I remember my first computer. It was a standalone system that booted directly to the Microsoft DOS prompt. There were no logins nor passwords. There were no real security measures to protect files on disk or processes in memory. Floppy disks were the primary means of transferring data between computers. Bulletin board systems were popular at the time, but without a modem, a computer could not be connected. There was no concern, aside from a burglar taking my computer, of data theft and security.
As more and more devices are added to the Internet, security becomes increasingly important. There has been news lately of the potential for remote exploits in HP printers. The addition of printers, phones, coffee makers, security systems, and other devices to a network enlarges the attack surface for that network. A larger attack surface provides an adversary with more potential vulnerabilities for exploitation. An HP representative can downplay the possibility of using malicious code to remotely start a fire, but this should not distract people from the fact that malicious code can do destructive things with less fanfare such as silently forwarding copies of confidential information to adversaries or identity thieves. It is important that network devices, specifically printers, keep up with current security practices. And, it is important that we continue to implement systems that are secure by default.
This entry was posted on Thursday, December 8th, 2011 at 1:45 am	and is filed under Security. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
I've got myself in the horns of a dilemma, and I can't for the life of me figure out how to resolve it.
With tonight's crucial Game 5 looming, there's a chance Pop's Gang of Less-Than-Merry Men will be headed for the sunset in a few hours, and they will take with them a cadre of people Sonics fans, well, any NBA fans despise.
As you can see, there are a myriad of reasons to root for the Lakers tonight. Except, well, it's the Lakers, right? How in the world can you make yourself root for Kobe Bryant? Even in a perfect situation, if Bryant played for, say, the Bucks, he'd be difficult to cheer for. You know, what with the rape trial, the kicking Shaq out the door nonsense, demands for trades, etc., etc.
But add in the whole celebrity bandwagon crapola with games in LA come playoff time and the way the league practically Gilloolies Laker opponents when the Finals draw closer, it's even tougher still to cheer for Kobe.
On the other hand, the Lakers have Turiaf, and he's a fun guy to cheer for. Phil Jackson ... he might be annoying, but you have to respect the success, his occasional self-deprecating ways, and the fact he actually enjoys the limelight, unlike Pop who just does not seem interested one bit in promoting the league.
But outweighing that is the fact that if the Lakers make the finals there's a distinct possibility of a Celtic-Laker championship, and seeing David Stern be rewarded with a ratings bonanza after the way he's given Seattle such a shafting would not be very karmaic, now would it?
So there you have it: My dilemma. Do I root for the Spurs and hope the Pistons prevail, setting up a horrifically boring Finals series that draws a 2.3 rating? Or do I root for Kobe and the Big Ticket, and simultaneously line Clay Bennett and David Stern's pockets?
Pistons-Spurs please. Don't get me wrong, I hate Bruce Bowen and smug-ass Kobe/Laker fans more than anything in the world. But more important than anything right now is blasting a firehose on D-Stern's birthday cake wish for a Celtics-Lakers Finals.
The first Catholic high school to be built on Chicago’s West Side in more than 80 years, Christ the King Jesuit College Preparatory School sets a striking contrast to its decayed surroundings. A tonal arrangement of fiber cement panels adds depth to the façade and gives it a corporate appearance in keeping with the business-like approach of the school.
Architect John Ronan has designed a 94,000 square foot building for 600 students that mirrors an existing Jesuit middle school on the same block, thus embracing an enclosed landscaped courtyard. Lined with digitally printed cladding panels that depict the Stations of the Cross, the courtyard serves as a sacred space for religious services as well as an outdoor gathering and recreation area. The building itself comprises a three-story academic wing running east-west that connects at right angles to a large, but slightly lower sports hall that can also be used as an auditorium.
The building has a business-like aesthetic. We wanted it to look less like a traditional school and more like a company.
The two-story main entrance on Jackson Boulevard leads into the lobby, which houses a reception area. Placed in the vertex of the L-shaped structure is the dining room, whose floor-to-ceiling glazing emphasises the public aspirations of the new school. In addition, the academic wing accommodates twenty-five state-of-the-art classrooms, administrative offices, and science and computer labs along with various meeting rooms and counselling suites. The library is situated on the top floor and overlooks the courtyard and the adjacent Moore Park through a largescale panoramic window.
However, the most remarkable space in the overall complex is the 210-seat St. Ignatius Loyola Chapel, which anchors the eastern end of the building. The concretefloored sanctuary is lit from above by a skylight monitor, which runs through all three stories of the building and captures additional morning light through three wave-distorted glass block walls. The remaining interior wall is backed with sound insulation and clad with cross-shaped perforated Swisspearl panels. Thus, along with the acoustic stretch-fabric ceiling, it provides for a subdued sound level within the chapel.
The building is designed to inspire. With God’s grace, we are creating a beacon of light and hope – a place where our young people will become tomorrow’s leaders; leaders who not only better themselves, but commit to serve and lift up their community.”
For speed of construction, Ronan used a steel-frame structure with concrete plank floors for the academic wing and load-bearing masonry with long-span trusses for the gym. A seemingly random arrangement of windows and Swisspearl panels in a blue and grey color scheme gives the two building parts a unified and deliberate corporate appearance, echoing the business-like approach of the school and setting it apart from the modest brick houses of its environs. Christ the King is the latest in a series of educational buildings by John Ronan, such as the Akiba-Schechter Jewish Day School and the award-winning Gary Comer Youth Center. Christ the King’s thoughtful and elaborate interaction of form, space and materiality, engendered by a genuine concern for social issues, corroborates Ronan’s standing as ‘one of the leaders of Chicago’s architectural resurgence’ (Blair Kamin, Chicago Tribune).