Blogspot back online!
Due to connection problems, this weblog is finally back online!
Wednesday, May 23, 2001
Worm tries to attract surveillance attentionU.K.-based security software vendor Sophos has warned of a new variant on the "Love Bug" worm which, as well as infecting users' machines, seems designed to attract the attention of the "Echelon" surveillance system. Sophos added that it has found just one example of the worm in the wild.
Thursday, May 10, 2001
Conspiracy Theory"In the continuing effort to make China the bogeyman of the 21st century, Washington has scored yet another coup - the loss of the EP-3E Aries II surveillance aircraft. It's very reminiscent of the phony FBI Hanssen Spy Case. In other words, what the US Government is saying just doesn't jibe with the facts.
US NAVY CHARGED WITH CONTINUING COVER-UP.
In 1997, a US Navy intelligence officer was riding in a Canadian Navy helicopter trying to surveil a Russian ship near Seattle that was believed to be collecting intelligence. Both the Canadian pilot and the American officer suffered eye damage caused, they say, by a laser fired from the ship.
This article charges the Navy (ONI) with covering up Russian guilt in the matter and even altering an official photo to help in the cover up -- in order to avoid upsetting US-Russian relations. The matter was more of less hushed up until the US officer, LtCdr Jack Daly, went public 2 or 3 years ago. Since then, he has had career problems and would have been passed over for promotion and forced out of the Navy had not Congress intervened.
In 1997, a US Navy intelligence officer was riding in a Canadian Navy helicopter trying to surveil a Russian ship near Seattle that was believed to be collecting intelligence. Both the Canadian pilot and the American officer suffered eye damage caused, they say, by a laser fired from the ship.
This article charges the Navy (ONI) with covering up Russian guilt in the matter and even altering an official photo to help in the cover up -- in order to avoid upsetting US-Russian relations. The matter was more of less hushed up until the US officer, LtCdr Jack Daly, went public 2 or 3 years ago. Since then, he has had career problems and would have been passed over for promotion and forced out of the Navy had not Congress intervened.
NSA Adviser Says Cyber-Assaults On Pentagon Persist With Few Clues
A series of sophisticated attempts to break into Pentagon computers has continued for more than three years, and an extensive investigation has produced "disturbingly few clues" about who is responsible, according to a member of the National Security Agency's advisory board.
A series of sophisticated attempts to break into Pentagon computers has continued for more than three years, and an extensive investigation has produced "disturbingly few clues" about who is responsible, according to a member of the National Security Agency's advisory board.
The spy left out in the cold
The Russian defector Victor Makarov believes he has been let down by Britain. Now he plans to sue to get his life back
The Russian defector Victor Makarov believes he has been let down by Britain. Now he plans to sue to get his life back
Thursday, March 22, 2001
Improving the Security of Your Site by Breaking Into it
In this paper we will take an unusual approach to system security.
Instead of merely saying that something is a problem, we will look
through the eyes of a potential intruder, and show _why_ it is one. We
will illustrate that even seemingly harmless network services can become
valuable tools in the search for weak points of a system, even when
these services are operating exactly as they are intended to.
In this paper we will take an unusual approach to system security.
Instead of merely saying that something is a problem, we will look
through the eyes of a potential intruder, and show _why_ it is one. We
will illustrate that even seemingly harmless network services can become
valuable tools in the search for weak points of a system, even when
these services are operating exactly as they are intended to.
Tuesday, March 20, 2001
GnuPG (The GNU Privacy Guard)GnuPG is a complete and free replacement for PGP. Because it does not use the patented IDEA algorithm, it can be used without any restrictions. GnuPG is a RFC2440 (OpenPGP) compliant application.
Spammimic
There is tons of spam flying around the Internet. Most people can't delete it fast enough. It's virtually invisible. This site gives you access to a program that will encrypt a short message into spam. Basically, the sentences it outputs vary depending on the message you are encoding. Real spam is so stupidly written it's sometimes hard to tell the machine written spam from the genuine article.
There is tons of spam flying around the Internet. Most people can't delete it fast enough. It's virtually invisible. This site gives you access to a program that will encrypt a short message into spam. Basically, the sentences it outputs vary depending on the message you are encoding. Real spam is so stupidly written it's sometimes hard to tell the machine written spam from the genuine article.
Tripwire
Tripwire is a tool that checks to see what has changed on your system. The program monitors key attributes of files that should not change, including binary signature, size, expected change of size, etc. The hard part is doing it the right way, balancing security, maintanence, and functionality.
Tripwire is a tool that checks to see what has changed on your system. The program monitors key attributes of files that should not change, including binary signature, size, expected change of size, etc. The hard part is doing it the right way, balancing security, maintanence, and functionality.
ShareSniffer, Inc.
Welcome to ShareSniffer.com, home of the wildly popular software program ShareSniffer. Right now—this instant—there are tens of thousands of computers worldwide that are sharing files deliberately with the Internet—requiring no password and no special software other than the Microsoft Windows™ operating system. In testing ShareSniffer, we have discovered files of all types available for copying, viewing or even execution.
Welcome to ShareSniffer.com, home of the wildly popular software program ShareSniffer. Right now—this instant—there are tens of thousands of computers worldwide that are sharing files deliberately with the Internet—requiring no password and no special software other than the Microsoft Windows™ operating system. In testing ShareSniffer, we have discovered files of all types available for copying, viewing or even execution.
SilentRunnerSilentRunner is a passive, multi-functional software tool that monitors network activity in real time, producing a virtual picture of network usage and vulnerabilities.
Cybercrime
Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS) of the Criminal Division of the U.S. Department of Justice.
Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS) of the Criminal Division of the U.S. Department of Justice.
International Forum on Surveillance by Design
A one day public meeting on the development of global surveillance strategies for law enforcement and national security.
