Google Reader Shared Post - Source URL mental_floss Blog

Shared by Adam Fort
great read.

Shown above: Siemens Simatic S7-300 PLC CPU, similar to one of those targeted by the Stuxnet worm.

In an extremely comprehensive WIRED article, Kim Zetter tells the inside story of how researchers worldwide (primarily working for Symantec) decoded the Stuxnet worm, ultimately figuring out that it was developed to target nuclear centrifuges at a particular site in Iran. For nerds, this is an incredibly engrossing read, full of technical-but-followable detail, as well as a compelling real-life narrative. As many commenters have noted, it reads a bit like a Tom Clancy novel. While many of us have heard something about Stuxnet, this is the story you should read to learn the real story — grab a sandwich and turn off your email program for a half hour. Here’s a snippet:

It should have been no surprise to the researchers, then, when their work drew the attention of government agencies in and outside the United States, that began asking for briefings on their findings. Symantec put together a PowerPoint presentation for the Department of Homeland Security, Defense Department, Department of Energy and FBI to answer their questions. “I joke that they already had all the answers,” Chien said. Asked if anyone from the NSA or CIA attended the PowerPoint sessions, he smiled. “If we ever did brief the NSA, we wouldn’t know, right?”

The political ramifications of their work took on even starker dimensions when, two weeks after they published their findings on the frequency converters, assassins on motorbikes attacked two Iranian nuclear scientists simultaneously in Tehran. The men were commuting to work on a Monday morning in separate parts of the city when the assassins zipped by their cars and attached bombs to them. [...].

Although the researchers didn’t really believe their lives were at risk for exposing Stuxnet, they laughed nervously as they recalled the paranoia and dark humor that crept into their conversations at the time. O Murchu began noticing weird clicking noises on his phone, and one Friday told Chien and Falliere, “If I turn up dead and I committed suicide on Monday, I just want to tell you guys, I’m not suicidal.”

The day news of the assassination plots broke, Chien joked to his colleagues that if a motorcycle ever pulled alongside his car, he’d take out the driver with a quick swerve of his wheels. When he left work that day and stopped at the first intersection, he was shaken — just for a moment — as he glanced in the rear-view mirror and saw a motorcycle pull up behind him.

Read the rest (it’s long) for a thoroughly excellent look at a dramatic story of modern computer security research.

(Via Waxy.org via Hypertext.)

(Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons, used under Creative Commons license.)

Google Reader Shared Post - Source URL mental_floss Blog

Shared by Adam Fort
great read.

Shown above: Siemens Simatic S7-300 PLC CPU, similar to one of those targeted by the Stuxnet worm.

In an extremely comprehensive WIRED article, Kim Zetter tells the inside story of how researchers worldwide (primarily working for Symantec) decoded the Stuxnet worm, ultimately figuring out that it was developed to target nuclear centrifuges at a particular site in Iran. For nerds, this is an incredibly engrossing read, full of technical-but-followable detail, as well as a compelling real-life narrative. As many commenters have noted, it reads a bit like a Tom Clancy novel. While many of us have heard something about Stuxnet, this is the story you should read to learn the real story — grab a sandwich and turn off your email program for a half hour. Here’s a snippet:

It should have been no surprise to the researchers, then, when their work drew the attention of government agencies in and outside the United States, that began asking for briefings on their findings. Symantec put together a PowerPoint presentation for the Department of Homeland Security, Defense Department, Department of Energy and FBI to answer their questions. “I joke that they already had all the answers,” Chien said. Asked if anyone from the NSA or CIA attended the PowerPoint sessions, he smiled. “If we ever did brief the NSA, we wouldn’t know, right?”

The political ramifications of their work took on even starker dimensions when, two weeks after they published their findings on the frequency converters, assassins on motorbikes attacked two Iranian nuclear scientists simultaneously in Tehran. The men were commuting to work on a Monday morning in separate parts of the city when the assassins zipped by their cars and attached bombs to them. [...].

Although the researchers didn’t really believe their lives were at risk for exposing Stuxnet, they laughed nervously as they recalled the paranoia and dark humor that crept into their conversations at the time. O Murchu began noticing weird clicking noises on his phone, and one Friday told Chien and Falliere, “If I turn up dead and I committed suicide on Monday, I just want to tell you guys, I’m not suicidal.”

The day news of the assassination plots broke, Chien joked to his colleagues that if a motorcycle ever pulled alongside his car, he’d take out the driver with a quick swerve of his wheels. When he left work that day and stopped at the first intersection, he was shaken — just for a moment — as he glanced in the rear-view mirror and saw a motorcycle pull up behind him.

Read the rest (it’s long) for a thoroughly excellent look at a dramatic story of modern computer security research.

(Via Waxy.org via Hypertext.)

(Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons, used under Creative Commons license.)

