Web Browser Snooping

Interested in finding out what others around you are doing on the web? Well, you can do so without blatently invading their privacy by using a program called EtherWatch for Windows (or DriftNet for Linux, EtherPNG for Mac). The program promiscuously captures unencrypted TCP packets and decodes any JPEG and GIF images downloaded by anyone on your wired or wireless network, displaying the pictures as an attractive mosaic of ever-changing images. It may be intersting to see what kind of web browser activity is going on within unencrypted wireless networks around you. It is important to note that this does not link activity to specific users or present any email or other user conversations.

Screenshot

Snow

Good thing all of the schools were shut down today and the federal government closed two hours early...because the roads have been wet all day. Untreated parking lots don't even have any snowcover. Good ole' DC...

Anything Google can't do?

As one of the keynotes mentioned last week at the RSA Conference, soon Google will be entering our homes and businesses and indexing everything we own, where it's placed, etc. One of Google's latest offerings, Google Maps, already seems to be better than Yahoo Maps, Mapquest, and the other map/direction websites whose niche is supposed to be in this area. For example, just today my colleague was trying to locate the closest Papa Johns to our office so that he could order pizza for a lab demostration today. While he still did not have the correct information after nearly 5 minutes of searching, I simply went to Google Maps and typed in "papa johns near 8283 Greensboro Dr, McLean VA" and got THIS. Notice that I was able to create a link that I could email directly to someone instead of having to tell them what to type, where to click, etc; the same can be done with directions. Is it just me, or is it amazing that Google has created such a nice and simple inferface and is doing things that others in the industry have been attempting for so long?

San Fran

It's been almost two weeks since I last posted something here, so I figure I'm long overdue. I just got back from San Francisco yesterday morning after attending the RSA Security Conference last week. Although it rained pretty much the entire week, there were a couple days that turned out pretty nice to see some of the city outside of the conference. Here's my top 5 list of things I did while in San Francisco:

5. Trip to Napa and Sonoma Valley - wine tasting and beautiful scenery
4. RSA Conference - yes, I'm a dork...but the conference was great
3. The Rock - Alcatraz
2. Comped dinner at Cityscape - nearly $400 dinner completely comped with a 360-degree view of the city 46 stories up
1. Everything else SF - Golden Gate Bridge, Coit Tower, Twin Peaks, Cable Cars, etc; can't fit everything into a list of 5...

Thanks to Martha, Luke, and Marlon for the hospitality and good company.

Sagging Pants

The Virginia House of Delegates yesterday passed a bill that would authorize a $50 fine to anyone who wears their pants so low that their underwear shows. We've all seen these people...usually kids who are apparently trying to make some kind of fashion statement by buying pants that are 5 sizes to large so that the belt line ends up around their thighs. I think this looks ridiculous, so I say "It's about time!"

Seriously, I think it's pretty sad and probably unnecessary that such a bill is even being considered, but it's one of those things that I guess doesn't cause any harm. Well, at least you wouldn't think so: Del. Lionell Spruill Sr., a Democrat who opposed the bill, said the measure was "an unconstitutional attack on young blacks that would force parents to take off work to accompany their children to court just for making a fashion statement." How about just not trying to make this fashion statement and obeying the law if it becomes one (although, again, I think it would be a stupid law). The measure was approved 60-34...it now goes to the state Senate.

FireFox IDN Bug

For those of us using Mozilla's FireFox browser or just about anything except Internet Explorer, there is vulnerability which allows an attacker to redirect seemingly innocent HTML links to arbitrary destinations with little risk of being detected by the user. The URL of the spoofed domain will show up correctly in the address bar. Try these links:

• PayPal
• PayPal (secure)

While these look like links to PayPal, an Internet site for exchanging money, they are actually spoofed IDNs (International Domain Names). Be careful...this could make you a prime target for phishing.

No official fix has been issued by Mozilla at the time of this post. To protect yourself, don't follow links from untrusted sources and manually type URLs in the address bar. For more information on this vulnerability, check out Bugzilla Bug 279099 and the state of homograph attacks.

3/1 EDIT: Official fix available via Firefox 1.0.1

Be Cool

Sign up for a free advance moving screening for MGM's new film, Be Cool, starring John Travolta and Uma Thurman. Note that you have to live near DC or one of the other 9 cities listed. I usually get these whenever I sign up, so let me know if you get yours so we can meet up...

2/8 EDIT: "Sorry, the entry period is closed for our latest Special Advance Movie Screening."

Office Sauna

For those of you who know me, you know how much I dislike high temperatures, especially when I'm wearing a suit or other constraining clothing. Seems like I should be in pretty good shape here in DC in the middle of winter, right? Well, unfortunately something has been wrong with the heat in my office the past week or so that makes it unbearable to concentrate and get work done. I happen to have a nice clock that tells the temperature, and it gradually rises from 64° when I arrive in the morning to around 80° by 1pm or so before slowly starting to cool back down starting at around 4pm. Having a nice window office with the sun shining in has its downside at times like this...THIS might as well be me. Finally (by finally, I mean 45 minutes after I finally called someone), someone from Facilities made it by to open up something in the ceiling that was mysteriously blocking the air flow. Ahhhh...gradually cooling down...all the way down to a frigid 78.4° already...