Tag Archives: isbc

ISBC: April discussion and May reminder

Posted on by
Reply

I think I have mentioned last month that @forgottensec had hooked us up with a bulletin board of our own where we could all discuss book club-related stuff (including a thread for suggestions next year’s books). Either way, here is a reminder that the regular discussion of the book can be had at the forum, in the Daemon thread. I thought that it would also be nice to gather a bunch of us for a Google+ hangout to discuss Daemon as well as hear what you all want to see happen with the book club. So, for those of you who are available at the time, there will be a Google+ hangout on Sunday, May 6 at 6:00 PM EST (3PM PST).

Also, as a quick reminder, this month’s book is the sequel to Daemon, Freedom.

I look forward to seeing you all on the board as well as on the G+ hangout!

 

Goals update

Posted on by
Reply

Since we are at about 1/4 of the way through 2012, I thought that I would revisit my goals for the year to see what my progress is as well as whether or not I should make any changes. Overall, I’ve been pretty good with sticking with my goals, but I am going to drop the Sprite Stitch Challenge. I just don’t have the time/resources that I thought I would at the beginning of the year.

Health

  • Lose at least 75 lbs by the end of the year (totally doable and will leave me at a still healthy weight): I am already at -25 and am working on the rest of it. May have to make another goal once I reach this one, though.
  • Exercise regularly (weekdays; alternating between cardio and strength exercises): Exercising regularly, but I have not been doing the strength training exercises like I had wanted to. I will have to make a concentrated effort to work on this.
  • Drink recommended daily amount of water every day (even the weekends, which is where I usually drop the ball). I’ve been doing really well with this and have completely eliminated soda from my diet and have been drinking tea, coffee, and water.
  • Pay attention to portions: Again, I have been doing really well with this and plan to stick with it.
  • Get physicals done at least twice this year: Already scheduled my first physical of the year.
  • Get a cleaning at the dentist at least twice this year: Also just scheduled my first cleaning of the year.
  • Keep up with blood work to keep OBGYN/Oncologist off my back Yeah….I should probably do that….
  • Whiten teeth regularly: About to do my second round of whitening (four/year)
  • Don’t drink soda: Mission accomplished!

Finances

  • Pay off all of 2010′s medical bills by year’s end
  • Put money into savings after each pay period: Starting to do this.
  • Pay off last credit card
  • Start retirement fund and put money in it monthly: Yeah…haven’t done this yet.
  • Make monthly budgets and stick to them: Getting good with this one.

Social (ness? ability?)

  • Update blog every week day: I need to get better about this, but have already blogged more than I did all of last year.
  • Write a letter to any friend at least once a month: Done!
  • Initiate conversations with your friends (I kinda suck at that): Doing a lot better with this.
  • Call mom and dad at least once a week: I was doing really well with this until my new schedule at work started. Will have to get back on the ball.
  • Visit Florida for at least a week: Done! And trying to see if I can’t make another trip.
  • Visit with Nikita more often: Done. And I think I’ve already seen her more this past few months than I did all last year :<

Projects

  • Do/make at least 1 thing a month (outside of sprite stitch challenge): I have not been doing this at all…
  • Document (photograph) everything that I make: Will do if I make anything.
  • Don’t over-commit: Mission accomplished!
  • Do monthly sprite stitch challenges Scratched off the list because I just don’t have the time to do them.
  • Hand make presents more often than buy them: Done this a few times already :D

Organization

  • Find a way to organize mail and bills: Done. Getting a mail organizer once we move.
  • Donate clothes I don’t wear at least twice a year: I have four bags of clothes that I need to drop off to the donation center.
  • Donate books I know I won’t re-read: I also have a box of books to drop off…
  • Find a way to organize badges, closet, make up, shoes and accessories that won’t drive the bf crazy or look tacky: Will be looking more into this once we make the move. I am leaning toward framing them.

Knowledge

  • Go through electronics textbook
  • Get a cert
  • Do something that’s mentally challenging and not mentally challenged

Misc.

  • Read at least two books a month: Up to about 4 books a month now, so I would say that this has no problem being met.
  • Stick with the ISBC throughout the year: So far, so good!
  • Do something good for yourself just because at least once a month: I kind of have been doing this. I skipped last month, though, since I spent time with family (even though that can arguable be considered a good thing for me).
  • Have at least a monthly date night with the bf: Done!

March discussion and April book reminder

Posted on by
Reply

Another month has blazed by and that means that it is time to discuss this month’s InfoSec Book Club book: Metasploit: The Penetration Tester’s Guide and instead of posting questions on here this month, we actually have a dedicated bulletin board. @ForgottenSec (on Twitter) was kind enough to create a bulletin board where those of us who are participating in reading (or just discussing the books) can interact with each other whenever it is convenient rather than trying to find a time/date that works for everyone on Twitter (or G+). I still hope to get a hold of some authors who would be interested in doing Google+ Hangouts to discuss their books more.

