The Good and Bad of Hacking
darknet (blog with lots of sources)
purehacking
book source: The Shellcoder's Handbook: Discovering and Exploiting Security Holes by Jack Koziol, David Litchfield, Dave Aitel, Chris Anley, Sinan noir Eren
info on shellcoder's handbook
E-book by Jack Koziol
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Monday, October 26, 2009
A Night For Friends and Food
I rang the doorbell after walking up the dim lit stone path where I saw a group of friends reading books, rolling dice, and scribbling notes on paper. I greeted my good friend with a twelve pack of soda and Doritos when he answered the door; which were quickly emptied and eaten as the hungry thirsty gamers slurped and sipped twelve-ounce can after can. I had walked into the subculture that has existed since the early seventies; it is a role-playing game that has survived for generations. Our parents played it when it began. Many of them did so with the same intentions as the players now. It is a great way to spend time with friends, enjoy joking around, sharing stories and ideas. I am of course witnessing my friends playing a game of Dungeons and Dragons.
Dungeons and Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game where customized player characters and settings are used to create an imaginary adventure. The DM or Dungeon Master controls everything from the foes fought by the players to the setting and Non-Player Characters known as NPC’s. The Dungeon Master can create a setting and storyline to use in his or her campaign. My friends or “the party” which contains the player characters who embark on these adventures solve problems or mysteries to finish the campaign or story. They do so by “battling” foes, finding treasure or achieving a certain goal that the DM sets in advance. These goals can range from defeating a final opponent to acquiring objects of interest to the storyline. Some people decide to use specialized miniatures to keep track of movements and actions while battling much like a commonly used board game. . The Dungeon Master or a kind of referee described his campaign they had already started; it was based on a basic Dungeon and Dragons setting which is a medieval age castle with various monsters and a final and most difficult foe for last. I had just begun to take notes when everyone began playing. Everyone was in character anxiously listening to the DM for the current situation and tasks at hand. They were almost near the end of the castle when the final foe came crashing through the ceiling scattering debris in all directions. The foe was a dragon, which towered over the players. The players gave everything their characters could muster to defeat but ultimately met their demise when the dragon over powered the party. Thankfully the DM had another campaign lined up to keep the game going.
Like all games D&D (Dungeons and Dragons) has a set of rules to follow; they are listed in the three basic and required rulebooks. The Player’s Handbook, The Dungeon Master’s Guide and the Monster Manual. The DM ensures that these rules are not broken. Every player creates a character to his or her liking using the Player’s Handbook. They can create an attitude, appearance, race, alignment (good or evil), and weapon of choice. That player creates a personality he or she wants and they pretend they are that character (role-playing). During Battle each player must roll a dice to attack an opponent. The player must roll a twenty-sided die to attempt his or her attack. Every opponent has an armor class with one being the lowest and easiest to hit. A successful attack happens when the player rolls the D20 (twenty-sided die) and the number is higher than the opponents armor class. For example if the player attacks an opponent with 15 armor class and rolls a fifteen or higher that player hits the opponent If a player in the same situation rolls a fourteen or less they do not hit the opponent thus failing their attack. If the player makes a successful attack then he or she can roll another dice to damage the foe’s health. Each different weapon uses a different dice for damage to compensate for effectiveness. For example a small dagger will only use a D4 (four-sided die) for damage compared to a long sword, which has a damage roll of D10 (ten-sided die). The Dungeon Master controls the NPC’s or opponents and also rolls to attack the players. The customized characters have a set of attributes and skills that determine what they do best. For example a character with high amount of strength will do best in a sword fight and a high dexterity or agility will do best as an archer.
A basic campaign setting is a two-floor dungeon with a final opponent and multiple foes hidden throughout the dungeon. The DM uses the Dungeon Master’s Guide to plan the dungeon and follow the rules. The DM can have as many foes and challenges as he or she wants but Dungeon Masters do not have unlimited power in the game. They can bend the rules outside of combat but inside of combat they are expected to conform to the rules to ensure a fair game. During the campaign players are encouraged to role-play, as often as possible. Players usually speak to each other in character to play along with the storyline.