A one day public meeting on the development of global surveillance strategies for law enforcement and national security.
Intelligence Programs and Systems - Alphabetical Listing
This resource is a comprehensive alphabetical listing of intelligence programs, including both those for which detailed descriptions are available, as well as those for which profiles are not yet available. It is an extremely mixed bag that includes major hardware programs for which extensive profiles are available, medium-sized software implementations which are briefly described, as well as a whole bunch of other cats and dogs which are not and may never be profiled, but whose existence is known and which are included for the sake of completeness and potential future inclusion. In 1993, the Secretary of Defense directed all functional areas to select standard information systems and applications, and eliminate legacy systems. To date, the Department has identified 1,849 information systems, of which functional communities have selected 247 as migration systems. DoD will eliminate at least 1,079 of these legacy systems by the year 2000.
This resource is a comprehensive alphabetical listing of intelligence programs, including both those for which detailed descriptions are available, as well as those for which profiles are not yet available. It is an extremely mixed bag that includes major hardware programs for which extensive profiles are available, medium-sized software implementations which are briefly described, as well as a whole bunch of other cats and dogs which are not and may never be profiled, but whose existence is known and which are included for the sake of completeness and potential future inclusion. In 1993, the Secretary of Defense directed all functional areas to select standard information systems and applications, and eliminate legacy systems. To date, the Department has identified 1,849 information systems, of which functional communities have selected 247 as migration systems. DoD will eliminate at least 1,079 of these legacy systems by the year 2000.
Inside the NSAIt was simpler during the Cold War when the National Security Agency had one major target -- the Soviet Union. Now there are many new targets and problems.
MIL-HDBK-1195 Radio Frequency Shielded Enclosures
Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) is a description of the phenomenon which results from allowing conducted and radiated electrical signals to reach destinations where their presence is undesirable. Uncontrolled EMI may cause computer malfunction or error, detonation of electrically explosive devices, or be the cause for loss of classified information to an enemy. The objective of this handbook is to provide a basic understanding of the problems associated with the acquisition of a facility containing one or more EMI shielded enclosures. It is intended that only the characteristics of the facility that are unusual in comparison to a nonshielded facility will be addressed. This handbook is a brief introduction to EMI shielding theory, and presents basic criteria of importance during the planning, design, and construction of a typical facility containing an EMI shielded enclosure.
Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) is a description of the phenomenon which results from allowing conducted and radiated electrical signals to reach destinations where their presence is undesirable. Uncontrolled EMI may cause computer malfunction or error, detonation of electrically explosive devices, or be the cause for loss of classified information to an enemy. The objective of this handbook is to provide a basic understanding of the problems associated with the acquisition of a facility containing one or more EMI shielded enclosures. It is intended that only the characteristics of the facility that are unusual in comparison to a nonshielded facility will be addressed. This handbook is a brief introduction to EMI shielding theory, and presents basic criteria of importance during the planning, design, and construction of a typical facility containing an EMI shielded enclosure.
Computer ForensicsThe Autopsy Forensic Browser is an HTML based front-end interface to TCT (The Coroners Toolkit ) and TCTUTILs. It allows an investigator to browse forensic images (an image generated from using dd(1)) from a file, inode, or block level abstraction. It also provides a convenient interface for searching for key words on an image.
The President John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection
In 1992, the National Archives and Records Administration established the John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection pursuant to Public Law 102-526. The Collection contains more than 4 1/2 million pages of assassination-related records, photographs, motion pictures, sound recordings and artifacts.
In 1992, the National Archives and Records Administration established the John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection pursuant to Public Law 102-526. The Collection contains more than 4 1/2 million pages of assassination-related records, photographs, motion pictures, sound recordings and artifacts.
Friday, March 02, 2001
The Centre for Counterintelligence and Security Studies The Centre for Counterintelligence and Security Studies (CI Centre) provides advanced and innovative CI and security training, research and analysis for people in the intelligence, national security and defense communities in the US Government as well as for the corporate sector. Espionage, spies and spying activities are in the news everyday. Get a professional, in-depth understanding of the issues and enhance your CI and security awareness by attending our executive-level courses taught by experts retired from the FBI, CIA, Army and KGB.
Wednesday, February 21, 2001
Secure FTP
Data confidentiality. Data integrity. User Authentication. Take away any of these elements and your data is at risk as it travels the Internet. In the past, FTP (File Transport Protocol) was the optimal file transfer utility, but with the real threat of data pirating, you want a mechanism that securely transfers data within your enterprise and between your business partners. Sterling Commerce's CONNECT:Enterprise for UNIX with Secure FTP is an effective, safe, and secure solution for your E-commerce needs.
Data confidentiality. Data integrity. User Authentication. Take away any of these elements and your data is at risk as it travels the Internet. In the past, FTP (File Transport Protocol) was the optimal file transfer utility, but with the real threat of data pirating, you want a mechanism that securely transfers data within your enterprise and between your business partners. Sterling Commerce's CONNECT:Enterprise for UNIX with Secure FTP is an effective, safe, and secure solution for your E-commerce needs.
Tuesday, February 20, 2001
Information Operations URLography by the TNO Physics and Electronics Laboratory (TNO FEL)
Information Warfare (IW) links
Information Warfare (IW) links
Tuesday, February 13, 2001
Pentagon General Counsel Review of Allegations Regarding Dr. John Deutch
In February 2000, the CIA IG provided to the Department a copy of 26 journals (approximately 675 pages of text) that Dr Deutch had maintained during his tenure at DoD. The CIA had located these journals on three Personal Computer Memory Card International Association (PCMCIA) cards which Dr. Deutch had used to store and transfer data from the various computers at his disposal. These journals include Dr. Deutch's detailed descriptions of his daily activities; they focus on his official activities, although they also include many entries of a personal nature. Although the PCMCIA cards may have been authorized for the storage of classified information, the journal entries were entered and worked on from Dr. Deutch's home computers, which were not so authorized.
