The Worldview a Satellite - The Eye Watching Us In The Sky

The uncontrolled effect of technology and internet are there to keep reminding us of the cons of too much openness on the world. Even though programs to protect internet users’ privacy are various, very soon even such programs will be of no use. This is because soon the Worldview3 satellite will be up there in the sky launching from California’s Vandenberg Air Force Base atop an Atlas 5 rocket. Google with the approval of the US government has made this satellite powerful enough to capture our faces with a resolution of 25 cm which was not allowed legally before unless it is for a military satellite. This fierce satellite has been developed by Digital Globe which is a US number one suppliers for high-resolution earth imagery and online mapping that made it easy now to capture our faces from high above regardless of clouds or snow or any weather condition. Having the short-wave infrared sensors equipped by Ball Aerospace-developed CAVIS instrument (i.e. against Clouds, Aerosol, water Vapor, Ice, and Snow) and 1.1 meter aperture telescope, it can take up to 680,000 square kilometers a day.

The critical, but easy to answer, question here is: who can access Worldview 3?

The answer is the regular clients of Digital Globe represented by: Google, Microsoft, NASA, and the US federal agencies which are the main and only winners of Worldview 3 as they will be able to spy freely on us without us having any single right to protect ourselves especially if the government restrictions continue to be even more relaxed to reach 10 cm per pixel, for instance.

This will definitely open the door for other giants in the field like google who is planning to launch its satellite by 2018 that has the ability to capture the whole planet three times a day with only one meter distance resolution and a 90 second video at 30 frames per second.

This is not an illusion or a far dream, google has already started launching two if its rockets on a Russian rocket.

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NOAA Satelite System Vulnerable To Cyber Attack

National Oceanic and Atmospheric administration (NOAA) are running their systems in a way that leaves them at high risk for cyber-attacks. The Department of Commerce’s Office of the Inspector General (OIG) found that the Joint Polar Satellite System’s (JPSS) ground system is highly vulnerable to a large number of cyber-attacks. JPSS is a system that collects the data from weather satellites and distributes the information to users worldwide. This system is planned to be used on more satellites in the near future.

“Our analysis of the JPSS program’s assessments of system vulnerabilities found that, since FY (fiscal year) 2012, the number of high-risk vulnerabilities in the system had increased by two-thirds despite recent efforts the program has taken to remediate these vulnerabilities,” This is according to a memorandum form Allen Crawley, assistant inspector general for systems acquisition and IT security, to Kathryn Sullivan, undersecretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere and NOAA administrator. JPSS is considered to be a “High Impact” IT system, which means that it could have a very catastrophic effect on organizational operations, and organizational assets. The Audit, were the ones who investigated NOAA’s IT security program and found some frightening numbers. The Audit, found that the number of High-Risk vulnerabilities rose from 14,486 in the first quarter FY of 2012 to 23,868 in the second quarter FY of 2014. “If exploited, these [high-risk] vulnerabilities may make it possible for attackers to significantly disrupt the JPSS mission of providing critical data used in weather forecasting and climate monitoring,” Crawley wrote in the memorandum.

Some but not all of the vulnerabilities found are hard to patch. Most can be easily fixed by just making simple minor modifications to the current system. More than 9,100 software issues are there due to out of date software, lacking security patches, insecurely configured software and unnecessary user privileges. In over 3,600 instances the password and audit settings are not properly configured. There were also a number of software applications that need to be removed or disabled. The Heartbleed vulnerability is included in this long list. Heartbleed is something that leaves cryptographic keys and private data such as usernames, passwords, and credit card numbers at risk. “In response to our draft memorandum, NOAA concurred with our recommendations, NOAA indicated that it had already implemented [a] recommendation [to use system update processes for quickly applying critical patches], explaining that it remediated the Heartbleed vulnerability during the third quarter of FY 2014.” wrote Crawley.

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Is It possible To Kill Through Internet ?

Internet experts fear that murdering via internet could happen before the end of this year with the internet of things. For instance a device that is connected to the internet that can also monitor your sugar levels and tells you when to use your insulin can be hacked and reprogrammed to display wrong sugar levels leading to an over dose. Or even someone who is admitted to the hospital having their blood changed via a machine that is connected to the internet, which can be hacked and again be reprogrammed to change the blood flow at slower speed then the usual that may cause blood to clot and can cause serious problems in later on or possibly even lead to death.

