BootBandit: A macOS bootloader attack

Historically, the boot phase on personal computers left systems in a relatively vulnerable state. Because traditional antivirus software runs within the operating system, the boot environment is difficult to protect from malware. Examples of attacks against bootloaders include so‐called “evil maid” attacks, in which an intruder physically obtains a boot disk to install malicious software for obtaining the password used to encrypt a disk. The password then must be stored and retrieved again through physical access. In this paper, we discuss an attack that borrows concepts from the evil maid. We assume exploitation can be used to infect a bootloader on a system running macOS remotely to install code to steal the user\u27s password. We explore the ability to create a communication channel between the bootloader and the operating system to remotely steal the password for a disk protected by FileVault 2. On a macOS system, this attack has additional implications due to “password forwarding” technology, in which a user\u27s account password also serves as the FileVault password, enabling an additional attack surface through privilege escalation

Microphysical properties of the November 26 cirrus cloud retrieved by Doppler radar/IR radiometer technique

Gaining information about cirrus cloud microphysics requires development of remote sensing techniques. In an earlier paper. Matrosov et al. (1992) proposed a method to estimate ice water path (IWP) (i.e., vertically integrated ice mass content IMC) and characteristic particle size averaged through the cloud from combined groundbased measurements of radar reflectivities and IR brightness temperatures of the downwelling thermal radiation in the transparency region of 10-12 mu m. For some applications, the vertically averaged characteristic particle sizes and IWP could be the appropriate information to use. However, vertical profiles of cloud microphysical parameters can provide a better understanding of cloud structure and development. Here we describe a further development of the previous method by Matrosov et al. (1992) for retrieving vertical profiles of cirrus particle sizes and IMC rather than their vertically averaged values. In addition to measurements of radar reflectivities, the measurements of Doppler velocities are used in the new method. This provides us with two vertical profiles of measurements to infer two vertical profiles of unknowns, i.e., particle characteristic sizes and IMC. Simultaneous measurements of the IR brightness temperatures are still needed to resolve an ambiguity in particle size-fall velocity relationships

Remote sensing data from CLARET: A prototype CART data set

The data set containing radiation, meteorological , and cloud sensor observations is documented. It was prepared for use by the Department of Energy's Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Program and other interested scientists. These data are a precursor of the types of data that ARM Cloud And Radiation Testbed (CART) sites will provide. The data are from the Cloud Lidar And Radar Exploratory Test (CLARET) conducted by the Wave Propagation Laboratory during autumn 1989 in the Denver-Boulder area of Colorado primarily for the purpose of developing new cloud-sensing techniques on cirrus. After becoming aware of the experiment, ARM scientists requested archival of subsets of the data to assist in the developing ARM program. Five CLARET cases were selected: two with cirrus, one with stratus, one with mixed-phase clouds, and one with clear skies. Satellite data from the stratus case and one cirrus case were analyzed for statistics on cloud cover and top height. The main body of the selected data are available on diskette from the Wave Propagation Laboratory or Los Alamos National Laboratory

Application of GIS Technologies for Determination of Boundaries and Area of Epizootic Regions within Natural Plague Foci

Spatial indicators of epizooties in natural plague foci are used for justified planning and carrying out measures on epidemiological welfare provision for the population residing in enzootic territories. Plague affected regions are identified by real geographical coordinates of epizootic sites. Objective of the study is to develop numerical methods for determination of boundaries and area of epizootic regions according to the results of epizootiological monitoring. Materials and methods. Utilized are the digital maps of the natural plague foci, the data on epizootic points, and computer software. Results and conclusions. Buffer zones in the form of circumference of 5 km radius were established around each epizootic point with the help of computer application “ArcGIS 10.x” as a counterpart of circular extrapolation method. Resultant epizootic region over a certain season was generated by several overlapping circumferences.Evaluated were the area and extension of the region, as well as the presence of epidemiologically significant objects within its bonds.Actual positioning of the region, visualized on the focus map, is used for specified task assignment as regards carrying out of various preventive measures in this or that part of the area

Blood-Sucking Fly <I>Icosta ardeae</I> – Its Distribution and Probable Role in Circulation of West-Nile FeverVirus

Communication comprises materials on distribution of blood-sucking fly, Icosta ardeae, in the territory of the Russian Federation and bordering states. Based on the analysis of literature data, collection assets, and personal investigations assumed has been the fact that this species is more widely spread in the local fauna than it was anticipated earlier. The fly parasitizes on the birds of 11 species, orders - ciconiiformes (storks), shore (wading) birds, Gruiformes, and fowl-like birds (Galliformes). More often I. ardeae is seen among bitterns – 43 % of the findings, abundance index –5,9. Therewith, put forward is the suggestion concerning the role of the species and other Hippoboscidae in the process of persistence and distribution of West-Nile fever virus. Studies of this group of insects can be of use for identification of mechanisms that benefit natural foci extension and development as regards various infectious diseases

Thin liquid water clouds: their importance and our challenge

Many clouds important to the Earth’s energy balance contain small amounts of liquid water, yet despite many improvements, large differences in retrievals of their liquid water amount and particle size still must be resolved

To 110th Anniversary of the Federal Public Health Institution Astrakhan Plague Control Station

Presented is a historical essay on the work of one of the oldest Russian anti-plague institutions - Astrakhan Plague Control Station. Noted is the fact that specialists of this institution made a substantial contribution to the development of the theory of plague natural focality and other contagious infections, as well as to the provision for and implementation of measures for epidemiological surveillance and prophylaxis of plague and other particularly dangerous infectious diseases in the territory of the North-West Caspian sea region

PROSPECTS OF STANDARDIZATION AND SYSTEMATIZATION OF THE POINTS FOR EPIZOOTIOLOGICAL SURVEILLANCE OF NATURAL PLAGUE FOCI

Currently existent procedure for free positioning and registration of sites for field sample collection results in chaotic concentration of visualized on electronic map icons of surveyed areas, which obstructs spatial analysis of the results on monitoring in a given period of time.Objective of the study is to develop the system of standardization, positioning, and numbering of the points for epizootiological surveillance as part of monitoring over natural plague foci.Materials and methods. Topographical maps, epizootiological mapping data and their analysis.Results and conclusions. Optimum size of the icons corresponding to sites of epizootiological surveillance (SES) is 10 seconds in latitude and 15 seconds in longitude. One sector comprises 900 standard SESs. Put forward system of optimization is able to significantly ease epizootiological and epidemiological mapping, enhance visualization of monitoring data, as well as expand the capacities and improve the quality of spatial and retrospective analysis of epizootic activity of natural plague foci