In February 2000, the CIA IG provided to the Department a copy of 26 journals (approximately 675 pages of text) that Dr Deutch had maintained during his tenure at DoD. The CIA had located these journals on three Personal Computer Memory Card International Association (PCMCIA) cards which Dr. Deutch had used to store and transfer data from the various computers at his disposal. These journals include Dr. Deutch's detailed descriptions of his daily activities; they focus on his official activities, although they also include many entries of a personal nature. Although the PCMCIA cards may have been authorized for the storage of classified information, the journal entries were entered and worked on from Dr. Deutch's home computers, which were not so authorized.
Wednesday, February 07, 2001
Privacy group warns of e-mail wiretap
A newly identified snooping technology allows someone sending an e-mail to see what the recipient wrote when it is forwarded on to another user, an Internet privacy group announced Monday.
A newly identified snooping technology allows someone sending an e-mail to see what the recipient wrote when it is forwarded on to another user, an Internet privacy group announced Monday.
Tuesday, February 06, 2001
THE CASOLARO MURDER & THE FEDS' THEFT OF INSLAW SOFTWARE
The following transcript was made from a broadcast over WBAI-FM 99.5 in New York City on September 20, 1991.
The following transcript was made from a broadcast over WBAI-FM 99.5 in New York City on September 20, 1991.
Cyberspace Wars: Microprocessing vs. Big Brother
Old but interesting, by Daniel Brandt. From NameBase NewsLine, No. 2, July-August 1993
Old but interesting, by Daniel Brandt. From NameBase NewsLine, No. 2, July-August 1993
Saturday, February 03, 2001
The Casolaro files
Prior to being found with his wrists slashed on Aug. 10, 1991 in the bathtub of a Martinsburg, W.Va. motel room, the 44-year Fairfax, Va.
freelance reporter had become obsessed with investigating the "Octopus," a tangle of what he elieved were interconnected conspiracies.
Prior to being found with his wrists slashed on Aug. 10, 1991 in the bathtub of a Martinsburg, W.Va. motel room, the 44-year Fairfax, Va.
freelance reporter had become obsessed with investigating the "Octopus," a tangle of what he elieved were interconnected conspiracies.
Wednesday, January 10, 2001
Fact Sheet: Counterintelligence for the 21st Century (PDD --)President Clinton signed a Presidential Decision Directive (PDD) entitled "U.S. Counterintelligence Effectiveness – Counterintelligence for the 21st Century." The PDD outlines specific steps that will enable the U.S. counterintelligence (CI) community to better fulfill its mission of identifying, understanding, prioritizing and counteracting the intelligence threats faced by the United States. The system will be predictive, proactive and will provide integrated oversight of counterintelligence issues across the national security agencies.
Overview GlobalSecurity.org is focused on innovative approaches to the emerging security challenges of the new millennium
NEW CLASSIFICATION CATEGORY FOR NUCLEAR INFO PROPOSED
Officials of the Departments of Energy and Defense have proposed
establishing a new classification category to provide enhanced protection
for some of the nation's most sensitive nuclear weapons information.
The proposal is the culmination of the "higher fences" initiative that
began during the tenure of Energy Secretary Hazel O'Leary and which called
for increasing security for the most sensitive information. The new
proposal also responds to controversy over the adequacy of protection of
classified nuclear information that arose following the loss of hard drives
containing sensitive data at Los Alamos last year.
The new classification category -- dubbed Sigma 16 -- would apply generally
to "design specifications that permit the reproduction ... of the complete
nuclear assembly system..." and to documents that contain "an aggregation
of design information ... that provides comprehensive insight into nuclear
weapon capabilities, vulnerabilities, or design philosophies."
The proposal for the new classification category was presented in the
"Report of the Joint Policy Group for the Protection of Nuclear Weapons
Design and Use Control Information," dated December 1, 2000. A copy of the
report was obtained by Secrecy News and is posted here:
http://www.fas.org/sgp/othergov/doe/joint_report.html
Most or all of the affected information is already classified at the Secret
Restricted Data level. DOE and DoD officials considered a proposal to
upgrade the information to Top Secret RD, but rejected this option as too
expensive and unwieldy.
Instead, they recommended creating a new classification category that would
entail increased protection -- including, for example, more rigorous
background investigations for access approval -- even though the
information would remain at its present Secret RD classification level.
The new classification category, Sigma 16, represents an addition to the
existing Sigma 1 through Sigma 15 classification scheme. These are subsets
of classified nuclear weapons information (classified under the Atomic
Energy Act) that are grouped by subject matter.
The definitions of each of the Sigma categories used by the Department of
Energy may be found here:
http://www.fas.org/sgp/othergov/doe/sigmas.html
In a separate move, DOE late last month approved the upgrading of 12 topics
from Confidential Restricted Data to Secret Restricted Data.
Officials of the Departments of Energy and Defense have proposed
establishing a new classification category to provide enhanced protection
for some of the nation's most sensitive nuclear weapons information.
The proposal is the culmination of the "higher fences" initiative that
began during the tenure of Energy Secretary Hazel O'Leary and which called
for increasing security for the most sensitive information. The new
proposal also responds to controversy over the adequacy of protection of
classified nuclear information that arose following the loss of hard drives
containing sensitive data at Los Alamos last year.
The new classification category -- dubbed Sigma 16 -- would apply generally
to "design specifications that permit the reproduction ... of the complete
nuclear assembly system..." and to documents that contain "an aggregation
of design information ... that provides comprehensive insight into nuclear
weapon capabilities, vulnerabilities, or design philosophies."
