Silvexis » Random

Quick thoughts for the day

Erik — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 20:03:50 +0000

Read a rumor today that the upcoming Apple tablet might be called the iPad. I predicted it would be called the MacBook Tablet but I have to admit the iPad sounds compelling. It’s too close to iPod for me to like however. Rule one in marketing: Differentiate. My guess is that Apple is registering names of possible similar named products to avoid future problems.
I will be presenting “Your Applications from Backdoors: How to Secure Your Business Critical Applications from Time Bombs, Backdoors & Data“ at the OWASP Chicago meeting on Feb 2nd at 6:00 swing by (RSVP Req’d) for Pizza, Beer and Application Security discussions in the windy city.

Better than Coffee

Erik — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 14:20:01 +0000

Energized by Left-Handed Toons

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Glowing Cities Under a Nighttime Sky

Erik — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 19:44:18 +0000

Glowing Cities Under a Nighttime Sky

Originally uploaded by Ettubrute

Unbelievably cool time lapse video of a flight from Amsterdam to SFO. What a great idea!

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Proper use of Internet Protocols

Erik — Thu, 22 May 2008 15:35:39 +0000

me: This nonsense makes me want to puch someone in the face
friend: Don’t you wish you could do that over TCP/IP?
me: No, I’d use UDP, because I don’t want the ACK back
friend: Dude, you need help

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Unrestricted Warfare

Erik — Mon, 31 Dec 2007 00:52:02 +0000

I think about this topic, conflict and unrestricted tactics related to war on and off on a pretty regular basis, there is nothing like the study of conflict and how conflicts are won or lost when it comes to understanding thinking outside the box.

A recent blog post from a friend of mine about a translated Chinese text called “Unrestricted Warfare” got me thinking on the topic again. I found the text pretty interesting and a worthy read for anyone interested in conflict and the “Art” of war in a more modern time.

I however found it very unfortunate that some have developed the belief that the text is directed at Americas destruction. This is likely due to it’s ridiculous and perhaps unauthorized re-publication as a book in 2001 (The original text was published in 1999, and is available for free download). The cover has a picture of the twin towers burning and the tag line “China’s master plan to destroy America” all of which was added by the translator of this specific version. It’s unlikely that the original authors would have written the book as a treatise on the destruction of America but rather on the topic of how one nation might rise up and displace an existing superpower to either take an equal or greater position on the world playing field. It’s no surprise that America is a common subject in the text given the position of the United States today but it could easily be any superpower.

The truth is that at the global political level, there are no laws, ethics or boundaries. There is only a desire to advance your nations power and a willingness to do anything to achieve that goal – anything that you can get away with. There is a strange calculation that occurs at this level, where the needs of your nation outweigh the needs of another and where war, covert action, destruction and death are all justified and acceptable if they further your nations goals.

Billy suggests in his post that the rise in computer network attacks originating from China taken in conjunction with this text seem to suggest that something more direct or organized is in motion. I agree that this is likely, but this shouldn’t be a surprise. China is not the innovator here nor the only nation currently practicing such tactics.

The true innovator (in modern history) on this topic is America itself. The USA has been practicing asymmetrical warfare since the revolution and has continuously honed its tactics over the years. Although from the USA’s point of view it’s not so much asymmetrical as it is unconventional at this point, but the genesis of its methods is clearly a huge influencer in how it approaches conflict and wages war today.

So it should go without saying that America has been practicing the same tactics as the PLA on the Internet for some time now and my guess is that the PLA are now seeking to level the playing field. I see these new challenges from China as ultimately good for the world and the USA. Just as in business the same is true for nations, there is nothing like competition when it comes to keeping people focused and driving innovation.

Which brings me back to thinking outside the box. Unrestricted warfare to me means approaching problems using unconventional methods without the limitations of past thought. The war might be fought for national power or technological innovation, it doesn’t matter, whatever it is, to innovate we all must commit ourselves to waging unrestricted warfare if we are going to move forward.

Clinton on FOX News

I do all my own stunts

Erik — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 22:19:52 +0000

This was my final day in the old SPI offices before moving to the new HP offices. While I was on a confernce some folks in the office found a use for the several hundred spare moving boxes we had laying around. Brings new meaning to feeling boxed in

Click here to view the embedded video.

Direct link

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No More Drama, lets get back to Innovating

Erik — Sun, 12 Aug 2007 18:44:32 +0000

You know what I don’t like about the security biz? All the Drama. I suppose this isn’t much different than any other line of work, but please I just want to sit in peace and think about the problems and then think about solutions and then make lots of money OK? Ahh right, there is the problem, that whole money thing, damn how could I be so naive? To many, fame is just another form of currency and when people start thinking someone is trying to take that away from them, you get drama.

