SSL MITM vulnerability revealed.

Some security analysts in Overland Park found a vulnerability in *every* SSL implementation. http://www.phonefactor.com/sslgap/ We'll be patching that for months to come. Job security! But scary for internet users. That little lock in the corner of your browser means just a little bit less, until it's fixed on every secure server on the Internet. Wow!

First Day

When you start a new job, and there's this massive knowledge transfer, and you *know* you're not going to remember everything or everyone's name. It's a bit intimidating. I'm taking notes.

New toy.

Well, I finally got fed up with my good ol' dinosaur HTC Pocket PC phone. The battery is giving out, it's getting long in the tooth, some of the keys on the keyboard are starting to flake out, and the Sprint service centers stopped restocking the batteries. The closest store which has one is in Blue Springs, which isn't that far, but there's more. I was on the phone with Sprint tech support over a messaging issue, and they said the problem is probably device related. I hopped on Craigslist to see what a newer, but used, smart phone goes for. I'm carrier agnostic, although my name is in the hat for a Sprint job. The G1 phones are still high, iPhones are still kinda high, the Palm Pre is steep. The RIM Blackberry is obtuse after having a nice sized touch screen and slide out keyboard. The same goes for the new Motorola phones. I found the Sprint Mogul for $80. I called, then I met the guy at the Sprint store and got my number switched to the Mogul. It's very much like what I'm used to. Windows Mobile 6.1 is alright. I was hoping it was upgraded to 6.5. Over lunch, I setup my gmail. Later, I got m.google.com setup as my Exchange server in Active Sync, so I could get my contacts and calendar entries onto it from Google, too. Sprint's Vision Services setup software doesn't do that for you. Only a few contacts appeared. I found out the hard way that I had only ever been synchronizing my Google calendar, not my contacts. When I got home, I connected the old device to the wifi and pushed the contacts to my gmail account, then did a pull from the new device. It worked. I didn't have to install any crazy software. 573 contacts transferred. Names, numbers, email addresses, you name it. Done. Complete. Finito.

As soon as I connected the new device to my home PC, it grabbed my browser favorites and Outlook/Google tasks, and prompted me to setup Media Player Sync with the new device. Once I did, it pushed a gig of music onto my new device. The adapter to connect it to my Jeep stereo is a different shape than the old one, so I have to spend $7 for a new one. This smart phone already does more, takes better pics and video, has a better keyboard, and is smaller and thinner. I need to see if I can get my tasks over the air from Google, too. I think I would still be fighting with entering all my contacts, calendar entries, tasks, email, and browser favorites if I had gotten an iPhone. And I think the whole mess would have been difficult if I didn't have everything sync'd up with my Google account. There's a beta Google Sync app for it, but I think I'll wait for the release. Outlook connects to gmail okay without it. Maybe, if I install the beta, it will get my tasks over the air, finally. Next, I need to figure out the GPS stuff, and get a new version of Tom Tom. After I install a Nintendo or Sega emulator, I'll be playing video games on it, just like the old device. Although, now I tend to look at Twitter and Facebook before breaking out the games, if at all.

New phone: http://www.engadget.com/media/2007/06/sprintmogul.jpg

Critique My Resume

Today, I'm meeting with a recruiter in Corporate Woods at 10. My resume seems to be working for getting me interviews. I've done a few over the phone. I learned that my Cisco certifications expired in July, though. I'll be a test taking machine for a while to get them renewed. Those Cisco money grubbers have raised the test prices. Ouch.

The resume probably needs some additional improvement. I'm accepting input, so leave a comment. Please send your critiques and job leads or ideas. Or, feel free to email me.

MY RESUME:



H. Charles Hill, Jr.
4209 Arlington Ave.
Kansas City, MO 64133
816-651-1900
Charles.Hill@gmail.com

Objective:


Degrees and Certifications:
Received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Computer Science from Oklahoma Christian University of Science and Arts in May 1993.
Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) certification.
Currently enrolled in Keller Graduate School to receive a Masters of Information Systems Management in 2010.