The proposal for the new classification category was presented in the
"Report of the Joint Policy Group for the Protection of Nuclear Weapons
Design and Use Control Information," dated December 1, 2000. A copy of the
report was obtained by Secrecy News and is posted here:
http://www.fas.org/sgp/othergov/doe/joint_report.html
Most or all of the affected information is already classified at the Secret
Restricted Data level. DOE and DoD officials considered a proposal to
upgrade the information to Top Secret RD, but rejected this option as too
expensive and unwieldy.
Instead, they recommended creating a new classification category that would
entail increased protection -- including, for example, more rigorous
background investigations for access approval -- even though the
information would remain at its present Secret RD classification level.
The new classification category, Sigma 16, represents an addition to the
existing Sigma 1 through Sigma 15 classification scheme. These are subsets
of classified nuclear weapons information (classified under the Atomic
Energy Act) that are grouped by subject matter.
The definitions of each of the Sigma categories used by the Department of
Energy may be found here:
http://www.fas.org/sgp/othergov/doe/sigmas.html
In a separate move, DOE late last month approved the upgrading of 12 topics
from Confidential Restricted Data to Secret Restricted Data.
Tuesday, January 09, 2001
Smart LoggerSmart Logger - multi-channel digital voice logging and monitoring system with embedded noise cancellation, fax-decoding and transcription modules.
Tuesday, January 02, 2001
Introduction to EncryptionThere is no one single way to encrypt a file. Hundreds of ciphers exist today and many more are being developed every year. Some can be done with nothing more than a pencil and a piece of paper, while others require the number-crunching power of a computer to be effective and practical. In this article, Joshua Ryder presents some basic examples to illustrate how encryption works.
Sunday, December 31, 2000
The Ghost of Fireballs PastEerie-sounding echoes from Leonid and Geminid meteors were captured by amateurs monitoring the Navy's Space Surveillance Radar. During a shower like the Leonids, radio signals from TV stations, RADAR facilities, and AM/FM transmitters are constantly bouncing off meteor trails. The echoes can be heard around the world.
Naval Space Surveillance System : NAVSPASURNAVSPASUR is a unique multistatic radar system that detects orbital objects passing over the contiguous United States. It can detect objects as small as 10cm diameter at orbital heights up to 15,000 nautical miles, and measure the positions and velocity vectors of detected objects as they pass through its detection plane. It is operated by the US Navy, has headquarters at Dahlgren, Virginia, and is an important data source for NORAD .
At Lourdes, air is filled with secrets
Just south of the Cuban capital’s Jose Marti airport—and clearly visible to passengers on final approach—is a little known Russian military base, one without weapons systems but with scores of antennas and satellite dishes straining to hear some of America’s closest held secrets.
Just south of the Cuban capital’s Jose Marti airport—and clearly visible to passengers on final approach—is a little known Russian military base, one without weapons systems but with scores of antennas and satellite dishes straining to hear some of America’s closest held secrets.
DSD - Sigint and history
Signals intelligence and information security have a long and honourable history in the service of the Australian Government and its allies in times of peace, crisis and conflict. The current generation of Australia's Sigint and Infosec professionals are proud to inherit that record, and to add their own contributions to it.
But it is a history little known to the public at large. Because of the secrecy that surrounds the the business of intelligence collection, many of the great successes of Sigint cannot be revealed until many years later.
Signals intelligence and information security have a long and honourable history in the service of the Australian Government and its allies in times of peace, crisis and conflict. The current generation of Australia's Sigint and Infosec professionals are proud to inherit that record, and to add their own contributions to it.
But it is a history little known to the public at large. Because of the secrecy that surrounds the the business of intelligence collection, many of the great successes of Sigint cannot be revealed until many years later.
Friday, December 29, 2000
Eraser: Wipe files from your hard drive
Eraser is a free file wipe utility that securely removes sensitive data from your hard drive. It easy to use, well documented, and effective.
Eraser is a free file wipe utility that securely removes sensitive data from your hard drive. It easy to use, well documented, and effective.
Spy agencies enter kinder, gentler age on Web
In these post-Cold War days, with formerly hot spy thrillers on the remainder table, the spook business has taken to the Internet with a warmer, friendlier image, to let the public know that it is still there and, by the way, is even looking for help.
In these post-Cold War days, with formerly hot spy thrillers on the remainder table, the spook business has taken to the Internet with a warmer, friendlier image, to let the public know that it is still there and, by the way, is even looking for help.
Defense Intelligence Agency - HomepageAs a Combat Support Agency of the Department of Defense, the DIA mission is to provide timely, objective, and cogent military intelligence to the warfighters, soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines, and to the decisionmakers and policy makers of the United States Department of Defense and United States Government.
Intelligence Resource ProgramFederation of American Scientist website. This site provides a selection of official and unofficial resources on intelligence policy, structure, function, organization and operations.
Eyes Only: Espionage Museum Planned for D.C.
Fans of the spy game will be stirred, not shaken by the news: A Cleveland-based company said yesterday it intends to open "the largest permanent exhibit dedicated to the history of espionage" in downtown Washington by the spring of 2002.
Fans of the spy game will be stirred, not shaken by the news: A Cleveland-based company said yesterday it intends to open "the largest permanent exhibit dedicated to the history of espionage" in downtown Washington by the spring of 2002.
Critters that dig tunnels under our feet
Some researchers and scholars believe that the Third Reich collapsed because of a mole. (A big and highly specialized mole, to be sure.) This mole was a Soviet agent working inside Hitler's headquarters. His codename was "Werther." The importance of Werther lies in the fact that he was able to transmit Hitler's plans to Stalin in a matter of hours. In some instances, Stalin saw Germany's war plans before the German field commanders saw them.
