Saturday, August 22, 2015

Anatomy of a Modern Crime

Cross-posted with the lovely Lady Killers.

In prime time television, computer attacks are heralded by blinking red lights and audible alarms. Then there’s some clumsily written dialogue about breached firewalls, and the scene cuts to someone typing on a keyboard in a dark room where the only light comes from the glow of a computer screen. Eventually, the audience discovers this brilliant, evil hacker single-handedly compromised the main frame using a zero-day attack. In one day. While wearing a hoodie. Hackers always wear hoodies.
I’m here to save you from this trope.
Let’s start with the task of detecting computer attacks. The truth is any computer connected to the Internet is being attacked in small ways all the time. Despite the best efforts of everyone involved, legitimate ad networks host malicious ads, good websites end up hosting bad code, emails with evil attachments still make it through spam filters, and various global bad actors are scanning for weaknesses all the time. This is the first reason it is ridiculous when a computer attack triggers blinking red lights. If that were actually true, the blinking red lights would be on all the time.
The second reason it is ridiculous is that determining whether an attack represents a small annoyance or full-scale emergency requires a human analyst of some sort. The real story starts this way: someone looks at a screen and says ‘hey, that looks odd.’ Then they do some work. Then they do some more work. Then they talk to someone else. Then maybe, if their suspicions pan out, the news spreads up through various layers of management until someone decides what to do about the intrusion. If you’re lucky. In some cases, if it’s not costing the business too much money, they throw up their hands and do nothing. Comforting, isn’t it?
Okay, now about firewalls. I could write an entire blog post on how to correctly use the term firewall in fiction. In fact, I have. So let’s not rehash that. The real problem here is that most attacks, even the big ones that lead to massive data breaches, start with pedestrian tactics. The Target breach started with a malicious email. The criminals used that email to get someone to install a program that allowed them to get someone’s username and password. That username and password gave them access to an internal system on Target’s network. That was then used as a jumping off point for infecting the registers. Firewalls were never part of the equation.
And the criminals didn’t even have to write the code that infected the registers. The lone hacker single-handedly taking down a large network is a rare occurrence. And by rare, I mean vanishingly rare. The reality is that there’s a thriving black market for cybercriminals. Do you want to buy time on computers that someone else has already taken over for you? You can do that. Do you want to buy an exploit kit that will automate infecting large numbers of computers? You can do that too. Last year, the going price for the code that will mutate your evil program so it’s undetectable by 90% of anti-virus programs was two hundred dollars.
Okay. Now we can talk about zero-day attacks. They’re one of the coolest things in my field. A zero-day attack is an attack that has no available patch. That means your machine will be vulnerable to it, no matter what you do. Super scary, right? Sounds great for fiction. I hate to be the one to tell you this… but zero-day attacks are not the first choice for a criminal or even a spy agency. What’s really scary is that many computers, even at government agencies, can be compromised without resorting to fancy zero-day attacks. Patching reliably, on a large scale, is difficult. Most organizations fail. Your antagonist probably doesn’t need a zero-day attack to succeed, and wouldn’t try it first.
Why not? Zero-day attacks are powerful because they’re secret. The more they’re used, the less secret they are. Eventually, someone submits a sample to an anti-virus company. Or the breach is discovered and the email attachment gets analyzed, and then boom, your fancy zero-day is no longer your ace-in-the-hole. Zero-day attacks also raise the profile of an attacker. Sophisticated criminals don’t want to show their hand if they don’t have to. Better to use a common weapon, so their victims aren’t alerted to their presence. Zero-day attacks are typically reserved for high value targets when other attacks won’t work.
We should also talk about timing. Most attacks worthy of a novel take time. The target is studied. Scanned. Researched. And then, when the attacker has determined the best approach, compromised.
As for hoodies? Well, I can’t really fight that one. Computer geeks of all stripes tend to own hoodies. Course, most non-computer geeks do too. You can keep the hoodie.

Thursday, March 12, 2015

Case of the disappearing playlist

Fellow iPhone users -

When I upgraded to the iPhone 6 and iOS 8, one of my favorite playlists disappeared. I follow a couple pod casts that release songs of the day. They're a great way to discover new artists, like Nellie Mckay or Felix Da Housecat.

But when I got my new phone, my smart playlist with all my favorite songs disappeared.  The playlist worked in iTunes just fine, and was set to sync, but never appeared.

It took me half an hour to discover two neat things. First, files of type 'podcast' won't appear on playlists on the iPhone. And second, empty playlists don't appear at all.

Just in case anyone else was having the same problem ...

Megan

Tuesday, July 29, 2014

POV: More than Pronouns

Dear Shana Mahaffey,

This is a much belated thank-you for your book Sounds Like Crazy, and what it taught me about point of view in fiction.

Early on, we learn about pronouns and what that means for point of view.  Later, if you're a writer, you debate the relative advantages/disadvantages of first person vs third person vs omniscent, etc.

Slightly more advanced presentations will focus on common mistakes, like violating point of view by describing something outside the narrator's awareness. (e.g. "She didn't notice the man with the knife creeping up behind her.")

But what I haven't heard many people talk about, and what I think your book so aptly demonstrates, is that point of view is also about agency.  That how you describe a scene can put the narrator in control of their body, or make them distant from their own actions.  Distance is generally a bad thing if you want your reader to be in your narrator's skin.