For example, this little chain of events:

Please, all of you, put all this you stole your research nonsense behind you and move on. We all build our work on the shoulders of the giants who came before us. Half of the “new” ideas in security I read today were first presented in this book by James Martin in 1974. Does that mean any of his work was stolen? No, not really. Stuff get’s reinvented all the time and that’s good. Most of the time we call this innovation.

New research brings old ideas to life when they are presented in a new context. Often a context that didn’t exist back when the idea first appeared. It’s this context that the researcher brings to the idea which is the real innovation and we should all just sit back and bask in its glory. An idea is timeless and the good ones will get re-invented over and over again through the ages, like say for example ultrawideband wireless which was invented in 1894 or the fuel cell, invented in 1845. (Read: Tuning in to Technologies Past). These guys all invented something amazing, but nobody knows who these people are because they didn’t discover or even have the context that would have allowed their technologies to change the world.

There are also many examples throughout history where completely independent inventors have come up with the same idea nearly simultaneously (Gorman, 1998). These simultaneous inventions happens all the time but why? The explanation I like best is what the historian Thomas Hughes described as a Reverse Salient. “A salient is a protrusion in a geometric figure, a line of battle, or an expanding weather front. As technological systems expand, reverse salients develop. Reverse salients are components in the system that have fallen behind or are out of phase with the others” (Hughes, 1987). I believe that it’s these reverse salients that create an innovation vacuum that the leading researchers almost subconsciously rush to fill independent of each other. Or as John Campbell argues “Scientists and engineers, like everyone else, are influenced by their patrons and customers. The cultures of their communities thus affect the pace and direction of technological change.”

Pheww, well that puts it all in perspective right?

So, Robert (Rsnake), Jeremiah, and Billy, please, all of you, get back to innovating and discovering new context. The world is a better place when you are focused on that.

References and great reading

Standage, R. (Jan 2005). “Tuning in Technology’s Past“, (MIT Technology Review, Online Article)
Gorman, M. (1998). Transforming Nature, Chapter 3, Section 2 “Reverse Salients and Simultaneous Inventions“
Campbell, J. (1996). “Perpetual Uncertainty” (Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, Online Article)

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Chicago part 2

Erik — Mon, 28 May 2007 04:39:45 +0000

Day 2 in Chicago – We are never going to leave!

The weather was absolutely perfect. I mean really really perfect. Blue skys, no clouds, amazing. We got our start around 10 when we hopped on the Red Line going north, got off at Chicago station and walked our way to the John Hancock building. It could not have been a better day to be up there looking out over the city. We could see as far as Gary Indiana and the vistas were spectacular. From there we walked the Magnificent Mile and ducked in and out of the shops, I picked up a pair of shoes and Rebecca picked up some clothes from H&M.

But that wasn’t the mission for the day, if you recall from yesterday, the goal today was Pizza and we hit the mother load. Gino’s East was recommended to us by a friend and it was absolutely delicious. Exactly what we were looking for – a true slice of Chicago pie. The line was just long enough to know you had come to the right place but not too long as to annoy you. Once we got in we noticed that just about every flat surface in the place was covered by the graffiti the thousands who had come here before, pretty cool. We ordered a Gino’s Sausage Supreme. Our waiter warned us in advance that they cook everything from scratch and that it would take about 45 min for the pizza to arrive but it was worth it. If you find yourself in Chicago, looking for Pizza, I highly recommend you head over to Gino’s on 162 E Superior St.

We spent more time walking the mile and shopping, we hit up the Apple store for fun and then headed to the original Marshall Fields store to explore. Most department stores in the US are well, department stores. Boring, formulaic and just what you are expecting. The original Marshall Fields store however has character, in some ways parts of it reminded me of Harrods in London if you can believe that, and that’s a serious complement for any store in America. Despite wandering around for some time, we ended up not buying anything except a box of chocolates which I’m enjoying right now

We took the red line back home, dropped off our booty for the day and then headed immediately off to meet up with Rebecca’s cousins (whom we are staying with) and enjoy a concert at Millennium Park. Completed in 2004 it transformed a part of the city once dominated by a railroad switching yard into 25 acres of parkland. Center to the park is a huge outdoor pavilion designed by Frank Gehry which is where we enjoyed our dinner and watched the concert.

