Comment Missing Option (Score 1) 793
All of the above!
Comment OSfuscate yourself into a Dreamcast (Score 1) 699
Software like this invariably uses a technique called TCP stack fingerprinting to determine whether your device is of the sort that requires the software installed. Basically, invalid or strange TCP packets are sent to you upon first appearance (or at DHCP time or something), and the response to each helps the security system to decide whether you're a Windows box, a Linux box, a handheld something, or a game console, because the stack on each of these systems responds a little differently to out-of-RFC TCP junk.
There are several pieces of software out there, most notably OSfuscate (http://www.irongeek.com/i.php?page=security/osfuscate-change-your-windows-os-tcp-ip-fingerprint-to-confuse-p0f-networkminer-ettercap-nmap-and-other-os-detection-tools) and sec_cloak (http://www.hacker-soft.net/Soft/Soft_2304.htm, but the link is quite broken), that reconfigure your Windows TCP stack via the registry to appear to these tools like something entirely different. After doing that, just tell your IT department that you need to get your other device on their network and most places will whitelist you. The most popular choice for what to emulate is a Sega Dreamcast; why that is the case is left as an excercise to the reader...
At most places, looking like something that can't run their spyware gets you online, but some places want to see the hardware (especially for game consoles), so if you're concerned, say the machine runs Linux sometimes and show it to them running Linux (off a LiveCD if you must) if they ask. Then use software to make your Windows look like Linux too, and the exception they'll have put in for "a Linux box with MAC xx:xx:xx:xx:xx" will cover both systems.
San Francisco DA Discloses City's Passwords 333
snydeq writes "The office of San Francisco District Attorney Kamala Harris has made public close to 150 usernames and passwords used by various departments to connect to the city's VPN. The passwords were filed this week as Exhibit A in a court document arguing against a reduction in $5 million bail in the case against Terry Childs. Though they placed the passwords in the public record, city prosecutors do seem to think that they are sensitive. InfoWorld's Paul Venezia, who has been following the case closely, provides further analysis of the technical details in the city's case. 'By themselves, [the passwords] would not be enough to allow anyone to access the network via VPN,' Venezia writes, 'but the fact that the city entered them into evidence is quite shocking. At the very least, they'll have to shut down their VPN access for awhile until they've changed them all and modified the configurations of some large number of VPN clients.'"
FTC Recruiting Identity Theft Victims 48
coondoggie writes "In an effort to buttress its enforcement and better understand the scourge that is identity theft, the Federal Trade Commission said today its plans to conduct a wide-ranging study of victims of the crime.
The FTC is looking for people harmed by the crime and said the survey will examine the remedies available to victims under the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act of 2003 (FACT Act). Among other things, the FACT Act gave consumers the right to place fraud alerts on their credit files if they are, or suspect they may become, victims of identity theft; block information on their credit reports that resulted from identity theft; and obtain copies of their credit reports free of charge."
Researchers Discover Gene That Blocks HIV 333
stemceller writes to tell us that a team of researchers at the University of Alberta claims to have discovered a gene capable of blocking HIV thereby preventing the onset of full blown AIDS. "Stephen Barr, a molecular virologist in the Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, says his team has identified a gene called TRIM22 that can block HIV infection in a cell culture by preventing the assembly of the virus. 'When we put this gene in cells, it prevents the assembly of the HIV virus," said Barr, a postdoctoral fellow. "This means the virus cannot get out of the cells to infect other cells, thereby blocking the spread of the virus.'"
NASA Plans to Smash Spacecraft into the Moon 176
djasbestos writes "NASA is planning to smash a spacecraft into the Moon in order to look for hydrogen deposits in the poles. More notably, it will impact with significantly greater force (100x, per the article) than previous Moon collisions, such as by the Lunar Prospector and Smart-1 probes. Admiral Ackbar was unreachable for comment as to the exact location and size of the Moon's thermal exhaust port."
Vista SP1 Guides for IT Professionals Released 270
wilkinism writes "Microsoft released several detailed documents explaining just about everything you ever wanted to know about Vista SP1. Highlights include a Deployment Guide, list of included hotfixes, and a 17-page list of 'Notable Changes'. In reviewing the Notable Changes document, it seems the company focused on improving reliability & performance in really specific scenarios, so it's no wonder that most reviewers are reporting no noticeable gains."
Interconnecting Wind Farms To Smooth Power Production 112
Roland Piquepaille writes "Wind power is one of the world's fastest growing electric energy sources, but as wind is intermittent, a single wind farm cannot deliver a steady amount of energy. This is why scientists at Stanford University want to connect wind farms to develop a cheaper and more reliable power source. Interconnecting wind farms with a transmission grid should reduce the power swings caused by wind variability and provide a somewhat constant and reliable electric power (or 'baseload' power) provided by other power plants."
Submission + - Re-Engineering Engineering
theodp writes: "In its College Issue, the NYT Magazine profiles tuition-free Olin College, which is building a different breed of engineer, stressing creativity, teamwork and entrepreneurship — and, in no small part, courage. But questions remain as to whether the industry is ready for the freethinking products of Olin, and vice versa — few of the class of 2006 are going on to grad study in engineering or jobs in the field."
Comment Re:Steampunk = trendy tard-speak (Score 5, Funny) 103
Well, at least we don't say "tard-speak."
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