Bitcoin: "Last year, the Austin resident and former UT law student posted plans for a 3D-printed plastic handgun online along with a video demonstrating the weapon. He took the plans down days later, after the State Department ordered them removed. Now, Wilson has moved into another realm growing increasingly popular among tech-centric libertarians. He and six other coders are working on software that would further encrypt bitcoins, an increasingly popular quasi-anonymous online currency."
Read more: 'Cody Wilson announces bitcoin venture' Dallas Morning News: http://trailblazersblog.dallasnews.com/cody-wilson-bitcoin-venture.html/<http://trailblazersblog.dallasnews.com/2014/01/3d-gun-advocate-cody-wilson-announces-bitcoin-venture.html/> Bitcoin has proven to be a pretty great medium of exchange, it’s value has swung wildly over the course of its history. In a recent blog post at The Verge, Adrianne Jefferies questions whether this really is a problem. She writes... Read more: Bitcoins -- Why Paul Krugman is Right to Hate Them http://business.time.com/bitcoin-paul-krugman<http://business.time.com/2014/01/03/bitcoin-paul-krugman-is-right-to-hate-them/> On Sat, Dec 28, 2013 at 7:00 AM, Richard Williams <pundits...@gmail.com>wrote: > This hack has all the earmarks of a middle-man conspiracy: > > "On Friday, a Target spokeswoman backtracked from previous statements and > said criminals had made off with customers’ encrypted PIN information as > well. But Target said the company stored the keys to decrypt its PIN data > on separate systems from the ones that were hacked." > > 'Target’s Nightmare Goes On: Encrypted PIN Data Stolen' > New York Times: > http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/targets-nightmare/<http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/12/27/targets-nightmare-goes-on-encrypted-pin-data-stolen/?_r=0> > > > On Tue, Dec 24, 2013 at 9:17 AM, Richard Williams <pundits...@gmail.com>wrote: > >> This hack has all the earmarks of an inside job: >> >> "Target confirmed on Monday that the company is partnering with Secret >> Service to investigate the breach, and said its point-of-sale terminals in >> U.S. stores were infected by malware, or malicious software. Target said it >> was restricted in the amount of information about the investigation it >> could share." >> >> 'Target Discusses Breach With State Attorneys' >> http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/<http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304020704579276901918248632> >> >> >> On Tue, Dec 17, 2013 at 11:36 AM, Richard J. Williams < >> pundits...@gmail.com> wrote: >> >>> Addressing the important issues! >>> >>> According to what I've read, the NSA doesn't even know how many >>> documents were collected and purloined by Edward Snowden. But, one does >>> wonder how an organization of thousands of spies wouldn't be able to spot >>> another spy among their own. Apparently Snowden was a genius among >>> geniuses. That, in itself should have been a red flag. Go figure. >>> >>> In a book I recently read, one of the prosecutors at trial told the >>> presiding judge that Kevin Mitnick, The Dark Side Hacker, at one time the >>> most wanted hackers by the FBI, could hack into a phone connection at NORAD >>> and with a series of whistles, cause a ballistic missile to be launched. Go >>> figure. >>> >>> Next, they will be telling us that there's a hidden camera inside every >>> Mr. Coffee pot. You better check every ball point pen in the house for cams >>> and voice actuated listening devices, while you're at it. LoL! >>> >>> "Among the more eye-opening claims made by NSA is that it detected what >>> CBS terms the “BIOS Plot” – an attempt by China to launch malicious code in >>> the guise of a firmware update that would have targeted computers >>> apparently linked to the US financial system, rendering them pieces of >>> junk." >>> >>> Read more: >>> >>> 'NSA goes on 60 Minutes: the definitive facts behind CBS's flawed report' >>> The Guardian: >>> >>> http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/dec/16/nsa-surveillance-60-minutes-cbs-facts >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> On 12/13/2013 6:47 AM, Richard Williams wrote: >>> >>> The Darkside Hacker >>> >>> Kevin Mitnick, known as the Darkside Hacker, was at one time the >>> most-wanted computer criminal in the United States. Law enforcement >>> officials convinced a judge that he had the ability to "start a nuclear war >>> by whistling into a pay phone." One state attorney told the judge that >>> Mitnick could somehow dial into the NORAD modem via a payphone from prison >>> and communicate with the modem by whistling to launch nuclear missiles. >>> >>> According to Douglas, Mitnick managed to hack into some of the >>> country's most powerful — and seemingly impenetrable agencies such as the >>> DMV, SSA, and the FBI, and large companies, including PacBell, Motorola, >>> Nokia, and DEC. Using "social engineering" and conning employees into >>> giving him private information and maneuvering through layers of security. >>> Using hacker techniques and social engineering Mitnick gained access to >>> data that no one else could. >>> >>> The 2012 graphic novel Wizzywig by Ed Piskor is a close allusion to >>> the story of Mitnick, with the main character's name replaced with Kevin >>> Phenicle. The novel parallels the entire story of Mitnick under the >>> codename "Boingthump", from his early days of phone phreaking. >>> >>> Think your information and your computer is secure? You can yourself a >>> lot of trouble by just sending your IP address and password to Kevin >>> Mitnick at 2245 N. Green Valley Parkway, Suite 411, Henderson, NV. LoL! >>> >>> Work cited: >>> >>> 'Hacker Culture' >>> by Thomas Douglas >>> University of Minnesota Press >>> pp. xxiv >>> >>> >>> See More: >>> >>> 'Hackers' >>> Directed by Iain Softley >>> Starring Jonny Lee Miller, Angelina Jolie, Renoly Santiago, Matthew >>> Lillard, Lorraine Bracco and Fisher Stevens. >>> >>> [image: Inline image 1] >>> >>> Read more: >>> >>> 'The Hacker Manifesto' >>> http://www.phrack.org/issues.html?issue=7&id=3&mode=txt >>> >>> 'Hackers: Heroes of the Computer Revolution' >>> by Steven Levy >>> >>> 'The Art of Deception' >>> by Kevin Mitnick >>> >>> 'The Art of Intrusion: The Real Stories Behind the Exploits of >>> Hackers, Intruders & Deceivers' >>> by Kevin Mitnick >>> >>> 'Ghost in the Wires: My Adventures as the World's Most Wanted Hacker' >>> by Kevin Mitnick >>> Foreword by Steve Wozniak >>> >>> >>> On Thu, Dec 5, 2013 at 8:57 AM, Richard Williams >>> <pundits...@gmail.com>wrote: >>> >>>> Massive Hacker Attack! >>>> >>>> According to SpiderLabs, "...'123456’ was the most widely used >>>> password and ‘password’, ‘123,’ and ‘111111’ were also among the top >>>> entries. Three of the most used passwords are 'password', 'sex' and 'god', >>>> not particularly in that order. Admins love to use 'god' as their password- >>>> it gives them a feeling of power. >>>> >>>> So, let's review some password protocols: >>>> >>>> 1. Do not use the same password for all your online activities. >>>> 2. Use a seven word combination of letters, numbers, and symbols for >>>> your password with at least one letter in caps. >>>> 3. Do NOT write down your password down on a Post-it note and affix it >>>> to your computer monitor. >>>> 4. Never reveal your password to anyone, including your significant >>>> other. >>>> 5. Change you password frequently - at least once a month, in order to >>>> be on the safe side. >>>> 6. DO IT NOW - don't wait until tomorrow to change your password. >>>> >>>> "Two million passwords for social media and email accounts have been >>>> released online by hackers, IT security experts have discovered." >>>> >>>> Metro UK: >>>> >>>> http://metro.co.uk/two-million-facebook-gmail-and-twitter-passwords-stolen<http://metro.co.uk/2013/12/05/two-million-facebook-gmail-and-twitter-passwords-stolen-by-criminal-gang-4216332/> >>>> >>>> >>>> On Mon, Dec 2, 2013 at 10:27 AM, Richard Williams <pundits...