The DMZ

Rebecca Chernoff

03:03

I added twitter to the sidebar of the blog. (:

Iszi

03:49

This seems familiar... haven't we already had this posted here? Either way, should it be migrated?

0

Q: Non-resident anti-virus software?

Since 6 or 8 years ago I have stopped using antivirus on my main computers. Whenever I download a suspicious file, I would upload it to VirusTotal or use other online scanners to check whether the file is safe. However, my upload speed is not exactly spectacular, so uploading big files to VirusTo...

Rebecca Chernoff

04:01

go look at the blog (:

Iszi

04:12

@RebeccaChernoff - Is that a new theme? Sweet!

Where's the favicon fix for this one?

Jin

@Iszi try loading this link: security.blogoverflow.com/wp-content/themes/stackexchange/sites/…

Iszi

@Jin This is odd. My browser doesn't want to open it - downloads like a file.

Rebecca Chernoff

hmm, I see it updated on the ftp, but I can't get it in my browser >_<

Jin

hm yeah same here. weird

i'm seeing the new favicon in chrome though

i don't know why the favicon on the blog isn't loading in browser.. it's the same one from the main security.se site

Iszi

04:30

BTW: Since Sec.SE has graduated now, is the blog still "unofficial"?

Jin

@Iszi the blog is, because it's kind of "beta" still.

Iszi

@Jin Cleared cache and the favicon works, but that link still wants to act like a downloadable file in FF5 for some reason.

Jin

@Iszi yeah that's very odd... i don't know why

AviD

05:32

yawn gmorning everybody

busybusy everytime I'm not around....?

@RoryAlsop heh, yes my car went out for a picnic by itself... met up with this cute little coupe...

OR the leasing company brought it back from periodic checkup...

(what are those commonly called?)

Iszi

@AviD PM? Preventative Maintenance?

AviD

@Iszi umm... i guess

we just call it (translated) 10K treatment

or maintenance, I guess....

@nealmcb that's.... horrid. Now you know what Alferd Packer is from, could you possibly eat there again??

Or you havent seen the movie yet....

AviD

07:21

@Iszi that xkcd has one thing fatally wrong with it.
in the last panel, it shouldnt be "15 competing standards", it should be "14 competing standards and 6 competing universal standards".

AviD

08:11

@nealmcb re your edit on my meta post - is it really a vote, if it is unilateral?

btw I liked your metanswer too - great attitude of editing the site to make it all better.

hehe @RoryAlsop... "most of the moderators are human..." lol

hey @ThomasPornin, how come this proposal isnt part of the crypto site? ;)

3

Cryptozoology

Proposed Q&A site for cryptozoology enthusiasts, experts, and newbies.

Currently in definition.

I actually went and looked that up.... and no, it has nothing to do with crypto- graphy .

Rory Alsop

08:59

@AviD we just call it service - eg your 10k service

@AviD Well, I wouldn't want to be proven wrong at a later date:-)

AviD

ah right, that works then :)

Rory Alsop

mornin

AviD

survivingtheworld.net/Lesson1122.html

2

Q: What are the security considerations for setting up a basic security testing environment?

I only have 2 spare machines and both are very old, but I really want to set up an environment so that I can start practicing security. One of these machines has a Pentium 4 processor and 512 MB RAM; the other is older (and I don't know the specs off the top of my head). I want to set up a VM...

appsec windows penetration-test linux

I just edited it, to bring it into focus on security. please anyone take a look, see if it still makes sense?

Rory Alsop

@AviD :-)

AviD

and, sorry for the answerers that no longer make sense...

Rory Alsop

09:07

yeah - I would delete my answer, except that it looks like the OP has grabbed some useful info from it. I'll see how things go and maybe turn it into a comment

AviD

:)

Rory Alsop

you're getting close to the 10k - only 500 rep to go:-)

@RebeccaChernoff doesn't look any different in IE7, so won't get to see it until this evening :-(

maybe a local network cache issue - can't tell in this environment

AviD

09:23

@RoryAlsop haha.... you been there for quite a while now...

