Root Causes: A PKI and Security Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Root Causes 37: Quantum Apocalypse - Will Quantum Annealing Break Cryptography? Sep 10, 2019

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Quantum annealing is a special case of quantum computing for which the engineering challenges are lessened - and therefore we expect computers of this sort to achieve stability sooner. In this episode we examine the potential for the quantum annealing approach to break RSA-based cryptography sooner than most people have been expecting, and the difficulty of predicting the "Z date" at all.

Root Causes 36: Quantum Apocalypse - The Search for Quantum Resistant Crypto Sep 03, 2019

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Finding the new quantum-resistant cryptography we will need to replace RSA and ECC is a difficult task requiring the coordinated effort of academics, industry, and government. NIST has stepped in to lead this volunteer community. Join us to learn about this project to discover and vet going-forward crypto candidates, where we stand in the process, and where we go from here.

Root Causes 35: Quantum Apocalypse - Mosca's Inequality, Mad Max, and Mohawks Aug 29, 2019

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Quantum computers have the potential to defeat the RSA and ECC encryption underlying our digital world. We must swap out these algorithms before quantum computers reach that stage of maturity. But how long to we have? Join our hosts Tim Callan and Jason Soroko as they explain how to calculate the ominously named "Z date," the possible consequences of missing that deadline, and potential hairstyles for a post-apocalyptic world.

Root Causes 34: Shadow IT and PKI Aug 26, 2019

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Shadow IT has become a fact of the modern enterprise. SaaS, BYOD, outsourced development, embedded IT, DevOps, and public cloud have all chipped away at the CIO's ability to oversee and control the enterprise's technology systems. This fragmentation leads to identity and access challenges that can affect security, governance, auditability, and compliance. Join our hosts as they discuss these challenges and what IT departments can do to address them.

Root Causes 33: Prepare for One-year Limits on SSL Certificates Aug 20, 2019

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The CA/Browser Forum faces a proposed ballot to limit the maximum duration of an SSL certificate to 13 months. Even if this ballot fails, browsers such as Google Chrome have the ability to simply distrust certificates of longer duration, creating the same de facto situation. Our hosts discuss the trend to shorter certificates, the pluses and minuses of decreased maximum term, and automation as the only solution to fill the gap.

Root Causes 32: Why Do Browsers and Academic Research Say Different Things About EV SSL? Aug 15, 2019

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Breaking research from two esteemed universities shows that sites with Extended Validation SSL certificates are much less likely to be engaged in criminal behavior like malware and phishing. And yet, leading browsers are reducing or removing EV information from the interface. Join our hosts as they explore the research results, this paradoxical browser behavior, and the effect it's likely to have on consumer security.

Root Causes 31: Using PKI to Authenticate Phone Callers Aug 13, 2019

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Few people know that caller ID numbers have no identity value as they are completely self-reported. This fact enables the plague of robocalling scams sweeping our society right now. Join our hosts as they discuss public telephony systems and other environments that suffer from this problem, where this situation creates vulnerabilities, and what can be done about it.

Root Causes 30: When a Whole Country Has Its PII Stolen - Giant Breach Fines - Phishing with SSL Aug 06, 2019

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Recently we have seen major news items in some of the common Root Causes themes. Join our hosts as they discuss new whopping breach fines from GDPR and the FTC, what happens when an entire country has its PII stolen, and phishing sites with SSL.

Root Causes Special Bulletin: Kazakhstan Weaponizes the Public CA Jul 31, 2019

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The Kazakhstan government is taking measures to force citizens to trust its own root, enabling the widespread persecution of dissidents, journalists, and human rights advocates. Join our hosts to learn the long history of Kazakhstan's weaponization of PKI, what its effects may be, and the opportunities and challenges the browser community faces in fighting it.

Root Causes 29: Vulnerabilities in Cisco Routers and Other Device Integrity Controls Jul 25, 2019

Show notes

Security flaws in the device integrity modules of Cisco routers and other devices have lately filled the headlines. Join our hosts and guest Alan Grau as they discuss what is happening with these flaws, why, and what to do about it.

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