The Trip

[iago]

Sounds like you are doing good :) I like how you added the line "Ron" to the end :P

It's because I copied/pasted it from an email :P

[Chavo]

sounds like you are getting along quite well

what is your work like, or can you tell us?

[AntiVirus]

Our next stop was for coffee in Brandon.

Ooh?  I didn't know there was a coffee shop in me.

[rabbit]

Yep!  Your left kidney was hollowed out to make room.

[AntiVirus]

Yep!  Your left kidney was hollowed out to make room.

Well damn!  It would have been nice if someone would have told me!  Ron, why didn't you tell me you were visiting me?!

[iago]

I split off this part to keep it separate.  Just if you're wondering why I split it.

Anyways, sure, I can share what I do.  Basically, I work for SecurityFocus (which has been bought by Symantec), doing a semi-annual (twice/year) report called the ISTR (Internet Security Threat Report) (get it here).

If you open that report, you'll see that roughly page 30 is the "Attacks" section -- that's what I'm working on.  Basically, I get a bunch of data and process it "somehow" and make graphs and such.  The guy at work recommended using VBScript in Excel, but I ended up installing MySQL and importing the data.

Unlike the report you see there, I'm doing reports specific to different regions: APAC (Asia/Pacific including Japan) and EMEA (Europe Middle-East Africa) (which is AMEA in the database, due to an ancient type-o which will be there forever).   

And about Brandon -- it's a small boring smelly town.  Don't be too proud :P

[Chavo]

Sounds like it could be interesting, hopefully you won't be doing just that year round though!

[trust]

is the security worked on the entire year or are you just going to be employed for a couple of months?

[iago]

This particular report is done twice/year.  I'm not sure what I'll be doing the rest of the time.

It's actually a contract till May, if I recall correctly.  After May, I have to hope to get transferred to a full-time position, hopefully doing something like vulnerability analysis or other fun stuff!

Incidentally, I work with the guy (on the same floor -- I haven't personally met him yet) who wrote the classic paper, Smashing the Stack for Fun and Profit.  Also, the guy I work under invented the name "Blaster" for the MS03-026 worm.  There are a lot of cool people there!

[AntiVirus]

And about Brandon -- it's a small boring smelly town.  Don't be too proud :P

Your kidney probably doesn't smell good, either.

[iago]

In other news, I found the closest Walmart.  Despite the fact that it's in a complex called "Northland Village Shoppes" (which should be fined $50,000), I'm going to go down there and pick up a wireless router.  Then I'll be active once more, till I move again :)

I'd go to a computery store to buy one, but I don't know what's good in Calgary, so I'll just settle.  I also put Best Buy on my map, just in case. :)

[AntiVirus]

That "e" tax is dumb. :P

I'm glad you found a Wal-Mart.  Those things are handy.

[Blaze]

That "e" tax is dumb. :P

You're just jealous.  On a side note, I'm glad my website isn't a store. 8)