Hackers Demonstrate Their Skills in Vegas

[Jahness]

Hackers Demonstrate Their Skills in Vegas

By GREG SANDOVAL, AP Technology Writer
Mon Aug 1, 8:39 PM ET

Even the ATM machines were suspect at this year's Defcon conference, where hackers play intrusion games at the bleeding edge of computer security.

With some of the world's best digital break-in artists pecking away at their laptops, sending e-mails or answering cell phones could also be risky.

Defcon is a no-man's land where customary adversaries — feds vs. digital mavericks — are supposed to share ideas about making the Internet a safer place. But it's really a showcase for flexing hacker muscle.

This year's hot topics included a demonstration of just how easy it may be to attack supposedly foolproof biometric safeguards, which determine a person's identity by scanning such things as thumb prints, irises and voice patterns.

Banks, supermarkets and even some airports have begun to rely on such systems, but a security analyst who goes by the name Zamboni challenged hackers to bypass biometrics by attacking their backend systems networks. "Attack it like you would Microsoft or Linux," he advised.

Radio frequency identification tags that send wireless signals and that are used to track a growing list of items including retail merchandise, animals and U.S. military shipments_ also came under scrutiny.

A group of twentysomethings from Southern California climbed onto the hotel roof to show that RFID tags could be read from as far as 69 feet. That's important because the tags have been proposed for such things as U.S. passports, and critics have raised fears that kidnappers could use RFID readers to pick traveling U.S. citizens out of a crowd.

RFID companies had said the signals didn't reach more than 20 feet, said John Hering, one of the founders of Flexilis, the company that conducted the experiment.

"Our goal is to raise awareness," said Hering, 22. "Our hope is to spawn other research so that people will move to secure this technology before it becomes a problem."

Erik Michielsen, an analyst at ABI Research, chuckled when he heard the Flexilis claims. "These are great questions that need to be raised," he said, but RFID technology varies with the application, many of which are encrypted. Encryption technology uses an algorithm to scramble data to make it unreadable to everyone except the recipient.

Also on hand at the conference was Robert Morris Sr., former chief scientist for the National Security Agency, to lecture on the vulnerabilities of bank ATMs, which he predicted would become the next "pot of gold" for hackers.

The Internet has become "crime ridden slums," said Phil Zimmermann, a well-known cryptographer who spoke at the conference. Hackers and the computer security experts who make a living on tripping up systems say security would be better if people were less lazy.

To make their point, they pilfered Internet passwords from convention attendees.

Anyone naive enough to access the Internet through the hotel's unsecured wireless system could see their name and part of their passwords scrolling across a huge public screen.

It was dubbed the "The Wall of Sheep."

Among the exposed sheep were an engineer from Cisco Systems Inc., multiple employees from Apple Computer Inc. and a Harvard professor.

An annual highlight of the conference is the "Meet the Feds" panel, which this year included representatives from the FBI, NSA and the Treasury and Defense departments. Morris and other panel members said they would love to hire the "best and brightest" hackers but cautioned that the offer wouldn't be extended to lawbreakers.

During the session, Agent Jim Christy of the Defense Department's Cyber Crime Center asked the audience to stand.

"If you've never broken the law, sit down," he said. Many sat down immediately — but a large number appeared to hesitate before everyone eventually took their seats.

OK, now we can turn off the cameras, Christy joked.

Some federal agents were indeed taking careful notes, though, when researcher Michael Lynn set the tone for the conference by publicizing earlier in the week a vulnerability in Cisco routers that he said could allow hackers to virtually shut down the Internet.

Lynn and other researchers at Internet Security Systems had discovered a way of exploiting a Cisco software vulnerability in order to seize control of a router. That flaw was patched in April, but Lynn showed that Cisco hadn't quite finished the repair job — that the same technique could be used to exploit other vulnerabilities in Cisco routers.

Cisco and ISS went to court to try to stop Lynn from going public, but Lynn quit ISS and spoke anyway. In the wake of his decision, Lynn has become the subject of an FBI probe, said his attorney Jennifer Granick.

Many at the conference praised Lynn.

"We're never going to secure the Net if we don't air and criticize vulnerabilities," said David Cowan, a managing partner at venture capital firm Bessemer Venture Partners.

And the vulnerabilities are plenty.

During his session on ATM machines, Morris said thieves have been able to dupe people out of their bank cards and passwords by changing the software in old ATM machines bought off eBay for as little as $1,000 and placing the machines out in public venues.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050802/...NlYwMlJVRPUCUl

Copyright © 2005 The Associated Press.

[IfasehunReincarnated]

this is the heavy stuff. what we dont always realize is that any vulnerability that can shut down the internet can now shut down your life. if a person can close down the internet you just lost access to your debit card, credit card, bills records, gas pump, child's school records, medical files, appointments, all television, radio etc.

all major transactions and communications including every financial company in the world now relies on the internet to help you get your day underway.

anyone that can turn on the net for a week is basically in charge of the worlds economy and every western govt on the planet.

[Akyeame Kwame]

Originally Posted by IfasehunReincarnated

this is the heavy stuff. what we dont always realize is that any vulnerability that can shut down the internet can now shut down your life. if a person can close down the internet you just lost access to your debit card, credit card, bills records, gas pump, child's school records, medical files, appointments, all television, radio etc.

all major transactions and communications including every financial company in the world now relies on the internet to help you get your day underway.

anyone that can turn on the net for a week is basically in charge of the worlds economy and every western govt on the planet.

good tip on weak spots ...

AK

[Jahness]

Greetings Brother Akyeame & Ifasehun


Welcome to the discussion. Our reality of today is merged with technology to a point that there is no turning back unless we as Afrikans start limiting the way we handle our finances and other aspect of our daily lives based on our use of the modern technology.

