[Gllug] Lonix - London Linux User Group February Meeting

[Tushar Joshi]

Hi ,

Date:  Tue 11 Feb 2003 
Time:  6.00pm
Place: City University, London EC1
Map: http://www.streetmap.co.uk/newmap.srf?x=531706&y=182680&z=1&sv=531750,182750&st=4&ar=Y&mapp=newmap.srf&searchp=newsearch.srf 
Tube:  Angel,Farringdon and Barbican 
Phone: 020 8992 7008

                 "Should Security Mechanisms be Secret?"

                              Ross Anderson

                  6pm (tea) for 6.40pm, Tue 11 Feb 2003

             A free-entry talk at City University, London EC1

     For a web notice for this talk see http://acmbc.soi.city.ac.uk/

You must Register for attendance <A HREF="http://www.lonix.org.uk/tnet-cgi/Lonix?CODE=showRegistration&SEMINAR=YES"> HERE </a>. 
Even if you are already subscribed to Lonix.

Please see the bottom of this text regarding a Linux Installation
Day on the 1st March 2003

  Open-source and free software advocates argue that their code is more
  secure, because vulnerabilities are easier to find and fix. Microsoft
  argues that this just makes things easier for the attackers; their
  latest anti-trust settlement makes them share the design of interfaces
  and protocols - except where security is involved.  This debate goes
  back to the nineteenth century, when people argued about whether it
  was proper to write books about things like locksmithing and cipher
  systems. And the excuse `I can't tell you because of security' is not
  restricted to the software industry.

  In this talk I will present a surprising new result. I will show that,
  under the standard assumptions used by the reliability modelling
  community, the open and closed approaches are equivalent. Opening a
  system to public inspection helps attack and defence equally.

  This means that a practical decision on whether to keep the design of
  a system secret, or to open it to public inspection, will depend on
  the extent to which it departs from standard assumptions about the
  statistics of bugs, and on implementation issues such as the rate at
  which bug fixes are produced and applied.

  The audience is likly to reflect a wide range of relevant interests
  and will not need to understand advanced mathematics.

Ross Anderson (http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/users/rja14) is Reader in
Security Engineering and leader of the security group in the
University of Cambridge Computer Laboratory.  His recent textbook,
"Security Engineering - A Guide to Building Dependable Distributed
Systems" (Wiley 2001) has received widespread acclaim.

Ross also chairs the Foundation for Information Policy Research and
is a leading activist in defending public information rights in a
wide range of areas, especially cryptography and copyright law.
The Foundation recently had a key influence on amending the Export
Bill to avoid importing the US ban on publishing cryptographic
source code.  Also of recent note is Ross' Palladium FAQ opposing
the Intel/Microsoft plan to embed copyright policing in PC hardware.

Access to the talk in the Oliver Thompson Lecture Theatre

Please print a copy of this information to take with you  

ON ARRIVAL at Northampton Square

Please use the University's main entrance in Northampton Square,
the one with a flight of steps leading up to four swing doors.
If asked, explain you are present for the computing talk in OTLT.

Once inside, keep climbing the steps into the entrance lobby,
make a U-turn to the right, go up a few more steps,
and turn left as you enter the corridor above the entrance.

On passing through the doors at the end of this corridor,
turn left and go through more doors to the OTLT lobby.
Please collect a name badge from the registration table
and fill in your name.

If you are late and the talk has begun,
please use the nearby staircase to go up one floor and find
one of the rear entrances to enter the lecture theatre quietly.

TRAVEL OPTIONS
    (with fairly brisk walking times to Northampton Square)

<A HREF="http://www.streetmap.co.uk/streetmap.dll?grid2map?X=531725&Y=182700&zoom=1&arrow=y&title=City+
University+Main+Site">Map</a>

(a) From ANGEL tube station (Northern line, City branch) (10 mins):

On leaving Angel station, turn left (down Islington High Street).
At the nearby crossroads go straight on into St John Street.
Keep going down St John Street for about 500 yards. Go past the
University's St John Street entrance, underneath the large hanging clock,
and turn left into Wycliff Street, which takes you to Northampton Square
with the entrance around to the left.

(b) From BARBICAN tube station (Circle, Metropolitan and
    Hammersmith-and-City lines) (12 minutes):

On leaving the tube station, turn left up the A1, Aldersgate Street.
You could take a 214 or SL2 bus (see below). Otherwise, four minutes
takes you to a big crossroads with Old St. Carry straight on, now on
Goswell road. Five more minutes takes you to smaller light-controlled
crossroads.  Carry straight on but then take the next left, into
Sebastian Street.  This takes you immediately to Northampton Square
with the entrance around to the right.
(From Farringdon station is a bit quicker to walk, but not describe.)

(c) By Rail:

Approximate walking times if you use a street map well:

  Farringdon (via Clerkenwell Green): 11 mins;
  Old St (via Lever St): 16 mins;
  Blackfriars (via Old Bailey), Kings Cross: 23 mins;
  Moorgate, St Pancras: 25 mins;
  Cannon St, Liverpool St: 28 mins;
  Euston: 32 mins;
  Charing Cross, London Bridge, Waterloo: 38 mins.

It is usually faster to hop on a bus than to walk all of the way as follows:

  Blackfriars: 63 to Mount Pleasant;
  Kings Cross/St.P*: 63 to Mount Pleasant or SL1 or 214 to City Road;
  Euston*: SL1 to City Road or 30 or 73 to Amwell St or Angel;
  Liverpool St#, Moorgate#: 153 or SL2 (see below);
  Cannon St, London Bridge*: 43 to City Road;
  Charing Cross, Waterloo: 4 (see below) or 341 to Saddler's Wells.

* Northern Line (City Branch) to Angel is usually faster.

# Circle/Metropolitan/Hammersmith-and-City to Barbican could be faster
     but involves a longer walk.

For mainline stations mentioned above, tube options not also mentioned
often take longer than a walk.

For all other mainline stations, taking the tube to Angel,
Barbican or Farringdon is recommended.

Either way, A cab or folding cycle, depending on weather/traffic,
is quickest.


(d) By bus (see also www.busmap.co.uk):

The best buses to use are the 153, stopping beside the St John St
entrance, or the 4, 56 or SL2 (stopping on Goswell Rd). Ask to stop
at City University.  Or use a 19, 38 or 341, e.g. getting off at
their only stop on St John Street then walking downhill (7 mins).

(e) By car / bike / cycle:

Free car parking spaces might be found in nearby streets from 6.30pm.
There is a motor bike space where Wyclif St joins Northampton Square.
Bicycles can be chained to the railings near the entrances at your own risk.
A few small folded bicycles arriving in good time can be admitted.


Disclaimer

Regretfully the risk of delay, loss or harm arising from
your following any of this advice is entirely yours.


LINUX INSTALLFEST 
-----------------
Date: 1st March 2003
Time: 12:00noon - 5:00pm
INFO: http://gllug.org.uk/installfest-20030301.html

Organised by the Centre for Software Reliability at City University,
ACM British Chapter, LONIX (London Linux User Group), BCS Networks
Specialist Group, IEEE Computer Chapter (UK and Republic of Ireland).
Local organiser:  David Dodson, dcd at soi.city.ac.uk, tel 020-7040-8445.



Tushar Joshi


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