On Tue, 17 Aug 2010, Jeremy wrote:

> When ssh/ssl had a hole a couple years ago that rendered it ineffective 
> (200k possible keys), that alone meant almost everyone was vulnerable. 
> And it was caused by just a simple programming mistake.

I wonder when it was first discovered.  I mean, there are probably many 
governments with computer scientists working their butts off to discover 
things like this that give them an advantage.  Once they find it, they 
don't tell anyone.

Once about 10 years ago I was a few minutes late to teach a class at 
Mizzou.  I apologized to the students telling them that Chinese "hackers" 
had broken into my computer and I was cleaning it up.  They didn't seem to 
believe my excuse, but it was quite true.  They don't realize that chinese 
hackers tried to break into their computers too, but they didn't happen to 
have the security hole and they had no way to detect the attempt on their 
port.  I think it was ingreslock on Solaris that time.  That was the last 
time I failed to patch my system very quickly and I've had 10 years with 
no cracks, as far as I can tell.


> Considering the power of bot nets, if they aren't run by governments, or 
> at least infiltrated by govts, then it is alsmost negligence.

I think they are.  Something like 90% of our computers have a huge 
backdoor open to Microsoft to change the system at will.  Am I the only 
one who doesn't like that?

Mike