* Posts by cnorris517

9 publicly visible posts • joined 22 Feb 2010

Insert 'Skeleton Key', unlock Microsoft Active Directory. Simples – hackers

cnorris517

I'm not sure how this is materially different to the Kerberos Golden ticket attack which I'd argue is harder to detect and harder to mitigate.

cnorris517

Re: Needs domain admin and can allow you to impersonate any user.

Not if you're using the -S switch, you then become the system account.

Brit gun nut builds working sniper rifle at home out of scrap metal

cnorris517

Ok first off a nomenclature bit.

Calibre refers to the diameter of the projectile (bullet), not length, weight, type or anything else. Sometimes the calibre becomes synonymous with the cartridge but not always. For example .308 is actually .308 winchester and uses a .308 diameter bullet but there are plenty of cartridges that use .308 projectiles eg .30 carbine.

The cartridge is the brass (usually) case in which the propellant is housed and which the projectile is inserted. To add to the confusion the bullet, powder and case once assembled along with the primer are collectively known as a cartridge, bullet or round. Most people use these terms interchangeably.

Anyway back to the point... The story I was told, which makes sense to me at least, is that a lot of the calibres date back to a time when accurate measurement was performed using something little more accurate than a stick. As these calibres evolved from the original low-ish pressure lead ball, which was a bit more tolerant to dimensional differences, to higher pressure jacketed rounds, which really aren't, it became necessary to improve the accuracy of measurement and standardise each calibre.

I have no idea how many "standards" there were/are but the result was/is a selection of common diameter measurements that most cartridges and therefore barrels and projectiles are based off of. If a manufacturer of any of the above wanted to produce a new product (eg a new cartridge) in a new size then it required bullet, barrel and cartridge design whereas using a common calibre allowed them to use off the shelf barrels and bullet heads for their new cartridge.

There were/are exceptions to this. Some more modern projectiles use a new fangled thing called physics to calculate the required parameters for a desired outcome. This results in some fairly weird numbers too. for example the .408 cheytac dates, I think, from the late 90s. Even this though is still caught up a bit in the past as it uses a cartridge case from the older 505 Gibbs.

Then there is the wow factor/bigger is better tendency. This breaks down into three sub-categories

a) Some of the larger cases exist (i believe) purely because a particular number (bigger usually) sounds better. 700 Nitro Express being one of them.

b) Some obscure cartridges were designed purely for a specific purpose, normally military ie body armor defeating (FN 5.7) or a desire to be quieter than usual (300 BLK) but sometimes record breaking (22 Eargesplitten Loudenboomer) - Arguably this falls into the section above I know

So the short answer is

Sometimes it's the legacy of older less accurate measurements being standardised using modern techniques or a change in measuring standard (inch/mm to inner to outer bore)

Sometimes it's the result of research to find the optimal dimensions for a desired end result

Sometimes it's a marketing exercise

BOFH: The Great Patch Mismatch

cnorris517
Facepalm

Top work as usual, though I feel it's a sad indictment of us BOFH wannabies when you have to bootnote a Halon reference

A sysadmin's top ten tales of woe

cnorris517

Yes....but...

Fair point in an ideal world but sadly the bean counters are in control. The amount of times I've seen bean counters refuse expenditure of a few thousand pounds upfront only to cost themselves tens of thousands down the line is unreal.

Kinect blamed for Red Ring of Death outbreak

cnorris517
Grenade

Perhaps

It's well known that RRoD is caused by dodgy soldering/connections. Perhaps the Kinect is simply encouraging (possibly drunk) people to jump around in front of the xboxes more and therefore vibrating the connections loose.

Police back ends must be slimmed, says Home Sec

cnorris517

re

I actually thought it was quite a good idea when they started getting the little diesel Astras, I'm guessing they're pretty cheap to buy, run and maintain. They must be as the fleet market is flooded with them.

Oh and yes they certainly use local garages round here (NW London) in the last 4 years I've been to both Vauxhall and BMW dealerships that had police cars in their service bays with little black hats over their lights.

cnorris517
FAIL

Hmmmmmm

They could save a hell of a lot of money at the backend (HR, IT, Finance etc) if they amalgamated all the individual forces, centralised procurement and binned some of the loony laws.

Next steps:

1 Reduce day-to-day paperwork to free up front line coppers to do their jobs

2 As uniforms wear-out replace them with a common (to all forces) kit, if they really must personalise then use velcro patches for their individual force/region.

3 Reduce the variety of cars, bikes and vans they purchase obviously one vendor is a daft proposition but 20 or 30 is dafter still a happy medium can be found

3b Once that's done move maintenance either in house or to regional servicing areas rather than dropping the cars off at the local dealerships for £45 wiper blades

Just a thought

Iron Mountain thinking about a long, cool drink of Mimosa

cnorris517
FAIL

Errrmmmmm

According to Mimosa's home page Iron Mountain has already acquired Mimosa