Happy Holidays...

I hope the holidays are treating everyone well?

I'm sure that everyone received nice gifts for Christmas.  And I'm betting that they are of the electronic persuasion that allow Internet access.  e.g., laptops, PCs, mobile phones, wifi-enabled LCD TVs, etc.  One of the most important and crucial things you should do when you power on these devices for the first time is get them connected to the Internet (or mobile network) and do all the necessary (security/firmware) updates & patches.  A lot of these devices have probably been sitting on the store shelves for weeks, even months before they were purchased.  So there's no doubt in my mind that between the time of manufacturing and shipping, there have been several security updates and/or patches that have been made available.  You just need to be proactive and check to make sure they're up-to-date.  Some devices will automatically update themselves once they achieve Internet connectivity, but it's always good to check to make sure.  CYOA (Cover Your Own Ass) as the say!!

It's also a good idea to ensure that for laptops/PCs/mobile phones, they have a good, working anti-virus software application installed.  The days of getting viruses only through email are long gone.  Nowadays, you can just surf to some benign or trusted website and still get infected.  Yep, it's that easy!!

Well, I have only a few more days left before I start my new job.  I'm desperately hoping to squeeze in at least two more posts before I start.  I'm not sure what the future will bring in terms of allowing time for me to post, but I will do my best.

Stay safe and Happy New Year 2012....

--ma
Michael

Cutting down on blogging...

Well, I just recently snagged a new job.  Therefore, posting to my blog won't be happening as much as I'd like in the foreseeable future.  However, I don't start until January 3rd.  So perhaps I'll make a few blog entries before then.

Also, my next (online) class starts in late January (this class should be an easy "A" though).  Not to mention I'll be going away on business sometime in January.  So it'll be very busy time for me and most likely I won't be making many blog entries.  We shall see though!  I'll keep you informed.


Stay safe...

--ma
Michael
 

Beware of Phone Scams

Be on the lookout and be extra cautious for phone scams this holiday season.  They usually come out in full-force around this time as perps like to take advantage of people looking to score big on merchandise for the holidays.

One example such as this is a friend of mine who received a call from someone stating that their name was randomly selected, they won a large sum of money, and that they would need their bank account info in order to complete the deposit.  <red flag> Don't EVER give your personal info, let alone your bank account info to an untrusted individual or company.  The best thing to do is write down the date/time that you received the call, as well as the phone number & name from the CallerID, then disconnect the call.  Promptly call police and inform them of the scam.  This is what my friend had done after receiving the call.

My friend was kind enough to give me the CallerID info, and I went the extra step as well and did a lookup of the area code.  Come to find out that the call originated from Seattle, Washington.  Although the CallerID info was most likely spoofed, the call can still be traced back to its origin.  I sent the info in an email to the FBI branch in Seattle, informing them of the scam.

Just to note...A majority of the scammers will prey on senior citizens as well.  So if you have elderly family members or neighbors, make sure you educate & inform them about these scams.

Stay safe!!

--ma
Michael


 

The holidays are among us... And so are the threats & risks....

Well, I am back.... After getting my homework & midterm done for school, as well as the final exam, I'm all done until late January.  Time to catch up on some blogging!

A lot of has happened in the InfoSec world since I've been away, but I'm not going to discuss any of that here.  However, since the holidays are right around the corner, so aren't the risks of shopping online.  With the infamous "Black Friday" vastly approaching, as well as Christmas, the cybercriminals will be in rare form, as they use the holiday season to take advantage of weary & unsuspecting customers looking to cash in on sweet deals.

With all the holiday hooplah going on, always keep your guard up.  Thieves will do anything and everything to get a hold of your creditcard, personal, or banking information to siphon your bank accounts.  Beware of emails purporting to come from some online retailer with exclusive sales on good & services.  Especially if they come from a retailer that you've never heard of or have not signed up for.  This could very well be a phishing scam aimed at getting your personal or financial info.