Ultimately Dungeons and Dragons is a game where groups of friends gather to have fun, goof off, share stories, and enjoy playing through a world left to the imagination. Dungeon and Dragons is like reading a “create your own adventure” book with an undetermined end but the author or Dungeon Master lays out the path. Over 20 million people have played D&D and that number continues to grow as revisions are made to rulebooks.
Dungeons and Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game where customized player characters and settings are used to create an imaginary adventure. The DM or Dungeon Master controls everything from the foes fought by the players to the setting and Non-Player Characters known as NPC’s. The Dungeon Master can create a setting and storyline to use in his or her campaign. My friends or “the party” which contains the player characters who embark on these adventures solve problems or mysteries to finish the campaign or story. They do so by “battling” foes, finding treasure or achieving a certain goal that the DM sets in advance. These goals can range from defeating a final opponent to acquiring objects of interest to the storyline. Some people decide to use specialized miniatures to keep track of movements and actions while battling much like a commonly used board game. . The Dungeon Master or a kind of referee described his campaign they had already started; it was based on a basic Dungeon and Dragons setting which is a medieval age castle with various monsters and a final and most difficult foe for last. I had just begun to take notes when everyone began playing. Everyone was in character anxiously listening to the DM for the current situation and tasks at hand. They were almost near the end of the castle when the final foe came crashing through the ceiling scattering debris in all directions. The foe was a dragon, which towered over the players. The players gave everything their characters could muster to defeat but ultimately met their demise when the dragon over powered the party. Thankfully the DM had another campaign lined up to keep the game going.
Like all games D&D (Dungeons and Dragons) has a set of rules to follow; they are listed in the three basic and required rulebooks. The Player’s Handbook, The Dungeon Master’s Guide and the Monster Manual. The DM ensures that these rules are not broken. Every player creates a character to his or her liking using the Player’s Handbook. They can create an attitude, appearance, race, alignment (good or evil), and weapon of choice. That player creates a personality he or she wants and they pretend they are that character (role-playing). During Battle each player must roll a dice to attack an opponent. The player must roll a twenty-sided die to attempt his or her attack. Every opponent has an armor class with one being the lowest and easiest to hit. A successful attack happens when the player rolls the D20 (twenty-sided die) and the number is higher than the opponents armor class. For example if the player attacks an opponent with 15 armor class and rolls a fifteen or higher that player hits the opponent If a player in the same situation rolls a fourteen or less they do not hit the opponent thus failing their attack. If the player makes a successful attack then he or she can roll another dice to damage the foe’s health. Each different weapon uses a different dice for damage to compensate for effectiveness. For example a small dagger will only use a D4 (four-sided die) for damage compared to a long sword, which has a damage roll of D10 (ten-sided die). The Dungeon Master controls the NPC’s or opponents and also rolls to attack the players. The customized characters have a set of attributes and skills that determine what they do best. For example a character with high amount of strength will do best in a sword fight and a high dexterity or agility will do best as an archer.
A basic campaign setting is a two-floor dungeon with a final opponent and multiple foes hidden throughout the dungeon. The DM uses the Dungeon Master’s Guide to plan the dungeon and follow the rules. The DM can have as many foes and challenges as he or she wants but Dungeon Masters do not have unlimited power in the game. They can bend the rules outside of combat but inside of combat they are expected to conform to the rules to ensure a fair game. During the campaign players are encouraged to role-play, as often as possible. Players usually speak to each other in character to play along with the storyline.
Ultimately Dungeons and Dragons is a game where groups of friends gather to have fun, goof off, share stories, and enjoy playing through a world left to the imagination. Dungeon and Dragons is like reading a “create your own adventure” book with an undetermined end but the author or Dungeon Master lays out the path. Over 20 million people have played D&D and that number continues to grow as revisions are made to rulebooks.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Ethnography (rough draft)
I rang the doorbell after walking up the dim lit stone path where I saw a group of friends playing video games and gathering around a television in the corner of the room. I greeted my good friend with a twelve pack of soda and Doritos when he answered the door; which were quickly emptied and eaten as the hungry thirsty gamers slurped and sipped twelve-ounce can after can. I had yet again walked into the subculture that has existed since the early seventies; it is a role-playing game that has survived for generations. Our parents played it when it began. Many of them did so with the same intentions as the players now. It is a great way to spend time with friends, enjoy joking around, sharing stories and ideas. I am of course witnessing my friends playing a game of Dungeons and Dragons.