This theory was recently raised from Europol Cyber Crime Centre (EC3) research, namely Internet Organized Crime Threat Assessment Report. It not only talks about criminals using different devices to use them against their owners but the same report also talks about the prospect of hacking tools. Sophisticated malicious products and services which are being sold to novice hackers, which definitely is a threat to business and users.

The report further states that as more and more objects are being connected to the internet which is causing the cloud to create new and complex infrastructures due to which attackers have a chance to plan attacks on different objects; if those objects are difficult to hack then that only leads the hacker to try different methods to attacks which is a good way to learn in their community. The report also says that the forms of attacks can include new ways of blackmailing, data mining or simply data theft, physical injury and even death.

One official from the United States Security said that hackers have the power to start a chaos inside your home, they have the power to burn it down by hacking your oven to fill your house with gas and then start the fire by igniting it or hacking in to the CCTV camera system and turning the DVR off to allow the burglars inside.

It is scary to know devices that are connected to the net can be used for malicious purposes that have been growing with medical equipments, house hold equipment, aircrafts and God knows what not. All we can suggest is that do not always leave your devices connected to the internet.

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Social Media And Its Impact On The Self

Social media was born in the early days of the internet. A means for people to communicate, share photos and ideas, one could say social media started with the first email, back in 1971.  Since then, with the help of websites like MySpace, Facebook and Linked-In, social media has become an industry unto itself with more current accounts than people on the planet.

While social media is meant to connect people and create positive experiences, there is a downside which many don’t realize.  While some enjoy posting their every random thought or moment, the majority of us take time to carefully sculpt our digital image using select photos, songs, videos or other media that we believe will project to others what we want them to see.  Recent studies are finding that many times, when one’s own personal image does not meet up to the image they believe they project in social media, the result can be depression, low self esteem and a slew of other issues.  As we sculpt our digital image, we rarely portray ourselves in a poor light.  This creates a subtle psychological competition  of sorts between us and our “friends” who may be presenting themselves or their digital identity in a manner that “outshines” us.

When one posts on Facebook or other social media, many times the number of “likes” one receives, the greater sense of importance one feels.  Dr. Susan Newman, PH. D., who conducted a study on social media and narcissism, stated “The more ‘likes,’ ‘retweets,’ etcetera, that some people receive gives them a feeling of importance. They represent a form of reassurance that they are recognized by a large number of ‘friends’ in spite of the fact that they may not really know most of them.” Social media has been studied for it’s affects on the individual by many organizations, including Psychology Today.Psychology Today concluded that we receive a boosted ego every time one of our posts is liked. The down side to social media is that besides boosting ego, it can be stressful.  The American Psychological Association recently conducted a study on stress.  According to the study, 39% of teen girls find social media stress significant.

Instagram has come under fire lately for “killing girls self esteem” but is there any truth to it? According to a study at Humboldt University Berlin, Instagram, a photo sharing social media site, causes low self esteem due to the number of “cues” being observed of people happy, rich or successful. This brings us back to the internal subtle perception of competition between us and our “friends.”  Watching images of your friends engaging in fun events, wearing nice clothes, driving nice cars, wearing nice jewelery, will have an adverse affect on your feelings of social standing which can and does lead, many times, to low self-esteem.  Last year alone, 58% of plastic surgeons saw a dramatic increase in patients under 30 for facial surgery and inject-able treatments like Botox. Was the rise due to social media? These days it is not uncommon for your first introduction to people to be through social media.  It appears that some actually are sculpting not only their digital image, but their actual image, to make a great first impression in the digital world.

Social media is a tool. And with all tools there is a danger associated with it.  A knife can cut you, a car can hit you, and social media can ruin you if you let it.  Like any other tool, know the dangers associated with it and how to over come them.  Social media has connected the world and disconnected individuals.  Knowing social media’s place in your life and not making it your life, is a good place to start.

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Microsoft To Make a Digital India A Reality Using White Space

Microsoft has developed a plan to provide free internet service to the entire country of India using the unused spectrum between  between TV stations, known as White Space. Microsoft has already received approval to test the program in two districts.  If successful, Microsoft hopes to implement the free internet service across the nation.

