"In this paper we present a simple novel approach to tackle the challenges of scaling and rotation of face images in face recognition. The proposed approach registers the training and testing visual face images by log-polar transformation, which is capable to handle complicacies introduced by scaling and rotation. Log-polar images are projected into eigenspace and finally classified using an improved multi-layer perceptron. In the experiments we have used ORL face database and Object Tracking and Classification Beyond Visible Spectrum (OTCBVS) database for visual face images. Experimental results show that the proposed approach significantly improves the recognition performances from visual to log-polar-visual face images. …"

"In this paper, we consider the problem of blocking malicious traffic on the Internet, via source-based filtering. In particular, we consider filtering via access control lists (ACLs): these are already available at the routers today but are a scarce resource because they are stored in the expensive ternary content addressable memory (TCAM). Aggregation (by filtering source prefixes instead of individual IP addresses) helps reduce the number of filters, but comes also at the cost of blocking legitimate traffic originating from the filtered prefixes. We show how to optimally choose which source prefixes to filter, for a variety of realistic attack scenarios and operators' policies. In each scenario, we design optimal, yet computationally efficient, algorithms. Using logs from Dshield.org, we evaluate the algorithms and demonstrate that they bring significant benefit in practice."

"… Due to the tremendous growth of network-based services, intrusion detection has emerged as an important technique for network security. Recently data mining algorithms are applied on network-based traffic data and host-based program behaviors to detect intrusions or misuse patterns, but there exist some issues in current intrusion detection algorithms such as unbalanced detection rates, large numbers of false positives, and redundant attributes that will lead to the complexity of detection model and degradation of detection accuracy. The purpose of this study is to identify important input attributes for building an intrusion detection system (IDS) that is computationally efficient and effective.…"

"This paper presents an efficient human recognition system based on vein pattern from the palma dorsa. A new absorption based technique has been proposed to collect good quality images with the help of a low cost camera and light source. The system automatically detects the region of interest from the image and does the necessary preprocessing to extract features. A Euclidean Distance based matching technique has been used for making the decision. It has been tested on a data set of 1750 image samples collected from 341 individuals. The accuracy of the verification system is found to be 99.26% with false rejection rate (FRR) of 0.03%."

"…A version of the method independent of the contrast of the image is considered and is found to be useful for finding the most unusual part (and the most similar part) of the image conditioned on given image. The results can be used to scan large image databases, as for example medical databases.…"

"This article is an excerpt from Chapter 13, "Encrypting and Securely Deleting Files," reprinted with the kind permission of Wiley. File encryption is of course just one tiny piece of the security puzzle, but it's worth knowing about if you keep confidential data on your Mac, especially if the computer is ever out of your physical control - which would include being lost or stolen."

"Don’t you hate when you can’t remove that file full of cleartext passwords from your github account? Even if you git rm it, it still is accessible in previous versions of the tree. So, you need to rewrite the entire tree. Fortunately, this is really easy with git."

"To use the satellite, pirates typically take an ordinary ham radio transmitter, which operates in the 144- to 148-MHZ range, and add a frequency doubler cobbled from coils and a varactor diode. That lets the radio stretch into the lower end of FLTSATCOM's 292- to 317-MHz uplink range. All the gear can be bought near any truck stop for less than $500. Ads on specialized websites offer to perform the conversion for less than $100. Taught the ropes, even rough electricians can make Bolinha-ware.
"I saw it more than once in truck repair shops," says amateur radio operator Adinei Brochi (PY2ADN) "Nearly illiterate men rigged a radio in less than one minute, rolling wire on a coil.""

"One of NKill's objectives is to catalog every referenced public machine or network. Starting with all .com, .net, .org domains, www.DOMAIN, mail exchange records, nameservers, etc. and grab the version banners of the software they are running.

Nkill will be really useful for profiling a target during a security assessment because IP4 transforms are hard to perform without a database. Given an IP4 address, shitty sites like domaintools will tell you which virtual hosts are sharing the same address, that's it and they will charge you a fee for that information. They won't tell you which organisations (domains) are trusting this IP address for their mail, nameservers, etc.

With NKill, when a new vulnerability is discovered (e.g. IIS, postfix, apache, php...) we can instantly known which domains are vulnerable; you can pull that information for a whole country and we can also monitor how long it takes for people to react and patch their boxes."

"OneSwarm is a new P2P data sharing application we’re building to provide users with explicit control over their privacy by enabling fine-grained control over how data is shared. Instead of sharing data indiscriminately, data shared with OneSwarm can be made public, it can be shared with friends, shared with some friends but not others, and so forth. We call this friend-to-friend (F2F) data sharing. OneSwarm is:..."

"If I get enough named supporters so it looks like a real show of force, I’ll include the list in the spot at the bottom. If I don’t get a big response, I’ll probably leave the list of supporters off. Either way, your expression of support will be appreciated.

Note that I am very upset over the proposed rule and the text and tone of my comment reflects this as best I know how without using profanity. And the proposal deserves profanity. If you work for an alphabet organization or otherwise have a relationship with the TSA that requires not angering the TSA, this is not the comment with which you want to be associated. Only the brave and the independent need sign up here."

"Two factor authentication is nothing new, but in the US it's unusual for it to be available in such a common consumer product. A lot of my friends who play the game have gotten authenticators for themselves after seeing people lose their accounts. Sure wish I could easily get the same protection at my bank."

"The 3rd Infantry Division’s 1st Brigade Combat Team has spent 35 of the last 60 months in Iraq patrolling in full battle rattle, helping restore essential services and escorting supply convoys.

Now they’re training for the same mission — with a twist — at home.

Beginning Oct. 1 for 12 months, the 1st BCT will be under the day-to-day control of U.S. Army North, the Army service component of Northern Command, as an on-call federal response force for natural or manmade emergencies and disasters, including terrorist attacks."

it's a free country, after all

"You have the illusion of security. And that is far more dangerous than no security at all."

"...Facebook was receiving data about my online habits while I was not logged in, and was doing so silently, without even alerting me to the cross-site communication."

"There's little choice but to conclude that Facebook is simply acting greedily: they decided to help themselves to as much affiliate data as possible."