Dungeons and Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game where customized player characters and settings are used to create an imaginary adventure. The DM or Dungeon Master controls everything from the foes fought by the players to the setting and Non-Player Characters known as NPC’s. My friends or “the party” which contains the player characters who embark on these adventures solve problems or mysteries to finish the campaign or story. They do so by “battling” foes, finding treasure or achieving a certain goal that the DM sets in advance. These goals can range from defeating a final opponent to acquiring objects of interest to the storyline. Some people decide to use specialized miniatures to keep track of movements and actions while battling much like a commonly used board game.
Like all games D&D (Dungeons and Dragons) has a set of rules to follow; the DM ensures that these rules are not broken. Every player creates a character to his or her liking. They can create an attitude, appearance, race, alignment (good or evil), and weapon of choice. That player creates a personality he or she wants and they pretend they are that character (role-playing). During Battle each player must roll a dice to attack an opponent. The more challenging the opponent the higher the roll of the dice needed to attack. The Dungeon Master controls the NPC’s or opponents and also rolls to attack the players. The customized characters have a set of attributes and skills that determine what they do best. For example a character with high amount of strength will do best in a sword fight and a high dexterity or agility will do best as an archer.
A basic campaign setting is a two-floor dungeon with a final opponent and multiple foes hidden throughout the dungeon. The DM can have as many foes and challenges as he or she wants but Dungeon Masters do not have unlimited power in the game. They can bend the rules outside of combat but inside of combat they are expected to conform to the rules to ensure a fair game.
Ultimately Dungeons and Dragons is a game where groups of friends gather to have fun, goof off, share stories, and enjoy playing through a world left to the imagination. Dungeon and Dragons is like reading a “create your own adventure” book with an undetermined end but the author or Dungeon Master lays out the path in this case. Over 20 million people have played D&D and that number continues to grow as revisions are made to rulebooks.
Dungeons and Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game where customized player characters and settings are used to create an imaginary adventure. The DM or Dungeon Master controls everything from the foes fought by the players to the setting and Non-Player Characters known as NPC’s. My friends or “the party” which contains the player characters who embark on these adventures solve problems or mysteries to finish the campaign or story. They do so by “battling” foes, finding treasure or achieving a certain goal that the DM sets in advance. These goals can range from defeating a final opponent to acquiring objects of interest to the storyline. Some people decide to use specialized miniatures to keep track of movements and actions while battling much like a commonly used board game.
Like all games D&D (Dungeons and Dragons) has a set of rules to follow; the DM ensures that these rules are not broken. Every player creates a character to his or her liking. They can create an attitude, appearance, race, alignment (good or evil), and weapon of choice. That player creates a personality he or she wants and they pretend they are that character (role-playing). During Battle each player must roll a dice to attack an opponent. The more challenging the opponent the higher the roll of the dice needed to attack. The Dungeon Master controls the NPC’s or opponents and also rolls to attack the players. The customized characters have a set of attributes and skills that determine what they do best. For example a character with high amount of strength will do best in a sword fight and a high dexterity or agility will do best as an archer.
A basic campaign setting is a two-floor dungeon with a final opponent and multiple foes hidden throughout the dungeon. The DM can have as many foes and challenges as he or she wants but Dungeon Masters do not have unlimited power in the game. They can bend the rules outside of combat but inside of combat they are expected to conform to the rules to ensure a fair game.
Ultimately Dungeons and Dragons is a game where groups of friends gather to have fun, goof off, share stories, and enjoy playing through a world left to the imagination. Dungeon and Dragons is like reading a “create your own adventure” book with an undetermined end but the author or Dungeon Master lays out the path in this case. Over 20 million people have played D&D and that number continues to grow as revisions are made to rulebooks.
