Kenn White
@kennwhite.bsky.social
cryptography • neuro • cloud • biscuits
ORD-DCA-NYC-BCN ✈️
kennwhite@mastodon.social
ORD-DCA-NYC-BCN ✈️
kennwhite@mastodon.social
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Kenn White
@kennwhite.bsky.social
· Nov 25
For those new here, welcome. I'm a security engineer who works on critical infrastructure, applied cryptography, and NatSec, but here I mostly post puppers, cooking, and other fun stuff. My feed is like a box of chocolates – you never know what you're going to get.
This post-mortem and the accompanying full technical report from Anthropic is a fascinating glimpse into how rapidly hackers are using commercial AI services (here, Claude) to do recon & launch successful attacks on victim orgs.
www.anthropic.com/news/disrupt...
www.anthropic.com/news/disrupt...
Disrupting the first reported AI-orchestrated cyber espionage campaign
A report describing an a highly sophisticated AI-led cyberattack
www.anthropic.com
November 14, 2025 at 3:05 PM
This post-mortem and the accompanying full technical report from Anthropic is a fascinating glimpse into how rapidly hackers are using commercial AI services (here, Claude) to do recon & launch successful attacks on victim orgs.
www.anthropic.com/news/disrupt...
www.anthropic.com/news/disrupt...
just a typical wednesday over here. you?
a woman standing in front of a bunch of cats in a kitchen
Alt: a woman standing in front of dozens of cats in a kitchen throwing food by the handful all over the room
media.tenor.com
November 12, 2025 at 5:06 PM
just a typical wednesday over here. you?
This discussion with @stevevladeck.bsky.social should be heard by anyone trying to make sense of Justice Ketanji Brown's ruling on the SNAP case yesterday. Vladeck makes a convincing argument that Brown Jackson pulled a ninja-level legal maneuver to expedite a ruling with the best possible outcome.
ICYMI: Here's the Substack Live I did with @stevevladeck.bsky.social this afternoon on the SCOTUS SNAP benefits ruling
substack.com/@katiephang/...
substack.com/@katiephang/...
SCOTUS SNAP Benefits Ruling w/ Steve Vladeck
A special Saturday Live to really dive into the details of Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson's ruling from late last night
substack.com
November 9, 2025 at 12:10 AM
This discussion with @stevevladeck.bsky.social should be heard by anyone trying to make sense of Justice Ketanji Brown's ruling on the SNAP case yesterday. Vladeck makes a convincing argument that Brown Jackson pulled a ninja-level legal maneuver to expedite a ruling with the best possible outcome.
“[T]he real power of the campaign came from voters who rallied around a set of simple beliefs: that every person deserves a home; that child care should be free; that elections shouldn’t be bought; that racial diversity is a strength worth defending; that working people matter…”
The instinct to treat Mamdani as a local phenomenon ignores the reality of the Americans behind his win.
He won Black, Hispanic, middle, and working class voters. A similar coalition elected Obama.This is the heart of the Democratic coalition, not its fringe.
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/07/o...
He won Black, Hispanic, middle, and working class voters. A similar coalition elected Obama.This is the heart of the Democratic coalition, not its fringe.
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/07/o...
Opinion | Don’t Overlook the Coalition Mamdani Built
www.nytimes.com
November 8, 2025 at 1:42 AM
“[T]he real power of the campaign came from voters who rallied around a set of simple beliefs: that every person deserves a home; that child care should be free; that elections shouldn’t be bought; that racial diversity is a strength worth defending; that working people matter…”
Reposted by Kenn White
I sure would appreciate it if you spent about 20 seconds of your Friday signing up to get my writing sent straight to you. It's free, it's fun (sometimes), and it would mean a lot: dansinker.com/follow/
November 8, 2025 at 1:09 AM
I sure would appreciate it if you spent about 20 seconds of your Friday signing up to get my writing sent straight to you. It's free, it's fun (sometimes), and it would mean a lot: dansinker.com/follow/
I'll make this even more simple: Many (most?) of us in the security engineering world who have taken even a cursory look at this browser would advise colleagues & friends to avoid it at all costs. It's a privacy and product security dumpster fire.
The Atlas browser can act as your "agent" online, doing tasks like shopping or booking tickets. But that gives it access to a lot of personal information.
OpenAI's new web browser has ChatGPT baked in. That's raising some privacy questions
The Atlas browser can act as your "agent" online, doing tasks like shopping or booking tickets. But that gives it access to a lot of personal information.
n.pr
November 7, 2025 at 10:30 PM
I'll make this even more simple: Many (most?) of us in the security engineering world who have taken even a cursory look at this browser would advise colleagues & friends to avoid it at all costs. It's a privacy and product security dumpster fire.
