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back to article Janet pulls open network info for good after DDoSers exploit it

Jisc is permanently removing open public access to Janet (the UK government-funded educational network) information, The Register can reveal, after concluding that such access has been exploited to hobble the service. The move, alongside several other large infrastructural changes – which the administrators have asked The …

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  1. adnim
    Facepalm

    Our new infrastructure is organised thus...

    Please don't tell anyone.

    "The move, alongside several other large infrastructural changes – which the administrators have asked The Register not to publish for security and insurance reasons"

    Why tell the Register of changes they do not want to be public knowledge?

    I know security by obscurity in itself is no panacea. However, it does contribute to a multi-layered security practice.

    3 2 Reply
    1. Anonymous Coward
      Reply Icon
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Our new infrastructure is organised thus...

      I have a lock on my front door but that doesn't make it a good idea to publish an inventory of my house contents.

      8 0 Reply
      1. Anonymous Coward
        Reply Icon
        Joke

        Re: Our new infrastructure is organised thus...

        It'd be a great idea for me.

        They'd decide it wasn't worth the effort!

        6 0 Reply
      2. Richard Jones 1
        Reply Icon
        WTF?

        Re: Our new infrastructure is organised thus...

        I agree @AC, their may be a lock, but what type, what form, how many new locks and what other devices support the lock? I have a moat and drawbridge but no need to describe what sort of crocodiles live in the moat, nor the boiling oil vents above the entry passageway!

        1 0 Reply
        1. Michael H.F. Wilkinson Silver badge
          Reply Icon
          Joke

          Re: Our new infrastructure is organised thus...

          I prefer having piranhas in the moat. Unless sharks with frickin' lasers are available

          4 0 Reply
          1. Richard Jones 1
            Reply Icon
            Joke

            Re: Our new infrastructure is organised thus...

            Yes but the lasers are good, but they burned the ropes on the drawbridge!

            0 0 Reply
          2. Anonymous Coward
            Reply Icon
            Joke

            Re: Our new infrastructure is organised thus...

            I prefer having piranhas in the moat. And if your a MP, you can claim for them. Bonus!

            1 0 Reply
          3. Captain DaFt
            Reply Icon

            Re: Our new infrastructure is organised thus...

            "I prefer having piranhas in the moat."

            Nah, They'd never survive the winter.

            Now snapping turtles, on the other hand...

            0 1 Reply
        2. Martin-73 Silver badge
          Reply Icon

          Re: Our new infrastructure is organised thus...

          The lock's wired to 240 volts. Which sadly electrocuted the crocs in the moat :(

          0 0 Reply
      3. 's water music
        Reply Icon

        Re: Our new infrastructure is organised thus...

        I have a lock on my front door but that doesn't make it a good idea to publish an inventory of my house contents.

        I think the OP's point was that neither would it be a good idea to pass such an inventory to a third party and ask them not to tell anyone what was in it

        2 0 Reply
        1. adnim
          Reply Icon

          Re: Our new infrastructure is organised thus...

          Yes, Thank you!

          1 0 Reply
  2. MyffyW Silver badge

    I remember JANET introduced me to the dubious pleasures of MUD back in the early 90s, which partly explains why I ended up with a 2(ii).

    5 0 Reply
    1. Danny 14
      Reply Icon

      hah yes, anonymud for us back in UMIST.

      0 0 Reply
    2. Grimthorpe
      Reply Icon

      Some of us ran the MUD on JANET, and got thirds. One of us got a thrid (sic).

      0 0 Reply
  3. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    The Defence Academy of the United Kingdom gave up their (apparently very expensive) JANET link in the summer. Time will tell if this was fortuitous or not...

    0 0 Reply
  4. Destroy All Monsters Silver badge
    Pirate

    This is why we can't have nice things

    > Find perps

    > Align perps

    > Use of laser-guided tank rocket resulting in youtube-worthy gore

    1 0 Reply
  5. davemcwish
    Coat

    Crocodylia

    @Martin-73 @RichardJones1

    I'm assuming that you reside by the coast and have the requite saltwater typically favoured (but not exclusively) by crocodiles. For the rest of us I'd suggest alligator.

    To any prospective burglars there are two ways to disable the reptile.Take a pencil, and jam it into the pressure hole behind his eye. Alternatively put your hand in his mouth and pull his teeth out.

    Mines the one with the titanium tactical pencil in the lining.

    1 0 Reply
    1. Richard Parkin
      Reply Icon

      Re: Crocodylia

      @ davemcwish

      "@Martin-73 @Richar@dJones1

      I'm assuming that you reside by the coast and have the requite saltwater typically favoured (but not exclusively) by crocodiles. For the rest of us I'd suggest alligator."

      Even the Saltwater Croc does not require salt water and there are plenty of other freshwater croc species.

      0 0 Reply
  6. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Why?

    "...the non-departmental public body in the UK which administrates Janet..."

    I can understand why the the relatively subtle differences between 'which' and 'that' catch a lot of people out, seemingly even trained and qualified journos, but I can see no reason for using the word administrate instead of administer under any circumstances.

    8 1 Reply
  7. Erewhon

    Dropping ICMP (ping) using a Firewall

    Is that the best you've got?

    Why no DDoS protection on your network?

    Just because you are 'open' doesn't mean you have to walk around with your trousers round your ankles!

    2 2 Reply
    1. Andy Davies
      Reply Icon
      Unhappy

      Re: Dropping ICMP (ping) using a Firewall

      So, the last nail in the coffin of the friendly, trusting, real internet

      3 0 Reply
  8. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Borked and Broken.

    The entire crypto fiasco is funny from a layman's perspective when you consider "Google" is using Linux & Plan9 as it's secure data-base back-end and the super secure secret Data-base in question is still using the Broken Data Encryption Standard (DES) which you could recover the NetKey's from by using http://www.copacobana.org/ resulting in the entire "department of defence" for the United States being vulnerable to "hackers" because those guys love there "Broken" DATA Encryption Standards! What a tragedy for "Google" when Russia and China figure that out! RC5 was declared broken in 2002. SHA1 long before that and MD5 shortly before that. The US has developed into a huge insider trading ring hinging on the weaknesses in there own cryptography and there own secure networks are no longer secure as a result!

    0 0 Reply
    1. Christopher W
      Reply Icon

      Re: Borked and Broken.

      Go home AC, you're drunk.

      0 0 Reply

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