beating each other up about security flaws in software, maybe we could all spend some small amount of our time educating the users to get these two packages, and to keep them up to date.
Imagine if a million geeks all spent an extra 15 minutes while visiting their friends and relatives to educate them about this?
By modifying a process developed by French researchers (SN: 12/16/00, p. 398), Baughman's team spins fibers made of carbon nanotubes and polyvinyl alcohol, a common industrial polymer. In the June 12 Nature, Baughman and his colleagues describe the finished threads, which are the width of a human hair and 100 to 200 meters long.
You know, it's just to the point now where I read groklaw in the morning before I read/. , and then I spend the rest of my day wondering when groklaw's latest article will show up over here.
Too bad groklaw doesn't have moderation points like here, else I'd spend even more time over there.
Dang, I just started reading this, and you allready beat me to it!;-)
However, I am still typing up my GUT (I prove that there are only 17 dimensions, string theory is wrong, the Multiverse doesn't REALLY exist, and that the cat is alive or dead BEFORE you open the box), and should have it available for subscribers shortly.
You know, I have to agree with you. I just don't see how this will "turn off the spigot", as it seems to just apply to things that The Government buys being exempt from FOI act.
Too many folks just aren't reading the article again (What else is new, this is/. afterall)
Greetings Citizen, my name is Wheream-I-ATT, and this is the great and wonderful world of the computer, of Alpha Complex, of PARANOIA!
Huh? This is a game right?
Game, Citizen? What game? This is Alpha Complex, the world of the computer, and you are a citizen of it. I assume you are new to your clonedom and will forgive your almost traitorous tone.
Citizen? Computer? Troubleshooter? Clone? Traitorous tone?!? What are you talking about?
Tsk tsk, citizen. You must've been influenced by some subversive commie mutant traitor plot. Perhaps mind control. Ah well, we shall start your education from the beginning. The most important things to remember are The computer and Alpha Complex.
This is the Computer. The Computer runs Alpha Complex. Alpha Complex is where we live. It's where we die. The Computer runs every part of Alpha Complex, and every part of your life. You, and every other clone in Alpha Complex serves the Computer, and the Computer, in turn, makes sure that you are safe, happy, clean, productive, and not a commie, mutant, or traitor.
Ok, so the computer is the big boss, and this "Alpha Complex" is the big city we live in. Is there anything outside of Alpha Complex?
That's WAY above your security clearance, citizen.
My WHAT? What's a security clearance?
Security Clearances are the way the Computer makes sure that no one is exposed to information or items that doesn't concern them. Citizens start out at Infrared, which technically is black. So a citizen of infrared clearance is only allowed to touch things colored black, eat foods that are dyed black, and wear black clothes. These are the happy rabble at the bottom of the clearance list. The list then goes up from there through the color spectrum. The full list is:
Infrared The lowest level of security, the rabble.
Red Troubleshooters.
Orange Advanced troubleshooters.
Yellow Troubleshooter leaders.
Green These guys are pre-police, but still in the troubleshooter range.
Blue The cops, or the military. Which is sometimes the same thing.
Indigo Police chiefs, high level briefing officers, heads of departments, Government officials.
Violet REALLY high level whatevers. These are the big wigs of the military, police, service groups, or whatever
UltraViolet Programmers. People who work DIRECTLY with the Computer. These are the top of the heap. You'll never be one.
Slashdot Mirror
Google says both are correct.
But I shouldn't be replying to trolls anyways. ;-)
There's an issue here?
I read my users' email all the time, to, uh, ummmmm, help tune my, um, spam filters.
Yeah, that's it, to tune my spam filters.
From the Mission statement linked to from The United States Secret Service, a branch of the United States Treasury Department.
MISSION STATEMENT The United States Secret Service is mandated by statute and executive order to carry out two significant missions: protection and criminal investigations. The Secret Service protects the President and Vice President, their families, heads of state, and other designated individuals; investigates threats against these protectees; protects the White House, Vice President's Residence, Foreign Missions, and other buildings within Washington, D.C.; and plans and implements security designs for designated National Special Security Events. The Secret Service also investigates violations of laws relating to counterfeiting of obligations and securities of the United States; financial crimes that include, but are not limited to, access device fraud, financial institution fraud, identity theft, computer fraud; and computer-based attacks on our nation's financial, banking, and telecommunications infrastructure.
Please, in the future, be more accurate when referring to people whose arguably most important job is to take a bullet for the president (Officer Leslie Coffelt and Special Agent Tim McCarthy, see question six).
farest (sp?)
Furthest
Um.....
Last time I checked the US Air Force existed was back in the 1950s, and has been fully integrated with the UNSP (United Nations Space Patrol) since approximately 1965.
And what is this "Anti-Matter" which you keep talking about?
A TV screen is a lot like the picture books my little girl reads...
Lots of pretty pictures, small words used, and best of all, you don't have to think to use it!
For a change, a"Back in my day..."comment is actually accurate. Alan Shepard had to do it in his suit!
Resistance is futile...
Well, I was ALMOST on topic ;-)
Oh, sure....
And myabe Columbus should have waited for super-sized ocean liners before crossing the Atlantic.
