3 ms·

I'm not sure how this is really new. Everything he's describing has been possible for years with a laptop. I guess "plug computer" might make it a little chea

I'm not sure how this is really new. Everything he's describing has been possible for years with a laptop. I guess "plug computer" might make it a little cheaper and a little easier to conceal? If anything, I'd say plug computers are good for security, if they're making people more aware of how god awful stupid the "eggshell" model of putting all your efforts into perimeter security really is. Unfortunately, instead of focusing on security their internal servers and app, my bet is most "enterprises" will instead respond by just extending the eggshell with greater lockdown of end-user PC's. :-(

pak 16y ago
Yeah, it's all about form factor. If you see a laptop plugged in and leaning behind a desk, you think somebody lost their laptop and you pick it up. If you see one of these sitting in a socket, you don't look at it twice because it looks like one of millions of power adapters that are hooked into all the walls everywhere. Personally, I want one that screws into a lightbulb socket and lights up :-)
- roc 16y ago
  Put one in an otherwise functional power strip and you'd have no problem getting it into place.
  - stcredzero 16y ago
    Put it in a power strip, and people working there will want to steal it for their own cube!
roc 16y ago
Plugs can take their time. Not only can you do low intensity probes over a much longer span of time vs a wardrive or loiter-scenario, you can keep throwing new exploits against old targets so long as the plug goes undetected.
- theBobMcCormick 16y ago
  I wasn't really thinking about a wardrive/loiter scenario, so much as a "plug a laptop in, then slide it behind a desk/filing cabinet,etc." kind of scenario. No matter what the form factor, you're probably gonna want at least power and an ethernet connection. Most enterprise networks are pretty locked down on the wireless side, but on the wired side it's still pretty uncommon to find any significant lockdown like 802.1x authentication.

pak 16y ago

Yeah, it's all about form factor. If you see a laptop plugged in and leaning behind a desk, you think somebody lost their laptop and you pick it up. If you see one of these sitting in a socket, you don't look at it twice because it looks like one of millions of power adapters that are hooked into all the walls everywhere. Personally, I want one that screws into a lightbulb socket and lights up :-)

roc 16y ago
Put one in an otherwise functional power strip and you'd have no problem getting it into place.
- stcredzero 16y ago
  Put it in a power strip, and people working there will want to steal it for their own cube!

roc 16y ago

Plugs can take their time. Not only can you do low intensity probes over a much longer span of time vs a wardrive or loiter-scenario, you can keep throwing new exploits against old targets so long as the plug goes undetected.

theBobMcCormick 16y ago
I wasn't really thinking about a wardrive/loiter scenario, so much as a "plug a laptop in, then slide it behind a desk/filing cabinet,etc." kind of scenario. No matter what the form factor, you're probably gonna want at least power and an ethernet connection. Most enterprise networks are pretty locked down on the wireless side, but on the wired side it's still pretty uncommon to find any significant lockdown like 802.1x authentication.