In a book entitled "Hitler's Traitor," Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Louis Kilzer now claims to have discovered the identity of Werther. Using previous secret World War II archives, Kilzer builds a convincing case that Werther was none other than Martin Bormann, Hitler's most trusted deputy.
Some researchers and scholars believe that the Third Reich collapsed because of a mole. (A big and highly specialized mole, to be sure.) This mole was a Soviet agent working inside Hitler's headquarters. His codename was "Werther." The importance of Werther lies in the fact that he was able to transmit Hitler's plans to Stalin in a matter of hours. In some instances, Stalin saw Germany's war plans before the German field commanders saw them.
In a book entitled "Hitler's Traitor," Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Louis Kilzer now claims to have discovered the identity of Werther. Using previous secret World War II archives, Kilzer builds a convincing case that Werther was none other than Martin Bormann, Hitler's most trusted deputy.
Israel Acknowledges Hunting Down Arab Militants
Senior Israeli officials have acknowledged a new tactic of hunting down and killing individual Palestinian militants whom Israel holds responsible for planning attacks on or attacking its citizens.
Senior Israeli officials have acknowledged a new tactic of hunting down and killing individual Palestinian militants whom Israel holds responsible for planning attacks on or attacking its citizens.
CIA's Tree: Some Kind of Secret
LANGLEY, Virginia -- The hottest holiday party at CIA headquarters is put on by the masters of spy gadgetry who use Christmas ornaments to display the latest technology.
It's not cameras in cigarette lighters anymore, but the tree at the Office of Technical Service party this year would thrill even fans of the fictional "Q" who produced pens that could fire bullets and cars that could swim for British agent James Bond.
LANGLEY, Virginia -- The hottest holiday party at CIA headquarters is put on by the masters of spy gadgetry who use Christmas ornaments to display the latest technology.
It's not cameras in cigarette lighters anymore, but the tree at the Office of Technical Service party this year would thrill even fans of the fictional "Q" who produced pens that could fire bullets and cars that could swim for British agent James Bond.
Chinese espionage handbook details ease of swiping secrets
China's government is engaged in large-scale science and technology spying targeted primarily on gaining U.S. defense secrets for military use, according to a translated Chinese government manual.
China's government is engaged in large-scale science and technology spying targeted primarily on gaining U.S. defense secrets for military use, according to a translated Chinese government manual.
Terrorists Plotted Jan. 2000 Attacks
Islamic militants headed by Osama bin Laden appear to have planned a spectacular three-country attack last January that would have included multiple bombings in Jordan and the United States and the sinking of a U.S. destroyer in Yemen, the Clinton administration's counterterrorism chief said last week.
Islamic militants headed by Osama bin Laden appear to have planned a spectacular three-country attack last January that would have included multiple bombings in Jordan and the United States and the sinking of a U.S. destroyer in Yemen, the Clinton administration's counterterrorism chief said last week.
Security-Enhanced LinuxRecently the U.S. National Security Agency released a distribution
called Security-enhanced Linux.
This includes a modified version of the kernel and some utilities that
provide a new mandatory access control architecture for Linux.
Friday, December 22, 2000
Optimizing SSL processing for Web
The Secure Sockets Layer protocol is the de facto means for transmitting data over the Internet privately and securely. The protocol is integrated into every browser and every Web server, allowing any user to interact with any Web site in a secure manner.
The Secure Sockets Layer protocol is the de facto means for transmitting data over the Internet privately and securely. The protocol is integrated into every browser and every Web server, allowing any user to interact with any Web site in a secure manner.
Microsoft 'set hacker trap' theory
Hackers who broke into Microsoft's corporate network last month could have been lured into a hacker trap containing nothing more than dummy data, according to researcher Gartner.
Hackers who broke into Microsoft's corporate network last month could have been lured into a hacker trap containing nothing more than dummy data, according to researcher Gartner.
SafeNet
Security is the big question, and the answer is... er, privacy policies and smart cards. These, at least, were the only obvious concrete suggestions Bill Gates had to put forward when he opened Microsoft's prestige Safenet 2000 conference in Redmond yesterday.
Security is the big question, and the answer is... er, privacy policies and smart cards. These, at least, were the only obvious concrete suggestions Bill Gates had to put forward when he opened Microsoft's prestige Safenet 2000 conference in Redmond yesterday.
Security Research Center
The Johns Hopkins University, supported by a $10 million "seed" gift, is establishing a research center to tackle the complex technological, legal, ethical and public policy challenges of keeping information private and computer systems secure in an increasingly electronic world.
The Johns Hopkins University, supported by a $10 million "seed" gift, is establishing a research center to tackle the complex technological, legal, ethical and public policy challenges of keeping information private and computer systems secure in an increasingly electronic world.
Forget passwords, what about pictures?
Instead of creating a password, users select a personal "pass portfolio" of five abstract color images from thousands generated by a random-art computer program. It's necessary to commit them to memory by examining them carefully. Then, when they want to log into a secure system, they are challenged to identify the five out of a line-up of 25, most of them random decoys.
Instead of creating a password, users select a personal "pass portfolio" of five abstract color images from thousands generated by a random-art computer program. It's necessary to commit them to memory by examining them carefully. Then, when they want to log into a secure system, they are challenged to identify the five out of a line-up of 25, most of them random decoys.
Code breakers believe Poe puzzle solved after 150 years
Edgar Allan Poe, master of the mysterious and the macabre, may have uttered his last words from beyond the grave.
A coded message published by Poe in 1841 in a magazine where he worked as editor has been deciphered with the help of modern computing and the intuition of a young puzzle solver, 151 years after Poe's death.
Edgar Allan Poe, master of the mysterious and the macabre, may have uttered his last words from beyond the grave.
