Just an observation. This is not why
my Ethical Hackers study math...
September 23, 2012
Trend
Micro Commentary on Global Hackers
Trend Micro Incorporated Opinion Piece,
September 2012 - Peter
the Great Versus Sun Tzu
- "Due to the competitive nature of the environment, East European hackers create customized malware, often with all capabilities internally hard-coded with no external third-party tools. Trend Micro threat researchers noted that robust anti-debugging techniques and complex command and control (C&C) are hallmarks of East European design. East European malware are not always innovative but often incorporate several exploits designed by others in creative ways. An East European hacker is only as good as his last successful job. East European malware are so elegantly crafted, they have been dubbed the “Faberge Eggs” of the malware world. This is due in part to the long history of high-quality science and math education in the former Soviet Bloc. With the fall of communism and the free market chaos that ensued, East Europeans with strong math and science backgrounds turned to the skills developed to help fight the Cold War and started using them to put food on the table by selling them to the highest bidder. In addition, computer scientists in the former Soviet Bloc had to make do with simpler, less sophisticated computing resources, which instilled in them a discipline to make every line of code count. These were combined to yield a pool of expert craftsmen able to build high-impact, small-footprint malware. Probably the best recent example of this is in the new Tinba malware—a well-crafted piece of malware that is optimized for size and capability and used in Trojan banker attacks targeting Turkey."
Take that, Copyright lawyers!
September 23, 2012
New
Study Affirms Less Copyright Restrictions Benefit the Economy
EFF:
"A new
study from Australia presents the latest evidence that loosening
copyright restrictions not only enables free speech, but can improve
an economy as well. The study, published by the Australian
Digital Alliance, indicated that if Australia expanded copyright
exceptions like fair use, along with strengthening safe harbor
provisions, the country could potentially add an extra $600 million
to their economy. In addition, the report details how vital
copyright exceptions are to the Australian economy as a whole. As
ADA’s executive officer and copyright advisor Ellen Broad told EFF,
"Australia's sectors relying on copyright exceptions currently
contribute 14% of our GDP, around $182 billion and they're growing
rapidly. It's essential that Australia's copyright policy framework
adequately support innovation and growth of these sectors in the
digital environment.”
(Related) On the other hand, an
interesting question for students of Copyright law?
"I've created some popular
science videos showing how asteroid
discoveries
have happened over the last few decades. However I've run into a
problem with a religious organization which borrowed
my video and redubbed it to promote their religious message.
Ultimately I filed a DMCA takedown request via YouTube's site, it's
as easy as filling in a form and the video was removed. But this
organization has since submitted
a counterclaim claiming 'under penalty of perjury' that they do
in fact have the rights to this work, and YouTube has reinstated the
video. It looks like the only way I can pursue this further is to
spend the money to take the organization to court and get an
injunction, but even if I did so I'd have to pay court costs up front
and since they're based in another country I'd have a difficult time
actually collecting any money from the other party. It feels like
this other group is simply gambling that I won't spend the time and
resources to take further legal action, the DMCA is supposed to
provide equal protection but the more lawyer you have the more
'equal' you are. So does anyone have any
suggestions for how I should proceed here?"
At some point they will realize it
would be easier to study the things they did right. (There must have
been some...)
"Prime Minister John Key today
announced he has requested an inquiry by the Inspector-General of
Intelligence and Security into the circumstances of unlawful
interception of communications of certain individuals by the
Government Communications Security Bureau. Mr Key says the Crown
has filed a memorandum in the High Court in the Megaupload case
advising the Court and affected parties that
the GCSB had acted unlawfully while assisting the Police to locate
certain individuals subject to arrest warrants issued in the case.
The Bureau had acquired communications in some instances without
statutory authority."
Interesting I wonder if other advocacy
groups would be willing to sponsor education software? Perhaps
Google would sponsor Driver Training? GEICO could sponsor lizzard
races?
PETA
Foots The Bill For Virtual Frog Dissection Software In India
PETA,
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, is offering to sponsor
software that lets students poke around the innards of frogs —
without actually, you know, poking around the innards of frogs. The
offer is being made to schools and colleges in India that agree to
give students a choice of cutting into real or virtual frog flesh —
or indeed replacing traditional dissection with other “humane”
alternatives.
The software in question — Frog
Dissection — is made by Emantras, the company PETA is tying up
with for the Indian initiative, and is priced at between $2.99 and
$4.99 in the U.S. but will be offered free to classrooms in India
that agree to offer non-animal dissection alternatives.
Perhaps a tool to collect the odds &
ends I hand out to my students?
Readlists is a web app that creates
eBooks from your chosen articles online. This effectively allows you
to curate articles and turn them into your own collection that you
can use with your Kindle or favorite e-book reader.
Similar Tools: Readability,
and Wikipedia
Book Creator
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