Auto Renew Let’s Encrypt Certificates

I’m a big fan of Let’s Encrypt (free, widely trusted SSL certificates) but not a big fan of most of the client software available for requesting and renewing certificates. Unlike a typical certificate authority, Let’s Encrypt doesn’t have a webui for requesting/renewing certs; everything is driven via an automated process that is run between a Let’s Encrypt software client and the Let’s Encrypt web service.

Since the protocols that Let’s Encrypt uses are standards-based, there are many open source clients available. Being security conscious, I have a few concerns with most of the clients:

  • Complication. Many of the clients are hundreds of lines long and unnecessarily complicated. This makes the code really hard to audit and since this code is playing with my crypto key material, I do want to audit it.
  • Elevated privilege. At least one of the clients I saw required root permission. That’s a non starter.

I can’t remember how, but I discovered a very clean, very simple client called acme-tiny at github.com/diafygi/acme-tiny. This script was obviously written by someone who shares the same concerns as I do and I highly recommend it to others.

I used acme-tiny to request my initial certificates — and it Continue reading

10 key considerations when building a private cloud

This vendor-written tech primer has been edited by Network World to eliminate product promotion, but readers should note it will likely favor the submitter’s approach.A private cloud enables enterprises to secure and control applications and data while providing the ability for development teams to deliver business value faster and in a frictionless manner. But while building a private cloud can transform IT, it can also be an expensive science experiment without careful planning and preparation.  Here are ten considerations that will help ensure success.1. Involve the stakeholders.  Private clouds are not purely an IT project. The various business units that will be the actual users should be involved in figuring out the specifications and deliverables. A cloud changes the transactional relationship between IT and business. Both sides have to be engaged in figuring out and accepting how that relationship changes with a private cloud.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

10 key considerations when building a private cloud

This vendor-written tech primer has been edited by Network World to eliminate product promotion, but readers should note it will likely favor the submitter’s approach.

A private cloud enables enterprises to secure and control applications and data while providing the ability for development teams to deliver business value faster and in a frictionless manner. But while building a private cloud can transform IT, it can also be an expensive science experiment without careful planning and preparation.  Here are ten considerations that will help ensure success.

1. Involve the stakeholders.  Private clouds are not purely an IT project. The various business units that will be the actual users should be involved in figuring out the specifications and deliverables. A cloud changes the transactional relationship between IT and business. Both sides have to be engaged in figuring out and accepting how that relationship changes with a private cloud.

To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

People are patching Windows but not their apps

The good news? People are keeping Windows up to date and patched. The bad news? They are a lot sloppier about the apps they use on their Windows PCs.According to a new report from Secunia Research in its Country Reports, covering Q2 2016 for 12 countries, the number of unpatched Windows machines has declined to just 5.4 percent, which is a sizable drop from the 6.1 percent of the first quarter. In Q2 of 2015, that figure was 10.3 percent.+ Also on Network World: The unrelenting danger of unpatched computers +To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

SD-WAN takes advantage of the 100x MPLS/Internet price gap

This vendor-written tech primer has been edited by Network World to eliminate product promotion, but readers should note it will likely favor the submitter’s approach.Everyone is generally aware that MPLS is expensive compared to Internet connectivity (check out “Why MPLS is so expensive”), but are you aware exactly how enormous the difference is? Even with MPLS prices coming down, the precipitous drop in Internet prices has made the gap larger. A few years ago MPLS typically cost $300-$600 per Mbps per month for the copper connectivity (i.e. n x T1/E1) typically deployed at all but the largest enterprise locations, while today in most of North America and much of Europe a more typical range is $100 - $300 per Mbps per month.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

SD-WAN takes advantage of the 100x MPLS/Internet price gap

This vendor-written tech primer has been edited by Network World to eliminate product promotion, but readers should note it will likely favor the submitter’s approach.Everyone is generally aware that MPLS is expensive compared to Internet connectivity (check out “Why MPLS is so expensive”), but are you aware exactly how enormous the difference is? Even with MPLS prices coming down, the precipitous drop in Internet prices has made the gap larger. A few years ago MPLS typically cost $300-$600 per Mbps per month for the copper connectivity (i.e. n x T1/E1) typically deployed at all but the largest enterprise locations, while today in most of North America and much of Europe a more typical range is $100 - $300 per Mbps per month.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

SD-WAN takes advantage of the 100x MPLS/Internet price gap

This vendor-written tech primer has been edited by Network World to eliminate product promotion, but readers should note it will likely favor the submitter’s approach.

Everyone is generally aware that MPLS is expensive compared to Internet connectivity (check out “Why MPLS is so expensive”), but are you aware exactly how enormous the difference is? Even with MPLS prices coming down, the precipitous drop in Internet prices has made the gap larger. 

A few years ago MPLS typically cost $300-$600 per Mbps per month for the copper connectivity (i.e. n x T1/E1) typically deployed at all but the largest enterprise locations, while today in most of North America and much of Europe a more typical range is $100 - $300 per Mbps per month.