Link to the discussion board: https://isbc.forgottensec.com/wiki/

I also wanted to post a brief reminder that this month’s book is Daemon by Daniel Suarez.

Happy reading and I look forward to discussing these books with y’all!

 

February recap and March goals

Posted on by
Reply

So, here we are at the end of another month. It seemed to have flown by pretty quickly and I was kind of lax about getting stuff done, unfortunately. I didn’t do the Sprite Stitch Challenge, even though I had two months to complete it. I just didn’t have the creative juices flowing on what I wanted to make and then once I figured out what I wanted to do, I just didn’t have the time to do it. I also have no excuse for not writing on here every day or for not doing the letter to a friend this month. I did, however, buy some stationary so the letters going out from now on won’t be on lined notebook paper, which is nice.

  • Read this month’s ISBC book
  • Read 3+ other books (listed them in yesterday’s post)
  • Put money in savings
  • Book rental car for vacation
  • Do the Sprite Stitch Challenge
  • Make a budget for the month
  • Write letter to a different friend
  • Write blog posts every week day (failed already yesterday….)
  • Arrange for shuttle pick up/drop off for next month’s vacation
  • Get an average of 70,000 steps a week on the fitbit (been averaging at 40,000. I think it is because we didn’t go hiking for two weeks and then last week I got hit with a bad allergy attack)
  • Stick with the 100 push up challenge

The month of March is going to be a little different because I am also including stuff I want to do/see while in Florida (not going to mention people in particular because I don’t want to hurt people’s feelings if I don’t see them or if they aren’t included on the list).

  • Read this month’s ISBC book
  • Read 4+ other books
  • Put money in savings
  • Keep up with blog posts while on vacation
  • Get an average of 50,000 steps a week on the fitbit
  • Finish the 100 push up challenge
  • Go to Dinosaur World
  • Go on an airboat tour of the Everglades
  • Go on a haunted tour of downtown St. Petersburg with friends
  • Eat the best Cuban sandwich I can find
  • Do something with Nikita for her birthday
  • Go to goddaughter’s birthday part
  • Do something special with goddaughter for her birthday
  • Make Easter baskets for the godkids and leave them with their momma
  • Prep hard drive for cousin
  • Prep laptop for little sister

 

February discussion and March book reminder

Posted on by
3

Hopefully everyone had enough time to read this month’s book, Kevin Mitnick’s Ghost in the Wires: My Adventures as the World’s Most Wanted Hacker. Today we’re going to discuss it (either on Twitter using #ISBC2012 or in Google+, the choice is yours as to which you want to use) and I have a few questions to start us off with:

1. What did you think of the book? Why?
2. Would you recommend it to someone else to read? Why or why not?
3. What was your favorite part in the book?
4. What was your least favorite part in the book?
5. Would you want to read more books like this (autobiographies/biographies) for ISBC2013?

I also wanted to remind everyone that there has been a change with the next book (March). Instead of Silence on the Wire: A Field Guide to Passive Reconnaissance and Indirect Attacks, we will be reading Metasploit: The Penetration Tester’s Guide by David Kennedy, Jim O’Gorman, Devon Kearns, and Mati Aharoni (image of book’s cover below).

ISBC reminders and updates

Posted on by
3

Since things are gearing up for our first (Twitter/G+) discussion tomorrow, I thought that I would make another post about what’s going on in the wonderful world of the InfoSec Book Club.

  • I started to write up questions for discussion tomorrow, but it felt too much like I was preparing essay questions. So instead of posting discussion questions, I’ll start with a question at 10:30 AM (EST) and then will move the discussion along throughout the day. If that doesn’t work out well, then we will try the discussion questions with next month’s book.
  • As far as I know, we are still on for the Google+ hangout with Kent Nabors and Jayson E. Street to discuss the book this Saturday at 8PM (EST)
  • Speaking of next month’s book! Just wanted to remind you all that we are still set to read Kevin Mitnick’s Ghost in the Wires: My Adventures as the World’s Most Wanted Hacker next month (which starts on Wednesday).
  • March’s book was supposed to be Silence on the Wire: A Field Guide to Passive Reconnaissance and Indirect Attacks, but after consideration and a lot of input, it will be switching places with September’s book (Metasploit: The Penetration Tester’s Guide).

I think that is it and I look forward to the discussion tomorrow morning and the G+ hangout on Saturday!

ISBC Giveaway

Posted on by
Reply

Since this is the first month of the InfoSec Book Club, I thought that I would do something fun with it and offer a little giveaway. The prizes aren’t “super amazing”, but are fun and have something to do with the book as well as one of the authors (you’ll see what I mean below). The first person to email me the correct answers (verified by Jayson E. Street) wins the prizes.

