Monthly Archives: June 2012

A dead 13-foot-long giant squid has been found off the coast of New South Wales. As usual, you can also use this squid post to talk about the security stories in the news that I haven’t covered. More here

Have you ever wondered just how much your phone reveals about you? That’s what German party politician Malte Spitz wanted to discover… A 2008 German law required all telecommunications providers with more than 10,000 customers to retain six months worth … Continue reading →

Two days ago we intercepted a new APT campaign using a new MacOS X backdoor variant targeted at Uyghur activists. But before we go into details, let’s start with a quiz: – The Dalai Lama walks into an Apple Store. … Continue reading →

Abstract: The problem of securing biological research data is a difficult and complicated one. Our ability to secure data on computers is not robust enough to ensure the security of existing data sets. Lessons from cryptography illustrate that neither secrecy … Continue reading →

From Reddit: “My friends 7 year old sister left this note for her parents on their computer.” On 28/06/12 At 10:10 AM More here

Interesting review — by David Roepik — of The Rise of Nuclear Fear, by Spencer Weart: Along with contributing to the birth of the environmental movement, Weart shows how fear of radiation began to undermine society’s faith in science and … Continue reading →

If the safe doesn’t open, use a sledgehammer: The sledgehammer’s existence first came to light in 1980, when a group of inspecting officers from the General Staff visiting Strategic Missile Forces headquarters asked General Georgy Novikov what he would do … Continue reading →

I’m reading Top Secret America: The Rise of the New American Security State, by Dana Priest and William M. Arkin. Both work for The Washington Post. The book talks about the rise of the security-industrial complex in post 9/11 America. … Continue reading →

Recommendation: two recent Tech Weekly interviews covering the topic of online anonymity. In the first part, host Aleks Krotoski speaks with 4chan founder Chris Poole. Near the end of the interview, Poole suggests a site such as 4chan offers “front … Continue reading →

Interesting. More here