@RoryAlsop hit refresh!

looks great from my PoV, thanks @Jin!

btw ftr the favicon is fine for me.

Rory Alsop

@AviD just 1 month, and 1 to go

AviD

:)

Rory Alsop

oh, it's not just the favicon, it's everything - except the title, which looks a little different

AviD

@RoryAlsop tell me something, have you ever run into a client that pays their bills, on a certain day of the week?

my invoice was due on the 15th, but they only transfer on Wednesday. SOOO weird...

Rory Alsop

sort of, I have had ones whos pay cycle means they pay on the 2nd Thursday of the month iff invoice reveived by the first Friday of the previous month

and that is their only payout day

AviD

09:27

huh. no respect for contracts, huh...

Rory Alsop

I have only once had a client pay within the 30 days I write into all my payment terms

the rest varied from 35 to 90+

AviD

for the most part most of my clients pay on time. Ish.

its common here to pay out by the 10th... so, if its due by EOM, it gets paid on time... +10 days, or so...

my clients in US though I have +45 days anyway.... + Wednesday, for some :S

Rory Alsop

@JeffFerland - have done quick review of blog post. Have added a wee sentence on Data Protection Act (you may want to add non-UK ones?). Thinking the only things we need to add are: a conclusion paragraph, just to wrap it up; and where possible more links back to questions, as that helps both direct traffic and SEO.

AviD

@RoryAlsop whoaa.... just realized, my rep took a big jump today, on mostly old(er) posts... you been dredging thru the archives, @Rory? ;)

if so - thanks :)

Rory Alsop

10:31

@AviD :-)

well there are still a lot of q&a's I haven't fully read

so sometimes I sort by age and pick a page at random

AviD

hehe, interesting approach to the increasing traffic problem :)

hmm, wonder if that would also work as a solution for the travelling salesman problem? Just pick a city at random.

or, just use ebay.

Rory Alsop

heh

AviD

@RoryAlsop take a look at this one, see if you can help phrase it so its a good ontopic question:

0

Q: palo alto network firewall feedbacks

I will start an evaluation process for firewalls. Checkpoint and Juniper I know since long time, but Palo Alto network, i don't have any real feedback other than marketing stuffs. anybody has a real feedback about it? It worths? Can you shortly compare it with other players?

firewall security

if you hadn't seen it yet.

Rory Alsop

will do

ooh - challenging :-)

AviD

I would like to think this kind of question has value - if not here, then where would one get answers? but its tricky....

Rory Alsop

10:41

wondering whether something like: "my environment is x, and requirements are y - will palo alto kit work" but even that is more SU than Sec. He needs to define security requirements

I don't think it can be improved until he does that. I say we close it with a comment that if he can change the question to follow your example then we can reopen

AviD

have better examples? Or think the ones I gave were good enough...

what about advantages / disadvantages between PA and CHKP/JNPR/etc... for specific security requirements and operational aspects....

Rory Alsop

I think your first one works for me

@AviD although that does as well

right - lunchtime, and need to buy an anniversary present for SWMBO

M'vy

SWMBO?

Does it involves lightsabers?

Rory Alsop

she who must be obeyed :-)

I don't think lightsabers are on the traditional list of 13th anniversary presents:-)

AviD

congrats!

@RoryAlsop oh they are for geeks!

doncha know, 13 is the LightSaber Anniversary? ;)

M'vy

10:54

XD

AviD

28 is the "Full Size StormTrooper costume" Anniversary :D

M'vy

:P

Scott Pack

11:27

Ooo...13th. Getting up into the bigtime. Is that 13 years married, or 13 years happily married?

Rory Alsop

11:54

@ScottPack the same :-)

@AviD can't wait. 13 appears to lace, malachite and moonstone.... lace I can do, but I'm not sure about the others. Think I'll get her a motorbike helmet instead:-)

oh, on a geek anniversary page, apparently 13 is 'portable electronic devices'

well THAT'S easy

check this list :-)

socialsignal.com/blog/alexandra-samuel/halfway-to-hex

AviD

@RoryAlsop luvvit!!

isnt a lightsaber a "portable electronic device"?

