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Firmware Update
- March 11, 2015
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in this issue
-- State-Sponsored Hacking of Embedded Software
-- The Road to Artificial Super-Intelligence
-- Upcoming Embedded Systems Training Courses
-- Win a Smart Watch by Taking a 5-Minute Survey -- Industry News (and Other Time Wasters)
Firmware Update is a free, occasional newsletter written by embedded systems expert Michael Barr. This issue is Copyright 2015 by Barr Group. You may forward it to colleagues and use it for other non-commercial purposes; all other rights are reserved. |
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State-Sponsored Hacking of Embedded Software ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In every direction you look, embedded systems are under direct attack by hackers. In just one recent example, researchers at Kaspersky Lab documented a specific pernicious and clever attack against virtually all hard drive firmware. This malicious firmware has been found on hundreds of computers in dozens of countries and is believed to be designed by the NSA to spy on the users of those hard drives.
In light of this and other recent revelations, it seems clear that state-sponsored hackers with deep pockets have the motivation to passively spy on (and possibly also actively attack) the users of many kinds of embedded systems. This is a new kind of threat model and one we cannot, as responsible system designers, ignore. |
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The Road to Artificial Super-Intelligence ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Many experts believe we are merely a decade or three away from the emergence of an artificial super-intelligence with an intellect much smarter than the best human brains in practically every field. If so, life finds itself on the precipice of a paradigm shift comparable to the emergence of human intelligence.
Though it is difficult for us to live in the present moment and to see the steep exponential curve ahead, Ray Kurzweil's Law of Accelerating Returns predicts that the 21st century will achieve hundreds of times the technological progress of the 20th century. If so, how and by whom embedded software is written is going to change along the way. |
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Upcoming Embedded Systems Training Courses ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Barr Group is the world's leading supplier of hands-on training for embedded systems. Our series of upcoming public training courses includes:
Please consider taking one of these courses to upgrade your skills. And be sure to register now, while there are still discounts and seats available. |
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Win a Smart Watch by Taking a 5-Minute Survey ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
According to a recent survey, there are 10 types of people in this world: those who understand binary and those who don't. As you are one of the former type and also experienced in the ways of embedding, won't you please participate in a quick online survey regarding trends in our industry: Survey of Embedded Systems Designers.
It should only take 5 minutes to complete the short survey, after which you will be automatically entered into a drawing to win one of three Apple Watch or Samsung Gear smart watches (your choice of brand, up to $500). But note that the survey will close in just a few days. |
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Industry News (and Other Time Wasters) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"To err is human, to really foul things up requires a computer."
If you enjoyed the AI piece, you'll also enjoy learning why aliens haven't visited Earth yet and what that might mean for life and the universe: http://waitbutwhy.com/2014/05/fermi-paradox.html Hollywood is crowdsourcing a remake of the 80s TV show "MacGyver" with a female lead. http://abcnews.go.com/US/macgyver-hollywood-crowdsourcing-version/story?id=29082828 "Firmware is the perfect place to conceal malware because antivirus scanners don't examine it." Wired's analysis: http://www.wired.com/2015/02/nsa-firmware-hacking/ Saturday 3/14/15 is a very special day! Take a minute now to set an alarm on your tricorder to alert you (at 9:26 am, ideally). GCC is more than 7 million lines of code: http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=MTE1OTg Top 15 Online Resources for Firmware Engineers http://blog.initialstate.com/resources-firmware-engineers/ Cutting-edge hack gives super user status by exploiting DRAM weakness http://ars.to/1aYubRZ "Watching people [via cell phone activity] when they move: It's natural; every [government] does it." http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/pakistanis-face-a-deadline-surrender-fingerprints-or-give-up-cellphone/2015/02/23/de995a88-b932-11e4-bc30-a4e75503948a_story.html |
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Quick Links ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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Contact Information ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
email:
mbarr@barrgroup.com
phone:
866.65.EMBED
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