Key Skills:
• Highly experienced in IP routing and switching using Cisco and Juniper routers, switches, and firewalls.
• Very familiar with routing protocols including BGP, OSPF, and RIP. Also familiar with IS-IS and EIGRP.
• Familiar with VLAN switching protocols including VTP, STP, ISL, and 802.1q.
• Experienced in Unix shell scripting, Perl, and CGI, in addition to C programming on a variety of Unix platforms.
• Familiar with Linux, Solaris 8/9/10, BSD, Windows 2000/XP and other operating systems as well as PC and Sun hardware.
• Experienced in database application development using FoxPro, Access, and MySQL.
• Developed and maintained web interfaces using Perl, and PHP.
• Performed network support for SAP BASIS infrastructure, including saprouter connectivity and security.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Work History:
Dec. 2006 - Present Capgemini, Network Engineer III
• Conducted site surveys and generated network documentation for existing enterprise networks.
• Configured firewall instances on a 6500 platform with a PIX firewall service module to secure corporate servers in a virtualized data center environment.
• Led a team of engineers during a large WAN deployment.
• Set up WAN routers in a fault tolerant manner and recommended network enhancements.
• Created exhaustive network design documents and participated in multi-day white board sessions with network architects.
• Supported a virtualized MPLS network with BGP and LDP.
• BASIS network support for an SAP implementation, including EDI and security.

Sept. 2006 - Dec. 2006 Sprint Nextel, Network Control Technician II
• Performed network monitoring, troubleshooting, and trouble ticket management using the Clarify ticketing system.
• Tested network functionality and customer experience at regular intervals.
• Facilitated conference calls between various fix agents to keep the nationwide wireless data network functioning as expected.
• Met short-fused event notification and trouble ticketing requirements in a fast-paced environment.

March. 1999 – May 2006 Time Warner Cable / Road Runner, Sr. Network Engineer
• Assisted with the deployment, quality assurance testing, and launch of the earliest DOCSIS networks in eight different Time Warner division networks made up of Cisco routers and switches which now reliably carry over a million users’ internet and phone traffic.
• Assisted with the deployment, testing, and launch of VoIP services in five Time Warner division networks across the region, including the installation of Cisco BTS gear, softswitches, session border controllers for SIP, and others.
• Worked with a quality team of engineers who performed scheduled deployments and maintenance on a region-wide network consisting of hundreds of routers, switches and WAN connections among cities in the Central and Mid-Atlantic regions, including SONET (POS, DPT/SRP), T-carrier (HDLC/T3), and DWDM WAN technologies.
• Performed BGP load balancing for several OC48 (and smaller) connections, a regional iBGP mesh, and several regional autonomous systems.
• Regularly made BGP adjustments to shift hundreds of megabits of internet traffic to avoid network congestion, meet contractual obligations with other internet backbone providers, and mitigate customer impacting outage situations.
• Was selected to serve on the Governance Committee in the Broadband Network Services Division and used my familiarity with all aspects of successful internet service provision to help develop tools and standards which were further improved and used company-wide with great success.
• Developed quality PERL and PHP network troubleshooting tools with web interfaces which are easy for customer service representatives to use on an Apache/Solaris platform.
• Helped build a regional DWDM ring using Cisco ONS15454 equipment and dark fiber.
• Gained a thorough knowledge of PIX 535, PIX 515 and Juniper 208 firewall configuration and troubleshooting.
• Built VPNs using PPTP, IPSec, and various authentication and key exchange protocols.
• Performed server load balancing in a data center environment for various web and mail servers using Cisco Local Director, Cisco SLB, and F5 Networks BigIP solutions.
• Received Foundstone Ultimate Hacking training for improving network security through penetration testing.
• Assisted with law enforcement cooperation projects involving Fiducianet/Neustar to implement wiretap capabilities and respond quickly to FBI and Secret Service subpoenas to intercept data and voice traffic.
• Quickly responded to, troubleshot, and isolated complex, potentially service affecting conditions that require a broad and in-depth level of technical knowledge.
• Partnered with peers and technical support organizations to manage trouble events, develop technical solutions, and restore services, while updating the Remedy ticketing system to communicate the progress in a timely fashion.
• Developed network design improvements, submitted purchase order requests, created yearly budget forecasts for network growth, and helped evaluate new technologies and features for continuous network improvement and fault tolerance.

Sept. 1995 – Feb. 1999 PSINet, Sr. Network Engineer
• Installed and tested new DSL, Frame Relay, T1, DS3, BRI, PRI, and other telecommunication services.
• Installed, maintained, and managed large modem pools, network access servers, Cisco and 3Com routers, and WAN connections in several cities across the Central U.S.
• Became familiar with all aspects of successful internet service provision, having started in a sales/customer service role to eventually help build and maintain a large-scale ISP network from the ground up.

