Re: [Paddlewise] An apropos little tale [was: Firefox Web Browser Plugins]

    Rich...I have to ask you...what in your opinion is wrong with all those
run-away Toyotas out there?

Brad

Subject: [Paddlewise] An apropos little tale [was: Firefox Web Browser 
Plugins]


> Please forgive me for following up my own previous message, but I've
> <chuckle> taken a little grief offlist for being, hmmm, "unduly alarmist".
>
> So I thought I'd tell you all a little story that might make it
> clear why I write things about security as, ummmm, strongly as I do.
> (Besides the fact that I've been doing 'net security work for 30
> years and can out-curmudgeon *anyone*. ;-) )
>
> Let me begin with a question that I know those of you who enjoy
> spy thrillers and such will be able to answer: who is the best spy?
>
> The answer of course, is "one who does not know they are a spy".
>
> So suppose there was A Bad Guy out there who wanted to send spam,
> engage in some phishing, run some DoS (denial-of-service) attacks,
> and other nasty things.  Should The Bad Guy pay for some server
> space at somebody's hosting site and have at it?  Well, maybe:
> but that costs money.  And it's traceable.  And it's limited.
> And the end result will probably be that he won't get very far
> before someone pulls his plug.
>
> Now suppose he had a clever idea: why not hijack someone *else's*
> system and use that, without their knowledge?  Better yet: why not
> hijack *multiple* systems?  This is much cheaper; it's harder to
> shut down (in its entirety); it's more convenient; and it's harder
> to defend against because there are multiple systems involved.
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