Sunday, Feb 1, 2009
Now first let me say I'm a big fan of 24, and the new season is very exciting, BUT either the FBI is full of computer illiterates (and they do like spouting their IT-banble) or they have the least credible threat of all time.
So, for those of you not watching it, the main threat is someone has a device that can hack the government firewall. Whoopy Do! All that means is that they can route packets of data past the firewall and into the private network behind. It does NOT mean they can log on to any of the systems behind it, they would need valid userids and passwords (no mention of those having been acquired) and even if they did, it is work of minutes to suspend the compromised userIDs, which in the days of Sarbaines Oxley auditing requirements they'd be able to spot from the audit.
But to me the real kicker is, it will take them hours to rewrite the firewall, yep probably true, but it takes one second to unplug the network cable that connnects the private network to the outside world. All critical systems will be designed to be able to run on their own network without any external data feeds for a while, and the sort of systems they are talking about are classic cases. Air Traffic control would have it's own private resilient network for critical data since it is too vital to rely on internet. The external connection will only be for things like feeds to civilian services (such as real time flight info on the web), all critical communication would be via a private network.
So for that sake of my sanity just pull the plugs and go after the terrorists without this unrealistic threat!!!
I have to say the latest 24 is rather typical of "Hollywood IT". They like to drop in mysterious terms like Ports, Packets and Servers, and even Mainframe (and then show you a Unix box). But then when they show you displays they have BIG FLASHING GRAPHICS for unauthorised access and user interface things that have NEVER existed in the real world. Do they think the whole world is full of IT morons. IT on TV today is a bit like driving a car in a movie in the 50s, you know perpetual swinging of the wheel from left to right. Anyone that's ever been in a car knows that's not right, so why the hell did directors, who presumably have driven, put it in movies - the same goes for IT - just stop it!!!
So, for those of you not watching it, the main threat is someone has a device that can hack the government firewall. Whoopy Do! All that means is that they can route packets of data past the firewall and into the private network behind. It does NOT mean they can log on to any of the systems behind it, they would need valid userids and passwords (no mention of those having been acquired) and even if they did, it is work of minutes to suspend the compromised userIDs, which in the days of Sarbaines Oxley auditing requirements they'd be able to spot from the audit.
But to me the real kicker is, it will take them hours to rewrite the firewall, yep probably true, but it takes one second to unplug the network cable that connnects the private network to the outside world. All critical systems will be designed to be able to run on their own network without any external data feeds for a while, and the sort of systems they are talking about are classic cases. Air Traffic control would have it's own private resilient network for critical data since it is too vital to rely on internet. The external connection will only be for things like feeds to civilian services (such as real time flight info on the web), all critical communication would be via a private network.
So for that sake of my sanity just pull the plugs and go after the terrorists without this unrealistic threat!!!
I have to say the latest 24 is rather typical of "Hollywood IT". They like to drop in mysterious terms like Ports, Packets and Servers, and even Mainframe (and then show you a Unix box). But then when they show you displays they have BIG FLASHING GRAPHICS for unauthorised access and user interface things that have NEVER existed in the real world. Do they think the whole world is full of IT morons. IT on TV today is a bit like driving a car in a movie in the 50s, you know perpetual swinging of the wheel from left to right. Anyone that's ever been in a car knows that's not right, so why the hell did directors, who presumably have driven, put it in movies - the same goes for IT - just stop it!!!
Friday, Jan 16, 2009
Well guess what I'm in an airport departure lounge again, second time this year already. Sat here at Phoenix Sky Harbor, bored cos there aren't that many shops to browse, and to be honest, I've been at this airport so many times recently the shops they have I've seen all they have to offer.
Still at least Sky Harbor has free WiFi which is good
Well I've had a good week, even the work went well
Been to my usual haunts in Scottsdale, Giligans on Monday and Thursday night for the Karaoke, I think this weeks selections I did were Neon Knights, Enter Sandman, She Hates Me, Crazy Little Thing Called Love, Here I Go Again and Mamma I'm Coming Home. The guy running the Karaoke knows me know and announces me as I walk in Went to the Saddle Ranch on Tuesday night, boy that bull was getting a lot of action. Our waitress had a go on it hands free, and was walking funny for the rest of the night.
Wednesday, my usual fix of Ice Hockey, not NHL this time, no Coyote home games this week. Went to see the Roadrunners, but I don't think they turned up to play. Ontario Reign beat them 2-1.
Today was wonderfully warm, certainly for January, with the temperature in the low 80s, sat outside for a while but came in when I started to get a little crispy.
I think boarding starts in about 10 minutes now, so not long to go now, 8:30pm now, get back to London 2:30pm tomorrow, and then a 3 hour drive home, which hopefully I'll do on the correct side of the road.
C ya on the other side... Steamy
Still at least Sky Harbor has free WiFi which is good
Well I've had a good week, even the work went well
Been to my usual haunts in Scottsdale, Giligans on Monday and Thursday night for the Karaoke, I think this weeks selections I did were Neon Knights, Enter Sandman, She Hates Me, Crazy Little Thing Called Love, Here I Go Again and Mamma I'm Coming Home. The guy running the Karaoke knows me know and announces me as I walk in
Went to the Saddle Ranch on Tuesday night, boy that bull was getting a lot of action. Our waitress had a go on it hands free, and was walking funny for the rest of the night.Wednesday, my usual fix of Ice Hockey, not NHL this time, no Coyote home games this week. Went to see the Roadrunners, but I don't think they turned up to play. Ontario Reign beat them 2-1.
Today was wonderfully warm, certainly for January, with the temperature in the low 80s, sat outside for a while but came in when I started to get a little crispy.
I think boarding starts in about 10 minutes now, so not long to go now, 8:30pm now, get back to London 2:30pm tomorrow, and then a 3 hour drive home, which hopefully I'll do on the correct side of the road.
C ya on the other side... Steamy
Saturday, Jan 10, 2009
To make that make sense you have to realise I took the little kettles to the Panto - Snow White. With Sylvester McCoy as Orrible 'Erman, boy was he on form. You can certainly see why they didn't need to use much CGI for his regeneration in Doctor Who.
We got the works, spoons, hat tricks, gurning, eyebrows, hat wobbling and general insanity. And of course the line "Didn't you used to be a Doctor?" "a Doctor? Who?"
Haven't laughed so much in ages
Got to pack now, off to Arizona for a week.
We got the works, spoons, hat tricks, gurning, eyebrows, hat wobbling and general insanity. And of course the line "Didn't you used to be a Doctor?" "a Doctor? Who?"
Haven't laughed so much in ages
Got to pack now, off to Arizona for a week.
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