Eternal sunshine of the geeky mind tag:,2008-05-26:/1 2010-05-26T12:17:26Z Can you imagine what I would do if I could do all I can? --Sun Tzu Movable Type 4.21-en Google Analytics opt-out tag:www.somethingwith.be,2010://1.109 2010-05-26T12:16:07Z 2010-05-26T12:17:26Z Google is finally giving endusers the option not to be monitored by Google Analytics anymore through the release of a new browser add-on named "Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on". It is available for Internet Explorer (versions 7 and 8), Google Chrome... An Hilven here!]]> Secure googling tag:www.somethingwith.be,2010://1.108 2010-05-26T11:49:44Z 2010-05-26T12:10:42Z From now on, you can protect your Google searches from eavesdropping as Google enabled HTTPS on its search engine.A few notes on their blog indicate that it is still a 'beta' option:- only the web search is SSL encrypted (image... An Hilven From now on, you can protect your Google searches from eavesdropping as Google enabled HTTPS on its search engine.

A few notes on their blog indicate that it is still a 'beta' option:
- only the web search is SSL encrypted (image or map searches, for example, are not)
- slightly slower loading times to set up encryption
- your data and searches are not hidden from Google (if you read between the lines, that means that if law enforcement requests information about your search behavior, Google can still provide it) only from others that might eavesdrop on your connections
]]> IT Security for the Next Generation contest tag:www.somethingwith.be,2010://1.107 2010-05-26T11:47:50Z 2010-05-26T11:49:19Z Kaspersky is organizing the IT Security for the Next Generation conference later this year, and is calling all students of European universities to submit their research papers for a contest to participate in the conference and have a chance to... An Hilven Kaspersky is organizing the IT Security for the Next Generation conference later this year, and is calling all students of European universities to submit their research papers for a contest to participate in the conference and have a chance to present their paper for a large audience. Students from any European university can participate, free of charge, by writing a research paper about one of these topics:

Technical nomination
- Trends in Anti-Spam Development – Techniques, Methods in the “Spam Arms Race” and new Innovations
- Dangers of an increasingly Networked World
- 'In the Cloud' Security
- Future Technologies for Detecting and Combating Malware (e.g. artificial intelligence, fuzzy systems, p2p networks)

Social, economic and legal nomination
- Emerging Threats (e.g. social network security, embedded systems security, mobile security, online banking security)
- Challenges and Opportunities for IT-Security Companies within the next 10 years
- Impact of technologies on Data Protection, Copy and Intellectual Property Rights and Jurisdiction
- Education in IT Security - Trends and Questions

More info here.
]]> Google to EU: Trust us tag:somethingwith.be,2010:/movabletype/public//1.106 2010-01-19T23:13:10Z 2010-04-07T22:13:33Z I'm usually a big fan on all things Google (from a user perspective, not professionally), but using the storage of search logs as an excuse for data data protection? Nu-uh!... An Hilven excuse for data data protection? Nu-uh! ]]> Naked elves steal login credentials tag:somethingwith.be,2009:/movabletype/public//1.105 2009-12-14T23:12:46Z 2010-04-07T22:13:02Z Sophos shed some light on a new Trojan 'Troj/Lneage-A' that takes advantage of the cliche that all MMORPG'ers are lonely males, popping up naked elves on the screens of drooling nerds while their game login information is stolen.I'm waiting for... An Hilven shed some light on a new Trojan 'Troj/Lneage-A' that takes advantage of the cliche that all MMORPG'ers are lonely males, popping up naked elves on the screens of drooling nerds while their game login information is stolen.

I'm waiting for the female version! ]]> EnCase usage questioned in court tag:somethingwith.be,2009:/movabletype/public//1.104 2009-12-14T23:12:04Z 2010-04-07T22:12:28Z Susan Brenner discussed the interesting case of State v. Dingman, 149 Wash.App. 648, 202 P.3d 388 (Washington Court of Appeals 2009), in which the defense received evidence files in proprietary EnCase format, and was asked to provide the evidence in... An Hilven discussed the interesting case of State v. Dingman, 149 Wash.App. 648, 202 P.3d 388 (Washington Court of Appeals 2009), in which the defense received evidence files in proprietary EnCase format, and was asked to provide the evidence in a different format as the defense did not have access to the EnCase software. Interestingly, the court decided in the end that a different format should be provided if asked for. ]]> COFEE vs DECAF tag:somethingwith.be,2009:/movabletype/public//1.103 2009-12-14T23:11:36Z 2010-04-07T22:11:56Z A counter-intelligence tool 'DECAF' has been released to defeat the use of Microsoft's COFEE suite intended for computer forensic investigations. DECAF has the following features (from their website):Contaminate MAC Addresses: Spoof MAC addresses of network adaptersKill Processes: Quick shutdown of... An Hilven website):
  • Contaminate MAC Addresses: Spoof MAC addresses of network adapters
  • Kill Processes: Quick shutdown of running processes
  • Shutdown Computer: On the fly machine power down
  • Disable network adapters
  • Disable USB ports
  • Disable Floppy drive
  • Disable CD-ROM
  • Disable Serial/Printer Ports
  • Erase Data: Quick file/folder removal (Basic Windows delete)
  • Clear Event Viewer: Remove logs from the Event Viewer
  • Remove Torrent Clients: Removes Azureus and BitTorrent clients
  • Clear Cache: Remove cookies, cache, and history

It reminds me a bit of Netbus from all those years ago. It makes the job more difficult, but I admit is clever at the same time.

