Thursday, March 31, 2022

It's not Netcat either

from here (image source)

Fuzzing, or fuzz testing (who calls it that?) isn't about sticking a cat in the computer, however I suspect you may get some of the same random/invalid inputs if you try this.

If NFTs Were Honest


Watch on YouTube

While it may not go into the technical details very much, it does seem pretty accurate from a societal level.  They've also got a similar video about cryptocurrency

Also, in a brilliant example of life imitating art, someone stole the fake NFTs from the NFT video (that described the theft of artwork to make unauthorized NFTs) and turned them into actual NFTs

Wednesday, March 30, 2022

Who wants to pay to be the product?

from here and here

I can't get over how exploitative it is for Google to charge people for a service and then turn around and collect data about them anyway. That's supposed to be how you monetize services that users AREN'T paying for the service. If I'm paying for a service, I expect my fees to be adequate to reimburse the vendor for their services. I certainly don't expect to be used in that manner. 

I guess their motto of "Don't be evil" really is dead.

Crypto-bro Syndrome

found on Acid Cow

You'd have to be suffering from some kind of mental defect to fall for the Greater Fool Theory, right?

Tuesday, March 29, 2022

Signs you're using a password manager wrong

from here and here

Hemingway's got nothing on the person who thought up the filename DomAdmins-LastPass.xlsx. That's a story all on it's own, and it's sure to send a chill down the spine of any infosec pro.

DDoS Attack socks

Product Page

I'm not sure how you'll turn these novelty socks into a conversation starter about DDoS attacks, but surely there must be a way. Why else have novelty socks if not to show them off?

Monday, March 28, 2022

When QR codes are spotted in the wild

from here and here

Have you seen the latest show / commercial / billboard / etc. with a QR code on it? How scandalous! People might scan them without knowing where they go.

And hopefully not ever

found on Reddit

You know you're not liked when people start comparing you to a software update. Don't be that guy (or gal, as the case may be).

Friday, March 25, 2022

Security by self-pwn

from here and here

If you beat the attackers to the punch when it comes to leaking your data then I suppose technically you weren't hacked - but does it matter? Your secrets and dirty laundry still get aired that way regardless of who is responsible.

Beware of attack cat

found on Evil Milk

Who says it has to be dogs that are man's best friend? With the proper motivation, a cat can do much of the same things a dog does. Including attacking uninvited guests. While you might need to issue commands to the dog, obviously the cat just needs you to paint the target with a laser.

Thursday, March 24, 2022

Someone's going to be so grounded

from here and here

Something tells me this young man won't be able to use the Internet at home for quite some time now that reporters have tipped off his mom about what he's been up to. You may not be able to charge a minor through the legal system, but minors are still subject to the authority of their parents.

This little piggy fought a bear


Watch on YouTube

I would never have thought that pigs could fight off a bear, but then I also never would have expected that house cats can scare off bears. In some ways it seems like perhaps we overestimate bears.

Wednesday, March 23, 2022

Sugar coating it is how you get ants

from here and here

It can also be how you get copycats. 

Look, I'm not in favour of what Russia is doing right now either, but a wiper that targets Russians is still malware, regardless of whether I feel sympathy for the victims. Moreover, it's entirely possible that the people who fall victim to it are also against what their government is doing, so your potentially harming allies.

If we don't call this what it is then that sends the signal that this kind of malware is more approved of and thus we could wind up seeing more of it.

It's actually one F Jef

found on Reddit

My name is Bil Gates and I approve this message (always keep an eye out for misspellings)

Tuesday, March 22, 2022

Look out for long lines of hackers heading for your firewall

from here and here

There are some very mixed signals going on lately. On the one hand Russia is doing a lot worse against Ukraine than anyone imagined. On the other hand, we're getting warnings of possible "cyberstrikes". How effective should we expect those cyberstrikes to be, all things considered?

Fork Bomb shirt

Product Page

So this conversation starter may look like a string of emoticons at first, but it's actually supposed to be a fork bomb and can open the door to talking about denial of service attacks.

Monday, March 21, 2022

How noble in reason! How infinite in faculties!

from here and here (image source)

When you've got bars on your windows, usually you're trying to prevent someone from going through it. This is not that. This is just for show, and it's a weird show. 

Military grade WiFi password

found on Reddit

As passwords go, that looks plenty strong enough to me.

Friday, March 18, 2022

What could possibly go wrong

from here and here (image source)

I think this is what they call foreshadowing. Look down and despair at your future, cyclist. 

They won't ever make your butt look big

found on eBaum's World

Little did anyone know that it wasn't actually camouflage pants but rather a portal belt. 

Thursday, March 17, 2022

Every modern tech company

from here and here

I'm having difficulty thinking of an example that violates this rule, how about you?

Stephen Colbert Presents: "NFT Heist"


Watch on YouTube

The real heist is the purchasers who got bilked along the way.

Wednesday, March 16, 2022

Not that useless

from here and here (image source)

 You could go over. You could go around. There's a number of very easy ways to bypass this security. 

I'll never tell

found on Izismile

I know it's frustrating, but the alternative would make it easier to launch certain types of attacks. Hopefully it's more frustrating for attackers than it is for legitimate user. 

