Tor- 'Mystery' Spike in Hidden Addresses

Tor/The Onion Router – Browse Through Web Anonymously

Exceptional spike in the number of hidden addressed on the Tor network has been identified by security expert and Prof Alan Woodward at the University of Surrey had spotted an increase of over 25,000 onion `dark web’ services. Prof Woodward had commented that he was unsure on how best to explain this sudden boom but one possibility was that it could be a sudden swell in the popularity of Ricochet, which is an app that tends to use Tor in enabling anonymous instant messages between users.

 The Onion Router or Tor enables users to browse through the web anonymously by routing their connections through a sequence of various computers and in the process encrypt the data. Prof Woodward had mentioned on his blog that there had not been a similar increase in .onion sites in the history of Tor network.

He had informed BBC that something unprecedented has been happening though at moment that is all what they are aware of. Dr Steven Murdoch at the University College London had mentioned that it is hard to know for certain what could be the reason for the jump. One of the objectives of Tor is to protect people’s privacy by not revealing how they are using Tor.

Rise in the Use of Ricochet - Chat App

Another interest defined by Prof Woodward was that inspite of the rise of hidden addresses; traffic on the network had not perceived a similar spike. He informed that it could be a coincidence that the spike could be due to a network of computers called a botnet unexpectedly using Tor or the hackers had been launching ransonware attacks.

It could also be the outcome of malware which could be creating unique .onion addresses when it tends to infect a user’s computer, though there seems to be no evidence for it. Prof Woodward also mentioned that he is of the belief that a rise in the use of an anonymous chat app known as Ricochet that has just received a huge positive security audit could be the most probable explanation.

Dr Murdoch had stated that this could be a possibility, adding that the spike could also be the result of someone running an experiment on Tor.

Ricochet Use Tor Network in Connecting Two Users

Ricochet tends to use the Tor network in setting up connections between two users who prefer to chat securely. The app’s website states that the same is accomplished without disclosing the locations or the IP address of the users and instead a username, each of the participants tend to receive a unique address like `richchet:rs7ce36jsj24ogfw’.

Though Ricochet had been available for some time, on 15 February reasonably positive results of an audit by security firm NCC Group had been published. Prof Woodward had mentioned on his blog that every new user of Ricochet would have to create a unique onion address while setting up the service and that could account for the flow in services. But he also admitted that 25,000 new users in just a matter of few days for the app, could recommend remarkable growth.

Automatic Bug-Repair System Fixes 10 Times As Many Errors as Its Predecessors

The researchers at MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) have devised a new system that is going to look for and detect bugs in a computer program and then run a repair process to fix it up automatically. This new system can browse through computer programming languages that are open-source in nature and learn about their general properties. This learning would then be used by the system to debug or make repairs for computer programs that might be of a different set.

What is it exactly? How does it function?

In simpler terms, this is a machine learning system that has been developed to fix up bugs that come up while developing various sorts of software. The system functions by borrowing the functionalities of various other applications or computer programs. The researchers at the institute are busy in experimenting so that they are able to take this hybrid system to a new level where the application will absorb the best components of all the other computer programs or languages.

This new and automatic debugging program has been named as the CodePhage and it will effectively patch program errors by picking up codes from another program (referred as the donour application) and paste into the program under diagnosis thereby make it bug free. The best part is – CodePhage is being developed in such a way that it will not be necessary for the repair code to be of the same programming language. In fact, the patch can belong to any programming language and the repair work would still be carried out. Not only that, the application would also have a function that will do a re-check and a verification to make sure that the bug has indeed been fixed. The system also makes use of DIODE (Directed Integer Overflow Discovery Engine) for the generation of crash inducing input(s).

The fate of CodePhage

Those who had worked on this wonderful project have claimed that this automatic bug repair system was put to test against seven of the commonly used open source languages that had bugs in it. It was found that this new app had successfully repaired the faulty code in a span of 10 – 2 minutes for each. And, this was a standard result for all such instances.