A coded message published by Poe in 1841 in a magazine where he worked as editor has been deciphered with the help of modern computing and the intuition of a young puzzle solver, 151 years after Poe's death.
Quality Security Tools
In May/June of 2000, we conducted a survey of 1200 Nmap users from the nmap-hackers mailing list to determine their favorite security tools. Each respondant could list up to 5.
I was so impressed by the list they created that I am putting the top 50 up here where everyone can benefit from them. I think anyone in the security field would be well advisted to go over the list and investigate any tools they are unfamiliar with. I also plan to point newbies to this page whenever they write me saying "I do not know where to start".
In May/June of 2000, we conducted a survey of 1200 Nmap users from the nmap-hackers mailing list to determine their favorite security tools. Each respondant could list up to 5.
I was so impressed by the list they created that I am putting the top 50 up here where everyone can benefit from them. I think anyone in the security field would be well advisted to go over the list and investigate any tools they are unfamiliar with. I also plan to point newbies to this page whenever they write me saying "I do not know where to start".
Secure your Windows 2000The document is entitled "Secure Internet Information Services 5 Checklist" and lists a dozen specific items that must be addressed in addition to a few tweaks to the underlying Windows 2000 operating system.
Nessie
The main objective of the project is to put forward a portfolio of strong cryptographic primitives that has been obtained after an open call and been evaluated using a transparent and open process.
The main objective of the project is to put forward a portfolio of strong cryptographic primitives that has been obtained after an open call and been evaluated using a transparent and open process.
Wednesday, December 20, 2000
Tuesday, December 19, 2000
The Ten Immutable Laws of Security
Here at the Microsoft Security Response Center, we investigate thousands of security reports every year. In some cases, we find that a report describes a bona fide security vulnerability resulting from a flaw in one of our products; when this happens, we develop a patch as quickly as possible to correct the error. In other cases, the reported problems simply result from a mistake someone made in using the product. But many fall in between. They discuss real security problems, but the problems don't result from product flaws. Over the years, we've developed a list of issues like these, that we call the Ten Immutable Laws of Security.
Here at the Microsoft Security Response Center, we investigate thousands of security reports every year. In some cases, we find that a report describes a bona fide security vulnerability resulting from a flaw in one of our products; when this happens, we develop a patch as quickly as possible to correct the error. In other cases, the reported problems simply result from a mistake someone made in using the product. But many fall in between. They discuss real security problems, but the problems don't result from product flaws. Over the years, we've developed a list of issues like these, that we call the Ten Immutable Laws of Security.
Security red alert
If the network administrators and security specialists at the Small Business Administration, in Washington, were to push the panic button every time a potentially serious virus or software vulnerability alert was posted on the Web, the small businesses that rely on the SBA for loans and other assistance would be out of luck.
If the network administrators and security specialists at the Small Business Administration, in Washington, were to push the panic button every time a potentially serious virus or software vulnerability alert was posted on the Web, the small businesses that rely on the SBA for loans and other assistance would be out of luck.
Monday, December 18, 2000
PC Magazine's review on intrusion detection gives you the bad news you need to avoid worse news later.
Installing a secure web server
With ``e-commerce'' becoming an important part of many businesses, it's useful to know how to set up your Apache server to run SSL for secure transfer of sensitive information.
With ``e-commerce'' becoming an important part of many businesses, it's useful to know how to set up your Apache server to run SSL for secure transfer of sensitive information.
Tuesday, December 12, 2000
Remarks by George J. TenetThis afternoon, I would like to talk about the world in which—thanks to people like you—the United States is the leading force. And what American Intelligence does in that world for our nation and thus for you.
Blocked?
Appendix A to 31 CFR chapter V contains the names of blocked
persons, specially designated nationals, specially designated
terrorists, foreign terrorist organizations, and specially designated
narcotics traffickers designated pursuant to the various economic
sanctions programs administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control.
Appendix A to 31 CFR chapter V contains the names of blocked
persons, specially designated nationals, specially designated
terrorists, foreign terrorist organizations, and specially designated
narcotics traffickers designated pursuant to the various economic
sanctions programs administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control.
The Moscow Coup and MI6's Murders
What is it all about? Well, I and Sir Teddy Taylor [letters below] (a British Member of Parliament) are trying to force the British government to investigate two murders that the British Secret Intelligence Service (MI6) were directly responsible for. They are the 'Bulgarian Umbrella' murder of Georgi Markov in 1978 (a British double agent tricked the Bulgarians into murdering him) and the murder of the newspaper owner Robert Maxwell in 1991. Both murders are related to the failed KGB coup in Moscow in August 1991, with which I was fairly directly connected. A large file exists which gives the evidence for all this in considerable detail. There is now a copy of it in the House of Commons Library in London, although the Security Services had arranged its concealment for some months. Other copies disappeared from my mother's home in Scotland during the spring. At present, the Home Office and the Foreign Office are tossing the ball between them.
What is it all about? Well, I and Sir Teddy Taylor [letters below] (a British Member of Parliament) are trying to force the British government to investigate two murders that the British Secret Intelligence Service (MI6) were directly responsible for. They are the 'Bulgarian Umbrella' murder of Georgi Markov in 1978 (a British double agent tricked the Bulgarians into murdering him) and the murder of the newspaper owner Robert Maxwell in 1991. Both murders are related to the failed KGB coup in Moscow in August 1991, with which I was fairly directly connected. A large file exists which gives the evidence for all this in considerable detail. There is now a copy of it in the House of Commons Library in London, although the Security Services had arranged its concealment for some months. Other copies disappeared from my mother's home in Scotland during the spring. At present, the Home Office and the Foreign Office are tossing the ball between them.