To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Sounds from your hard disk drive can even be used to steal a PC’s data

Researchers have found a way to steal a PC’s data by using the mechanical noise coming from the hard disk drives inside.It’s not a very practical hack, but the scheme has been designed for “air-gapped” systems, or computers that have been sectioned off from the Internet.The researchers at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Israel have been studying how to use sound to extract information from air-gapped computers. In June, they showed that even a PC’s cooling fans can be controlled to secretly transmit data, including passwords and encryption keys.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Sounds from your hard disk drive can even be used to steal a PC’s data

Researchers have found a way to steal a PC’s data by using the mechanical noise coming from the hard disk drives inside.It’s not a very practical hack, but the scheme has been designed for “air-gapped” systems, or computers that have been sectioned off from the Internet.The researchers at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Israel have been studying how to use sound to extract information from air-gapped computers. In June, they showed that even a PC’s cooling fans can be controlled to secretly transmit data, including passwords and encryption keys.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Sounds from your hard disk drive can be used to steal a PC’s data

Researchers have found a way to steal a PC’s data by using the mechanical noise coming from the hard disk drives inside. It’s not a very practical hack, but the scheme has been designed for “air-gapped” systems, or computers that have been sectioned off from the Internet. The researchers at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Israel have been studying how to use sound to extract information from air-gapped computers. In June, they showed that even a PC’s cooling fans can be controlled to secretly transmit data, including passwords and encryption keys.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

HP turns to Windows 10 for mobile devices, cutting reliance on Android

HP has dabbled in many operating systems over the last few years, but the company always seems to come back to Windows.The company is building a mobile device strategy around Windows 10 Mobile and is slowly cutting its reliance on Android, once high on the company's list for tablets and PCs.HP has discontinued low-cost Android tablets, and two remaining enterprise tablets feature aging hardware and an old version of the OS. Company executives have said future mobile devices will be built around Windows 10 unless there's significant new demand for Android.HP is following the lead of Dell, which has cut Android devices to focus on Windows. Lenovo, meanwhile, still sells Android tablets and smartphones but is cutting its number of Android tablets and increasing its number of Windows 2-in-1s.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Is a bidding war brewing for Raspberry Pi manufacturer Premier Farnell?

Swiss conglomerate Datwyler today said that it was still considering its options after its $795 million bid for Raspberry Pi manufacturer Premier Farnell was trumped by a $900 million offer from Avnet Inc late last month.In an earnings release issued today, Datwyler emphasized that the process isn’t over, and that the prospect of acquiring the U.K.-based electronics supply company is still a highly attractive one.+ALSO ON NETWORK WORLD: How well does social engineering work? One test returned 150% + 'Golden keys' that unlock Windows' Secure Boot protection discovered+To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

The tide may be turning against encryption in Europe

In the wake of increased terror incidents Europe is starting to look seriously at ways to read encrypted messages that officials there say are instrumental to carrying out attacks.France and Germany apparently are teaming up to formulate a plan for enabling law enforcement there to read encrypted communications, according to a report in Le Monde. But it’s unclear exactly what the two countries will discuss.France’s interior minister Bernard Cazeneuve says an international effort is needed to deal with the issue and he plans to meet with his German counterpart later this month to discuss it.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

The tide may be turning against encryption in Europe

In the wake of increased terror incidents Europe is starting to look seriously at ways to read encrypted messages that officials there say are instrumental to carrying out attacks.France and Germany apparently are teaming up to formulate a plan for enabling law enforcement there to read encrypted communications, according to a report in Le Monde. But it’s unclear exactly what the two countries will discuss.France’s interior minister Bernard Cazeneuve says an international effort is needed to deal with the issue and he plans to meet with his German counterpart later this month to discuss it.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Worth Reading: NTP is still a security risk

The Network Time Protocol (NTP) has been in the news a number of times over the past couple of years because of attacks on the protocol, vulnerabilities in the daemon, and the use of NTP in DDoS attacks. In each case, the developers of NTP have responded quickly with fixes or recommendations for remediating these attacks. Additionally, the development team has continued to look ahead and has worked to enhance the security of NTP. —CircleID

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IDG Contributor Network: How the Affordable Care Act contributed the rise of the blended workforce

Work “works” differently than it used to. More and more people are working as freelancers in the gig economy, and today 40 percent of the workforce does freelancing, contract work and part-time work. That means many more organizations have blended workforces with a variety of employees, including full-time, permanent employees, contractors and freelancers.Multiple factors are enabling the disruption of the traditional employer-employee model and the rise of the blended workforce. Technology enables people to work from wherever they are, societal attitudes towards work have changed, and competitive demands place more pressure on organizations to be agile. More than 30 percent of workers for nearly 40 percent of top-performing firms are already contract or freelance workers. In fact, these firms intend to hire even more freelancers in the future.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

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