One of the interesting things about this experiment by the MIT researchers was that it was a standard approach where one could actually learn from a certain set of programs and apply those properties or knowledge for another or a different set of programs. Recognizing the correct code is very important as it will have a huge impact in the software engineering domain. Though this is just the beginning and is the very first application, but the experts believe that it does have the potential of becoming an excellent tool that going ahead.

The crucial aspect of this experiment with machine-learning systems was the analyzing and selection of the ‘feature set’. Thirty prime characteristics were identified and then the program was developed to evaluate these characteristics.

How to Write Emails If You Want People to Actually Respond

Writing at Third Grade Level – For Email Replies

According to the makers of Boomerang mail plug-in, one of the best way in getting a reply to unanswered emails is to write as if you are a nine years old. As per their observation, writing at a third grade reading level is considered to be the right level of complexity for the average message after mining the data of the user for information on what type of writing would normally get replies. It is worth considering taking extra time to think why one would want to write like a nine year old.

 Emails tend to get a bad knock these days and are often considered to be inefficient. Viewing most of the email writing styles from Boomerang, the main thing of making messages seem better,are to keep the focus on ease. In order to get replies, the company recommends the use of shorter, simpler stretches and hence the third grading reading level could be helpful. Writing them this way would normally acquire a response rate of 53% as against the 45% for the messages written at a high school reading level. Simple writing too could reduce the chances of a reply.

Bit Expressive – Best Option of Getting Responses

Messages written at a kindergarten reading level would receive replies only at 46% of the time. However the poorest response rate would be for those writing at a college reading level at 39%. The company also observed that being a bit more expressive is the best option of getting responses. With an opinion and adding some emotional tone either positive or negative could also get a better result instead of being totally neutral. It also depends on how much one should say, to get too rambling would not get you the response one would be waiting to receive.

On the other hand if one is too brief, you could get a low response rate. If the email recipient would need extra information in making a decision or to understand the email’s subject, provide the necessary information as an attachment or a link. The reason for writing an email to a person is with the purpose of receiving a response from them, however too often than not, some of the emails tend to be overlooked or forgotten since they could be too long, too brief, too complex or do not provide adequate information.

Top Six Tips

Boomerang, email-efficiency service examined through data from around 5.3 million emails to check what type of messages would prompt the most replies from recipients. They came up with some useful discoveries. Alex Moore at Boomerang Blog reviews their top six tips established on their data. The following is the full list of the tips from the makers of Boomerang:

•  Usage of shorter sentences together with simpler words such as a third grade reading level seems to be the best  
• Including one to three questions in the email 
• Make sure that you include a subject line and aim for three to four words 
• Using of slightly positive or slightly negative tone since both could overtake a totally neutral tone 
• Take a stand, since intolerant messages tend to see higher response rate than objective ones 
• Write adequate though not too much and attempt to keep the messages between 50 to 125 words

Helmet Could Let Pilots Look Through Aircraft

Helmet with Night Vision Camera/High Definition Digital Display

One of the most advanced combat aircraft in the world, The Eurofighter Typhoon together with BAE Systems, has developed a helmet which could make its pilots more operative. Striker II is said to have an integrated night vision camera together with a high definition digital display which tends to project flight information on to the screen.

According to BAE, the helmet has the potential to virtually see through a Typhoon by connecting up to various systems on the aircraft and the helmet’s tracking system also seems to be important. It makes sure that the pilot’s position of the head together with the aircraft computer system is continuously in sync. The latest weapon of Typhoon is not something that is under the wing, but a system with brains which tends to sit on the pilot’s head.

The Helmet Mounted Symbology System is a sophisticated helmet which supports the system that enables the pilot to see through the body of the aircraft, providing them with an animated advantage with split-second decision making.Mark Bowman, director of flight operations at BAE Systems had stated that if one has a digital display there, it means that we can put in sensor information. It could be situations such as infrared image, an imaging pod, or it could be a radar display.

