Category Archives: Miscellaneous
Taxpayer Data at IRS Remains Vulnerable
The Government Accountability Office (GOA) realeased a report last week stating vulnerabilities in the security system used by the IRS to protect taxpayer data. The report showed the IRS has number of security issues in the way that it protect … Continue reading
Current Event: Security Vulnerability in Safari RSS
According to the open source programmer Brian Mastenbrook, he has found a security flaw in Safari Rss feeds. He said that Apple’s Safari browser is vulnerable to an attack that allows a malicious web site to read files on a … Continue reading
Current Event: Lexus to begin sending messages directly to drivers
According to a recent article in USA Today, Lexus will begin including new technology to allow the company to send audio messages to the computers present in their cars. It appears to be similar to an e-mail system, where the … Continue reading
Security Review – Microsoft Live Mesh
Introduction Today internet is not limited to just desktops and laptops. There has been a flurry of portable devices that can connect to internet and allow for local storage and use of software applications. As users own more than one … Continue reading
Security Review: Skinware
Summary: This security review is about a technology named Skinware (I learned about this at Grace Hopper; web searches were unable to uncover any real literature – I think it has been sold and, most likely, renamed). Skinware was developed … Continue reading
Security Review: IMA
The IMA is a rather public place where students, faculty, and spouses can take fitness classes, lift weights, or use an expansive cardio room. The assests include fitness machines, sports equipement, and simply the space, which when occupied by a … Continue reading
Security Review: Husky Union Building
The Husky Union Building is the center of life on campus. It is home to the Associated Students of the University of Washington, hundreds of student clubs and organizations, the university bookstore, food vendors, university employee payroll and accounting, information … Continue reading
Microsoft, Yahoo, and Internet Breakage
In a recent interview with “Condé Nast Portfolio”, Google CEO Eric Schmidt warns us all that a Microsoft-Yahoo merger might “break the internet” due to the consolidation of web-mail, instant messaging, and other services that would follow as a result. … Continue reading
Security Review: The Human Heart
As our professor has continually emphasized throughout the quarter, one of the primary aims of our course has been to go beyond technical details of current computer security in order to learn the security mindset. This new way of thinking … Continue reading
M-Pesa: Banking via SMS
I was recently informed about a rather interesting service that is being used in Kenya called M-PESA. According to their website, “M-PESA provides an affordable, fast, convenient and safe way to transfer money by SMS anywhere in Kenya. Through … Continue reading