From 4256fdaf44b41832dbaf47bdea3c17201d7f361d Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: "Adam A.G. Shamblin" Date: Sat, 14 Sep 2019 21:31:25 -0600 Subject: [PATCH] New article --- content/weekend-update-2019-09-14.md | 107 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 107 insertions(+) create mode 100644 content/weekend-update-2019-09-14.md diff --git a/content/weekend-update-2019-09-14.md b/content/weekend-update-2019-09-14.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..4840711 --- /dev/null +++ b/content/weekend-update-2019-09-14.md @@ -0,0 +1,107 @@ +Title: Weekend Update, September 14, 2019 +Date: 2019-09-14 +Category: misc +Tags: beekeeping, hacking, events + + +## Bee Journal + +Two weeks ago we had our first honey harvest, pulling out something to the tune +of 13lbs. of honey. This was our first and last harvest of the year, being a new +colony and pretty much the end of the foraging season in the Rockies. It is +still plenty warm and the bees are still out and about, but the pickings are +getting slim. We'll be supplementing their food supply soon. + +It's remarkable how much honey 13lbs. really is, though we can expect even more +next year since our first colony is established - assuming it survives the +winter, fingers crossed - and we expect to add a second. We found ourselves +filling every jar we could find and still having some left over. It is also +remarkable how fast it goes, because it is so fun to share with friends, family +and neighbors. Still, we have more honey for ourselves than I expect we've ever +consumed in a normal year. + +We don't yet have access to a honey extractor, as we haven't yet joined a club +where we might get to borrow one. Because of this, we opted for manual +extraction, where we took the honey and the containing comb off of the frames. +This really just involves cutting the caps from the comb before scraping the +honey and remaining comb wholesale off of the foundations. Having done so, we +can return the frame briefly to the hive for cleaning. The bees are excellent +housekeepers, they will recover any lingering honey and move it downward into +the brood supers. Once they are done, we'll once again remove the frames and +store them for the winter. + +Today, we had an especially important chore to perform on behalf of the bees: we +had to treat for [Varroa +destructor](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Varroa_destructor) mites. What a +horrifying name! These pests are ever present in North American bee hives, but +they must be kept under control, particularly when the bees are vulnerable in +the fall, mid-winter and early spring. For us, this is the first treatment. +We've opted to treat using an Oxalic acid vaporizer which was included in the +pile of gear we purchased at the beginning of the season. Oxalic acid is not +harmful to the bees but should do some damage to the nasty mites. Once the +treatment was complete, we returned the to-be-cleaned frames to the hive. We +also had one remaining frame that I'd removed from a brood super as it was heavy +with honey and no brood at all. Being a tall super, the frame would not fit in +the shallow supers we use for honey, so I put it outside several yards from the +hive. + +A few hours later, I realized my error. The frame left in the open was covered +with bees, and they weren't all ours! There were representatives from every +colony in the area as well as their nastier stripey cousins, such as wasps and +yellow jackets. What's more, it was evident at the entrance to our hive that +attempted robbery was afoot! Our girls were defending their territory admirably, +but having that frame sitting open attracting so much attention was not helping +their cause. I suited back up and knocked off all of the gathered swarm and beat +a hasty retreat, putting the frame away in a tote to be recovered later. Within +an hour the colony had successfully fought off all attackers and life was back +to normal. A healthy colony is more than capable of defending itself, but there +is no reason to cause undue burden. I'll not be open feeding again! + +## BSides Denver! + +Friday was [BSides Denver](https://www.bsidesden.org/), our local version of the +community-driven, security focused un-conference. This is the first time have +been able to attend as tickets, though free, tend to go very quickly. This year +was touted to be smaller than usual with fewer tickets offered. Small it was, +surely not more than a couple of hundred attendees all in one room with only +one presentation track. As I've been prone to do lately, I immediatly found +a [capture the flag](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wargame_(hacking)) event +to join with my friends and focused the majority of my energy on that pretty +much all day. Though we were slow to start, our team did manage to pull +second place before running out of time. + +There's often a period near the end of a conference where I feel a bit sad. I +think this time I've finally realized what this is. I've only been attending +security and hacking events for a couple of years now, starting with the +inaugural [Wild West Hackin' Fest](https://www.wildwesthackinfest.com/), but I +don't know that I can call myself a member of the community. Am I? Perhaps. +However, there are people who put time and effort into the community and they +are rewarded by warm smiles and hugs when they see each other. I think I envy +them this, and there is a part of me that wishes I had similar relationships. I +am fortunate, however, in many other ways such as close friends and family. I +realize everyone's lot is a little different and that I am beyond blessed, but +perhaps I could find some time to give to the hacking community. Like anything, +I'll bet you get out of it what you put in. + +## All Them Flags + +Speaking of capture the flag, I've been a bit obsessed with them lately. Partly, +this is just for fun. I really do enjoy having something like that to do at a +conference when I just can't sit for another presentation. Additionally, +however, I have found the idea of participating in a bug bounty program like +[HackerOne](https://hackerone.com) appealing. I guess I hope that continued +practice on CTFs will help build my skills enough to do some hunting, perhaps +even joining a [red team](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_team) someday. + +There are a few programs of particular interest to me right now: + +* [Hacker101 CTF](https://ctf.hacker101.com/) - this is a free CTF run by HackerOne +* [Over the Wire](https://overthewire.org) - in particular the Bandit wargames +* [Hack The Box](https://www.hackthebox.eu) - just getting started here, you need an invitation code to join, and you are encouraged to hack the site to get it. + +I've managed to gain some ground in both Hacker101 CTF, which is really about +web hacking in the earlier levels, and Over the Wire which really leans on your +Unix knowledge to progress. I just acquired my Hack The Box invitation today and +haven't set up my environment yet, so I'll have to report back another time. + +Ĝis la revido, kaj feliĉa kodumado! -- 2.39.5