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Systems that no one will test

154 points · 84 comments · perone

  1. mikewarot · · focus · HN ↗
    Every since the OPM hack of 2015, I've been apparent to me that my former field of IT administration has lost the plot. Nobody knows what a data diode is, or why you would use one. Systems that should clearly be air-gapped aren't.

    While it's easy to lay this at the feet of AI getting better at hacking. I see it as an primarily an IT issue. We've collectively ignored the lessons of history, and made do with patch jobs over poorly chosen operating systems instead.

    --

    We need air gaps, data diodes, and capability based operating systems. Now that I'm retired, when I have the energy, I'm working on the data diode part.

    This weeks lesson for me, personally, as I try to build an open source data diode, is that the Waveshare RP2350-ETH is a horrible choice for a proxy/data source/sink, as the CH9120 ethernet interface can't do promiscuous mode. It might still be sufficient to build a data diode that can mirror a website, with << $50 component cost. Time will tell.

    1. m463 · · focus · HN ↗
      > Systems that should clearly be air-gapped aren't

      Personally I think refrigerators, microwaves, washing machines, vacuum cleaners, ...

      I think at some point people just give up or the (bad) idea gets normalized.

      Then at work, they're not surprised when some other system is connected for convenience...

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