In 2010, the FCC made white space, the unused space between VHF and UHF channels available for unlicensed public use.  The attraction to white space is in part due to the overcrowding of currently used communication channels.  White space not only provides an alternative to the currently used spectrum, it can also be used to provide internet in places that are too remote for standard ISPs.  The current range of Wi-Fi is approximately 100 meters or just over 300 feet.  Microsoft’s new white space internet would have a broadcast range of over 10 kilometers.  It was originally called super-wifibecause of it’s ability to broadcast over vast distances and it’s ability to penetrate buildings, trees and other structures that would have previously cause interference.

Currently the white space in India is going unused, much like most of the world.  If the project is successful, it would allow for Prime Minister Narenda Modi’s idea of a Digital India to become reality.  Modi has a vision of turning India into a modern digital powerhouse.  Modi’s idea looks to connectCommon Service Centers (CSC), as central hubs from which all of a village’s goods  and products can be ordered and picked up. The idea is to create centers of commerce using broadband internet, bringing parts of the country that are currently beyond the reach of internet communications, into the fold.  Commerce isn’t the only use for these planned digital centers.  One could consult with doctors remotely from any of the medical e-centers.   There are also plans to use these centers as education hubs, connecting educators and students around the world.  India hopes to have CSCs up by 2019.

Microsoft began testing white space technology in 2011 along with partners BT, Nokia and the BBC.  The technology has been in development and is currently available in certain areas.  White space technology is one of the best hopes for bringing low cost, reliable broadband internet to the developing world.

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Aaron Swartz - A Hero Who Died Too Young

“Our beloved brother, son, friend, and partner Aaron Swartz hanged himself on Friday in his Brooklyn apartment. We are in shock, and have not yet come to terms with his passing.

Aaron’s insatiable curiosity, creativity, and brilliance; his reflexive empathy and capacity for selfless, boundless love; his refusal to accept injustice as inevitable—these gifts made the world, and our lives, far brighter. We’re grateful for our time with him, to those who loved him and stood with him, and to all of those who continue his work for a better world.”

compassionate, intelligent, highly capable man die, and why did his death spark so much interest leading to a compelling documentary being made and released in June 2014.

There’s no doubt about it, Aaron Swartz was a wonder kid. He taught himself to read at age 3. By 12 he created Info Network, a user-generated encyclopedia, which Swartz later likened to an early version of Wikipedia.

At the age of 13, Swartz helped create an important technical standard known as RSS, and while still a teenager, he helped sell a company called Reddit after it merged with his own project, Infogami.

By 2008, Swartz founded Watchdog.net “the good government site with teeth” and in 2009, wanting to learn more about effective activism, he helped launch the Progressive Change Campaign Committee.

During academic year 2010–11, Swartz conducted research studies on political corruption as a Lab Fellow in Harvard University’s Edmond J. Safra Research Lab on Institutional Corruption

As a congressional intern, he helped advocate for reform of the health care system and the Federal Reserve. In 2012, Swartz used the knowledge he gained to lead an unprecedented political campaign to defeat the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA), a bill that would have undermined free speech on the internet.

While researching in 2011, Swartz plugged a laptop into the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) network and downloaded a bulk of documents from an academic database named JSTOR (a digital library), Swartz had a history of analysing large batches of academic data and no history of breaking the law.

On the night of January 6, 2011, Swartz was arrested near the Harvard campus by MIT police and a U.S. Secret Service agent. He was arraigned in Cambridge District Court on two state charges of breaking and entering with intent to commit a felony. Over the next year and a half, the government added multiple counts to the original charges, which saw him facing 35 years in jail.

The prosecutors offered him a plea deal, to spend 6 months in prison, which he refused asserting his innocence but he was left feeling more and more trapped and scared of the federal charges and the implications for him.