Friday, December 08, 2000
m-o-o-t
m-o-o-t is an open-design, open-source cryptography project begun to defeat RIPAPart3 and make it look silly, and to allow UK citizens to communicate and to store information without worrying about it. It will also defeat Carnivore and the Australian and proposed NZ and Council of Europe laws.
m-o-o-t is an open-design, open-source cryptography project begun to defeat RIPAPart3 and make it look silly, and to allow UK citizens to communicate and to store information without worrying about it. It will also defeat Carnivore and the Australian and proposed NZ and Council of Europe laws.
U.S. finds link between bin Laden and Cole bombingU.S. officials said Thursday there is evidence linking suspects in the October 12 bombing of the USS Cole in Yemen with known operatives of accused terrorist Osama bin Laden's organization.
Pardon recommended for jailed U.S. 'spy'A Russian presidential commission has recommended convicted U.S. spy Edmond Pope be given a pardon.
Thursday, December 07, 2000
Spy School
Spying seems to have existed since humans could look across at their neighbors and wonder what they were up to. Here's your chance to find out about the shadowy world of what's been called the "second-oldest profession." But be careful, someone may be watching.
Spying seems to have existed since humans could look across at their neighbors and wonder what they were up to. Here's your chance to find out about the shadowy world of what's been called the "second-oldest profession." But be careful, someone may be watching.
2,619 CIA Sources: The Crowley Files
Robert Trumbull Crowley died in a Washington DC hospital on October 8, 2000. He was a senior Central Intelligence Agency officer from 1948 until the mid-1980s. During his tenure with the CIA, Crowley became Assistant Deputy Director for Operations and the second-in-command of the clandestine Directorate of Operations. He wrote a book entitled The New KGB: Engine of Soviet Power that was published in 1985 by William Morrow. In 1996, prior to what Crowley felt might be a fatal major surgery for suspected lung cancer, he gave a number of historical documents from his extensive personal files to an American journalist with whom he had been working.
Robert Trumbull Crowley died in a Washington DC hospital on October 8, 2000. He was a senior Central Intelligence Agency officer from 1948 until the mid-1980s. During his tenure with the CIA, Crowley became Assistant Deputy Director for Operations and the second-in-command of the clandestine Directorate of Operations. He wrote a book entitled The New KGB: Engine of Soviet Power that was published in 1985 by William Morrow. In 1996, prior to what Crowley felt might be a fatal major surgery for suspected lung cancer, he gave a number of historical documents from his extensive personal files to an American journalist with whom he had been working.
VULN-DEV
The VULN-DEV list exists to allow people to report potential or undeveloped holes. The idea is to help people who lack expertise, time, or information about how to research a hole do so.
The VULN-DEV list exists to allow people to report potential or undeveloped holes. The idea is to help people who lack expertise, time, or information about how to research a hole do so.
OpenBSD
Three years without a remote hole in the default install!
The OpenBSD project produces a FREE, multi-platform 4.4BSD-based UNIX-like operating system. Our efforts emphasize portability, standardization, correctness, proactive security and integrated cryptography.
Three years without a remote hole in the default install!
The OpenBSD project produces a FREE, multi-platform 4.4BSD-based UNIX-like operating system. Our efforts emphasize portability, standardization, correctness, proactive security and integrated cryptography.
The Nessus Project The "Nessus" Project aims to provide to the internet community a free, powerful, up-to-date and easy to use remote security scanner.
A security scanner is a software which will audit remotely a given network and determine whether bad guys (aka 'crackers') may break into it, or misuse it in some way.
Madison Gurkha
Former hackers start a company: We are proud to announce the establishment of Madison Gurkha B.V. Madison Gurkha will focus on the Design, Implementation and Audit of Security and Open Source IT infrastructures.
Former hackers start a company: We are proud to announce the establishment of Madison Gurkha B.V. Madison Gurkha will focus on the Design, Implementation and Audit of Security and Open Source IT infrastructures.
Wednesday, December 06, 2000
STASI
For 30 years, East German spies sought Britain's secrets. Who helped them? A six-month search by Stephen Grey and John Goetz has uncovered details of a large espionage ring. But it would have remained unknown without the skills of a former East German dissident
For 30 years, East German spies sought Britain's secrets. Who helped them? A six-month search by Stephen Grey and John Goetz has uncovered details of a large espionage ring. But it would have remained unknown without the skills of a former East German dissident
Feature StoriesThe awesome satellite espionage series is now published here on the Web! You will find the true stories about the satellite signal reception of hidden signals, such as secret services and governments
THE FIFTH BOMB: DID PUTIN’S SECRET POLICE BOMB MOSCOW IN A DEADLY BLACK OPERATION?
The critical evidence are these photographs of a detonator.
The photographs of a detonator, taken by a Russian bomb squad, and other fresh evidence point to a plot carried out by the FSB working to assist their old spymaster, Vladimir Putin, in his rise to control the world’s number two superpower and its nuclear arsenal.
The critical evidence are these photographs of a detonator.
The photographs of a detonator, taken by a Russian bomb squad, and other fresh evidence point to a plot carried out by the FSB working to assist their old spymaster, Vladimir Putin, in his rise to control the world’s number two superpower and its nuclear arsenal.
Electronic Evidence Gathering
The presentation: Electronic Evidence Gathering is designed to introduce the audiance to the discipline and detail exactly what can be discovered using various techniques and tools. The technical aspects, while important, do not constitute the entire presentation. Normal forensic investigative techniques must also be observed in order to produce usable results and therefore these will also be addressed in the context of the computing environment and in parallel with the tools and techniques.
The presentation: Electronic Evidence Gathering is designed to introduce the audiance to the discipline and detail exactly what can be discovered using various techniques and tools. The technical aspects, while important, do not constitute the entire presentation. Normal forensic investigative techniques must also be observed in order to produce usable results and therefore these will also be addressed in the context of the computing environment and in parallel with the tools and techniques.