Rory Alsop

the justifications are great. Coral - Linux boxes

because

The Linux OS, like coral, is made up of thousands of individual contributions that are nonetheless "commonly perceived to be a single organism".

AviD

hehe

Rory Alsop

@AviD kind of:-)

and for portable electronic devices: Microchips, like lace, used to rely on women with good eyesight to do the manufacturing (both have since automated). Assembly of small products still relies on fine motor work by women.

AviD

12:11

0

Q: advantages/disadvantages comparing Palo Alto with others players

I will start an evaluation process for firewalls. Checkpoint and Juniper I know since long time, but Palo Alto network, i don't have any real feedback other than marketing stuff. So i would like to hear from IT analysts/network administration the pros and cons of Palo Alto.

firewall security

the op seems to be trying, but having difficulty (as we did :) ). Wanna give it the ol' college try, and clean it up for him?

Rory Alsop

will give it a quick shot and ping you once done

M'vy

At least he's trying. That's good.

Rory Alsop

@AviD better?

Iszi

12:41

@RoryAlsop Good edit, although it goes to a certain level of detail the OP didn't exactly specify. Sometimes I worry that edits like those could backfire upon OP review.

Rory Alsop

Hoping that it gives him examples, and if I'm wrong he'll edit...

hopefully

Hi @M'vy

And hello @Iszi

Iszi

@RoryAlsop Howdy

Anyone else catch the Shuttle landing?

Rory Alsop

I caught it about 40 minutes late

Pity it had to be at night

would have been good to get video of a daytime landing

Scott Pack

Morning Gents

Iszi

@RoryAlsop No. Pity they didn't put better lighting on the runway. You'd think they'd've paid special attention to that this time around.

Rory Alsop

12:48

Afternoon @Scott

:-)

Scott Pack

What in the hell is this? 8 years is "web links"?

Iszi

@ScottPack Howdy

Scott Pack

What am I going to do, scribble "https://gmail.com" on a bar napkin?

Rory Alsop

@ScottPack que?

Scott Pack

The geek anniversary gifts

Iszi

12:49

@ScottPack Yeah, what @RoryAlsop said.

Rory Alsop

oh yeah

Iszi

@ScottPack Did I miss a bit of convo?

Rory Alsop

although when we got married I did give SWMBO her own email address

she hadn't had one until then

Scott Pack

Well sure, we were still using gopher back then

Rory Alsop

@Iszi - chat.stackexchange.com/transcript/message/1404742#1404742

Scott Pack

12:50

51 mins ago, by Rory Alsop

http://www.socialsignal.com/blog/alexandra-samuel/halfway-to-hex

Rory Alsop

@ScottPack very good

I'm not sure how impressed she was - she looked more baffled than anything else

(I got her other stuff too....)

Iszi

I'm not sure I agree with the connection they're trying to make for "web links".

The Evil Phoenix

coughs

morning

Iszi

Howdy @TheEvilPhoenix

Scott Pack

@Iszi I agree, really cheap and lame.

Iszi

12:52

BTW, you guys have got to check this out - especially U.S.

nbc.com/americas-got-talent/video/…

Brought a tear to my eye.

Rory Alsop

afternoon @thee

Iszi

@RoryAlsop Oh now I get it!

Saw you use @thee some other time, and thought it was some sort of joke-ish thing I wasn't getting.

Scott Pack

@Iszi Was this on Tuesday night?

Rory Alsop

@Iszi hahahahaha - 4 char minimum

Iszi

@ScottPack Yep

Scott Pack

12:54

@Iszi We watched the first half on Tuesday night, and will finish watching it, along with the results, tonight.

The Evil Phoenix

hehe

yeah, @TheE does ping me :p

Iszi

@ScottPack There's only maybe a total of three worthwhile acts to see from Tuesday, and that's one of them.

It's the last one, too.

I didn't watch the results. Probably won't until next round.

Rory Alsop

I am guessing it is as bad as Britain's got Talent?