Yes, the world can be shut down in a nanosecond if someone knows the right button to push/pull/ or unplug. All this technology is good, but we have to try as Afrikans to still keep track of what we do, not only on a financial basis, but for medical records, school records and any other important document.

Having hard copies is fundamental to our survival. The biggest scam in all industries right now, is holding the consumer/client/ hostage with the phrase, we cannot get your record/money/documents etc because the computer is not working or the network is down.

How many times have we heard this comment made in the last few years or even months. What can any of us really do about it when it happens to us? Saying the computer is down, put's all organizations, institutions in full control of your life. We are at the mercy of these people unless we prepare to find a way to survive around this type of control.

If we are a slave to Technology, then when the time comes for us to live a free life we are still dependent on others to make us believe everything is ok, when in fact they call the shots. Banks don't have to give you your money right away if you decide you don't want to bank with them anymore. They put you through a process of following all types of trails just to keep you in the dark as to exactly why they use your money and why you cannot have it when you want it even though it's yours.

They can claim a crisis of any sort and deny you access to your funds. Hospitals tell you that you have a right to your medical records at all times or copies of them. Try to get copies of your medical records at any major hospital you have attended or sort care from and see how easy it is. Yes we all see the patients bill of rights posted in each medical facility, but getting your files is another matter. You can get the records eventually, it's the process that is drawn out, and the circles they will take you in especially, if you need files for a legal reason.

The courts is all part of the same schemes, so don't really look for much help, because corporations and big business holds the key to the finances of this nation with our oppressors pressing all the buttons to stay in control of our lives.

We are very vulnerable as a people. we need to take steps to make sure there is a balance, especially if our lives depend on it.

Government are not afraid of hackers, they employ them now to show them how to scheme and manipulate the technology to their own benefit. Millions of dollars in info is bought and sold like food in the market. Everyone claims, they don't sell or share info with third parties, unless it's in the instance where they have to comply with legal issues, yeah right. Before you finish printing your name or personal info on a piece of paper for any reason, it is sold to the highest bidder, in hopes that someone else will know your spending habits or things that interests you so some corp or biz out there can get more of your money. We see it all the time in the junk emails we all get for all types of products, and services relating to the last transaction we completed in real life. Pay close attention to detail, your life depends on it.

Peace & Blessings

[AzaniaSpeaks]

Greetings! ImHotep!

In all due respect, we can minimize the threat of being 'shut down' via technology if we return to some basic tenets:

1) Learn what it takes nutritionally and herbally to stay healthy and fit -- thus the need for medical records becomes moot -- 'they' will only have records of medical check ups or emergency visits;

2) Learn to be 'invisible' when it comes to spending money in ways that could be considered subversive, terrorism, suspect, etc. by the system -- purchase postal money orders and/or gift cards for those causes that need to be funded and no ID is required to cash/redeem the funds. I don't care if they know where I buy my soy cheese -- I go to enough different places and support various farmer's markets to make it difficult for anyone looking to 'know' where I'm gonna next purchase my necessities. This makes it difficult for the 'food supply' to be tampered with, etc.

3) Be prepared to live off the land. When it's all said and done, access to records will be fruitless if the whole system gets disrupted anyway -- knowing how to keep ahead of panic, dehydration, starvation and the elements during times of crises will be the ultimate safeguard for the technological threats we are facing.

4) Practice seeing me in your mind -- y'all know what I mean! We must re-awaken our 3rd Eye! Cause if I can't call, email, send a telegram/radio signal or whatever to ya, I'm gonna have to 'feel' ya in order to let you know I'm alright -- or not! Know that I'm learning y'all's vibes and tuning in as best I can little by little, day by day. Long before these technological toys came into being, we communicated w/each other over vast distances. We can do it now too.

Peace Born of Power
Azania Speaks

[Jahness]

Originally Posted by AzaniaSpeaks

Greetings! ImHotep!

In all due respect, we can minimize the threat of being 'shut down' via technology if we return to some basic tenets:

1) Learn what it takes nutritionally and herbally to stay healthy and fit -- thus the need for medical records becomes moot -- 'they' will only have records of medical check ups or emergency visits;

2) Learn to be 'invisible' when it comes to spending money in ways that could be considered subversive, terrorism, suspect, etc. by the system -- purchase postal money orders and/or gift cards for those causes that need to be funded and no ID is required to cash/redeem the funds. I don't care if they know where I buy my soy cheese -- I go to enough different places and support various farmer's markets to make it difficult for anyone looking to 'know' where I'm gonna next purchase my necessities. This makes it difficult for the 'food supply' to be tampered with, etc.

3) Be prepared to live off the land. When it's all said and done, access to records will be fruitless if the whole system gets disrupted anyway -- knowing how to keep ahead of panic, dehydration, starvation and the elements during times of crises will be the ultimate safeguard for the technological threats we are facing.

4) Practice seeing me in your mind -- y'all know what I mean! We must re-awaken our 3rd Eye! Cause if I can't call, email, send a telegram/radio signal or whatever to ya, I'm gonna have to 'feel' ya in order to let you know I'm alright -- or not! Know that I'm learning y'all's vibes and tuning in as best I can little by little, day by day. Long before these technological toys came into being, we communicated w/each other over vast distances. We can do it now too.

Peace Born of Power
Azania Speaks

Greetings AzaniaSpeaks

Welcome to the discussion. I agree with you 100%.

We have to go back to the basics. The points you have
stated are very necessary for us to survive.

We only have to start implementing them for them to work.

It takes practice to change our habits, but for our freedom
we must do so.

Much appreciation to you sister for your valued input.

Peace & Blessings!

[IfasehunReincarnated]

This going back to the basics is the real "change" worth fighting. We should not only be preparing for it, we should be wanting it and causing it to happen.