Security Research GroupWelcome to the Security Research Group of the University of Otago's home page. Here we will bring you many links to our own research and work that is being done around the world in the realms of security and other related issues.
FBI Fakes Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Actions
Today in Washington there is a secret court that exists soley for something called FISA, the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. It's a court where the FBI has regularly secured permission to wire tap, bug and search the homes of individuals the FBI suspects of committing espionage against the United States.
Today in Washington there is a secret court that exists soley for something called FISA, the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. It's a court where the FBI has regularly secured permission to wire tap, bug and search the homes of individuals the FBI suspects of committing espionage against the United States.
Tuesday, December 05, 2000
Breaking the Windows Script Encoder
The Windows Script Encoder (screnc.exe) is a Microsoft tool that can be used to encode your scripts (i.e. JScript, ASP pages, VBScript). Yes: encode, not encrypt. The use of this tool is to be able to prevent people from looking at, or modifying, your scripts. Microsoft recommends using the Script Encoder to obfuscate your ASP pages, so in case your server is compromised the hacker would be unable to find out how your ASP applications work.
The Windows Script Encoder (screnc.exe) is a Microsoft tool that can be used to encode your scripts (i.e. JScript, ASP pages, VBScript). Yes: encode, not encrypt. The use of this tool is to be able to prevent people from looking at, or modifying, your scripts. Microsoft recommends using the Script Encoder to obfuscate your ASP pages, so in case your server is compromised the hacker would be unable to find out how your ASP applications work.
Convicted terrorist to face new trial in JordanJordanian officials said Monday they will retry a U.S. citizen convicted and sentenced to death in connection with a terrorist plot against Israeli and American tourists in Jordan during New Year's celebrations.
Comments on the Carnivore System Technical Review
Although the IITRI study appears to represent a good-faith effort at independent review, the limited nature of the analysis described in the draft report simply cannot support a conclusion that Carnivore is correct, safe, or always consistent with legal limitations. Those who are concerned that the system produces correct evidence, represents no threat to the networks on which it is installed, or complies with the scope of court orders should not take much comfort from the analysis described in the report or its conclusions.
Although the IITRI study appears to represent a good-faith effort at independent review, the limited nature of the analysis described in the draft report simply cannot support a conclusion that Carnivore is correct, safe, or always consistent with legal limitations. Those who are concerned that the system produces correct evidence, represents no threat to the networks on which it is installed, or complies with the scope of court orders should not take much comfort from the analysis described in the report or its conclusions.
Wednesday, November 22, 2000
Real Time Cryptanalysis of A5/1 on a PC
A5/1 is the strong version of the encryption algorithm used by about 130 million GSM customers in Europe to protect the over-the-air privacy of their cellular voice and data communication. The best published attacks against it require between 240 and 245 steps. This level of security makes it vulnerable to hardware-based attacks by large organizations, but not to software-based attacks on multiple targets by hackers.
A5/1 is the strong version of the encryption algorithm used by about 130 million GSM customers in Europe to protect the over-the-air privacy of their cellular voice and data communication. The best published attacks against it require between 240 and 245 steps. This level of security makes it vulnerable to hardware-based attacks by large organizations, but not to software-based attacks on multiple targets by hackers.
Killing Pablo
Eight years ago, at the request of the Colombian government, U.S. military and spy forces helped fund and guide a massive manhunt that ended with the killing of Pablo Escobar, the richest cocaine trafficker in the world.
Eight years ago, at the request of the Colombian government, U.S. military and spy forces helped fund and guide a massive manhunt that ended with the killing of Pablo Escobar, the richest cocaine trafficker in the world.
International co-operation in internet surveillance
The police, Security Intelligence Service and the Government Communications Security Bureau of New Zealand are pushing for major new surveillance powers including the ability to spy on emails.
The police, Security Intelligence Service and the Government Communications Security Bureau of New Zealand are pushing for major new surveillance powers including the ability to spy on emails.
Did Swisscom sell our Secrets to the USA?Swisscom may have violated an agreement made with the Confederation by selling sensitive installations to the Americans of Verestar. The military suspects that this company is related to the Echelon network for interception.
Draft Report: Independent Technical Review of the Carnivore System
This Draft Report from the IIT Research Institute (IITRI) is part of an overall review of the Carnivore system requested by the Attorney General.
This Draft Report from the IIT Research Institute (IITRI) is part of an overall review of the Carnivore system requested by the Attorney General.
State Department Employees Pressed to Protect Secrets
Paper shredders, State Department employees are told, must trim classified documents down to slices no larger than 1/32 inch by 1/2 inch. Disposal can also be achieved, they are advised, with machines that can "pulverize" secrets into powder. Safes storing sensitive materials must weigh at least 500 pounds — too heavy to be carted off.
Paper shredders, State Department employees are told, must trim classified documents down to slices no larger than 1/32 inch by 1/2 inch. Disposal can also be achieved, they are advised, with machines that can "pulverize" secrets into powder. Safes storing sensitive materials must weigh at least 500 pounds — too heavy to be carted off.
Monday, November 20, 2000
Stolen Enigma retrieved
The Sunday Times has negotiated secretly for weeks to ensure the safe return of the three vital rotors from the historic Enigma code machine that was stolen from Bletchley Park.
The Sunday Times has negotiated secretly for weeks to ensure the safe return of the three vital rotors from the historic Enigma code machine that was stolen from Bletchley Park.
Monday, November 13, 2000
Stealth secrets feared stolen
A Russian mathematician who was given access to an American supercomputer loaded with stealth warplane design software is under investigation for espionage.
Sunday, November 12, 2000
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