The blog has moved

The blog has moved   The present version of this blog will not be updated in the future.   Please visit Fred On Something at his new address at http://fgiasson.com/blog/   I hope that you will enjoy the new format and the future things I will write on it,   Salutations,     Frédérick

Outsourcing to India

Outsourcing to India What to be aware of before signing the contract   In some of my past posts I worried about some security treats with software development outsourcing. Today as I read my feeds I found a fascinating article on the subject. It was pointed out by a blog dedicated to the subject: The Outsourcing Times. You can read the article there: Outsourcing Contracts: Protecting Project Information.   I’ll not comment the article. It talks by itself. It give some good hints on how-to outsource software development in India and the things that you need to be aware of if you care about the security of your contract.

Invisible doesn’t mean non-existant

Invisible doesn’t mean non-existant       Is because you don’t see a thing that this thing doesn’t exist?   This question can be one of faith or observation. We know that some things exist without being able to see them but with experimentation we can demonstrate that the thing really exists.   Now, is this because you deleted a file on your personal computer that the file is deleted? Depending of your settings, he will be in the garbage bin. So, if you empty the bin, will the file always exist? Obviously not. The file will always be there; only his reference in the file system will be deleted. Okay, if you rewrite on the file’s old sector and/or perform a low format on the hard drive; will the file be finally deleted and not recoverable? Unfortunately not. It will not be easy to recover the file but it will always be there; entirely or partially. Am I crazy? No. It will get time and resources but it’s possible. How? It’s the product of a phenomenon called residual magnetism. The subject gets in the news by ComputerWorld.com some weeks ago.                         If my memory is right, I read in Body of Secrets by James Bamford that the NSA is able to recover data on hard drives until between 5 to 7 low level formats. Is this freaky? Not if you don’t have state secret to hide. Remember, they need resources to recover these data. This is not easily done but it’s possible.               Some years ago you would have had been able to get unformatted hard drive in a governmental overstock outlets. Yes, and? You are asking. Think about it, which type of information your government is manipulating? Yes, mostly personal information. I remember that around 5 years ago the government of Quebec had been in trouble because citizen records have been found on old computers’ unformatted hard drives in such a store. This is a real problem. Is the income of a couple of dollars worth the embarrassment? I don’t think so. Are they always doing it? I don’t know; I haven’t been in such a store since then.               The best thing to do is destroying the hard drive, not selling it. You’ll get rid of all related possible problems. Check the price of a gig of storage space. Is the possible resulting problems worth the incomes? Personally I don’t think so.

Police Technology by Robert E. Foster

Police Technology by Robert E. Foster     Buying a book on internet can sometimes be painful. You don't know what he look like, you just have one or two resumes, no more information on the publisher's website. If you are lucky, there are some comments on Amazon. However, personally, I just buy books on internet now. Why? Because websites like Amazon have astronomical selection of books. You search for a book, you'll find it. Out of print since 20 years? Try Alibris or Abebooks. More and more books are searchable online and good resume are made. Soon, it will probably be the primary place where to buy books.   I have been contacted by Mr. Robert E. Foster. He sent me a really good resume and a lot of information about his new book. I post it on the blog because it's in direct relation with it: the union of security and technology; an introduction for students of colleges and universities. These 3 words (security, technology and education) are enough for me to post this information on the blog. Bellow I put the fact sheet wrote by Mr. Foster. You also can check the table of content, and four reviews [1][2][3][4] of his book. I didn't personally read it (if anyone want to send me a copy of it, leave me a message in my email box and I'll do a review of it with pleasure) but I think it worth his low 33.33$USD.          ----------------------   Subject:   The use of the text book Police Technology (Prentice Hall, July 2004) in colleges and universities.   Background:   An often asked question is How does Police Technology fit into current course curriculum? A cursory examination of university and college catalogs will review few that include courses that directly explore police technology such as computers in law enforcement or the management of public information systems.  However, nearly every criminal justice program includes a course similar to current issues, critical issues or contemporary issues in policing.    Analysis:   Issue      Police Technology’s Advantages   Terrorism and Homeland Security         Explains and discusses fragmentation and interoperability Chapter Seventeen is devoted to using the Unified Command Concept as a technology.  The development of the National Incident Management System (a January 2005 requirement for federal funding at the state and local level) is explored and thoroughly explained as the Standard Emergency Management System. The PATRIOT Act and technologies used in conjunction with tracking and surveillance such as traditional wire taps, Carnivore and Magic Lantern are explained and explored. Privacy, legal and practical issues related to surveillance are discussed throughout.   DNA    The science of DNA is explained, along with the development of DNA databases and the ethical and legal considerations.  Several states have had recent legislative changes (including a California referendum) relative to DNA.  DNA figures prominently in many recent and ongoing criminal prosecutions.   Community Based Policing        The text defines and traces the history. The text looks at technologies that may enhance the model. The text compares and contrasts how technology may actually reinforce the previous model of policing (professional) and not Community-based.   Crime Analysis The theory and science of crime analysis are explained and explored.  Advanced methods of analysis such as geographic profiling are explored.   Technology Basics        The text is designed for the computer novice and expert. All students will become better end-users   The Internet      The History and technology is explained. The use of the internet by law enforcement is explored. Numerous examples are used to show how the Internet may enhance community policing.   Hi-Tech Crime Computer Crime, Computer-related Crime and technology crimes are defined, explained and contrasted with traditional crime.   Liability            The impact of technology on situations wherein there is a tremendous amount of agency and personal liability, such as vehicle pursuits and the use of force is explored.   Summary   The book explores technology using traditional themes, issues and theories as a common, connecting thread.  The work is meant as a supplement to a traditional education in criminal justice.  Moreover, because technology has changed crime and the work place, an examination of technology better prepares the student for future studies and employment.   ----------------------