Gus Simmons is an early pioneer in cryptography and computer security. I know him best for his work on authentication and covert channels, specifically as related to nuclear treaty verification. His work is cited extensively in Applied Cryptography. He has written a memoir of growing up dirt-poor in 1930s rural West Virginia. I’m in the … Read More “Gus Simmons’s Memoir” »
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In kernel version 5.17, both /dev/random and /dev/urandom have been replaced with a new — identical — algorithm based on the BLAKE2 hash function, which is an excellent security improvement. Powered by WPeMatico
The Office of Inspector General has audited NASA’s insider threat program: While NASA has a fully operational insider threat program for its classified systems, the vast majority of the Agency’s information technology (IT) systems — including many containing high-value assets or critical infrastructure — are unclassified and are therefore not covered by its current insider … Read More “NASA’s Insider Threat Program” »
News: The White House has issued its starkest warning that Russia may be planning cyberattacks against critical-sector U.S. companies amid the Ukraine invasion. […] Context: The alert comes after Russia has lobbed a series of digital attacks at the Ukrainian government and critical industry sectors. But there’s been no sign so far of major disruptive … Read More “White House Warns of Possible Russian Cyberattacks” »
This is a big deal: A developer has been caught adding malicious code to a popular open-source package that wiped files on computers located in Russia and Belarus as part of a protest that has enraged many users and raised concerns about the safety of free and open source software. The application, node-ipc, adds remote … Read More “Developer Sabotages Open-Source Software Package” »
Greenpeace has published a report, “Squids in the Spotlight,” on the extent and externalities of global squid fishing. News article. As usual, you can also use this squid post to talk about the security stories in the news that I haven’t covered. Read my blog posting guidelines here. Powered by WPeMatico
My proof of COVID-19 vaccination is recorded on an easy-to-forge paper card. With little trouble, I could print a blank form, fill it out, and snap a photo. Small imperfections wouldn’t pose any problem; you can’t see whether the paper’s weight is right in a digital image. When I fly internationally, I have to show … Read More “Why Vaccine Cards Are So Easily Forged” »
Oops: Instead of telling you when it’s safe to cross the street, the walk signs in Crystal City, VA are just repeating ‘CHANGE PASSWORD.’ Something’s gone terribly wrong here. Powered by WPeMatico
Basically, the SafeZone library doesn’t sufficiently randomize the two prime numbers it used to generate RSA keys. They’re too close to each other, which makes them vulnerable to recovery. There aren’t many weak keys out there, but there are some: So far, Böck has identified only a handful of keys in the wild that are … Read More “Breaking RSA through Insufficiently Random Primes” »
This will be law soon: Companies critical to U.S. national interests will now have to report when they’re hacked or they pay ransomware, according to new rules approved by Congress. […] The reporting requirement legislation was approved by the House and the Senate on Thursday and is expected to be signed into law by President … Read More “US Critical Infrastructure Companies Will Have to Report When They Are Hacked” »