All three answers can be found in the story portion of the book and you can email me your answers at: magen@tottenkoph.com

The questions from Jayson are:

1. How many Scooby Doo references are in the book & on what page numbers?

2. Who had the “Pulp Fiction” avatar?

3. One of the characters name was taken from an email used to propagate a virus who is it?

The prizes are a USB pen (like the one used in the book, except it has a laser pointer in it) and your choice of: 36 pack of Pepsi, 36 pack of Diet Pepsi, or a Pepsi-Cola wall-mounted bottle opener.

UPDATE:I also wanted to let you all know that Heidi has told me recently that she spoke with Syngress and No Starch Press and it has been arranged to have some copies of the books from those vendors at Shmoocon.

Stuff of the month

Posted on by
1

One of the good things about being forced to stay home because of the snow is that I got to read and watch some stuff that I may not have otherwise made the time to read/watch. Now the trick is to keep up the habit of reading even though I can go off and do other things. I also got a new phone the weekend before the snowstorm so my old phone is now serving as an mp3 player (since the iPod decided that it doesn’t want to hold a charge anymore and I really don’t want to buy another). Which is great not only because I don’t have to pay for another device, but I got to listen to some music that I had forgotten about while deciding what to transfer.

What I’m listening to: The Automatic Automatic: Not Accepted Anywhere

What I’ve been reading: Dissecting the Hack: The F0rb1dd3n Network (Jayson E. Street, Brian Baskin, Kent Nabors); The Light Fantastic and Sourcery (Terry Pratchett)

 

What we (bf+I) are watching [American TV]: Castle season 4; Fringe season 4; Damages season 4; 30 Rock season 6; Archer season 3

What we are watching [anime]: The same anime night line-up as last month (only change is that Fate/Zero is on hiatus for a season I believe). We have also watched When They Cry-Higurashi* (Higurashi no Naku Koroni), it’s sequel Higurashi no Naku Koroni Kai*. And we just started watching Toaru Kagaku no Railgun (pretty fun spinoff from the Index series).

*Don’t watch this with children or if you scare easily. Don’t let the really cute drawing style fool you.**
**No, seriously. This stuff is kind of messed up, y’all.

Finally making an update this week…

Posted on by
1

I don’t know if I have ever been snowed-in at home before (I vaguely recalling it snowing when we lived in Fort Campbell, KY). But I pray for my mom’s sake that we weren’t. Because holy crap am I bored. And restless. Both of which are terrible things and usually how I ended up in trouble when I was younger. I’m also feeling lazy/unmotivated when it comes to doing anything creative. But I’m making myself do stuff anyways.

I have an idea for a second entry for the sprite stitch challenge (the exquisite corpse challenge is supposed to span over two months, so there really isn’t any reason why I shouldn’t be doing two entries). Based on the clue that I was given, I was thinking of having the second entry be of the black mage trying to attack a chocobo with other chocobos behind the mage, unaware. I’m unsure how it will turn out, but I guess I will see later today when I try to make the pattern.

On the diet front, it has been 5 days since I started the diet and have been good about staying on it. I have to fight the urge to hop on the scale every day to see if I have made any progress, which I know isn’t really going to help me any or is a good thing to do. I have been slacking a little bit on drinking water at home, but have increased the amount of green and white teas that I drink. I’ve also been craving chocolate. Badly. Like I would gladly sell off the bf for a king-sized bar of quality dark chocolate. But I haven’t. I’ve been doing pretty good at fighting that craving (we’ll ignore the fact there is no chocolate in the house and we can’t go anywhere because the roads are covered in ice and the bf’s car has crappy tires).

I’ve been unable to start going back to the apartment complex’s gym like I had planned to start doing this week (not just because of the snow, but they are doing some upgrading to the equipment that they have). I have, however, been doing yoga every morning in the living room before logging in to work. It has helped to keep my back from hurting since I’ve been in a weird, hunched-over position to work on the laptop from my coffee table. I’ve also noticed that I have been sleeping better since starting to do this daily again.

I also finally finished this month’s ISBC book and am working with Jayson on a giveaway when I post up this month’s discussion topics. I feel kind of bad about having the twitter/G+ discussions this month since a lot of people will be at Shmoo, but I figure that they can participate in the convo from their phones in between talks and can join us on the G+ Hangout at 8PM EST on Saturday if they are able to.

January ISBC announcement

Posted on by
1

I spoke with Jayson Street yesterday and he has agreed to work with me to do a sort of contest/prize give-away thing to go along with the first month of the book club. Here’s how it is going to work:

On the 28th of this month when the normal discussion questions/topics are posted, I will also be posting 3 questions provided to me by Jayson. These questions can be answered using the Easter eggs that can be found in “F0rb1dd3n Network” (the fiction part of the book). The first person to answer the questions correctly will get a prize!

I don’t know what the prize is yet, but it will have something to do with either the book or the author (or both!) and will be posted along with the questions.

I hope that everyone has fun and enjoys the book!

UPDATE: I forgot to post that Jayson said that he would also be available for a G+ hangout at the end of the month to discuss the book if people are interested.