Sunday, September 27, 2009
A Puzzling Compulsion
It started when I was thirteen years old, looking out the car window as we were on our way to Myrtle beach, South Carolina to spend the coming week with our cousins from Virginia. My brother, father and I were roughly ten hours through our drive when I was peering through the dirt covered rear window of my father's maroon 1996 cutlass sierra. I saw what I could only describe as the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. It was early morning and we were driving by the boulevard adjacent to Virgina beach; the warm yellow tones of the sun rose above the sand onto the boardwalk. The blinding rays of light reflected off the sky-scraping hotels and the glossy red painted lifeguard Jeeps. Cars shimmered bright white light through the windshield; their intensity forced me to look away back toward the beach. I could see people crossing the street with backpacks and surfboards in hand. Teenage boys waking up to the waves of the Atlantic and a warm cup of Dunk'in Donuts coffee. My brother fast asleep next to me was awakened by the sudden rush of cold air when my father opened his window. We pulled into a hotel parking lot, light blue and mint green stripes covered the twenty story high building. It even managed to block out the sun for a moment, but I could still see the light peaking through the windows of the lobby. Our room fifteen stories high overlooked the beach and boardwalk below; I took a closer look at the sight I looked upon earlier from the car. Everything seemed to paint a picture; the sunrise poking through the clouds and the teenage surfers falling into the cool blue waters. Light shimmering off of hotels and cars; lifeguards jogging up and down the beach where the sand meets the water. Everything I saw that morning remained as a memory that captured my attention and thoughts for years. Each time I saw these beautiful images a compulsion came over me, a drive to remember and admire but I did not know what to do with it. Nothing I did could satisfy the compulsion. Years later I was given my first digital camera; Kodak Easy share was the brand; it was a small but durable camera. I took that camera everywhere I went and soon after I immersed myself into the state parks and started photographing scenes of wildlife and nature. During these days of exploration and photography the compulsion I have felt for years had finally been satisfied. I no longer felt the drive to remember I had a new way of capturing a moment in time.
Through the years of practice and study I continued to photograph and explore hidden places of beauty, but I still had questions that needed to be answered: was I truly unique or were these skills and compulsions inherited from a relative? One day my uncle and I were having a conversation about our family history and what he knew about it. He knew that my grandfather was a photographer and had been for years; he also offered to arrange a meeting between my grandfather and I. Now that I had a chance to meet the man who gave me my gift I began to prepare a portfolio of my photos to show him and perhaps gain some knowledge into photography. It included one hundred photos of everything I had photographed; the photos ranged from nature and wildlife to photojournalism and sports. My uncle would be the one giving me a ride to meet him; it was a rainy day in May, dark clouds hung over head like a giant patchwork in the sky, their rain hitting the windshield. On the navy blue water under the bridge spanning the canal I can even see the yellow rain coat worn by one the skippers on the boat below. From there on the drive was quiet with only the pitter-patter of the rain to occupy the silence. I thought about what I would say to him. I had so many questions I didn't know where to start. Finally the drive nears an end when we pulled into the driveway in front of his house. It is a white house with a two-door garage built into the side. After closing the car door a loud barking sound rose from inside the screen door next to the garage, my uncle soon to approach the door jumped back as the chocolate Labrador’s paws landed on the screen surprising us. A woman answered the door, from what I could see she was slender, she had dark brown hair and stood about five and a half feet tall. She introduced herself as Beth, my step grandmother. After the introduction I see an old man roughly in his sixties staggering into the room. He had short white hair and a gray beard; he spoke in a tired voice “So you must be Matthew”. I answer “yes and you must be Jerry my grandfather. He presents his hand I present mine and receive a welcoming handshake. “Welcome please sit, don’t mind the dogs” everyone sat around in the living room. I took a moment to look around; his photographs surrounded the room framed on the walls, pictures of buildings, boats and far away places. Potted plants beside the window and in the next room a small green house with all kinds of beautiful flowers, their smell filled the room with a pleasant aroma. Our conversation continued for hours we talked of everything from his past, photography, the portfolio that I had brought with me, and his beautiful Hasselblad camera from the 70’s. Everything that I had missed out on previously. He even gave me advise on photography and life as well as other things. He taught me that a great lens is a necessity; a camera can only capture what the lens sees. If a poor lens is mounted on a great camera the photos won't look as sharp as a good lens of a bad camera. He taught me how to effectively and creatively use my camera. My grandfather Jerry allowed me to look at his old photos. He told me that he was a product photographer. He photographed everything from buildings and boats to shoes for catalogs. My uncle quietly told me that he had never seen his father's photos before now; the experience was a exciting for both my uncle and I. Before we left we talked about my brother and invited me to bring him to visit one day.
