Monday, May 23, 2011
Hackers: Coming Soon to a Website near You
(Hackers and Phreaks Computer Outlaws - Photographed by Catherine Karnow)Okay, picture this out.
I was at the rooftop, right outside my room tinkering in front of my laptop when all of a sudden, something popped up at the back of my head – “to archive hacked sites and post it here”.
So here comes my Google friend and I searched around the web for interesting news.
Lo and Behold! There’s a growing trend involving Philippine government sites being hacked and prone to cyber vandalism.
Join me as I archive this news from around the world.
Where should I start? If you have leads email me at ec[at]rootcon[dot]org.
[Updated May 22, 2011 @ 1:04AM]
Right after I published this blog "Hackers: Coming Soon to a Website near You", I received an email informing me to check and search on .ph (Philippines) domains aside from .gov.ph and whoa!
It's not only Philippine government sites being hacked here but also corporate and other personal blog sites.
Statistics shows that there will be more attacks to come. You should be ready to defend yourself. I’m not saying that you should just sit there and think.
So what's the point here? Well it's pretty obvious. This is a scary stuff. Now, it will happen to anybody.
Please comment on this topic at our ROOTCON forum. We all learn from each other when your views and opinions are shared.
Stay tuned.
[Updated May 22, 2011 @ 2:52AM]
Soon we will archive defaced websites and it is appropriate that ROOTCON should have a Disclaimer Notice.
To read the complete Disclaimer, click here.
About the Contributor:
A self-confessed blogger minus the coffee. He maximizes his skills in consultancy, project management, professional networking and very active in conceptualizing things. To date he already conducted several IT / Information Security events as his passion since 2007. Currently he's working as a Technical Support Specialist in a local company.
ROOTCON is managed by like minded InfoSec professionals across the Philippines.
All rights reserved. Designated trademarks, brands and articles are the property of their respective owners.
Friday, May 20, 2011
Networking is essential to your career advancement and professional success
TGIF! Getting ready for the weekend?
(Sit back and relax)
When we started this blog, we knew from the very beginning that we are creating a community here. Expecting readers to contact us via email or Yahoo Messenger is very fulfilling and well appreciated. Thanks for that. You know who you are.
As we continue with our journey as a community, we don’t limit ourselves only on security and technology stuff. We are also open to indulge ourselves to talk about our career, our profession and your workplace.
Networking in a broader sense is a full time job no matter what career or business you may have. It is a meeting of an extended group of individuals to form a mutually beneficial relationships, support and advice.
The truth is, networking is essential to your career advancement and professional success.
If you have good network, people will start asking you for your advice and recommendations. When I started doing consultancy and project management while juggling with a day time job for many years now, I met several individuals on different occasions who asked for referrals and to recommend somebody for a particular position. These are not just call center agent type of jobs but positions such as IT Manager, Network / System Engineers, Programmers, Security Analyst, Dedicated IT Personnel (Work from Home) and the list continues.
The good thing about this story (my experience) is that after building my own network of contacts it eventually led to the job offer of some of my friends. One of them is now the IT Manager of a call center in IT Park, Lahug, Cebu City, Philippines.
Always remember that the most successful, effective networking is not all about what your contacts can do for you. Successful networking is about what you can do for them. Trust me, some day or maybe in the most unexpected way, unpredictable way, in a not so distant future, what goes around comes around. You have to trust on that, it never fails.
So if you have good skills out there, send us an email at ec [at] rootcon [dot] org and I’ll forward your resume to the right person.
Keep on promoting ROOTCON. Pay It Forward.
About the Contributor:
A self-confessed blogger minus the coffee. He maximizes his skills in consultancy, project management, professional networking and very active in conceptualizing things. To date he already conducted several IT / Information Security events as his passion since 2007. Currently he's working as a Technical Support Specialist in a local company.
ROOTCON is managed by like minded InfoSec professionals across the Philippines.
All rights reserved. Designated trademarks, brands and articles are the property of their respective owners.
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
You can never have too much protection
For those who share a PC at work or at home which is accessible to others it is important to maintain file security. What do you usually do when you’re away from keyboard? When taking your lunch or snacks?Certain drives, files or folders pose a much greater risk when accessed by others.
To help combat these problems, try using File & Folder Lock.
Keep on promoting ROOTCON.
About the Contributor:
A self-confessed blogger minus the coffee. He maximizes his skills in consultancy, project management, professional networking and very active in conceptualizing things. To date he already conducted several IT / Information Security events as his passion since 2007. Currently he's working as a Technical Support Specialist in a local company.
ROOTCON is managed by like minded InfoSec professionals across the Philippines.
All rights reserved. Designated trademarks, brands and articles are the property of their respective owners.
Sunday, May 15, 2011
What makes ROOTCON different?
Determining what really sets ROOTCON apart from others and communicating it effectively is not an easy thing to do. Considering that ROOTCON was molded through our collective efforts, volunteers from across the country, invited guest speakers and seeking sponsors to support the whole event is and will always be a learning adventure.
Technically speaking, like what I said in my previous post - ROOTCON is not associated with any of the businesses or companies in the country. Thus we make it a point from the very beginning that all the topics in our seminar tracks are not disguised as a marketing tool.
Topics that we have in every convention are not recycled. These are topics approved by our committee through our "Call For Papers". We scrutinize our speakers and so with their topics if they are obsolete or updated. Now you know that our speakers are “The Experts” with solid experience on security.
Hacking contest is also available during the conference but the targets are local NOT public servers or your production network. We set up our own private network at the venue. We also put up an FAQ section for you to review.