Be weary of online retailers that you plan on doing business with.  There are various ways to check their online reputation (score) to ensure that they're legit and safe.  Once you've decided on an online retailer make sure their website is secured (https:) and has a verified seal at the bottom of the website.  It's also a good idea to only shop at websites that are located in the USA.  Again, checking the retailers reputation should divulge where they're located if you aren't sure.

When paying for purchases online, NEVER use your bank's checkcard or debitcard.  That's a huge no-no.  Using your debitcard could potentially allow cyber-thieves to have complete access to your entire checking account if in the event your debitcard info is compromised.  Use either a creditcard or a prepaid debitcard with the amount allotted to your purchases (including taxes and shipping costs).  Using a creditcard is better, because under certain laws you will be protected if you spend a certain amount and unauthorized purchases are made.  Not to mention that your bank will usually refund you the amount of losses if your creditcard number is stolen and used for fraudulent purchases.     

After you made your purchases keep an eye on your account statements to ensure that unauthorized transactions weren't made using your card.  If there were any made, you can take care of them right away.

Before embarking on any online shopping spree, make sure your browser is up-to-date.  I've posted a blog entry a while back about the "Qualys Browser Check add-on" for all the major web browsers. It'd be a good idea to install and run that tool prior to your shopping spree to update your browser and computer, and patch any security holes.  Cybercriminals will almost certainly be infecting legitimate websites to serve up malware (malicious software) to infect your computer.  There are also various browser add-ons that you can use to alert you of fake online websites used to phish your info.

Lastly... Don't forget to make sure an anti-virus program is installed, working, and up-to-date!

Good Luck & be careful... The Internet is a scary place!

--ma
Michael

Be back soon...

Hi all,

Sorry, been busy with school and trying to catch up with getting my midterm and one of my last homework assignments of the semester done.

As soon as class is over (Nov 14th), I'll be back to posting routinely.

Thanks for your patience....

--ma
Michael

John McCarthy (1927 - 2011)

A few days ago the programming and technology community lost yet another pioneer, John McCarthy, creator of the LISP programming language.

Although I don't know much about the man behind the programming language, nor the programming language itself, I felt that it was my duty to pay respects to a man admired by many for his contributions.

Here's an article that details his life and accomplishments....

http://news.cnet.com/8301-1001_3-20125026-92/john-mccarthy-creator-of-lisp-programming-language-dies/

Thank You, Mr. McCarthy for all that you have done and shared with so many.

God Speed....

--ma
Michael

Dennis M. Ritchie (1941-2011)

A few days ago, it was reported that we lost yet another technology pioneer.  Dennis Ritchie was one of the creators of the ever popular Unix operating system, as well as the father of the C programming language.  He died at the age of 70 after a long illness.

Mr. Ritchie, along with his fellow geeks, Ken Thompson, Brian Kernighan, Douglas Mcllroy, and Joe Ossanna were the ones responsible for creating Unix.  The operating system would become so popular that it was the OS of choice for the Internet.  It's impact is still felt today as many businesses use it to run their core applications.  Many ISPs run some variant of Unix on their data-center servers as part of their infrastructure.

He also created the C programming language, which has become the most widely used programming language to date.  It has been used by just about every up-and-coming programmer in the world today.  His book, "The C Programming Language", in which he co-wrote with Brian Kernighan, has been adopted as the "C Bible" by geeks all over.

Because of his contributions to the technology community in the late 70's & early 80's, Mr. Ritchie had developed a cult following for decades to come.  Many newbie geeks would aspire to become him and looked to him for his wisdom.

Thank You, Mr. Ritchie for all that you have done for the Internet & technology communities.  You will be greatly & sadly missed.  God Bless & Godspeed!

--ma

Farewell, Steve Jobs (1955 - 2011)...

Yesterday we lost a true visionary, a computing pioneer, a perfect example of the American Dream.  Steve Jobs finally succumbed to his battle with pancreatic cancer that he had been fighting for quite some time.  It became inevitable that he was losing the battle when he abruptly stepped down as Apple's CEO a couple of months ago.

