FBI investigating iPad 3G security breach / FCC also concerned

[Shaggy]

Originally Posted by Krystian Galaj

What's funny is that it wasn't an attack by anyone, Goatse Security discovered a vulnerability, notified AT&T of it, and when AT&T ignored the information (possibly trying to hide the breach), after a few days Goatse prodded AT&T to react by publishing the details.

http://security.goatse.fr/a-response-to-atts-letter

Now they're calling them "malicious hackers"... the idiocy.

The reports are suggesting that Goatse obtained the email addresses, is that not correct?

There's a difference between discovering a vulnerability and notifying the company, versus actually making use of that vulnerability to download data. Or are the media reports wrong (wouldn't surprise me) and they never did the second part?

[Shaggy]

From the original article:

"The group said it uncovered 114,000 email addresses, including those of prominent officials in companies, politics and the military."

[DawnFalcon]

Sloppy procedure by AT&T means that this breach means you can retrieve phone name and numbers, track their location, do man in the middle attacks and a number of other things.

And Harry, you won't mind posting your email on these forums then, in plain text? What, you say, there are consequences of spam? Right. I agree it should only be worth, alone, a free month's service. But the other consequences? Immediate SIM replacement with a properly-calculated IMSI and a minimum of SIX months free service, afaik.

If they don't immediately replace the SIM's, I'd be filing a lawsuit if I was affected.

[SameOldStory]

Originally Posted by Shaggy

You think that somebody who gets a clearance is not allowed to own a cellphone, laptop, PC... etc?

Obviously they would not be allowed to put classified material on such a device, but to suggest that they can't call their wife after work on their personal cellphone is... silly.

I'm sure that you're right. NSA has changed its rules by now.

Infinity Transmitter - this refers to VERY OLD technology. Some (but not all) of the information is inaccurate. The original infinity transmitter almost never had to be installed in the building where surveillance was needed. The first schematics I saw was about 40 years ago (and was old then). But time moves on and things improve.

Even though protection was easy to set up, there were areas where phones were unplugged when not in use. Gota play it safe because time moves on and things improve, right?


Reasons that the iPad is ok to use in the white house.

7) The infinity transmitter will not work on an iPad.
6) The iPad doesn't have a built in microphone. Ooops. I guess it does.
5) It is not possible for the iPad to get a virus because Apple controls what you can put on it, and they will not allow it!
4) A virus can't turn on the microphone.
3) The iPad has no way of transmitting information.
2) It is impossible to alter, or substitute a modified, iPad.

And the #1 reason that the iPad is ok to use in the white house is -
1) The administration will replace anyone that says no.

As I said, I'm SURE that you are right. Nuttin to worry about.

[corona]

Originally Posted by Shaggy

There's a big difference between using an iPad to send an email to his mom, and using an iPad for official government business. The article didn't specify.

Well even if he's Mr. Bigness he shouldn't be using his company e-mail to talk to his mom! We all know that.

Oh, and Goatse Security -- My how the memes move along.

[Krystian Galaj]

Originally Posted by Shaggy

The reports are suggesting that Goatse obtained the email addresses, is that not correct?

There's a difference between discovering a vulnerability and notifying the company, versus actually making use of that vulnerability to download data. Or are the media reports wrong (wouldn't surprise me) and they never did the second part?

Well, obviously. To prove something is a vulnerability one needs to show that such things can be obtained. As you undoubtedly read in the article:

We disclosed only to a single journalist and destroyed the data afterward.

What less could they do to prove to the world the vulnerability exists, when the company ignored the notice?

[Shaggy]

Originally Posted by SameOldStory

As I said, I'm SURE that you are right. Nuttin to worry about.

I'm not sure if you realize this, but it's possible for him to own an iPad and not take it to work... right? As I said, there's a big difference between putting classified material on it (or carrying it into controlled areas), and owning a device for personal use.

[Shaggy]

Originally Posted by Krystian Galaj

Well, obviously. To prove something is a vulnerability one needs to show that such things can be obtained.

Sure, but 114,000 times?

[SameOldStory]

Originally Posted by Shaggy

I'm not sure if you realize this, but it's possible for him to own an iPad and not take it to work... right? As I said, there's a big difference between putting classified material on it (or carrying it into controlled areas), and owning a device for personal use.

I give, Shaggy. You win. It's obvious that I'm no match for your knowledge and experience.

I promise - no more posts on this subject. It would be pointless.

At the White House, getting in touch with the inner circle's inner iPads

"The device is the hot, new White House toy, a gizmo that is popping up around Washington but seems to be particularly in vogue at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave."


Apple’s iPad invades the White House

"Among the most important people using iPads are Vice President Joe Biden, Economic adviser Larry Summers, Deputy press secretary Bill Burton and Communications members Dan Pfeiffer and Ben Finkenbinder."