Reposted by Kenn White
The password to the Louvre’s video surveillance system was “Louvre,” according to a museum employee
Password to Louvre’s video surveillance system was 'Louvre', according to employee
According to an employee with knowledge of the system, the password to the Louvre's video surveillance system was simply "Louvre" at the time of the robbery last month.
abcnews.go.com
November 6, 2025 at 11:21 PM
The password to the Louvre’s video surveillance system was “Louvre,” according to a museum employee
U.S. Army advising troops stationed in Germany to go to German food banks during shutdown.
“Running list of German support organizations for your kit bags:
- Tafel Deutschland
- Foodsharing e.V.
- Essen für ”
web.archive.org/web/20251105...
“Running list of German support organizations for your kit bags:
- Tafel Deutschland
- Foodsharing e.V.
- Essen für ”
web.archive.org/web/20251105...
Shutdown Guidance :: U.S. Army Garrison Bavaria
Information on the 2025 shutdown.
web.archive.org
November 5, 2025 at 3:44 PM
U.S. Army advising troops stationed in Germany to go to German food banks during shutdown.
“Running list of German support organizations for your kit bags:
- Tafel Deutschland
- Foodsharing e.V.
- Essen für ”
web.archive.org/web/20251105...
“Running list of German support organizations for your kit bags:
- Tafel Deutschland
- Foodsharing e.V.
- Essen für ”
web.archive.org/web/20251105...
Reposted by Kenn White
I had a bug in my new ML-DSA implementation that caused Verify to reject all signatures. I gave up after half an hour. On a whim, I threw Claude Code at it. Surprisingly (to me!) it one-shotted it in 5 minutes.
A small case study of useful AI tasks that aren't generating code that requires review.
A small case study of useful AI tasks that aren't generating code that requires review.
Claude Code Can Debug Low-level Cryptography
Surprisingly (to me) Claude Code debugged my new ML-DSA implementation faster than I would have, finding the non-obvious low-level issue that was making Verify fail.
words.filippo.io
November 1, 2025 at 6:26 PM
I had a bug in my new ML-DSA implementation that caused Verify to reject all signatures. I gave up after half an hour. On a whim, I threw Claude Code at it. Surprisingly (to me!) it one-shotted it in 5 minutes.
A small case study of useful AI tasks that aren't generating code that requires review.
A small case study of useful AI tasks that aren't generating code that requires review.
Nice sunset at the barn outside Barcelona
November 1, 2025 at 8:47 PM
Nice sunset at the barn outside Barcelona
We're pleased to announce the final lineup for Black Hat Europe '25. Terrific security research spanning 21 tracks. In a separate thread, I'll highlight a few of my favorites.
www.blackhat.com/eu-25/briefi...
www.blackhat.com/eu-25/briefi...
Black Hat
Black Hat
www.blackhat.com
October 31, 2025 at 10:27 PM
We're pleased to announce the final lineup for Black Hat Europe '25. Terrific security research spanning 21 tracks. In a separate thread, I'll highlight a few of my favorites.
www.blackhat.com/eu-25/briefi...
www.blackhat.com/eu-25/briefi...
Reposted by Kenn White
Microsoft Azure challenges AWS for downtime crown
Microsoft Azure challenges AWS for downtime crown
Azure Front Door service outage disrupts airlines and other online services
Microsoft Azure has been experiencing a global outage since around 1600 UTC, or 0900 PDT on Wednesday, October 29, 2025.…
dlvr.it
October 29, 2025 at 10:25 PM
Microsoft Azure challenges AWS for downtime crown
I'm surprised and encouraged by my new replacement for Chrome and Safari with @kagi.com's browser Orion and its search engine. On the first couple of searches it managed to unsurface content that was exactly what I wanted, including some things I wrote/said years ago that I'd completely forgotten.
October 26, 2025 at 10:09 PM
I'm surprised and encouraged by my new replacement for Chrome and Safari with @kagi.com's browser Orion and its search engine. On the first couple of searches it managed to unsurface content that was exactly what I wanted, including some things I wrote/said years ago that I'd completely forgotten.
Seeing some disturbing early research around ChatGPT's new Atlas web browser. I strongly recommend caution against using it, particularly to interact with any web sites holding sensitive data.
October 23, 2025 at 7:48 AM
Seeing some disturbing early research around ChatGPT's new Atlas web browser. I strongly recommend caution against using it, particularly to interact with any web sites holding sensitive data.
Here's a pic of our dog before a proper grooming, looking rather punk and intimidating. And an after. Enjoy.
October 23, 2025 at 4:04 AM
Here's a pic of our dog before a proper grooming, looking rather punk and intimidating. And an after. Enjoy.
One of the things that got drilled into my head working with field clinics in remote developing areas is: Design local systems for as much autonomy as possible and don't ever assume good (or ANY) connectivity for basic operations.