I never really got to use Apple computers all that much except a few times in my teens in the 80's and quite recently tinkering with a friend's MacBook (Pro).  I always called them the "Rich man's computer" because they are rather expensive, but definitely worth it if you can afford one.  I admire how Apple does things.  Their reliability and performance are legendary, much like Steve Jobs himself.  However, I do currently own an iPod Touch and love it.  Perhaps one day soon I'll give in and purchase a MacBook or MacBook Pro.

Thank You, Steve Jobs for all that you have done and brought to the world of computers.  You've inspired many people, as well as touched so many you came into contact with.  You will not soon be forgotten.  Even future generations will know who you are.  Godspeed & God Bless, as you make your way up to that big iPad2 in the sky!


--ma
Michael Alestock
 

Nice web browser plug-in to help keep your system safe...

There's a nice plug-in that has been around for a little while, but I figured it needs to be mentioned.  The plug-in is called, "Qualys Browser Check".  You can go directly to the site itself to install the plug-in or just click on this link... http://browsercheck.qualys.com.

The plug-in works with all the major browsers (IE, Firefox, & Chrome).  If it's your first time to the site you will be given the opportunity to install the plug-in.  After installing it you may need to restart your browser, depending on which one you're using.  Once the browser is restarted it will automatically start doing a scan of your browser & system for any outdated plug-ins, add-ons, or other system components that may pose a security threat to your system.

Once the scan is done (which only takes about 20-30 seconds), and if any critical security issues are detected, they will be highlighted at the top of the page.  Below, it will give you a page of detailed results.  To the right of each result you will be shown a color coded box along with a status.  Anything highlighted in RED is serious and should be checked immediately.  Orange is considered a warning, and green is good.  In the next column you will see a blue "Fix It" button that will either bring you to your system's component page to check its security settings or take you to the corresponding plug-in's website to download the latest version of the insecure item and upgrade it.

Upon updating and/or upgrading any out-of-date items, it's best to do a re-scan of the Qualys page so you can see if the updates were installed correctly.  You can do so by clicking the blue "Re-Scan" button at the top right-hand corner of the page or simply refreshing the page.  If so, then you should see the number of security issues decrement.

**Note:  Sometimes a plug-in or add-on that you just updated will not immediately show that it's been updated.  Sometimes a browser restart or maybe even a system restart will have to be commenced.  Upon doing so, just (re)launch your browser, run the Qualys scan again, and it should show as "ok" or "up to date".

A smart idea would be to set the Qualys site as your home page.  So every time you start up your browser you can immediately be alerted of any security issues, and tend to them right away.

This is a terrific plug-in.  I can't say enough about it.  With a majority of the malware today being distributed by way of, "Drive-by Download", this plug-in is invaluable.  I recommend that everyone install it and utilize it whenever possible.  

If you need help or encounter issues, there is a "Need Help?" section on the right column of the page.


--ma
Michael

Some thoughts on Security...

Everyday I either read, hear about, or witness firsthand someone's computer that has been infected or infested with malware.  Upon initial inspection there are several obvious signs as to why it happened so easily.  The first thing I check once I start going through the process of removing a virus/worm/trojan from a computer is if their anti-virus software is running the latest version with the most current anti-virus signatures.  Believe it or not, 95% of the time it is not.  Also, I will notice that there are several alerts sitting in the Windows taskbar area.  Those alerts being Windows Update, Adobe Flash update, Adobe Shockwave update, Adobe Reader update, to name a few.  Hmmm, I wonder how the malware got onto this infected computer to begin with?

This absolutely scares me.  From computers running unpatched/outdated software, to unpatched operating systems, to systems running anything older than Windows XP.  I've seen it all!  Why do people neglect their computers that they use to do online banking, buy merchandise online, and read/write personal messages from-to family & friends?  But will make sure their car is in tip-top shape to be able to commute to-from work or go on the family vacation?

Keeping your computer safe & secure should be no different.  In this day and age it should be of an utmost priority.  You're actually putting yourself more at risk if you get infected with malware, as opposed to having your car break down and be dealt an inconvenience.

