hacker

Attack on epilepsy Web site prompts migraines, near seizures

Someone posted hundreds of flashing images and links to more pulsating images on the Epilepsy Foundation site, triggering severe migraines and near seizures for some visitors recently, the Associated Press reports.

The recent attack was likely designed to cause seizures given that it is common knowledge that exposure to flickering images, such as those in video games and cartoons, can bring on such problems in people with photosensitive epilepsy, the foundation said.

Hackers exploited a security hole in the site's publishing software that allowed them to make numerous posts quickly in the support forum. Since the attack, policies have … Read more

Antivirus holes, browser spies are highlights at Microsoft's BlueHat hacker sessions

The ease with which holes in antivirus software can be discovered and the insidiousness of invisible scripts that can track your Web surfing were two of the notable talks at the BlueHat hacker sessions Microsoft held Friday on its Redmond, Wash., campus, according to a veteran attendee.

The invitation-only event, held every six months for the past three years, brings top security researchers to the home of the biggest software company in the world where they discuss the latest and greatest exploits and issues in the world of computer security.

"You actually have 'the developer' who does something who … Read more

Buzz Out Loud 710: Operation MAHEM

OK, the Internet, that was pretty cool. But molten jets of metal hurled through space to destructive effect? I mean, is someone keeping an eye on these DARPA guys or what? In other news today, a DirecTV-DISH conspiracy of awesome proportion, Android coming to T-Mobile this year, and Samsung fanboys prove they are the fanboyest of them all.

--Molly Listen now: Download today's podcast

Episode 710

Hacker testifies News Corp unit hired him http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080424/tc_nm/echostar_newscorp_dc_1

T-Mobile confirms Android phone by year’s end http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/djf500/200804231045DOWJONESDJONLINE000770_FORTUNE5.htm… Read more

Has Microsoft become too corporate for its own good?

I found this article on O'Reilly's (Microsoft-sponsored) Port 25 page fascinating. For all Microsoft's attempts to own the budding minds of students, it may well be that Microsoft has become too corporate, too sterile to be of interest to the creative mind:

Even back in my day, you could go to a "Windows lab" and work with Visual Studio or go to a "UNIX lab" and use vi and gcc. And you know what? All the fun was in the UNIX lab. And not just for me. There was just a difference in the attitudes and ethic across the two lab environments. People in the Windows lab were trying to get their project in before it was 11:59 PM, while people in the UNIX lab were goofing off, playing with code, and... trying to get their project in before it was 11:59 PM.

What is it about UNIX, vi, emacs, gcc, perl, and INSERT-HERE that makes it fun to play with, while Visual Studio just makes you want to... well, work?

In the enterprise, this alleged Microsoft attribute might be considered a Very Good Thing. But is it? Do enterprises really want automatons that punch in and code to spec? Or do they want innovation that changes the game?… Read more

Echo Boom hackers: Shame

On Thursday morning, at this year's RSA conference in San Francisco, Chris Boyd of Facetime and I will present a talk "How to Adapt to the Echo Generation's Social Media Hacking Game." The following is a preview of that talk, presented in three parts. On Tuesday we learned who the Echo Generation are. Wednesday we saw how they use online social media for hacks. Today, we'll see how Chris uses features of social networks and Web 2.0 to shut these kids down.

Known as the Sherlock Holmes of France, famed criminologist Edmond Locard once … Read more

FBI: Lieberman campaign, not hackers, caused 2006 Web site crash

You may recall that during the heat of the 2006 primary race that prompted then-Democratic Sen. Joe Lieberman to go Independent, the Connecticut politician's Web site, as a colleague of mine so eloquently noted, dropped dead.

At the time, conspiracy theories abounded. There was twittering that liberal bloggers who backed Lieberman's antiwar Democratic rival, Ned Lamont (who went on to win the primary, by the way) were responsible for the site's inaccessibility, and Lieberman's own campaign maintained that a denial-of-service attack had occurred.

Now, nearly two years later, we finally know whom to blame: the Lieberman … Read more

Echo Boom hackers: A dangerous game

On Thursday morning, at this year's RSA Conference in San Francisco, Chris Boyd of Facetime and I will present a talk called "How to Adapt to the Echo Generation's Social-Media Hacking Game." The following is a preview of that talk, presented in three parts. Yesterday, we saw who the Echo Generation are. Today, we're looking at how they use online social media for hacks. Tomorrow, we'll see how Chris uses features of social networks and Web 2.0 to shut these kids down.

For the last few years, Chris Boyd, director of malware research … Read more

Meet the Echo Boom hackers

On Thursday morning, at this year's RSA Conference in San Francisco, Chris Boyd of Facetime and I will present a talk, "How to Adapt to the Echo Generation's Social Media Hacking Game." The following is a preview of that talk, presented in three parts. On Tuesday, we're looking at who are the Echo Generation hackers. Wednesday , we'll look at how they use online social media for hacks. And on Thursday, we'll talk about how Chris uses features of social networks and Web 2.0 to shut these kids down.

It's a world … Read more

Hacks claim to 'liberate' Canon shooting options

It seems there's no gadget immune to hacking. When Sony's PSP was first released, a homebrew firmware was spotted online a few days later. And some of the latest examples are in firmware for digital cameras.

The CHDK (Canon Hacker's Development Kit) is an open-source software that creates more shooting options (RAW image capture) and controls (max shutter speed of 1/60,000) for your Canon point-and-shoot that uses the DIGIC II and III processor. Developers claim that the camera's hardware is able to support many more functions but is being held back by the original … Read more

McAfee's missed messages

When walking through the San Jose Minetta airport on Wednesday, I couldn't help but see McAfee's name strewn throughout the terminal. The marketing folks at McAfee must be on an advertising kick because there are numerous, visible advertisements that read, "Hackers hack code. McAfee hacks hackers."

OK, McAfee, you got my attention, but my question is, just who are you trying to reach with this message? Here is a list of possibilities and my associated confusion:

1. Enterprise customers. This audience doesn't seem likely. Enterprise security today is much more about governance, risk management, and … Read more