Scott Pack

@RoryAlsop Better teeth.

Rory Alsop

Oh, of course

Iszi

12:56

@RoryAlsop Never watched it, but I wouldn't at all call it "bad".

Rory Alsop

ok - will look this eve

Thomas Pornin

@thisjosh 6 * 9 = 42 in GF(2) and GF(3) but in no other finite field

Rory Alsop

starred so I remember

Iszi

@RoryAlsop It's not YouTube, I don't think.

NBC's own video sharing thing, it seems.

Rory Alsop

@M'vy - did you fancy adding that para into your answer over on - security.stackexchange.com/questions/5502/…

@Iszi so it may or may not work in UK. Not to worry - workarounds are simple

M'vy

12:59

@RoryAlsop Well I'd need some source to work on that paragraph I guess.

Thomas Pornin

For instance, if it was true in GF(2^n) for some n >= 2, it would mean that GF(2^n) can be defined modulo an irreducible polynomial P of degree n, such that X^5+X^4+X^2+X and X^5+X^3+X are equal modulo P (polynomials with coefficients in GF(2))

which is not possible since the difference of those two polynomials is equal X^2(X+1)^2, and thus cannot have an irreducible factor of degree 2 or more

Rory Alsop

13:11

@Mvy Actually, I guess what I'm describing comes more under IDS learning heuristics. There is a bit of overlap, but it is definitely more IDS

@ThomasPornin And my brain has melted.... :-)

M'vy

ok

Thomas Pornin

Can I use HTML notation (namely <sup>) in the title of a question ?

Iszi

@ThomasPornin Doubtful. Special stuff like that tends to not work well outside the body.

Rory Alsop

@ThomasPornin that's street speak, right?

sup, dudes :-)

Thomas Pornin

@Iszi Ok, I will play safe and write GF(2^n)

(and yes, I can talk of finite field on the street, too)

Rory Alsop

13:24

that side of crypto math is way beyond me, sadly

I want to understand, but....

Thomas Pornin

@RoryAlsop It is algebra; the best way to understand it is to implement it

spend a few days working on implementing ECDSA with a binary curve, and it will all become clear to you

(or you will have died trying)

Rory Alsop

yep - totally agree - I nearly got to do some crypto at Uni, but unfortunately I had to choose between that and fourier transforms

I chose fourier as it seemed more practical at the time :-)

AviD

@Iszi "the video you selected is not available from your location". What is this ***** crap? :(

so much for globalization of the innernets...

Thomas Pornin

It's "America's got talent... and intends to keep it"

The Evil Phoenix

lol?

did someone try to link to HULU?

AviD

13:31

no, it was nbc.com

Iszi

For those with whom NBC does not want to share, but who do have YouTube access...

►

AviD

yay for @Iszi!

Iszi

@AviD ...and Google.

Scott Pack

@RoryAlsop My first introduction to FTs was when I took a graduate level signals processing class.

Rory Alsop

It has come in very handy on occasion

AviD

13:36

@Iszi howie mandell? its gotta be better than simon cowell

Scott Pack

I spent hours trying to get my inverse functions to work out before I asked somebody and got the answer, "Ok, just drop the imaginary part, it's cool."

AviD

@RoryAlsop really? for what?

Scott Pack

murderdeathkill

Iszi

@AviD Haven't watched much Idol. But, I think Piers Morgan covers for Simon well enough.

Howie Mandell's spot used to be filled with David Hasselhoff.

Scott Pack

Piers Morgan is an arrogant fuck.

Rory Alsop

13:37

Both in video signal processing, and the job I had with Siemens designing ultra fast transistors for mobile phone usage

AviD

@Iszi hahaha

Scott Pack

He is very nearly enough reason for me to stop watching the show.

AviD

@RoryAlsop ahhh

Rory Alsop

@ScottPack this is what the entire population of the UK thinks

we shipped him off to the colony :-)

just watched that viedo - thanks @Iszi. Does anyone else think - cool but bit of a one trick pony?