With all the scary malware out there designed to steal your personal information, banking credentials, and email credentials, care for your computer should be taking center stage.  The cybercrime aspect of Identity theft is the fastest growing crime.  A vast part of that growing trend is that personal information (names, addresses, social security #'s, DOBs, etc.) are stolen, then harvested by cybercriminals, which in turn are sold & traded on the blackmarket for a price.  In a study done by security researches a couple of years ago, bank heists that are committed by cybercriminals have surpassed that of actual holdups using weapons.  This alarming trend is continuing to climb.

So as you can see, keeping your computer(s), your home network, and your personal information safe is just as important, if not, more important than keeping your car tuned up & in tiptop shape.  There are also other things that will aid in keeping your computer and home network safe aside from what I mentioned above.  Making sure you use a firewall, some kind of content filtering software, and being careful of the software you download and install from a questionable website.  This is what's called a "layered" security approach.  If one line of defense were to fail, you have still have the other layers that will help protect you.  There's more to this theory, but giving you the basics should be enough to protect you.

Here's a link to an NSA (National Security Agency) article to use in helping to keep your computers and home network safe.  The article (PDF) is called Best Practices for Keeping your Home Network Safe .  I highly recommend it!  Read it, then pass it on to your family & friends.

Keep safe out there people!  The Internet is one hell of a scary place!

--ma
Michael

Facebook Ticker...

In regards to the Facebook "Ticker" to the right of your Facebook page...  If you're able to see your friend's "Mutual Friend's" posts, then you need to inform their "mutual friend" that they have to go into their privacy settings and make sure their settings for wall posts, comments, etc.. is set to "Friends Only".  If this setting is set to "Friends of Friends", or worse, then anyone in the "Friend Chain" will be able to see someone else's wall posts.  This can be verified afterwards by going onto the said person's wall to see if you can still view their wall comments/posts.

I've gone through a few random people's profiles that I don't even know (but are mutual friends with someone I know), and was able to see their wall posts, and in some cases, actually had the opportunity to post to their walls.  This is very dangerous.  A well programmed bot or person with ill-intent could post spam-links or links leading to malware to spread badness all over Facebook.

--ma
Michael

Facebook changes...

Well, it seems as though Facebook has struck a nerve with its users, after the Social Networking giant unveiled and rolled out changes over the past several days.  These changes did not win approval of its users.  Many people went completely ballistic because the interface they're accustomed to using had changed.  Not to mention minor tweaks to what appears to be how people see their friend's 'mutual friends' posts.  I have yet to really sit down and go over what exactly has changed in terms of privacy settings.  However, all I can really suggest at this point is to make sure your privacy settings are set to "Friends Only" when it comes to wall posts, photos, etc.  Another addition has been the "Subscribers" feature, which obviously has people all up & arms as well.  I'm hoping to sit down and figure out what the buzz is all about with that one.

Because of these changes, a lot of people became very angry and voiced their displeasure by ranting on their walls and creating anti-Facebook pics/themes.  Although I do feel for many people and understand their disgust, there's one simple thing people must understand.  Change is inevitable.  There's nothing you can do.  These changes are not negotiable.  You just have to roll with them.  Afterall, Facebook is FREE.  And in order to keep it this way, they [Facebook] have to keep up with the changing times and changes in technology.  New content deliver services are popping up left and right, and in order for Facebook to stay on top of those trends and remain competitive, they must essentially "go with the flow".  Remember, Facebook makes all their money from businesses/services that pay to advertise on there.  That's why it's free and always will be.

Oh ya, that's another thing....  Facebook will NOT start charging people for their services.  So people, please.  Enough with the annoying rumors, chain-letters, and hoaxes.  Again, refer to the last paragraph to understand why Facebook will never charge users for their services.  EVER!

Oh... and don't worry.  The changes don't stop there.  There will be plenty more to come in the near future.  So be prepared!


--ma
Michael

My New Blog!

I'm new to this whole Blogging thing. I kind of kick myself in the ass for putting it off so long, but oh well. I'm here now! Bare with me as I slowly put my blog together. Should get interesting in the next week or so.