Except when the main character struggles with multiple personality disorder.  Holly often finds herself inside her own body, but unable to control it.  As I read the book, I noticed how differently Holly's actions are described when she's in control of her body vs. when her other personalities have taken over.

 To clarify the point, let's look at an obvious example of how to show someone else is in control:
She sashayed my body to the counter, retrieved the menu, and sauntered back.

A little further in the chapter, we see how this technique translates when control shifts mid-paragraph:
She ceded control [of my body].   A marker that something has changed.
My knees buckled.  Clearly shows she is not in control of this action.
I dove forward to catch my body just before it went down.  We know Holly is in control again because of the "I dove".   
When I felt the ground under my feet, I bolted through the kitchen toward the back exit.  More language to demonstrate that Holly is in control with "I felt" and "I dove"

And another example, just to drive the point home:
My hand reached for the plate.  The woman grabbed my wrist.
Note how both of these sentences show the narrator observing the actions of someone else, though in the first sentence it's her own body she's describing.

There are other times when you might want distance between the narrator and their actions, aside from Holly's unique situation.  Like when a character doesn't understand why they are doing something, but they are doing it anyway.  Or perhaps, if you're doing supernatural fiction, an otherworldly force has taken hold of the narrator.

Thanks for the lessons, hoping to see another book from you. :)

Megan



Friday, August 3, 2012

Swiss Chard Meets Sweet Potatoes and Wild Rice

Dear summer produce fans,

I'm not the first person to pair sweet potato and swiss chard, but I didn't find this recipe anywhere else so I'm posting it. :)  The wild rice stands up nicely to the swiss chard and the sauteed onions add a bit of sweetness that complements the sweet potato.  In other words, it's yummy.  You'll even forget it's healthy.

Ingredients:
1 sweet potato
2 small onions
A small bunch of swiss chard (6 to 7 leaves)
2 cups cooked wild rice
Olive oil

Start the wild rice cooking if you're not lucky enough to have it pre-cooked.

Separate the stalks of the swiss chard from the leaves.  Chop the stalks finely.  Chop the leaves into small pieces - less than an inch long.

Dice the potato into small cubes - no larger than a quarter-inch square.

Dice the onions and the shallot.

Saute the swiss chard stalk, onions, potato and shallot in olive oil until the sweet potato cubes are soft - about 10 minutes.

Add the leaves and heat until the leaves just turn dark green.  I suppose you could go all the way to wilted if you want, but I like it better this way.

Serve the swiss chard mixture over wild rice.

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Pumpkin Irony and Mole Black Bean Pumpkin Soup

Dear home canners -

It is during these times when you get to say 'I told you so' to all your friends who ask why you garden and can the harvest. Because while other pumpkin lovers were anxiously wondering if there would be canned pumpkin in the store this year, my cabinet still had some of last year's supply.

If you are lucky enough to have some pumpkin cubes around, here's a recipe I made up to use up the cubes that didn't make it into the canner.

Crockpot Mole Black Bean and Pumpkin Soup

2 cups stock
2 cups Mole sauce from the Joy of Cooking
6 cups pumpkin cubes, approx 1 inch on all sides
2 skinless chicken breasts (optional)
1 15 ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained

Put all ingredients in crockpot. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or high for 2-3 hours. When the pumpkin cubes are soft, it is ready. Take out the chicken breasts if you used them and shred them into smaller pieces on a separate place. Puree the pumpkin-bean mixture to a texture you like and then add the chicken pieces back in.

Saturday, April 10, 2010

Pumpkin Tomato Stew

To fellow food collectors -

The good part of a large pumpkin harvest is getting a shelf full of canned pumpkin. The bad part of a large pumpkin harvest is trying to find a way to use a shelf full of canned pumpkin.

I adapted this recipe to fit what I had on hand and it was delicious. So, those of you that are hoarding canned pumpkin and canned tomatoes from last year, it's time to use them up. :)

Crockpot Pumpkin Tomato Stew

1 cup chopped onion
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 dried red habanero chili
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup turkey pieces or cooked ground turkey (optional, it's not the main flavor)
30 ounces cooked pinto beans
32 ounces (1 qt) canned tomatoes
2 cups pumpkin puree
2 teaspoons curry powder
1/8 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 tablespoon cumin
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Add everything into the crockpot but the dried chili. Put the chili on top. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. Remove the chili before serving. Or, for a fun game, mix in the chili and see who gets in their bowl at dinner.

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Sunny cauliflower and eggplant bake

This recipe started on a lazy afternoon at a friend's house with her CSA newsletter and some cauliflower and spare veggies. It's mostly her creation, not mine but I feel like it should be shared with everyone. :) Normally I find cauliflower to be a creepy little vegetable since it looks like an alien tree but prepared this way it's delicious. You can substitute most any acid - balsamic vinegar or other flavored vinegars will work.

Ingredients:
Half a head of cauliflower
Half an eggplant
Olive oil
2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 cloves garlic
.25 cups shredded parmesan
Salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Chop the cauliflower into small pieces - most should be no larger than a thumbnail. Chop the eggplant into similarly small pieces. Mince the garlic.

Put the eggplant, cauliflower and garlic into a baking pan big enough to there's only one layer and the pieces aren't crowded. Toss with olive oil to coat. Add the lemon juice and mix well. Salt and pepper to taste.

Bake for 25 minutes at 400 degrees. When done baking, sprinkle with the parmesan.

It's good reheated for lunch, too.