@gmail.com >>>> > wrote: >>>> >>>>> The programmer is God and Hackers are the prophets of Information >>>>> Technology. >>>>> >>>>> So, if you are a hacker, it would be evil to not share your data and >>>>> your code with the rest of the world, to save mankind from ignorance - a >>>>> moral imperative for the hacker. The hacker's world view is libertarian- >>>>> they believe that powerful individuals are taking over the Internet and >>>>> controlling our thoughts through the media, violating our privacy. All the >>>>> while posting reams of information about themselves. Go figure. >>>>> >>>>> "Because he knows the power of the technology he has mastered, he >>>>> knows how distressingly fragile the barrier is between freedom and >>>>> censorship—it’s a simple matter of who writes the code. Underlying it all >>>>> was the hacker belief that the world could be perfected if enough of us >>>>> tapped society’s vast reserves of knowledge and put it to proper use." >>>>> >>>>> Read more: >>>>> >>>>> 'So Open It Hurts' >>>>> What the Internet did to Aaron Swartz >>>>> New Republic: >>>>> http://preview.tinyurl.com/ala5v77 >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> On Sun, Dec 1, 2013 at 8:36 PM, Richard Williams <pundits...@gmail.com >>>>> > wrote: >>>>> >>>>>> Reuters - A computer hacker was sentenced on Monday to three years >>>>>> and five months in prison for stealing the personal data of about 120,000 >>>>>> Apple Inc iPad users, including big-city mayors, a TV network news anchor >>>>>> and a Hollywood movie mogul... >>>>>> >>>>>> 'U.S. computer hacker gets three-and-a-half years for stealing iPad >>>>>> user data' >>>>>> http://tinyurl.com/c72z58j >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> On Sat, Nov 2, 2013 at 12:42 PM, Richard Williams < >>>>>> pundits...@gmail.com> wrote: >>>>>> >>>>>>> "On Thursday, the 21-year old San Antonio native will enter La >>>>>>> Tuna Federal Correction Institute in Anthony, TX to begin a one-year and >>>>>>> one day sentence for breaching Sony Pictures Entertainment in May 2011 >>>>>>> as a >>>>>>> member of Anonymous offshoot, LulzSec." >>>>>>> >>>>>>> 'The $600,000 Joyride' >>>>>>> San Antonio Current: >>>>>>> http://sacurrent.com/news/the-600-000-joyride<http://sacurrent.com/news/the-600-000-joyride-local-hacker-and-former-lulzsec-member-on-why-he-went-to-prison-1.1576274> >>>>>>> >>>>>>> >>>>>>> On Sat, Oct 19, 2013 at 9:24 AM, Richard Williams < >>>>>>> pundits...@gmail.com> wrote: >>>>>>> >>>>>>>> Let's see, on the one hand we have the personal privacy >>>>>>>> advocates, like Edward Snowden and Wikileak's Julian Assange, and the >>>>>>>> Electronic Frontier Foundation. >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> And, on the other hand we have social networking sites like Mark >>>>>>>> Zuckerberg's Facebook and micro blogging sites like Evan Williams's >>>>>>>> Twitter. >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> And, in the middle we've got the FBI, IRS, CIA, NSA, ATF and the >>>>>>>> HS. >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> And, you got your black hats and your white hats; you got your >>>>>>>> hackers and pirates; and you've got your worms and trojan horses. >>>>>>>> There's a >>>>>>>> PC on every desk, all running Microsoft Windows software. >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> So, now Obama wants you to log on to a government site and enter >>>>>>>> all your personal data. Go figure. >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> "It also represents a dangerous normalization of ‘governing in >>>>>>>> the dark,’ where decisions with enormous public impact occur without >>>>>>>> any >>>>>>>> public input." >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> 'Snowden Says He Took No Secret Files to Russia' >>>>>>>> New York Times: >>>>>>>> http://www.nytimes.com/snowden<http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/18/world/snowden-says-he-took-no-secret-files-to-russia.html?_r=0> >>>>>>>> >>>>>>> >>>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>> >>>> >>> >>> >> >
