Finally upgraded firmware of a critical piece of my network!

network infrastructure For years now I have been terrified of one particular network device. This high end device requires a service contract from it’s manufacturer to be eligible for software upgrades and as such had been neglected for some time. I couldn’t use it the way I wanted or hardly at all for fear that it would be compromised via the Heartbleed vulnerability. Forced to relegate this amazing appliance to be firewalled far from the prying packets of the Internet at large.

Finally, with some licensing help from a friend, it’s firmware is finally current! It can once again take it’s place as the core of my network without the fear of being instantly owned. Thank you Adam once again for all your help.  Let this be a lesson to hardware venders.  Don’t force people to pay service contracts just for security upgrades.  Your bugs, your job to fix.

A Tinkerer’s Sunset

This article describes an upbringing with computers that in addition to being quite similar to my own almost certainly will ring true with many readers.  It talks of apple’s beginnings.  In those days in order to make anything your own you had to tinker.  Many computers at the start shipped not only with a basic interpreter in place of an operating system, but with schematics as well.  Unfortunately for some, times have changed.  If modern apple continues on the path they have clearly laid it means an end to the tinkerers lifestyle.

When DVD Jon was arrested after breaking the CSS encryption algorithm, he was charged with “unauthorized computer trespassing.” That led his lawyers to ask the obvious question, “On whose computer did he trespass?” The prosecutor’s answer: “his own.”

Apple is trying to do the same with their touch devices.  iPhone, iPod Touch, and the new iPad require serious hacking before any tinkering can be done.  If apple has their way, they will have jailbreaking void more then just your warranty and your service contract.  You’ve come a long way from your hacker roots Apple.  Your design is amazing, but PLEASE remember your pledge with OS X to be “Open for Business.”  From what i have seen, apple is no more open then they are required to be by all the licences they themselves are using.

Read the entire article here:  http://diveintomark.org/archives/2010/01/29/tinkerers-sunset