Also in the park is “the bean” or Cloud Gate sculpture created by Anish Kapoor which is this gigantic stainless steel “bean” that has been polished to be super reflective. It wraps a warped reflection of the skyline around it’s curves and really catches your eye. You can walk underneath it where you feel like you are entering into a fun house mirror of the most extreme kind. I heard this thing cost a ridiculous amount of money, I think it was worth every penny.

The concert came to an end, we wandered back home and now as we get ready to turn in I can’t help but feel like in the past 2 short days I’ve really gotten to know this city. I’m adding it to my short list of places I’d consider living next.

Chicago

Erik — Sun, 27 May 2007 00:17:45 +0000

I’m in Chicago for Memorial day weekend. Chicago is the one big city in the US that despite my best attempts, I’ve never wandered around in. Today I put that to an end. Despite the gray day and threat of rain we headed out on a morning bike ride around grant park, the aquarium, navy pier and everything in between. After having a Chicago Dog at Navy Pier we biked back home and then headed off to the Art Institute for some museum exploring, we barely scratched the surface of that place. We then proceeded to wander south through the city and walked back home (in the rain, but who cares!).

I think I like Chicago. The city has this Gotham feel, the architecture is intense, the people seem decent enough and the proximity to the lake adds this intangible cherry on top of everything. I found myself wondering what it would be like to be here in winter, not because I wonder if it would be hell (or rather hell frozen over) as I’m sure it is, but because I wonder how the city operates in the winter, what it looks like, what effect it has on the people, how do people cope? There is something fun about putting on a ton of warm clothing and braving the winter in a city, you instantly have this bond with everyone else around you as you brave the elements. Why I find this fascinating I do not know.

Tomorrow I plan to have our whole day revolve around my search for Pizza. We plan to head for Giordano’s or perhaps Gino’s East (I’ve been recommended both) for a slice of Chicago style pizza pie, what we do before then or after is still up for debate but with so much to see in such a short time I don’t think I’ll be disappointed.

p.s. I’ve been “tagged” so that means I’ve got some more blogging to do very soon!

On the subject of Airplanes

Erik — Sat, 05 May 2007 21:38:46 +0000

This video is just amazing. 873 people in 77 seconds, you can read the full story here. I wonder just what this whole thing would look like if you threw in some real fire and smoke?

Click here to view the embedded video.

Having heard stories about how people react when the plane really is in distress (a strange fascination of mine) I’ve often heard that a lot of people just freeze up, even if the fire is right behind them. It’s almost as if people are unable to come to grip with the reality of the situation and they just shut down. For me, the closest I’ve ever been to that edge was on a flight many years ago from San Francisco to Tokyo. Half way there as we crossed over the last of the Aletuiens I felt a shudder go through the plane unlike any turbulence I’d ever felt. I looked up at the flight attendant and the look on their face immediately told me something was wrong. All over the plane they simultaneously sprang into action without any trace of instruction, it was pure training as they ran down the isles ordering “SIT DOWN, FASTEN YOUR SEATBELT, REMAIN SEATED, REMAIN CALM”.

In a matter of seconds they had verified all were seated and strapped themselves in as the plane began a very sharp decent. I heard someone ahead of me in the cabin say “Oh God” and in an instant there was an amazing wave of panic that rolled through the entire cabin, it hit everyone in their own way, no one got up and ran around the cabin, no one screamed, some started quietly weeping, but no one spoke. The silence was unbelievably spooky and everyone around me looked terrified.

It was surreal, I felt the panic, the fear, had the cliché moment where I wondered if this was how I was going to die and then the most amazing thing happened to me. I realized I wasn’t in control. It didn’t matter what I did in the next moments, it was out of my control. With this realization came a deep and profound sense of calm. I looked around at everyone in the cabin with an amazing sense of clarity and curiosity and then I did they only thing a calm person does on a trans-Atlantic flight – I put my earphones back on and finished watching the movie (which they had thankfully left running).

That was in the first 30 seconds, the next 30 minutes were what I can only imagine excruciating for just about everyone else. The plane continued it’s dive towards the earth and then abruptly flattened out. I could feel the plane circle for the remainder of the time and then finally the Pilot spoke. “Folks, we had an engine failure and I apologize for the steep decent to 10,000 feet. Thankfully, this is a 747 and we have 3 perfectly good engines still functioning. Even better we have been able to restart the fourth engine and since we are at the half way point we will be continuing to Tokyo, again sorry for the excitement, please let the cabin crew know if they can help you in anyway”

So we all lived, we didn’t get pushed all the way to that edge that day, but I can tell you one thing – I still miss that sense of calm I had that day, I’ve never had it since.