When asked to support ROOTCON privately, my basic question was – “What makes ROOTCON different?” My discussion with the founder was a lengthy one and I guess by now you know why I’m giving my full support. We discussed about his plans, how to share that same passion to a bigger audience and change the security mindset in the country.
Being different gets you noticed and it's undeniably true. But creating value is another thing.
If we build ROOTCON around one company or one person, then it may not last – build ROOTCON around YOU and what we can offer to people who join us in any gatherings, then it will gain the credibility for all the fantastic trainings and support we can bring to everybody and your organization (and of course, you need to make sure that you do!)
To your success! Be it on personal level or career wise!
“Hackers love technology, but crackers love to break it. Which one are you?”
About the Contributor:
A self-confessed blogger minus the coffee. He maximizes his skills in consultancy, project management, professional networking, social media campaigns and very active in conceptualizing things. To date he already conducted several IT / Information Security events as his passion since 2007. Currently he's working as a Technical Support Specialist in a local company.
ROOTCON is managed by like minded InfoSec professionals across the Philippines.
All rights reserved. Designated trademarks, brands and articles are the property of their respective owners.
Are you a Techie Blogger? Join ROOTCON!
"ROOTCON Blog" section is now up and running and we are continuously improving the site.
We are looking for amateur and professional bloggers to contribute covering various topics such as: security, technology, penetration, certification, exploits, trainings, tech jobs, virus, mobile, etc. Whoa!
Contributors will write posts based on their own experience, reporting or interviews. The participant not only be able to contribute but analyze and provide insights about his subject that can spark interests. If you're passionate about it, this could be for you! We welcome contributors and showcase your expertise and passion to the world!
Your work will be released and archived through the blog and you'll be given due recognition.
The ideal blogger would be self-motivated, have a strong command of the English language, be able to come up with topics or photos to write and be passionate about the subject they cover.
If you love to share your knowledge and your expertise, then you are in the right place. We welcome you brothers and sisters.
Just be ready with a "by-lines" or your "about the author". Of course you can use your "pen name" if you don't want to disclose your identity.
How to Apply
Send us an email to info[at]rootcon[dot].org
About the Contributor:
A self-confessed blogger minus the coffee. He maximizes his skills in consultancy, project management, professional networking, social media campaigns and very active in conceptualizing things. To date he already conducted several IT / Information Security events as his passion since 2007. Currently he's working as a Technical Support Specialist in a local company.
ROOTCON is managed by like minded InfoSec professionals across the Philippines.
All rights reserved. Designated trademarks, brands and articles are the property of their respective owners.
Saturday, May 14, 2011
What to expect during Hackista Challenge (Capture the Flag) during ROOTCON conference?
Retrospect of previous Hackista Challenge (Capture the Flag)
Documenting photos is a good way to keep track of its history and success. Check what to expect during the CON especially during hackista challenge.
Participants from Handshake Networks
A CEO / President watching what our goon is working on while monitoring the "Hackista Challenge"
Don't mind the empty bottles. The place is packed with participants.
About the Contributor:
A self-confessed blogger minus the coffee. He maximizes his skills in consultancy, project management, professional networking, social media campaigns and very active in conceptualizing things. To date he already conducted several IT / Information Security events as his passion since 2007. Currently he's working as a Technical Support Specialist in a local company.
All rights reserved. Designated trademarks, brands and articles are the property of their respective owners.
It’s Black, It’s White, Ooh, Ooh, Yea, Yea, Yea
I don’t know how to put my statement in a humorous way, except to coin it after the hit song “Black or White” by Michael Jackson.“Ooh, Ooh, Yeah, Yeah….” :)
We all know that to be a good System Administrator or a Network Security Engineer (whatever job title you have there), requires you to wear two hats – Black or White. That is, you have to hack your own network so you will know how to defend it against any prying eyes in cyberspace. Okay, I don’t want to explain this further what a Black Hat / White / Grey Hat Hacker is. So just Google it.
“ It’s Black, It’s White, Ooh, Ooh, Yea, Yea, Yeah”
Watch the video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJxOHD3Bsrw&feature=related
About the Contributor:
A self-confessed blogger minus the coffee. He maximizes his skills in consultancy, project management, professional networking, social media campaigns and very active in conceptualizing things. To date he already conducted several IT / Information Security events as his passion since 2007. Currently he's working as a Technical Support Specialist in a local company.
All rights reserved. Designated trademarks, brands and articles are the property of their respective owners.
Humble beginnings of ROOTCON
As a recap of our history, this group started as DEFCONPH (DEFCON Philippines) and launched on December 20, 2008 as an IT Security organization gathering the best minds in IT Security. The event took place at Handuraw Restaurant, Lahug, Cebu City, Philippines. After the said launching, series of events were organized in Manila.
Through the years it was later changed to www.pinoygreyhat.org and finally became www.rootcon.org. It all started as a community group but later on, the founder and its loyal goons decided to make it as an event and a community for Information Security enthusiasts.
One of the objectives of ROOTCON is to foster camaraderie and sharing of expertise through IT Security conferences and gatherings.
Photos of ROOTCON past events can be viewed at:
http://www.rootcon.org/xml/archives/
About the Contributor:
A self-confessed blogger minus the coffee. He maximizes his skills in consultancy, project management, professional networking, social media campaigns and very active in conceptualizing things. To date he already conducted several IT / Information Security events as his passion since 2007. Currently he's working as a Technical Support Specialist in a local company.
All rights reserved. Designated trademarks, brands and articles are the property of their respective owners.
