A Box of Snakes
May. 18th, 2004 04:29 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rain_gryphonHere is why there will always be work for systems security people:
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - A curious pickup truck driver spotted a box in the grass marked "Live venomous reptile" east of downtown and stopped to take a look.
"When you see something like that, you want to look and see what it is..."
http://www.phillyburbs.com/pb-dyn/news/1-05172004-301535.htm
It's not even a social engineering attack. It didn't say "Naked women inside". It plainly and honestly said that there was a poisonous snake in there, and he went to look anyway.
Actually, I'm not all that surprised, as many years ago, as an idle experiment, I removed the styrofoam cup that held the sugar on my lab's coffee table, and replaced it with one prominently marked 'salt'. I put the sugar off to the side - it was visible, and properly labelled, but just not in the usual place. Sure enough, the salesmen would wander through and put salt in their coffee, then make the most entertaining faces. I asked a couple of them if they didn't notice the label. Their reply was to the effect that yes, they'd seen that it said 'salt', but they thought it must be sugar, because that's where the sugar usually was. Interestingly, not a one put the sugar back in its usual place, even after it was pointed out to them where to find it. Also of interest is the fact that none of the lab techs fell for this - only the salesmen.
*****
We had a stressy week here, but it turned out okay. One of the younger local furs announced Monday that he was going to be evicted Saturday if he couldn't raise money for his rent. Nothing like waiting until the last minute.
I pestered people, and actually managed to get his rent and a little extra donated to him. I'm pleased. Now we're trying to get a job for his boyfriend, and a better job for him, so they don't end up in that situation again. They both seem like very nice furs, but young. They got kicked out by their families for being gay, so they're trying to get along in the world. One of the local furs has some social services contacts, so they're going to be getting some help that way as well now.
I'm pleased, and a bit flattered, that I could actually get people to do that. Pony (a friend) has said before that I seem to be the one who can get people to put down their video games and go do something useful. I've got that warm glow of accomplishment going here }:=]
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - A curious pickup truck driver spotted a box in the grass marked "Live venomous reptile" east of downtown and stopped to take a look.
"When you see something like that, you want to look and see what it is..."
http://www.phillyburbs.com/pb-dyn/news/1-05172004-301535.htm
It's not even a social engineering attack. It didn't say "Naked women inside". It plainly and honestly said that there was a poisonous snake in there, and he went to look anyway.
Actually, I'm not all that surprised, as many years ago, as an idle experiment, I removed the styrofoam cup that held the sugar on my lab's coffee table, and replaced it with one prominently marked 'salt'. I put the sugar off to the side - it was visible, and properly labelled, but just not in the usual place. Sure enough, the salesmen would wander through and put salt in their coffee, then make the most entertaining faces. I asked a couple of them if they didn't notice the label. Their reply was to the effect that yes, they'd seen that it said 'salt', but they thought it must be sugar, because that's where the sugar usually was. Interestingly, not a one put the sugar back in its usual place, even after it was pointed out to them where to find it. Also of interest is the fact that none of the lab techs fell for this - only the salesmen.
*****
We had a stressy week here, but it turned out okay. One of the younger local furs announced Monday that he was going to be evicted Saturday if he couldn't raise money for his rent. Nothing like waiting until the last minute.
I pestered people, and actually managed to get his rent and a little extra donated to him. I'm pleased. Now we're trying to get a job for his boyfriend, and a better job for him, so they don't end up in that situation again. They both seem like very nice furs, but young. They got kicked out by their families for being gay, so they're trying to get along in the world. One of the local furs has some social services contacts, so they're going to be getting some help that way as well now.
I'm pleased, and a bit flattered, that I could actually get people to do that. Pony (a friend) has said before that I seem to be the one who can get people to put down their video games and go do something useful. I've got that warm glow of accomplishment going here }:=]
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no subject
Date: 2004-05-18 09:54 pm (UTC)I believe that's a new Apple sales incentive: buy an iPod, get a box of deadly snakes free. It doesn't seem to be working very well, though.
And that's lovely to hear about being able to help those two. Gods.. even in this age, parents are still seemingly happy to toss their own family out, for being gay. *sigh* Still, things are undoubtedly far better than once they were.
I seem to be the one who can get people to put down their video games and go do something useful
Careful.. if the wrong people see that, you might wind up in management. ^_^