Tuesday, March 15, 2022

So much for trustworthy computing

from here and here

Windows 11 Pornado Edition seems like the obvious conclusion to Microsoft's experiments with putting ads into the operating system. I wonder if they had that in mind.

Not Sure If Scam Or Stupid mug

Product Page

A lot of scams pretend to be remarkably dumb in order to avoid getting reported by people who know better. If it's obviously a scam then people will feel it's not worth the effort to do anything about it. Sometimes you might not be entirely awake, however, so this can remind you until you've gotten enough coffee into you to see through the ruse.

Monday, March 14, 2022

Not the kind of self-reflection he needs right now

from here (image source)

You wouldn't think it was hard to cover up details but hiding details in documents, pictures, and video seems to be something that a lot of people actually do have difficulty with. Even without the reflection, the pixelation can actually be reversed. You might think it would be easier to just place a big black box over things, but even that can be problematic in things like PDF documents because you have the ability to highlight the covered text and read it.

Got Keys?

found on eBaum's World

I'm sure this is really more about the principle of the thing, since the intrinsic value of milk isn't terribly high.

Friday, March 11, 2022

Be on the lookout for a building

from here and here (image source)

Stealing an entire building certainly seems like a new twist on property theft. What are you supposed to do to prevent it? Locking your doors and windows won't do anything. Are you supposed to get a giant bicycle lock and chain the cabin to a tree?

And that's why we use Incognito Mode

found on Acid Cow

Getting rid of all history to hide just a few things kind of stands out like a sore thumb. There's really only one reason most people clear their history and that's to hide something embarrassing. It would be a lot more discreet to selectively use a browser mode that doesn't save history in the first place. That way your normal browsing history remains intact and people won't find any clue that you've been doing something not hinted at by that history.

Thursday, March 10, 2022

Self Denial Of Service

from here and here

Epic self-owns aren't exactly what you expect from a militaristic world power, but I guess Russia isn't what it used to be.

Feisty Squirrel Protects Jewelry Store Cash Register


Watch on YouTube

This security squirrel's job is nuts and that's just the way he likes it.

Wednesday, March 9, 2022

That's one way to fight biometric surveillance

from here and here (image source)

So would you be willing to turn yourself into a human potato head* if it meant you could foil automated surveillance systems? 

(*What else would you call it with all those eyes?)

No pressure

found on Mandatory Laughs

This could be any kind of password, from a facebook password (that you'd probably be better off without) to a cryptocurrency wallet that's about to make you very poor if you don't get it right this time.

Tuesday, March 8, 2022

One of these days

from here and here

The thing about being a doom-sayer is, if you leave your predictions open-ended enough then you're never really wrong and you only need to be right once.

Hello My Name Is XSS sticker

Product Page

But you can call me "Cookie".

The SQLi versions of this (for those who like to cosplay as little Bobby Tables) are well worn, but I don't see nearly as many XSS versions and that's a shame.

Monday, March 7, 2022

Who wants to go first?

from here and here (image source)

Something has to be done about our insatiable need to stick computers into things that don't need them. They just wind up spying on us and I don't know about you but that is one place I would rather not be spied upon. 

Hi, my name is Unknown Subject, and I'm an alcoholic

found on Reddit

So it's not really anonymous, even if you are just giving your first name - or even if you're giving a false name, it's still technically pseudonymous. That being said, in practice anonymity doesn't have to be entirely binary - something can be relatively anonymous and still give you many of the benefits of anonymity. For example one might feel anonymous in a crowd, even if everyone in the crowd is known.

Friday, March 4, 2022

Safe OR Secure?

from here and here (image source)

Usually you don't have to choose between the two, unless someone does something really ill-advised like this.

How not to get your stolen contraband back

found on Reddit

Of course it's a Florida man. Isn't it always?

I wonder what would happen if criminals formed their own police force to deal with criminal on criminal crime, so that people like this gentleman would have some place to turn that wouldn't arrest them.

Thursday, March 3, 2022

It doesn't always pay to be first

from here and here

I wonder if it was some kind of karmic retribution that the ransomware gang known as Karma had their ransom operation interrupted by another ransomware gang.

Locked Door Is Not Secure


Watch on YouTube

Another example of why it's important to understand how a lock works before you install it. Otherwise it may do absolutely nothing.

Wednesday, March 2, 2022

You'll have to pull a lot harder this time

from here and here

I know it's a stretch, but... the Internet ruins everyone eventually. The question you have to ask yourself, though, is did it ruin the photographer as well?

Silence Of The VMs sticker

Product Page

InfoSec, Silence Of The Lambs, and do I detect a hint of Dr. Seuss in the execution? Seems like a great sticker to put on your laptop, honestly. I'm not sure why they always use a water bottle to present stickers. 

Tuesday, March 1, 2022

What's good for the victim is good for the attacker

from here and here

It never gets old watching those who victimize others become victims themselves. It's like it almost makes you believe the universe is fair and just when bad things happen to bad people. Of course then bad things happen to good people and the illusion is shattered. Hopefully this breach of the chat logs for the Conti ransomware group will lead to more meaningful consequences for them.

Stealth level 100

found on eBaum's World

When I was that age I would not have had the balls to try to hide out in the open like this. I did win a game of hide and seek by hiding underneath a couch, but this little chameleon figured out how to blend in right in plain sight.