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FIGHTING HACKERS... WITH LAVA LAMPS?

Megan Poljacik • December 19, 2024

In the headquarters of Cloudfare, a California based tech company, there is a most wonderous wall of mystery. Towering over the entrance, lies wall of around 100 brightly colored lava lamps. While they may be enticing to the eye, these lava lamps actually have a very important job in the security department. Cloudflare provides content delivery network services and DDoS mitigation, and they are known for using lava lamps in their offices as part of its encryption process. The concept is based on a method called "entropy source," which helps generate truly random numbers for encryption keys.


Entropy sources are used in cryptography to generate randomness for various security-related processes, such as encryption key generation and secure communication protocols. Entropy, in this context, refers to the unpredictability and randomness of data, which is crucial for ensuring security and preventing cryptographic attacks.




Developers can improve the strength of their cryptographic systems and minimize the risk of vulnerabilities related to predictable or weak key generation by including a diverse range of entropy sources. In computing, there are two types of entropy sources: hardware and software. Hardware entropy relies on sources such as voltage fluctuations or temperature changes. Software entropy uses sources such as keystrokes or network traffic patterns.


At Cloudflare, a wall of lava lamps are used as part of an array of other entropy sources (such as temperature and voltage fluctuations) to generate unpredictable and random data. A camera across the room picks up the footage of the lamps moving, which is then translated into an algorithm. This data is then utilized in generating cryptographic keys. The smallest change in light or movement will affect the numbers that are used for encryption. Since the wall is located in the building’s lobby, even a person standing in front of it, blocking the camera’s view, will produce changes in the algorithm. By incorporating these physical elements into the process, Cloudflare enhances the security and randomness of its encryption keys, making them more resilient against sophisticated attacks.


Computers are able to create randomness through code but it is inherently not random. In theory if a computer could create it, then a computer could learn the pattern and figure out the encryption key. This is especially true with machine learning and AI being so prevalent today. The movement and changes within the lava lamps produce randomness that is totally unpredictable. This unique approach enables the company to enhance the strength of its encryption mechanisms and bolster the security of its services. Over 10% of the world’s internet traffic flows through Cloudflare’s network so it is critical that they maintain an uncrackable algorithm.


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IMPACTFUL VIRUSES IN HISTORY: HUMMINGBAD

By Megan Poljacik • December 19, 2024
Imagine a virus infecting over 85 million Android phones without anyone catching on. Believe it or not, this really happened in 2016! How could a virus be so easily distributed without human intervention? The HummingBad virus was a persistence rootkit, which is a very smart and nasty virus. It is difficult to find and even more difficult to remove. They embed themselves within the system without the users knowledge and they are designed to hide themselves and their activities, even from security software. A rootkit will take over an infected system on its own, or if it cannot gain root access, it will push a fake update prompt, tricking the user into installing. Once the malware has control of the device, it begins downloading and installing apps, and the lucrative business of conning users begins. The HummingBad virus was designed to click on the ads within the apps to generate advertising revenue. This inflated ad click and view counts, allowing the attackers to earn more revenue without actual user engagement. The malware also promoted and installed additional malicious

WOMEN IN TECH: MARGARET HAMILTON

By Megan Poljacik • December 19, 2024
Picture this: You're witnessing the culmination of years of hard work as the first humans are about to land on the moon's surface. Suddenly, the moment is shattered by blaring alarms. This exact scenario unfolded during Apollo 11's momentous moon landing. Luckily, Margaret Hamilton and her accomplished team of NASA engineers had meticulously readied themselves for any imaginable situation. Margaret Hamilton is best known for her work on the Apollo moon missions. In the 1960s, she was the lead software engineer for the Apollo Guidance Computer, which was the specialized computer that was responsible for guiding the Apollo spacecraft to the moon. Her job was to make sure the system was reliable, efficient, and could handle the complex calculations needed for space travel. During the Apollo 11 mission, Margaret Hamilton's team faced a critical situation where the computer system on the lunar module experienced an overload during the landing. This overload was caused by an unexpected increase in processing demands as the computer tried to do numerous tasks at the same time.

ATTACK OF THE KILLER TOOTHBRUSH?

By Megan Poljacik • December 19, 2024
Earlier this month a peculiar story began circling the internet: a Denial of Service attack was being implemented at the hands of millions of Smart Toothbrushes. This turned out to be false information, but could it actually happen? During a Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack, a large number of compromised or infected devices, often referred to as bots or zombies, are used to flood a targeted website, server, or network with an overwhelming amount of traffic. This flood of traffic is intended to interrupt the target's normal operation, making it inaccessible to legitimate users. The threat actor can use literally any device with an internet connection – so yes, a smart toothbrush could contribute to taking down the internet! These attacks can take years of effort on the hackers part before they come to fruition. The hacker gains control of hundreds if not thousands of devices over time. They connect them to create a botnet, and use specialized software or scripts to instruct the botnet to send a large volume of fake traffic to the target. This surge in traffic can overpower the target's bandwidth, server capacity, or other resources, causing it to be
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