Aug. 1994 - Sept. 1995 Winslow Associates, Programmer/Technician
• Performed network maintenance in a Novell LAN environment.
• Completed various programming tasks on a DOS/Windows/Novell and FoxPro platform.
• Set up an online service for clients to transmit specifications for their orders.

They're like Lego's for building a real house.

The Germans have created a system of ecologically friendly non-toxic building blocks for making houses by stacking the interlocking blocks on a slab. I think it's fascinating. The resulting houses are hurricane proof and very well insulated.

http://www.hib-system.com/

I think I like this idea better than the whole yurt thing.

39

Today, I'm wearing a Hawaiian shirt, at the behest of the "Scene Team", which is the group here in the office who plans the mandatory fun. Luau lunch is a hit with me. Hula hoops, a hula dance contest, and free barbecue. That's entertainment.

It's been a while since I posted anything here. I had a birthday in the meantime. I don't FEEL 39. A week ago, I was sick on my birthday, recovering from a sore throat and a recurring fever. Now, I'm over it, and my birthday has passed. Still not feeling 39. I scored two goals in a very competitive hockey game last night. I tipped one in from a pass to the front of the net from the other winger. The other goal was a soft goal between the goalie's skate and the post.

I spent the previous weekend in Texas at my brother's house for the celebration of the niece's birthday. That involved assisting with the assembly of a trampoline, eating cake in a windy park, and having a blast hanging out with the folks and some screaming 7 year old girls. I'd say that was the highlight of my month. I savored the irony of a group of 7 year old girls hitting a Hannah Montana piñata.

Clean Energy Bill

I'm packing my bags (read: waiting for the dryer to stop) to spend a weekend with my folks and relax a bit. Given this space on the Internets where I can write just about anything I want, and usually choose to write nothing, today I decided to write something. I read a big chunk of the Clean Energy Bill which passed the House this past week. There are a few things I like about it, but only if they are suggestions.

There are provisions in there which say every house and building must be inspected for energy efficiency and labeled in some public way and filed with the title/deed. The Federal Government will give favor to "Superefficient Best In Class" appliances. Did GE purchase the Democratic Party or what? What the heck is a Smart Grid Dishwasher going to do for me, and why do I have to buy one? There are even standards for spas in this bill!

Also, why do government agencies automatically get free installation of net metering (where the meter spins backward if you're generating more power than you're using if you have solar panels or a windmill) and not everyone else? Why is it that we are punishing the oil, gas, and coal industries? Why does Congress get to write permission slips to polluters and auction them off? What in the Constitution gives them that power? The more of this I read the sicker I get. Why would any intelligent person vote for these things? Maybe none did.

Wouldn't it be enough to just cut the oil and gas subsidies and tax breaks (like the $4 billion break the Republicans gave to Exxon), and let clean energy alternatives compete on their own merit? Why do we have to swing the pendulum to the other extreme? Why can't we just create a level playing field?

If I could put a windmill and a solar panel on my house and run my appliances on that, I would, if it wasn't so cost prohibitive. I get the feeling that the purpose of this bill is to make buying power from a utility so cost prohibitive, I can't afford to NOT get solar panels and windmills.

To be honest, I think that the price of those things is coming down. Natural market forces would see them come into play in good time, when they're ready. Instead, we're all going to be punished for having found coal-fired electricity and gasoline powered transportation the norm by no choice of our own. And because the party in power is not the party of Exxon and Chevron, the refineries in the US will be taxed out of business. Our fuel will not be refined in our own country. How does that improve our reliance on foreign sources of energy?

I heard one theory this week that city folk tend to be Democrats. A future of electric cars and road taxes by the mile to replace the lost revenue of gasoline tax prohibits country living (Republican tendencies). I seriously don't think the jackholes who wrote this legislation are thinking that strategically. I think it's simply to very forcibly break down the oil and gas industries who support the Republicans, and they're using global warming pseudoscience to perpetrate a giant fraud. We don't really need this. And we really don't need it in these economic times. Would I drive an electric car if I could afford one? Probably so. They're quiet and fast and maintenance free. Would it be the most affordable mode of transportation? If the government didn't subsidize gas and oil and defend gas and oil interests abroad, probably so. I believe that people do deserve a choice. Neither the Republican defense of gas and oil interests at the expense of everyone, nor this Democrat plan to punish gas, oil, and coal at the expense of everyone is moral or right.

Smart grid? Open communication protocols to signal cheapest times to run appliances? I like it, but does it need to be forced down our throats at our own expense by GE and the Democrat controlled Legislative and Executive branches? No way.