We have to start somewhere, might as well be now. (But lets be careful not to cut EVERYTHING open, or dig up EVERY site, since there's a probability of 1 that there will be a better way of doing later.)
That's funny!
But I'm afraid I don't have mod points to use in this discussion. :-(
Just in case you ever check your old posts for replys...
Thank you. I missed that entirely.
Well, since you said (And I quote)"Don't be satisfied with the lesser of two evils."
Why vote for a lesser evil?
In general, I'd agree with that.
However, the reality of the situation is that people are going to use Windows, whether we like it or not. And if they use Windows, they are going to use Outlook/IE.
Lets fight for the 90% win that we can easily get, and worry about the 10% left over later.
Otherwise, you could write a tool that probes for those.
Whatever happened to "lint"?
And, BTW:
How many security flaws would be solved if everyone followed those three simple rules?
$RantMode=on
Computer security means many things, but can be summed up simply as: The protection of the information and physical assets of a computer system.
As a reminder, this means Hardware AND Software security.
As a Real-world security geek, it appears to me that the three worst software issues are:
Please note that "Crackers hacking into your system in order to steal trade secrets" isn't even on the list.
So, no matter which of the top three you care to rant about having security issues in your software, they ALL can be solved with the same two pieces of software on either your own PC, or on a corporate side, ie: Firewall softare (set to deny all unless allowed), and any reasonably competent virus checker (Scan local drives/emails/web pages before loading to the browser)
So, the real question is not which has more bugs, closed source, or open source, but is instead "Why don't more users have those two pieces of software?"
Maybe, instead of beating each other up about security flaws in software, maybe we could all spend some small amount of our time educating the users to get these two packages, and to keep them up to date.
Imagine if a million geeks all spent an extra 15 minutes while visiting their friends and relatives to educate them about this?
$RantMode=off
Why is this a record? According to Super Fibers: Nanotubes make tough threads , there have allready been 100 meter threads grown.
From the article:
By modifying a process developed by French researchers (SN: 12/16/00, p. 398), Baughman's team spins fibers made of carbon nanotubes and polyvinyl alcohol, a common industrial polymer. In the June 12 Nature, Baughman and his colleagues describe the finished threads, which are the width of a human hair and 100 to 200 meters long.
You know, it's just to the point now where I read groklaw in the morning before I read /. , and then I spend the rest of my day wondering when groklaw's latest article will show up over here.
Too bad groklaw doesn't have moderation points like here, else I'd spend even more time over there.
Dang, I just started reading this, and you allready beat me to it! ;-)
However, I am still typing up my GUT (I prove that there are only 17 dimensions, string theory is wrong, the Multiverse doesn't REALLY exist, and that the cat is alive or dead BEFORE you open the box), and should have it available for subscribers shortly.
You know, I have to agree with you. I just don't see how this will "turn off the spigot", as it seems to just apply to things that The Government buys being exempt from FOI act.
Too many folks just aren't reading the article again (What else is new, this is /. afterall)
Greetings Citizen, my name is Wheream-I-ATT, and this is the great and wonderful world of the computer, of Alpha Complex, of PARANOIA!
Huh? This is a game right?
Game, Citizen? What game? This is Alpha Complex, the world of the computer, and you are a citizen of it. I assume you are new to your clonedom and will forgive your almost traitorous tone.
Citizen? Computer? Troubleshooter? Clone? Traitorous tone?!? What are you talking about?
Tsk tsk, citizen. You must've been influenced by some subversive commie mutant traitor plot. Perhaps mind control. Ah well, we shall start your education from the beginning. The most important things to remember are The computer and Alpha Complex.
This is the Computer. The Computer runs Alpha Complex. Alpha Complex is where we live. It's where we die. The Computer runs every part of Alpha Complex, and every part of your life. You, and every other clone in Alpha Complex serves the Computer, and the Computer, in turn, makes sure that you are safe, happy, clean, productive, and not a commie, mutant, or traitor.
Ok, so the computer is the big boss, and this "Alpha Complex" is the big city we live in. Is there anything outside of Alpha Complex?
That's WAY above your security clearance, citizen.
My WHAT? What's a security clearance?
Security Clearances are the way the Computer makes sure that no one is exposed to information or items that doesn't concern them. Citizens start out at Infrared, which technically is black. So a citizen of infrared clearance is only allowed to touch things colored black, eat foods that are dyed black, and wear black clothes. These are the happy rabble at the bottom of the clearance list. The list then goes up from there through the color spectrum. The full list is:
Understand?
Gleefully stolen from An Introduction to Paranoia
Post a phone number/IP address and I'm SURE one will find you!
Now whether or not you want that kind of BF is entirely another issue! ;-)
Personally, I prefer to think it was an incredibly subtle joke.
Also, I'm amazed I got a chain of 9 replies to what was basically a throw away comment I just happened to make before anyone else did.
And, for the record, it stands at 80%funny, 20% overrated. I would have hoped that somebody would have modded it as interesting or informative. ;-)
I have discovered a truly remarkable proof which this post is too small to contain.
It's Called Eating your own dog food
There are many other links here
Funny, I always thought it was DUCK Tape.
BTW: I found "interesting" images when I went to google images to look for Duck Tape