Update: Apparently DECAF was only a media stunt to increase security awareness and to attract attention to the need for better forensics tools. ]]> More metadata tag:somethingwith.be,2009:/movabletype/public//1.102 2009-12-09T23:11:02Z 2010-04-07T22:11:27Z Apparently not only in criminal cases is metadata of great importance. As seen in a recent case against the City of Phoenix, a new Supreme Court decision overruled the Court of Appeals in saying that metadata is part of public... An Hilven criminal cases is metadata of great importance. As seen in a recent case against the City of Phoenix, a new Supreme Court decision overruled the Court of Appeals in saying that metadata is part of public records, and should be provided if requested for under the freedom of information act. ]]> The importance of metadata in forensics tag:somethingwith.be,2009:/movabletype/public//1.101 2009-12-07T23:10:29Z 2010-04-07T22:10:45Z Susam Brenner discussed the case of U.S. v. Haymond, 2009 WL 3029592 (U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Oklahoma 2009), and the story is quite interesting in how it discusses the use and importance of metadata, and how... An Hilven discussed the case of U.S. v. Haymond, 2009 WL 3029592 (U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Oklahoma 2009), and the story is quite interesting in how it discusses the use and importance of metadata, and how a case can stand or fall with this information. ]]> New fingerprints, new identity tag:somethingwith.be,2009:/movabletype/public//1.100 2009-12-07T23:09:54Z 2010-04-07T22:10:14Z More and more organisations are beginning to implement biometric systems for identification purposes in access control, and one of those uses is tracking people by their fingerprints when entering a country. But what happens if someone's fingerprints are changed? Doesn't... An Hilven
Source: http://thecybersleuth.blogspot.com/2009/12/plastic-surgery-changes-identity-by.html ]]> WPA cracking for dummies tag:somethingwith.be,2009:/movabletype/public//1.99 2009-12-07T23:09:28Z 2010-04-07T22:09:43Z Ethical hacker Moxie Marlinspike launched an online service for cracking WPA passwords in 20 minutes. For $34, his 'users' get access to a 400-node cluster specifically designed for cracking WPA passwords. Marlinspike's intention is to have this service available for... An Hilven online service for cracking WPA passwords in 20 minutes. For $34, his 'users' get access to a 400-node cluster specifically designed for cracking WPA passwords. Marlinspike's intention is to have this service available for ethical hackers and WIFI auditors, but I wonder how long it will take before it is abused by others. ]]> Data mining police databases tag:somethingwith.be,2009:/movabletype/public//1.98 2009-12-06T23:08:59Z 2010-04-07T22:09:21Z An Hilven a study was carried out in the Netherlands to find new links in the police databases through data mining. Some unexpected and previously unknown links were discovered:

* women in the database are significantly more often addicted to drugs than men
* people suspected of manslaughter are relatively often already convicted for racism
* joyriders often don't follow employment and alcohol regulations
* theft with violence is often linked with possession of weapons
* African origin and convictions for public security/safety
* criminals in the low lands also often don't follow traffic regulations

This sounds like a fun exercise to do in Belgium too!

Sources:
http://weblogs.nrc.nl/media/2009/12/07/datamining-politiedatabank-toont-onbehaaglijke-verbanden/
http://webwereld.nl/nieuws/64515/politie-test-datamining-criminelendatabank.html ]]> More infosec skills tag:somethingwith.be,2009:/movabletype/public//1.97 2009-12-06T23:08:19Z 2010-04-07T22:08:37Z It looks like more people are beginning to think about the skills an information security professional should have. David Lacey listed his top 7 here.... An Hilven skills an information security professional should have. David Lacey listed his top 7 here. ]]> SANS course on Information Reconnaissance tag:somethingwith.be,2009:/movabletype/public//1.96 2009-12-03T23:07:35Z 2010-04-07T22:08:11Z I hadn't heard of this one before, but it seems quite interesting indeed: SANS Security 550 - Information Reconnaissance: Competitive Intelligence and Online PrivacyInformation is power! Don't think so? Follow the course or read my paper.... An Hilven
Information is power! Don't think so? Follow the course or read my paper. ]]> PayPal phishes own users tag:somethingwith.be,2009:/movabletype/public//1.95 2009-12-03T23:06:57Z 2010-04-07T22:07:15Z PayPal recently sent out a legitimate email to its users including a link to its login page which looked suspiciously like a phishing attempt to Randy Abrams. He forwarded it to PayPal support, and they answered "You're right – it... An Hilven Randy Abrams. He forwarded it to PayPal support, and they answered "You're right – it was a phishing attempt". Apparently PayPal support can't even tell a legitimate email from one phishing for information. ]]>