U.S. VP Joe Biden and Washington Politicians Love the iPad

"The story says that senior adviser David Axelrod, deputy press secretary Bill Burton, communications director Dan Pfeiffer, and press wrangler Ben Finkenbinder. Obama's Economic adviser, Larry Summers, even takes his to long staff meetings to pull up facts and figures --"






To hell with the taliban and al qaeda. To hell with an oil spill. When "in vogue" geek toys are threatened, ACTION WILL BE TAKEN!!!!

White House promises swift action on AT&T infospill

"The magnitude of this information spill is almost unprecedented,” Gibbs said. “I’ve never seen the president so angry, so really visibly angry. I mean, he was angry. He was pounding the desk in the Oval Office and yelling “Plug the damn hole! ”

"“This administration is in full kickass mode,” Gibbs said. The president was convening an emergency meeting of top information security experts, Gibbs added." (Would he disrupt agendas at the White House if iPads were only used at home?)

"Later in the day, during a photo opportunity with Vice President Joe Biden on the White House putting green, a visibly angry President Obama unclenched his jaw long enough to tell reporters, "If our laws were broken, leading to this death of privacy and destruction, my solemn pledge is that we will bring those responsible to justice on behalf of the victims of this catastrophe and the people of the Internet."

(".... people of the Internet" )

(Who do we invade now???)

"Gibbs was asked if the President would meet with AT&T Chairman and CEO Randall Stephenson. “The president is using his highly secure mobile email device to email Mr. Stephenson even as we speak,” Gibbs said."

Reality check.
If you have a "highly secure mobile email device", and you send an email to my non-"highly secure mobile email device", is the email secure???

Side note
They refer to his Blackberry replacement as a "highly secure mobile email device". How come they don't refer to the iPad as a "highly secure mobile (whatever) device".


I give up, Shaggy. You win. Please accept my apologies. I'm wrong.

[Krystian Galaj]

Originally Posted by Shaggy

Sure, but 114,000 times?

Well, what difference would it make if it was 1 times, 10 times or 114,000 times? To security people, none, but to general public it would probably be a big difference. News that someone retrieved one email would be ignored by all news agencies, so the amount needed to get people's attention had to be bigger.

[kjk]

Originally Posted by Krystian Galaj

Now they're calling them "malicious hackers"... the idiocy.

Sounds like they were real heroes:
http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2010/06/...mputer-hacker/

The hacker ethic has taken a long downward slide since Steve Levy traced it back to its roots at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in his classic "Hackers, Heroes of the Computer Revolution" (1984).

Auernheimer's arrest earlier this week on felony drug charges is the least of it. We know plenty of good people who have been charged with possession of cocaine, Ecstasy, LSD, and schedule 2 and 3 pharmaceuticals.

But it takes special kind of ignorance to produce The iProphet -- the 12 racist, antisemitic and frankly lunatic podcasts still available for download, as Edible Apple first reported, on Apple's (AAPL) own iTunes Store.


Given how unhinged he appears to be, Auernheimer has gotten a remarkably free ride from the press over the years, especially from Gawker Media's Valleywag, which credited him with a 2009 homophobic hack of Amazon's bookstore and broke the AT&T story last Sunday after Goatse (a sly reference to an obscene meme) fed it to them. Auernheimer's published defense of Goatse's iPad exploit was widely quoted in the media:

"We did it as a service to our nation," he wrote. "We love America and the idea of the Russians or Chinese being able to subvert American infrastructure is a nightmare."

But it's unlikely that the Wall Street Journal or the New York Times would have run profiles of Auernheimer if they'd heard him rant against the "Jew media," disparage Black Americans, or take sick pleasure in the deaths of celebrities, from Ed McMahon to Farah Fawcett.

http://www.edibleapple.com/fbi-arres...ast-on-itunes/

[Shaggy]

Originally Posted by SameOldStory

I give, Shaggy. You win. It's obvious that I'm no match for your knowledge and experience.

You give lots of examples that they're using these devices. No one is disputing that.

Do you have any information that there is classified material on them?

[Shaggy]

Originally Posted by kjk

Sounds like they were real heroes:
http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2010/06/...mputer-hacker/

I assumed everyone knows where the name "Goatse" comes from?

[=X=]

Originally Posted by SameOldStory

They refer to his Blackberry replacement as a "highly secure mobile email device". How come they don't refer to the iPad as a "highly secure mobile (whatever) device".

Well not really a replacement.

As a self proclaimed Crackbery addict, I happen to be in the know that Obama herself is a Crackberry addict and refused to give up his BlackBerry when he was Inaugurated. It made headline news.

=X=

[CleverClothe]

You know, I can't really tell if SameOldStory is serious or not.

Usually I don't have much trouble recognizing trolling. But using a satire piece to back up your wild rant puzzles me.