Scott Pack

@RoryAlsop That's good, I suppose.... He exemplifies the stereotypical Brit for most of the people I grew up around.

AviD

13:38

well, I for one, am proud to be american, knowing that we are a nation that can waste huge amounts of time and resources watching stupid, but beautiful, stuff like silhouette dancing.

Rory Alsop

oh - he's 'orrible!

@AviD - LOL

The Evil Phoenix

@AviD some people in America actually do stuff rather than sit around doing nothing like the situation you've stated

Iszi

@RoryAlsop Matter of fact, that's their second trick, and this is the third tier of the competition - their first time around was good enough for them to skip the second tier.

Scott Pack

@RoryAlsop If Morgan left that show then I would probably dance the same caper that I used to celebrate Correll's leaving of The Office.

Rory Alsop

oooooo - what was their first one? Same again, but with different sillhouettes

?

Scott Pack

13:41

@TheEvilPhoenix Meh, I've wasted a lot more time dicking around making KDE look .005% prettier than I ever have watching America's Got Talent :)

Rory Alsop

@ScottPack yeah, I'm pretty much against all forms of reality tv

@ScottPack hahahahaha

Iszi

@RoryAlsop Different music, different silhouettes. Still awesome.

The Evil Phoenix

@ScottPack i wish my linux system was working again

Scott Pack

@RoryAlsop In general, I am as well. This is the only one that I'm willing to watch.

The Evil Phoenix

the drive exploded yesterday

AviD

13:41

@RoryAlsop its unanimous then.

The Evil Phoenix

(literally exploded inside the drive.. you can tap the drive and hear the shattered platters)

Rory Alsop

@TheEvilPhoenix :wow - what happened?

Iszi

►

Rory Alsop

pimp my drive?

The Evil Phoenix

no fricking clue...

Rory Alsop

13:42

add NoX

Scott Pack

@TheEvilPhoenix It's funny. I had a guy come up asking for a data recovery job. Handed me the drive and it sounded like a rain stick.

The Evil Phoenix

was just checking StackOverflow...

and i heard a loud snapping sound

and the system went unresponsive

Scott Pack

Glass platters are awesome like that.

The Evil Phoenix

then died

@ScottPack heh.

Iszi

@RoryAlsop AGT and Bullrun are the only competition-based reality shows I watch.

Rory Alsop

13:43

Don't think I know either

AviD

I do like some of the reality cooking shows.

Scott Pack

AGT == America's Got Talent. The other I don't know either.

Rory Alsop

Bullrun - that thing in Pamplona where I always root for the bulls?

AGT>?

AviD

but I would not watch them on a regular basis....

The Evil Phoenix

oh that thing

Rory Alsop

13:44

@AviD not as good as unreality cooking shows...

Iszi

@RoryAlsop No. It's a cross-country road rally.

AviD

@RoryAlsop heh

Iszi

Bullrun

Bullrun is an American reality television series based on the trans-American Bullrun road rally of the same name. The televised version has 12 teams compete in a 4,000-mile (6,400 km) 18-day road rally to win the grand prize of US$200,000. Bullrun uses a modified 12-car rally format. Season 1 Season 1 of Bullrun premiered on Spike on March 13, 2007. The season was hosted by former professional wrestler Bill Goldberg. Rules Objective Each day of competition contained three distinct stages - Leg 1, Heads-Up Challenge, Leg 2. Each team begins the day by choosing whether to follow "M...

Rory Alsop

ooooooooooooo - interested again

oh yeah - you mentioned this before

AviD

sounds like cannonball run....?

Scott Pack

13:44

Oh, so it's like Road Rules

Rory Alsop

with more offroading

AviD

the spouse has been known to watch hoarders. with a "ders". but that's mostly therapeutic....

Iszi

I've recently gotten interested in some of the History Channel reality shows, like American Restoration, Storage Wars, and such.

Rory Alsop

Claire will watch all of them - Kardashians, Ice loves Coco, Big Brother, Britain's got Talent, Stars in their Eyes, Sitting on a box in the corner holding a sheep...you name it

Scott Pack

@RoryAlsop I'm so very sorry.