BAE Systems’ Research Lab – Test - `Shake & Bake’

He further adds that `if one has got a sensor located around the aircraft and if it tends to be beneath, then one can give the impression that the pilot is basically looking through the surface of the aircraft’.It is said that the new helmet has not been utilised for combat operation still, but it had been tested widely at the time of flight trials. Providing pilots with more technology has advantages, however depending on it too much could probably cause problems.

James Ixer, former RAF Wing Commander as well as managing director of the Drone Pilot Academy had stated that if Typhoon pilots tend to have a high tech helmet which was made bespoke to the pilot, what could happen if the helmet goes unserviceable en route to the aircraft for a scramble or as one plugs in and start the engines.There should be vigorous back-up plans in place. Everything built at BAE System’s research lab in Rochester, Kent, has to pass through a rigorous round of tests and one of the tests is known as `Shake and Bake’.

Major Advance – Aviation Capability

A device is put in a chamber which is subjected to extreme temperatures as well as vibrations. Mark Applegate, manufacturing resource manager at BAE Systems had said that they take an item and bolt it down and shake it to ensure that nothing literally would fall out.Besides this, they take it up and down in temperature so that there is some stress that goes through each item that is put through this type of test. The test seems to be of great importance.

Mark Bowman had commented that `this is a major advance with regards to combat capability and is something which gives Typhoon pilots a substantial advantage with regards to air combat. There is no doubt that the Eurofighter Typhoon led the world in terms of this kind of capability and this is something that all who has worked on the system can feel proud of it. It is a main advance in aviation capability.

Government Launches Porn Site Age Checks Consultation

UK Government – Implementing Age Checks on Pornography

The UK government has launched a public consultation over plans in implementing age checks on pornography websites and the proposal follows a Conservative Party platform commitment that all sites comprising of pornographic content should check that users are above the age of 18 years. Those asked to make their contribution to the consultation are internet providers, academics, charities and several others. A security expert had stated that the plans would tussle to challenge porn on free sites.

The government suggests in the consultation document that the checks need to apply to content which would receive, if officially classified, an 18 or R18 rating from the British Board of Film Classification –BBFC. The consultation document has explained that they are keen to hear from parents, child protection experts, schools, the pornography industry, internet service provider as well as online platforms which offer access to pornographic content.

The government aims to launch a new regulatory agenda in order to enforce compliance with any rules that are made law, as part of the plans.The Internet Safety and Security Minister, Baroness Shields had stated that `just as we do offline, we want to ensure children are prevented from accessing pornographic content online which should only be viewed by adults’.

Issue a Matter of Urgency

Chief executive of the NSPCC, Peter Wanless had said that the issue seems to be `a matter of urgency and that the children who had ready access to content rated over 18 could develop a `misrepresented view of sexual relationship’. Earlier to the general election, Sajid Javid, then the Culture Secretary had stated that the appointed regulator would have the power to compel internet service providers in blocking sites which did not perform effective age checks.

He also added that providers who did not support could be fined. Moreover, the consultation document also explained that the regulator of age checks on porn sites can be given powers to impose sanctions inclusive of fines. Those companies that tend to support or provide services to the producers of pornographic online content could be directed to withdraw their services if the sites were identified to be obstinately non-compliant. This could comprise directing payment firm to stop processing transaction for the producers of porn content.

A Challenging Regulatory Goal

Nonetheless, a leading security researcher had commented that this would not cast out much of the pornography, if available freely online. Dr Gilad Rosner, a member of the Cabinet Office Privacy and Consumer Advocacy Group had said that his initial response to this release was that while the UK government could get some traction with payment processor and that it could have some effect, it would not affect the free pornography. Dr Rosner further added that considerable pornographic content seems to be available on free sites and blogs which do not take any payments from the users.

This is particularly challenging regulatory goal and he would bet that we would not see much in the way of tangible results for the next five years. However, one of the most visited free sites for pornography had indicated its plan in co-operating. A spokeswoman for the site had commented that `porn-hub would fully fulfilany strong legislative and appropriate local measures which emerge from this consultation.

As members of the Digital Policy Alliance, they have already been working to carve out a technical solution that works for all and it is necessary that all explicit adult content is covered and non-compliant sites are taken down quickly’.