As we near the end of our stay my uncle Mike and I said our goodbyes and made our way to the truck; it was still raining and the anxiousness I felt earlier had left leaving only what I have learned that day. Enduring the silent drive home didn’t seem as bad now that the rain stopped and the sun started to break through. Half-way there driving across the canal I saw another image and had another compulsion to photograph it; I picked up my camera and took a picture of a ray of sun shining through the clouds over the bay. I continued to admire the sight and for a moment time seemed to stop; for I realized that this is my first photograph where I didn’t need ask my self why?
Through the years of practice and study I continued to photograph and explore hidden places of beauty, but I still had questions that needed to be answered: was I truly unique or were these skills and compulsions inherited from a relative? One day my uncle and I were having a conversation about our family history and what he knew about it. He knew that my grandfather was a photographer and had been for years; he also offered to arrange a meeting between my grandfather and I. Now that I had a chance to meet the man who gave me my gift I began to prepare a portfolio of my photos to show him and perhaps gain some knowledge into photography. It included one hundred photos of everything I had photographed; the photos ranged from nature and wildlife to photojournalism and sports. My uncle would be the one giving me a ride to meet him; it was a rainy day in May, dark clouds hung over head like a giant patchwork in the sky, their rain hitting the windshield. On the navy blue water under the bridge spanning the canal I can even see the yellow rain coat worn by one the skippers on the boat below. From there on the drive was quiet with only the pitter-patter of the rain to occupy the silence. I thought about what I would say to him. I had so many questions I didn't know where to start. Finally the drive nears an end when we pulled into the driveway in front of his house. It is a white house with a two-door garage built into the side. After closing the car door a loud barking sound rose from inside the screen door next to the garage, my uncle soon to approach the door jumped back as the chocolate Labrador’s paws landed on the screen surprising us. A woman answered the door, from what I could see she was slender, she had dark brown hair and stood about five and a half feet tall. She introduced herself as Beth, my step grandmother. After the introduction I see an old man roughly in his sixties staggering into the room. He had short white hair and a gray beard; he spoke in a tired voice “So you must be Matthew”. I answer “yes and you must be Jerry my grandfather. He presents his hand I present mine and receive a welcoming handshake. “Welcome please sit, don’t mind the dogs” everyone sat around in the living room. I took a moment to look around; his photographs surrounded the room framed on the walls, pictures of buildings, boats and far away places. Potted plants beside the window and in the next room a small green house with all kinds of beautiful flowers, their smell filled the room with a pleasant aroma. Our conversation continued for hours we talked of everything from his past, photography, the portfolio that I had brought with me, and his beautiful Hasselblad camera from the 70’s. Everything that I had missed out on previously. He even gave me advise on photography and life as well as other things. He taught me that a great lens is a necessity; a camera can only capture what the lens sees. If a poor lens is mounted on a great camera the photos won't look as sharp as a good lens of a bad camera. He taught me how to effectively and creatively use my camera. My grandfather Jerry allowed me to look at his old photos. He told me that he was a product photographer. He photographed everything from buildings and boats to shoes for catalogs. My uncle quietly told me that he had never seen his father's photos before now; the experience was a exciting for both my uncle and I. Before we left we talked about my brother and invited me to bring him to visit one day.
As we near the end of our stay my uncle Mike and I said our goodbyes and made our way to the truck; it was still raining and the anxiousness I felt earlier had left leaving only what I have learned that day. Enduring the silent drive home didn’t seem as bad now that the rain stopped and the sun started to break through. Half-way there driving across the canal I saw another image and had another compulsion to photograph it; I picked up my camera and took a picture of a ray of sun shining through the clouds over the bay. I continued to admire the sight and for a moment time seemed to stop; for I realized that this is my first photograph where I didn’t need ask my self why?
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