August 2017 Summaries

On August 17th, 2017, multiple Content Delivery Networks (CDNs) and content providers were subject to significant attacks from a botnet named WireX. The botnet primarily consists of Android devices running malicious applications designed to create DDoS traffic. Researchers from various organizations collaborated to combat this botnet, which was active as early as August 2nd. The attack traffic generated by the botnet is primarily HTTP GET requests resembling valid requests from generic HTTP clients and web browsers. The majority of the traffic from this botnet was distinguished by the use of an HTTP Request's User-Agent string containing random lowercase English alphabet characters. The malware was distributed through various Android applications, some disguised as media/video players, ringtones or tools such as storage managers and app stores. Google removed hundreds of affected applications from its Play Store and started the process to remove them from all devices.

On August 25, Armel Beaudry Kembe presented his experience in developing Trebble.fm, a music-sharing platform that allows users to create their own radio stations and share them with others, at the Ottawa JS meetup. The app is built on Cloudflare's new App platform, which makes it easy for users to embed their Trebble radio station directly onto their websites. Users can listen to music handpicked by the website owner and hear personalized audio recordings called Capsules without leaving the site. For those interested in sharing a demo of their app at a meetup or developing a Cloudflare App, resources are available.

Cloudflare, a global internet service provider, has reported significant success in its localization efforts aimed at better serving users worldwide. By translating their highest-performing campaign into French, German, and Spanish for markets in Europe and Latin America, the company saw substantial increases in engagement, conversion rates, and cost savings compared to English campaigns. Encouraged by these results, Cloudflare plans to continue expanding its localization efforts into four more languages: Portuguese, Chinese, Korean, and Italian. The company follows an 80/20 rule for prioritizing investments in core vs. emerging markets and uses a formula to track ongoing localization ROI.

The European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which will replace the current European Data Protection Directive of 1995, aims to address growing concerns over control and use of personal data in the digital age. It is set to come into effect on May 25, 2018, and will have a significant impact on businesses worldwide due to its extra-territorial scope. The GDPR sets out a risk-based approach to privacy protection and codifies important principles such as control and transparency for users, accountability for data processors and controllers, and privacy by design and default. It also strengthens the right to erasure or "right to be forgotten". Cloudflare is working towards full compliance with the GDPR before the May 2018 deadline, introducing added control mechanisms for its users and new features to help businesses with their own GDPR compliance journey.

On August 18, 2017, Jameson Sundell introduced Hardenize, a comprehensive security tool that continuously monitors the security and configuration of domains, email, and websites. Created by Ivan Ristić, a demo of this app was presented at Cloudflare's London headquarters. Users can view their website's security report using Hardenize by clicking a button provided in the text. The author also invites interested parties to share demos of their apps at meetups and offers assistance with coordination.

The text discusses packet switching in internet networks and how it relates to Maximum Transmission Unit (MTU) sizes. It explains that the IPv4 specification defines minimal requirements for packet handling, including a minimum permitted datagram size of 576 octets and a requirement that each physical link must be able to transmit datagrams of at least 68 bytes. The text also covers problems with fragmentation and how they can be mitigated through techniques like Path MTU Discovery and DF (Don't Fragment) flag in the IP header. It highlights issues related to middle boxes, ECMP load balancing, and server misconfigurations that can cause Path MTU problems. The text concludes by emphasizing the importance of Ethernet and its standard MTU size of 1500 bytes for the functioning of internet networks.

Cloudflare terminated the account of neo-Nazi website Daily Stormer due to claims that they secretly supported its ideology. The company's decision sparked a debate on content regulation and the role of various organizations in controlling online content. Cloudflare argued that while it doesn't support the Daily Stormer, removing their access could set a dangerous precedent for other companies to follow suit without clear guidelines or due process. They emphasized the importance of transparency and consistency in making decisions about content restrictions.

On August 15, Taiwan experienced an unexpected major power outage affecting most of the island. Despite this, internet traffic remained stable due to backup power generation systems at Telecom and Data Center facilities. There was a spike in requests as people sought information about the outage, but bandwidth usage dropped by approximately 25% as users shifted from desktop to mobile devices. Internet usage returned to normal levels once power was restored.

On August 11, 2017, Cloudflare hosted a developer preview workshop in Austin for their product, Cloudflare Apps. The event was led by Zack Bloom, tech lead of Cloudflare Apps. Due to high demand, the video from the workshop is now available. For those interested in getting started with Cloudflare Apps, there are idea suggestion lists on the Cloudflare Community page and extensive documentation available. If you would like a Cloudflare Apps workshop in your city, contact [email protected]. Developers can also share their progress and collaborate with others through the community forum.

Cloudflare has partnered with Path Forward, a nonprofit organization that helps people who took time off from their careers for caregiving return to the workforce. The company hired three individuals through this program across various teams including People & Places, Solutions Engineering, and Marketing. These employees found support and encouragement at Cloudflare, which has offered ongoing employment to all Path Forward participants. The company continues to offer returnships in various departments for those interested.

The text discusses the history of web styling languages, particularly focusing on how CSS became the standard. It begins with Tim Berners-Lee's announcement of HTML in 1991 and the lack of a method for styling pages at that time. Several proposals for styling methods were made before CSS was introduced, including RRP, PWP, FOSI, DSSSL, and CHSS. The text also discusses Microsoft's attempt to introduce its own style sheet language, JSSS, which was not successful. It concludes by reflecting on the arbitrary nature of many decisions that shaped current web styling tools.