/dev/random: Ransomwar

;login: Enters a New Phase of Its Evolution

For over 20 years, ;login: has been a print magazine with a digital version; in the two decades previous, it was USENIX’s newsletter, UNIX News. Since its inception 45 years ago, it has served as a medium through which the USENIX community learns about useful tools, research, and events from one another. Beginning in 2021, ;login: will no longer be the formally published print magazine as we’ve known it most recently, but rather reimagined as a digital publication with increased opportunities for interactivity among authors and readers.

Since USENIX became an open access publisher of papers in 2008, ;login: has remained our only content behind a membership paywall. In keeping with our commitment to open access, all ;login: content will be open to everyone when we make this change. However, only USENIX members at the sustainer level or higher, as well as student members, will have exclusive access to the interactivity options. Rik Farrow, the current editor of the magazine, will continue to provide leadership for the overall content offered in ;login:, which will be released via our website on a regular basis throughout the year.

As we plan to launch this new format, we are forming an editorial committee of volunteers from throughout the USENIX community to curate content, meaning that this will be a formally peer-reviewed publication. This new model will increase opportunities for the community to contribute to ;login: and engage with its content. In addition to written articles, we are open to other ideas of what you might want to experience.

There is a blight sweeping the digital landscape, a pestilence of downright icky proportions. The media have labeled it "ransomware," although I personally call it “data extortion.” It takes a special kind of douchebag to hold someone's cat photos and pr0n collection hostage for money. I live in Texas, where if we're not dodging deluded maniacs with assault rifles and an inflated sense of grudge, we're using taxpayer funds and proceeds from the volunteer fire department water carnival (just two guys with super soakers this year, due to drought) to pull our local government's files out of hock. I have no easy solution for the grudgy maniacs, but I think I can offer some balm for the file douchery.

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