Google Reader Shared Post - Source URL GeekDad

Evil overlords have a tough time when it comes to punishing geeks. We’re so good at retreating into our imaginations and replaying scenes from our favorite movies and TV shows in our heads that we can often weather physical punishments without any psychological consequences. To really punish us effectively, you need to find a way to really get into our heads and aim straight for our geeky psyches.

Here, then, are ten strategies for doing just that, for all those evil overlords — or those who’d like to become one — who could use a little help. Some are more broad punishments that would be effective against many geeks all at once, and some specifically target one geek at a time.

10. Six words: Offer regular coffee, serve only decaf.

9. Force him to watch the movie Waterworld without the ability to mute or fast-forward.

8. Release a new game-changing smartphone that runs all kinds of apps and that everyone instantly wants, but neglect to put in such basic features as copy-and-paste and undo until two years later.

7. Force her to write an article for publication, defending the existence of Jar-Jar Binks and the casting of Hayden Christensen as Anakin Skywalker.

6. Reprogram his electronic music players so that before listening to anything by Weird Al, Jonathan Coulton, Paul and Storm, Marian Call, or the podcast of any public radio show, he must first listen to an entire song by Miley Cyrus, Katy Perry, or Britney Spears.

5. Force her to write an essay explaining why Star Trek V is the best of all the Star Trek films without employing irony.

4. Broadcast a really good space-western TV show, move it around a lot from time slot to time slot to make sure its ratings suck, then after it starts to really become popular with the geek community cancel it with three episodes still in the can.

3. Give him an about-to-expire gift certificate for a shirt from a website that sells awesome geeky shirts, but that — as he finds out only upon attempting to check out, of course — only has “Hello Kitty” shirts in stock.

2. Force her to play Monopoly for six straight hours while people at neighboring tables play Settlers of Catan and Ticket to Ride. For added misery, make one of her fellow players one of those people who constantly offer trades like “I’ll give you Water Works for Park Place” because they figure eventually someone will accept. For even more added misery, pick a Monopoly set based on a geeky subject, like Star Wars, The Muppets, Nintendo, or Pixar films.

1. Force him to take a seven hour plane flight sitting next to a teenager who worships the Twilight books and films and can’t wait to tell you all about why.

Any other good ideas? Please leave a comment!

Photo by guiltyx on Flickr; Monopoly © Hasbro.

Google Reader Shared Post - Source URL GeekDad

Evil overlords have a tough time when it comes to punishing geeks. We’re so good at retreating into our imaginations and replaying scenes from our favorite movies and TV shows in our heads that we can often weather physical punishments without any psychological consequences. To really punish us effectively, you need to find a way to really get into our heads and aim straight for our geeky psyches.

Here, then, are ten strategies for doing just that, for all those evil overlords — or those who’d like to become one — who could use a little help. Some are more broad punishments that would be effective against many geeks all at once, and some specifically target one geek at a time.

10. Six words: Offer regular coffee, serve only decaf.

9. Force him to watch the movie Waterworld without the ability to mute or fast-forward.

8. Release a new game-changing smartphone that runs all kinds of apps and that everyone instantly wants, but neglect to put in such basic features as copy-and-paste and undo until two years later.

7. Force her to write an article for publication, defending the existence of Jar-Jar Binks and the casting of Hayden Christensen as Anakin Skywalker.

6. Reprogram his electronic music players so that before listening to anything by Weird Al, Jonathan Coulton, Paul and Storm, Marian Call, or the podcast of any public radio show, he must first listen to an entire song by Miley Cyrus, Katy Perry, or Britney Spears.

5. Force her to write an essay explaining why Star Trek V is the best of all the Star Trek films without employing irony.

4. Broadcast a really good space-western TV show, move it around a lot from time slot to time slot to make sure its ratings suck, then after it starts to really become popular with the geek community cancel it with three episodes still in the can.

3. Give him an about-to-expire gift certificate for a shirt from a website that sells awesome geeky shirts, but that — as he finds out only upon attempting to check out, of course — only has “Hello Kitty” shirts in stock.

2. Force her to play Monopoly for six straight hours while people at neighboring tables play Settlers of Catan and Ticket to Ride. For added misery, make one of her fellow players one of those people who constantly offer trades like “I’ll give you Water Works for Park Place” because they figure eventually someone will accept. For even more added misery, pick a Monopoly set based on a geeky subject, like Star Wars, The Muppets, Nintendo, or Pixar films.

1. Force him to take a seven hour plane flight sitting next to a teenager who worships the Twilight books and films and can’t wait to tell you all about why.

Any other good ideas? Please leave a comment!

Photo by guiltyx on Flickr; Monopoly © Hasbro.

Google Reader Shared Post - Source URL Baby Cheapskate

Great deal! Save 50% off site wide at Snapfish.com with code 50PERCENT through July 25. There are just a couple of exclusions (stamps, pre-paid prints, etc.). See site for details and fine print.

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