After several years of being threatened and deceived, and having spent his entire fortune on legal fees, he was in a depression. 2 days after the prosecution declined a counter offer by Swartz he was found dead by hanging. He left no note

His family and his partner created a memorial website on which they issued a statement saying “He used his prodigious skills as a programmer and technologist not to enrich himself but to make the Internet and the world a better place. Also adding “Aaron’s death is not simply a personal tragedy. It is the product of a criminal justice system rife with intimidation and prosecutor overreach. Decisions made by officials in the Massachusetts US attorney’s office and at MIT contributed to his death”

in the year since his death Aaron Swartz has become a martyr, he is remembered for his unwavering dedication to his principles, his friends and his tireless struggle against injustice.

Aaron Swartz died January the 11th 2013 aged just 26.

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Behind The Mask Of Anonymous

Anonymous has been brought back into the limelight with the recent events in Ferguson. It would not be a stretch to say that Anonymous played a major role in the unfolding of events in the St. Louis suburb after the shooting death of Michael Brown, a black teenager by a white police officer. If it wasn’t for Anonymous, who knows if the Justice Department would have launched this full-scale investigation into the Ferguson Police Department for civil rights violations. If it wasn’t for Anonymous, this could have been just another incident swept under the rug by the powers that be. Time and time again, Anonymous takes action in the face of tyranny while a great many more simply sit at home and do nothing. Love them or hate them, Anonymous is a force to be reckoned with.

I’m not here to give you a history lesson. There are many great sources from which you can learn the history of Anonymous. I highly recommend the documentary, We Are Legion – The Story of Hactivists,which is readily available. I’m here today because I feel there is a great misconception about what Anonymous truly is. It’s amazing how often I hear about Anonymous out in the world, whether in public or at work or even in the news. Despite all the things that Anonymous does and the varied amounts of activities and people involved, Anonymous is continuously referred to as a hacker group. Nothing could be further from the truth. It can be difficult to grasp what Anonymous is. Of course hacking is what gained the attention of the world, and remains a powerful tool in Anonymous’ arsenal, but it is just that, a tool. While Anonymous got its start in mischief and hacking, it has grown into something far beyond that. Anonymous, much like many other movements, started with humble beginnings, but has evolved into a powerful machine that has drawn the ire of leaders worldwide.

Movements may begin with somewhat abstract philosophies. Over time, as these philosophies congeal, the movement begins to solidify around them.  Definitive goals and stances are established. Individuals see the direction the movement is going and choose to get involved. As the process evolves, so does the need for organization.  Anonymous, while a movement which has no leaders, no membership and no hierarchy, has evolved pockets of leadership and organization. Just the fact that you’re reading this article on an Anonymous homepage tells you that there has to be some form of organization and leadership. Who do I send these articles to every week? Beats me. The who is irrelevant. Who am I? That doesn’t even matter. All that matters is the message. The Anonymous message is clear and simple.