The AWS outage bricked people's $2,700 smartbeds, leaving them in a reclining position or with the heat up. People were unable to use them, basically. A GitHub repo exists that lets people operate their beds without reliance on the normal infrastructure
www.404media.co/the-aws-outa...
www.404media.co/the-aws-outa...
The AWS Outage Bricked People’s $2,700 Smartbeds
When Amazon Web Services went offline, people lost control of their cloud-connected smart beds, getting stuck in reclined positions or roasting with the heat turned all the way up.
www.404media.co
October 23, 2025 at 12:11 AM
One of the things that got drilled into my head working with field clinics in remote developing areas is: Design local systems for as much autonomy as possible and don't ever assume good (or ANY) connectivity for basic operations.
stop scrolling and post two characters that bring you happiness
October 21, 2025 at 10:16 PM
stop scrolling and post two characters that bring you happiness
This is at once one of the most gobsmacking examples of utter incompetence I've read to date coming from the current administration, and yet also a fascinating train wreck of hilarity.
Oh nooooo, Lindsey Halligan, this is not how any of this works
(15 screens into a Signal exchange) www.lawfaremedia.org/article/anna...
(15 screens into a Signal exchange) www.lawfaremedia.org/article/anna...
October 21, 2025 at 12:50 AM
This is at once one of the most gobsmacking examples of utter incompetence I've read to date coming from the current administration, and yet also a fascinating train wreck of hilarity.
them: "Your required training is due. Please complete it today."
3rd-party training system: “nope nope nope server error please try again later”
me: fine time for a nice cup of chai.
3rd-party training system: “nope nope nope server error please try again later”
me: fine time for a nice cup of chai.
October 20, 2025 at 3:45 PM
them: "Your required training is due. Please complete it today."
3rd-party training system: “nope nope nope server error please try again later”
me: fine time for a nice cup of chai.
3rd-party training system: “nope nope nope server error please try again later”
me: fine time for a nice cup of chai.
Amazon is still working to recover from a major service outage in US-East that started around 2 am ET. Thousands of sites affected, including several large European banks.
“The UK government has said it is in contact with Amazon over Monday’s outage.”
health.aws.amazon.com/health/status
“The UK government has said it is in contact with Amazon over Monday’s outage.”
health.aws.amazon.com/health/status
Amazon Web Services outage hitting platforms around world ‘showing signs of recovery’
Problem that originated in US and affected Snapchat and Ring among others appears to be IT issue rather than cyber-attack, says expert
www.theguardian.com
October 20, 2025 at 1:46 PM
Amazon is still working to recover from a major service outage in US-East that started around 2 am ET. Thousands of sites affected, including several large European banks.
“The UK government has said it is in contact with Amazon over Monday’s outage.”
health.aws.amazon.com/health/status
“The UK government has said it is in contact with Amazon over Monday’s outage.”
health.aws.amazon.com/health/status
Reposted by Kenn White
Reposted by Kenn White
The top of two prominent newspapers’ mobile editions right now—and the reason that, despite growing up in New York, I always read @theguardian.com first (and rarely open @nytimes.com):
October 19, 2025 at 1:58 AM
The top of two prominent newspapers’ mobile editions right now—and the reason that, despite growing up in New York, I always read @theguardian.com first (and rarely open @nytimes.com):
Reposted by Kenn White
Since I did it in June, I'll do a quick thread of images from the No Tyrants* rally, again at the US embassy in London, 18 October 2025
*Instead of No Kings, because that would be churlish for a bunch of Americans who've been welcome in this kingdom
#NoTyrants #NoTyrantsLondon #NoKings
*Instead of No Kings, because that would be churlish for a bunch of Americans who've been welcome in this kingdom
#NoTyrants #NoTyrantsLondon #NoKings
By popular (?) demand, a thread of pictures and videos from the No Tyrants protest outside the London embassy in London, 14 June 2025
October 18, 2025 at 7:00 PM
Since I did it in June, I'll do a quick thread of images from the No Tyrants* rally, again at the US embassy in London, 18 October 2025
*Instead of No Kings, because that would be churlish for a bunch of Americans who've been welcome in this kingdom
#NoTyrants #NoTyrantsLondon #NoKings
*Instead of No Kings, because that would be churlish for a bunch of Americans who've been welcome in this kingdom
#NoTyrants #NoTyrantsLondon #NoKings
Reposted by Kenn White
It’s going to take ages to pay all these people
October 18, 2025 at 5:39 PM
It’s going to take ages to pay all these people
Reposted by Kenn White
CNN talking about the possibility of violence as a guy in a giraffe costume waddles by
October 18, 2025 at 5:08 PM
CNN talking about the possibility of violence as a guy in a giraffe costume waddles by