I am in the airport heading to Ireland to give a seminar at UCD, which I find quite exciting. I have never visited Ireland, but it looks beautiful, and I can't wait to explore it. I have been extremely busy working on various research projects, mainly:
1. Standardization of reporting in Cyber Forensic Investigation
2. XML standard for Digital Evidence Items
3. ICDF2C conference related "stuff"
4. Experimenting with the relationship between bypassing the internet proxy and cyber criminal engagement
5. Working on a network forensics training program for certain entities
6. Teaching/creating a small scale digital device forensics class
7. Meeting various interesting people and researchers
8. Working more on iPhone forensics

And many more things. Being a great researcher/professor/director means that you have to be the most dynamic person in the world ;)

Anyway, they just unplugged me from the electrical outlet at the airport because the airport personnel need to use it. I wonder if I should perform some research on rogue networks in middle eastern airports - sounds interesting..

One more thing, does anyone know what cloud computing is? I don't think so to be honest. I think its a term that is thrown around because it sounds "cool". Maybe I am misjudging many, but I truly feel that way so far. If you have a true definition for what cloud computing is, and how it is different from what exists, please inform me.

That is it for now!
5/17/2010 09:41:24 am

Cloud computing is a general term for anything that involves delivering hosted services over the Internet.
These services are broadly divided into three categories: Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS), Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS).
The name cloud computing was inspired by the cloud symbol that's often used to represent the Internet in flow charts and diagrams.

A cloud service has three distinct characteristics that differentiate it from traditional hosting.
It is sold on demand, typically by the minute or the hour; it is elastic -- a user can have as much or as little of a service as they want at any given time;
and the service is fully managed by the provider (the consumer needs nothing but a personal computer and Internet access).
Significant innovations in virtualization and distributed computing, as well as improved access to high-speed Internet and a weak economy, have accelerated interest in cloud computing.

A cloud computing can be private or public. A public cloud sells services to anyone on the Internet. (Currently, Amazon Web Services is the largest public cloud provider.)
A private cloud is a proprietary network or a data center that supplies hosted services to a limited number of people. When a service provider uses public cloud resources to
create their private cloud, the result is called a virtual private cloud.
Akram H. Ali, ACE, DFE.
Vice President, Global Business Relations
CyberSecurity Institute
19030 Lenton PL. SE #162
Monroe, WA. 98272-1353
Main: 800-726-1433 x705
Cell: 425-492-5524
[email protected]
http://csisite.net
http://cybersecurityforensicanalyst.com

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Thanks Akram
5/17/2010 05:10:42 pm

Akram, tahnk you for your comment. My question is, how is this different than what we have been doing for years now?

This whole concept of cloud computing is just a buzz-word/hype, at least in my opinion. I don't feel that it is anything different than what we have been doing for years now.

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5/18/2010 05:27:48 am

Ibrahim,

Is the whole concept of cloud computing just a buzzword? The answer is yes in terms of the fact, people throw a buzzword du jour at whatever concept they are trying to promote. I subscribe to cloud computing from a business model prospective. I think that as an underlying technology, providing Enterprise Application to the “little guy” at a little cost, it makes a lot of sense (in my opinion).

How is this different from what we have been doing for years now?
Let me use the following analogy:

“What we have been doing for years now”: we have been buying the car.
With cloud computing as a business model: we have the option of leasing the car (we pay only for the actual use of the car), keeping in mind the Pros and Cons of each option. I hope this will help,convey my opinion, and I do value yours, however.

Akram H. Ali, ACE, DFE.
Vice President, Global Business Relations
CyberSecurity Institute
19030 Lenton PL. SE #162
Monroe, WA. 98272-1353
Main: 800-726-1433 x705
Cell: 425-492-5524
[email protected]
http://csisite.net
http://cybersecurityforensicanalyst.com

Reply
6/9/2010 10:23:20 pm

I agree with you on Cloud computing! and I agree with Akrams analogy, it is just a different way of packaging up the same solutions, making them more affordable, not necesarily cheaper, just easier way to get what you want within budget.
The problem is that people will buy into this without really considering the downsides or properly calculated risks.
I do hope you enjoyed Ireland, it is beautiful place with really nice people.

I hope that we can meet up when I am in the UAE, as I would like to discuss your thoughts on
I haven't written in a while - BUSY
05/11/20103 Comment(s) I am in the airport heading to Ireland to give a seminar at UCD, which I find quite exciting. I have never visited Ireland, but it looks beautiful, and I can't wait to explore it. I have been extremely busy working on various research projects, mainly:
Standardization of reporting in Cyber Forensic Investigation

XML standard for Digital Evidence Items

Relationship between bypassing the internet proxy and cyber criminal engagement

Network forensics

Keep up the music as well, you certainly are a man of many talents!

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Abe
6/11/2010 06:32:12 am

I did enjoy Ireland.. it was a GREAT experience. Hopefully, i'll see you soon!

Abe

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8/8/2010 04:37:32 pm

you guys are talking on a topic which can not be explained here. Cloud computing is something which has no limit. The more you search -the more you know. You both are very much clear in the concept of cloud computing. I agree with you both. I found some more interesting facts about this niche on http://cloudcomputingleaders.net

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8/29/2010 12:53:48 am

lets see the techno part of the cloud computing on http://www.cloudcomputingtechnology.org

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