A take on the IT side for the August 7th primary...
The state of Michigan appears to actually place value on voter information, as for it too be used in Electronic Polling Books or EPB, requirea the data to be encrypted with a password of letters and numbers, both cases, and at least 8 characters long. This data is then to be stored on an encrypted portion of a USB flash drive.
Except of course, they apparently don't mandate that those passwords not be written down on a post-it and adhered to the palm rest of the laptop(s) used.
My only gripe is that there is no whole drive encryption on the laptop used for EPB. That, and the State's tech support is terrible. I've worked out of contract with a local gov't entity from 9pm to past 130am to ensure everything is all setup. The instructions, are based on USB drive encryption by Verbatim, VSafe, which doesn't appear to be transferable to new drives, which use EZ-Lock. It would be better to not use a vendor solution, but switch to something open source, ala Truecrypt. That way, it could also be used to secure the laptop all this info is entered into as well as the USB drives.
Sure it would be too much work for the State though to get that done and adjust their documentation on it.
Friday, August 3, 2012
Sunday, July 15, 2012
FBI
The FBI has been busy, turning off the Internet for unfortunate souls infected with the DNS Changer malware. Or at least, that's what the main stream media was reporting would happen after the pulled the plug on the DNS server they took over after busting up the Estonia gang responsible for it on Monday.
Of course, of the 2 clients that were sure they had the DNS Changer malware, no one else called or stopped in to chat about it, unlike when Conficker was in the news. Both clients had different infections and no screwball DNS enteries, but they were sure they had it... after they seen the news story.
Then the FBI singled out another client of mine, locking up his computer and displaying their logo telling him he's been caught doing bad things on the internet. In order to restore his computer access he should go get a cash card and enter the info in to pay his $100 USD fine. On top of that, they activated his webcam and streamed some video of him off someplace, probably to the NSA. A few malware scans, some updating, and he was back in business and FBI free.
*The first part, the FBI killed the DNS server for those still infected and that should NOT affect anyone not infected. Although no one should really still be infected anymore, almost if not all, AV has definitions for this... but since when has that stopped anyone/anything?*
*Yes, I am fully aware the last part did NOT actually involve the Federal Bureau of Investigations and that it was in fact an attempt to scare and scam money out of the client.*
Of course, of the 2 clients that were sure they had the DNS Changer malware, no one else called or stopped in to chat about it, unlike when Conficker was in the news. Both clients had different infections and no screwball DNS enteries, but they were sure they had it... after they seen the news story.
Then the FBI singled out another client of mine, locking up his computer and displaying their logo telling him he's been caught doing bad things on the internet. In order to restore his computer access he should go get a cash card and enter the info in to pay his $100 USD fine. On top of that, they activated his webcam and streamed some video of him off someplace, probably to the NSA. A few malware scans, some updating, and he was back in business and FBI free.
*The first part, the FBI killed the DNS server for those still infected and that should NOT affect anyone not infected. Although no one should really still be infected anymore, almost if not all, AV has definitions for this... but since when has that stopped anyone/anything?*
*Yes, I am fully aware the last part did NOT actually involve the Federal Bureau of Investigations and that it was in fact an attempt to scare and scam money out of the client.*
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