Rory Alsop

13:47

aye - I know the names of them, that's how bad it is

Iszi

@RoryAlsop The XYL's into Big Brother and Survivor. Hate it when those are in season.

Scott Pack

I count my blessings that AGT and CakeBoss are the only reality shows Katie watches.

Rory Alsop

oop - think she watches Cake Boss as well

AviD

"Sitting on a box in the corner holding a sheep", lol...

Rory Alsop

mind you - I discovered a new reality show: the BBC online coverage of the Tour de France

it's pretty awesome

@AviD it probably follows rule 34

or the TV equiv

AviD

13:49

The Men Who Stare at Goats (film)

The Men Who Stare at Goats is a 2009 comedy war film directed by Grant Heslov and written by Peter Straughan and released in theaters on November 6, 2009. It is based on the book of the same title by author Jon Ronson, an account of the investigation by Ronson and John Sergeant into attempts by US military forces to use psychic powers. Plot The film follows Ann Arbor Daily Telegram reporter Bob Wilton (Ewan McGregor), whose wife leaves him for the newspaper's editor. Seeking an escape, Bob flies to Kuwait to report on the Iraq War and to prove to his wife and himself that he is a man. H...

close enough....

Scott Pack

Great movie

Iszi

It was... amusing.

AviD

@ScottPack mine switched from cake boss to... hmm, some other cake show. dont remember its name, but it was not as annoying.

Rory Alsop

(the cake is a lie)

AviD

no, that wasnt it

Scott Pack

13:51

@AviD We've been hovering around 9 CB episodes in the recorded queueueueueueueueueueue for a long time now. I would say that one episode every couple of weeks actually gets watched.

Iszi

@RoryAlsop I need to play Portal, evidently.

Scott Pack

Now it tends to get used as the, "We only have time for a half hour show, but everything we actually want to watch takes an hour."...

@Iszi Same here.

Rory Alsop

@Iszi well, duh

Scott Pack

wtf. Why is flash eating up 100% cpu in chrome.

Rory Alsop

Well I finally got to watch TV last night and found I had recorded Jarhead from a while back. I mostly know Royal Marines, not US Marines, but there was a lot in there that hit scarily close to home

The Evil Phoenix

13:53

yawns

Iszi

One thing that pisses me off about AGT sometimes is when solo singer/guitarist acts end up getting into the higher tiers, or winning the competition. Isn't that what we have Idol for?

Scott Pack

@RoryAlsop I can't imagine the two are too culturally different.

The Evil Phoenix

@Iszi :P

Scott Pack

@RoryAlsop So did you serve?

@Iszi But that's all Piers is willing to vote forward!

AviD

@ScottPack so if it's America 's talent, why are all the judges british??

Iszi

13:54

@ScottPack Me? No. Not that I didn't try. They just didn't like the shape of my spine.

Scott Pack

@AviD Only 2/3rds of them. The other one is a germophobe that has had to run off stage to call his therapist :)

Iszi

@ScottPack Or roll onto the stage in a plastic ball.

Scott Pack

@Iszi That was pretty funny, I have to admit.

AviD

@ScottPack hehe. I cant help loving him, I still remember him from his standup days.

@Iszi dint see that! have link?

Scott Pack

Little Monsters

Little Monsters is a 1989 comedy-drama film starring Fred Savage as Brian Stevenson, a sixth-grader who has recently moved to a new town, and Howie Mandel as Maurice, the monster under the bed. The fictional story purports to explain "what really goes on under the bed" and why children are always getting blamed for things they did not do. Beginning as a flashback, it tells of how Maurice befriends Brian and shows him a world where there are no rules and no parents to tell them what to do. However, there is more to this fantasy world than meets the eye, and when Brian's brother Eric (Ben...

Iszi

13:56

@AviD Working on that, but here's another amusing example of his germaphobeness.

►

Scott Pack

Ugh, that guy.

Iszi

@ScottPack You can't deny it was funny as hell though.

AviD

wow, youtube is slow as chocolate today.

Transcript for