Tag Archive for: floats

Standoff with researchers may emerge as GitHub floats stricter policies

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GitHub CEO Nat Friedman speaks at GitHub Universe 2020. GitHub on Thursday solicited the comments of the security research community on its new, apparently stricter policies for posting malware and proof-of-concept exploits. (GitHub)

GitHub on Thursday solicited the comments of the security research community on its new, apparently stricter policies for posting malware and proof-of-concept exploits. But the response may have been more than it bargained for.

Some of the changes date back to a month ago when GitHub, which is owned by Microsoft, removed a proof-of-concept exploit for the so-called ProxyLogOn vulnerabilities in Microsoft Exchange that have led to more than 100,000 server infections. There were also other incidents dating back more than a year in which GitHub repositories were found to be infected with malware and capable of being exploited in a supply chain attack.

GitHub, which researchers use as a platform where they can test and experiment, said in a blog post that these updates also focus on removing ambiguity in how the platform will define terms such as “exploit,” “malware,” and “delivery” – the platform’s effort to clearly state its expectations and intentions.

Security researchers expressed skepticism, arguing that if or when software ever gets removed, GitHub would have to outline a very clear-cut and transparent reason; otherwise, users will likely rebel and flee to other platforms, said Sean Nikkel, senior cyber threat intel analyst at Digital Shadows.

Nikkel said some researchers have raised great points with existing off-the-shelf, legitimate tools such as Metasploit or Mimikatz, or other similar software that adversaries frequently abuse.

“Are these now also illegitimate? While starting the public discussion is a significant step, transparency around the end goal and the future will need to be spelled out clearly to GitHub users,” Nikkel said. “Suppose GitHub does end up taking stronger steps towards locking down what’s acceptable on the platform. In that case, the conditions of what they understand as an actual attack or threat would also need to be spelled out fairly clearly, and in terms…

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The UK floats a new image of itself

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20.Nov

November 20th, 2020

gurmeet portray

Every few years, the UK goes through a kind of pretend-crisis over nuclear weapons: in choosing whether to allocate more money to its nuclear defence system, the incumbent government goes through the motions explaining that although the choice is heart-wrending and undesirable, renewing the systems must be done. After the tears, hundreds of millions of pounds get tipped into the sector. It’s a show crisis because there’s hardly any serious criticism of renewal allowed; if someone does speak up about it, say Jeremy Corbyn, they’re labelled a weakling and a traitor by the media in perpetuity.

So to Prime Minister Johnson’s announcement that he will make Britain Europe’s foremost naval power. OK, not nuclear weapons, but still: an interesting commitment to make during the pandemic, the closing Brexit negotiations and regime change in the US. The FT writes:

“Boris Johnson has promised the biggest defence investment since the end of the cold war with a £16.5bn military spending boost that he says will “end the era of retreat” and pioneer new technology for the armed forces.

“I have taken this decision in the teeth of the pandemic because the defence of the realm must come first,” the prime minister said ahead of the announcement.

He added that the international situation was “more perilous and more intensely competitive than at any time since the cold war” and that to remain true to its allies, the UK had to commit to upgrading its capabilities.

The spending package is expected to include a boost for the Royal Navy, which Mr Johnson regards as a highly visible representation of his foreign policy, with a crucial role in protecting trade routes.”

It’s highly telling that as Brexit negotiations are coming to an end (and not a positive end), the PM has committed to a massive investment in the navy; it’s very inkeeping with the image of Britain that Brexiteers like: traditional, aggressive, and focussed on trade. Navies have been increasingly described as obsolete in recent years, with cyber warfare and space becoming the new areas of interest; indeed, the PM also committed massive budgets to those two areas. But the rhetorical flourish was…

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