The ‘USB to Ego’ Attack

A brief backstory first, to set up the attack.

I arrived at the end of Honda’s FCEV launch, extra unfortunately, because there was water involved, a simulated rainstorm, rare. Like the guy mopping up said, “ya you missed a good one”.

It was in celebration of their latest invention – hydrogen fuel cell technology. Don’t know much about it, you know how I feel about Hybrids, points to Honda for being so bold in their design (coming 2015)…

….but this is a security post, so!

I was taking the below photo, the crowd was starting to thin, and a well-dressed gentleman appeared to my left.

“Hi Keri, here’s the USB key with photos and the presentation, have a good show”. We smiled at one another, he left, I went back to photo-ing.

It wasn’t until later that it hit me, it was so perfect a moment, maybe too perfect.

The Attack:

At a busy event, it’s normal to see a face once and never again, if you notice many faces at all, because cars.

Then an “executive” appears all full of flattery… “hello, I am noticing you, you are a name, so it’s important that you get this information, because you and your opinion matter”… take this USB key, put it into you computer… pretty good right?!

Appear, praise the ego > give a USB key > melt away >
wait a few hours >access target’s computer

NOTE: I’m not at all saying this is what occurred, just that it’s in the realm of possibility (Honda and I know one-another a long time (and if this is the case, USB guy: please LinkedIn me.))

The Defence: 

Never use a USB key you find laying around in public, or from a source you don’t totally trust.

 

 

 

KeriBlog's Last Minute Christmas Gift Guide

Don’t feel bad if you’re not finished your Christmas shopping, you’re in good company…

1/3 of purchases are made 10 days before Christmas

Let’s go left to right.

The book: Concierge Confidential: The Gloves Come Off—and the Secrets Come Out! Tales from the Man Who Serves Millionaires, Moguls, and Madmen

Who doesn’t like hearing stories about rich people behaving badly? Michael is New York’s premiere concierge, and has been for years.

I met him at a fancy dinner Amex invited me to in the fall. See me ruling the roost at the head of the table? Nah, I’m just being dramatic.

I inhaled this book, the best part was learning his tricks to getting the impossible accomplished… he’s quite the social engineer really, hat tip Michael!

A fancy USB key.

It’s from Swarovski, you can find them in any mall, and everyone has a use for a USB key… functional and fashionable always makes for a good gift.

Snoxin deletes your wrinkles. Really.

I wouldn’t have believed it either, but after receiving some at a blog event I ran a test, and stuff actually works.

It’s filled with peptides, the stuff that puffs your skin back up, and has the most you can legally put in a product. It’s a Canadian company, and here’s the best part, you can find it at Shoppers, easy.

And if none of these appeal to you, showing up with fresh flowers works too. Just don’t show up empty handed, that’s bad form.

FULL DISCLOSURE – I was introduced to these products through my blog, but I am not being paid by any of these companies, I just genuinely like this stuff. I probably won’t even tell them I did this, I’m a bad blogger that way.

Things From My Week

My Acura TSX has been performing great, it’s has a hidden speed and zip, very me.

Of course I took it to Cherry Beach, you know I love that place.

Watch this guy front flip over an Acura.

Also.

I went to a Lomography party at the Queen Street store.

Lomography is a world-wide big trend happening right now… it’s analogue film photography. Think like in olden times… film, developing the film, view finders….

I really like the “one take one chance” aspect, I built the Canadian Explorer around that premise, but I don’t know about the developing the film part, and remember my rant?  About HD and Tape Editing It really picks up there at the end.

The cold is coming.

Man my hair looks great Brennen, I think this is your best one yet.

I need to clean my stove.

  1. my fanciest USB key, a Swarovski lock. See it in the sidebar on my other blog (soon)
  2. that’s what we’re going to solder when we go learn how to solder next week for Keri On Security
  3. my toothbrush/lipgloss everyday purse bag. It’s NellaBella, you’d like their stuff, made here in Toronto
  4. see that larger here
  5. a Pentium I wear as a pendant
  6. tiniest Big Mac ever
  7. my camera, an Olympus Stylus Tough – you can stand on it, it’s waterproof, 12 Mpx

Outfits from this week.

Outfit from Suzy photoshoot last weekend, which I can’t wait to show you, which I’m still not allowed to, sometime in October she said.

Here’s to a great Monday and start to your week! TTYS xo