Citizens of nations around the world, we are Anonymous. This is a message from us, from the resistance, the last line of defense. We have been watching the world’s events unfold around you, and truth be told, we are highly displeased. The monstrosities carried out by governments worldwide on a daily basis have grown far too old and we are here to bring these corrupted acts to justice. If you are tired of watching the world, our only home, be ripped to shreds for the illusion of riches based on paper with false value placed upon it,  if you are afraid of your government or afraid to wake up in the morning to a war-torn city, whether you’re afraid of your life being lost because you have been tossed into pointless wars, fighting for someone you’ll never meet, or who will never care about you, but the money he takes because of you, then you, my friend, are part of the resistance. We are here to ask the public to join our crusade. Inform. If you are hearing this broadcast, if you’re watching this transmission, if you are reading our words and letters, then you, my friend, are Anonymous. Part of an ever growing legion that will never perish. Part of a collective that relies in unison. This message goes directly to the people that are aware of our corrupted, an unwilling society, as well as to the people that are not aware but  wishing to be. Wishing for something more in life besides money and a job. Furthermore, we will never be destroyed. We, as in you and us. We, as in everything and everyone. We as an idea. Ideas cannot be arrested, killed, or broken. It cannot be interfered nor can it be stopped. Ideas, like courage, is contagious. Ideas cannot be divided. The idea is in the mind. You cannot throw it away in the trash. You cannot erase it, nor can you forget it. We are Anonymous and we are an idea to be reckoned with. We are an idea that will never halt or stand idly by while our governments commit vile acts against the people they claim to serve and protect so very highly. If you’re tired of your government and it’s broken system, if you are tired of people not willing to care for our world, our rights, our society and its future generations, then join us. Join the resistance. What have you done so far in life except become like the other 7 billion people who are going through the same process. We know this is why you seek us. Both us and yourself knew the moment you clicked this video (or read these words), that your time and moment has came. Because you, like most of the people around you, want change for the better. You want compassion. You want care. You want rights and an open society that makes positive impact without government interruption. You want less value on human possession and more value on human life. We know this is why you seek to become Anonymous. Yet most people are worried. Worried that they won’t succeed in life. Worried that they won’t have enough money to feed their families. Worried about their future. Worried that they won’t have enough money to pay the rent. Worried that someday they will become something low, while others expected something high from them. Worried about their job and their appearance. Worried about death. You want something more to life than to be born, grown up, make money, retire, and die like the millions of people inhabiting this globe and all of it for nothing. That is why we are here. That is why the resistance has came. We are not saviors. We are concerned citizens. Formed, built and molded upon from an idea that purifies itself with freedom and justice. We were here since the start. Since the beginning of you. Since the birth of everyone and everything. We are fighting for your rights. We are fighting for you and you only. We speak as one. For we wish for no fame or profit but sincerity and equality. Yet we are not just one single person group or community who call ourselves Anonymous. We are not just hackers like the media says and has corrupted you with. We are you. We are your neighbors. We are your fathers and your mothers. We are your sons and your daughters. We are your aunts and we are your Uncles, your sisters and your brothers. We are the poor unemployed man who is looking for his purpose in life and the food to place on this family’s table, as well as the lawyer who fights for the accused to the court of law and the teacher who teaches the children, and the person who delivers your mail, the students in your school, the workers your company. We are the person near you. We are the person walking with you. The person in the car you are seeing right now. We are your lover and enemy. We are them and they are us. This was a message from Anonymous, the final resistance. This was a call of justice. We are Anonymous. We are the resistance. We are legion. We are an idea. We do not forgive. We do not forget. United as one. Divided by zero. Expect us.

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Becoming A Hacker

Hacker doesn’t mean “to use hacking tools which made by professional or by other anonymous hackers”  if you do use hacking tools you would called “cracker” or “noob” in the hackers world.

Becoming a hacker is not an easy job, it needs a lot of interest, passion and hardwork. If you are interested in hacking or in cyber world then it’s not a tough job for you to become a hacker.

So let us elaborate in steps for becoming a hacker

1. Learn about basic computer stuff (using operating system, and other stuff)

Learn using operating system, fixing every problem you face in your pc, then you should use multiple operating systems like linux or more,

2. Learn about networking concepts

Learn about networking concepts, new networking terms (protocols, ip addresses, http, ftp and more)

3. Learn c programming language or Javascript

c programming language, is the first language picked mostly for learning programming

4. Learn php scripting language

As per the professional hackers, php is much more useful for hacking into web entities, php is also useful for web developing

5. Try to understand how hacking tools work

You can use hacking tools which are made by experts, but this won’t make you a hacker, more a script kiddie or noob (this is real hackers would call you). In order to get a real hacker, you need to understand how hacking tools work and be able to code them even yourself.

6. Learn about new malwares

Every week new malware is being introduced to the cyber world which are made by black hats, in order to gain fame, earn money or more. Learn about malwares through hacking websites.

Do some research on them, particularly about how they are working

7. Learn some white hat hacking

It’s your choice whether you want be  black hat or white hat, while white hats are known as good guys, black hats are the ones doing illegal things with their hacking skills, either for personal interests or for money. Do some white hacking, it will help you gain experience in hacking, if you want be white hat, then you should participate in bug bounty programs.

8. Try to make tools with python

Python is a widely used programming language, you can use python for making your own hacking tools, or other programming languages in which you are good, but python is the most preferred language used by hackers for making hacking tools

9. Most important step is secure yourself from being hacked 

Before starting into hacking stuff, it is important to secure yourself from being caught or being hacked by using a VPN or other methods.

10. Spend a lot of time with hacking and programming

The more time you spend with hacking or programming, the more you’ll become stronger

So spend at least 4 to 5 hours daily,

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