Posts by JCitizen

Former Mozilla dev joins chorus roasting antivirus, says 'It's poison!'

Re: What do I use?

@jason 7 - well that probably shoots down MBAM and AVast too - as I'm not sure what Avast's bulk rules are. Both of them have ransomware protections now. I suppose you could always write a script to deploy your own cryptoprevent, as the free one from Foolish IT is simply the same thing setting up MMC Administrative action to keep the cryptolocker variants from running, by using permissions and good ol' MSCE methods on servers and active directory. It would probably contain about 100 modifications through the MMC though. I bet searching online would find a forum somewhere showing how to DYI.

Bleeping Computer may even have such posts some where there - that is where Foolish IT's download was first featured. It is really stupid that MS doesn't offer it as a snap-in (or maybe they do - I haven't checked)

Re: Problem with Anti-Virus

Okay - I'll bite! When it comes to laptops and mobile devices, there is no substitute for remote wipe - that is all I can say about that.

Re: What do I use?

@jason 7 - I haven't noticed any problem with Cryptoprevent so far. I downloaded it for free and manually update it once and a while - what is not to like?

Re: Network AdBlock for the Win

Also, not long ago I was using an extension that made my Firefox browser appear as Internet Explorer - so if you really need to use Firefox but the web site is being picky, that usually works very well.

Avira??

Meh! Too slow on the draw - It once let a friend of mine get cracked because it wasn't fast enough, despite the fact that it recognized the batch file as suspicious. I haven't trusted it since.

Too many reports about false positives too!

Re: LOL

@patrickstar - white listing worked well with Vista, but I can't tell what it is doing on Windows 7 - haven't had a chance to see if Win8 thru Win10 have improved on it, or even implement it.

So far on my Windows 7 honeypot, I haven't had an infection on a standard user account with white listing enabled though, so maybe it is working. However I always clean with CCleaner in between sessions, just to eliminate old session situations and test the new attacks.

Re: Bodyguard cards

Drive Vaccine used to be one of those vendors - but now they claim (XP, Vista, Win7), that they can do it better by installing on the hard drive only. I haven't had time to test it yet - but when I was in college DEEP FREEZE, by Faronics, worked just fine - their network was never compromised in the last 20 years I was watching how things were going over there.

Re: Er, the Browser Cannot Save Us

Before Windows 7 came out, I put Avast on all my clients who could not afford NOD32 but ESET. I never had to hear from then again, although I did start putting subscription based MBAM on clients who may need additional protection because of what they keep on their hard drives, privacy needs, and the banking and shopping habits they require.

I've NEVER seen a problem with Avast - and if they claimed they did, I always found out it was because of some problem they had BEFORE Avast was put on the machine - usually something not properly updated - or a trashed out registry.

Re: :unsure:

@Naselus - BAZINGA!!

Re: Problem with Anti-Virus

Since Windows 10 came out, I have actually started recommending just what the author ordered. HOWEVER - this is ONLY after setting the client up as a local user and NOT an administrator. Then I put one or both of my favorite updater reminder tools, like Secunia PSI, and/or File Hippo's Application Manager, so that will close the vulnerability gap with apps and browsers.

Fortunately many apps have improved their own automatic updates, not perfect but getting there. The only other thing I install for sure is CCleaner; and I include this warning. I tell them, if something unexpected pops up DO NOT CLICK ON IT, close the browser, and simply run CCleaner, then open Task Manager to end the task - if it is visible - if not - simply log off and back on, or reboot and all is well.

If you truly want the best damn thing since sliced bread, put Deep Freeze on your computer - HELL you can run as administrator all day if you like, because once you reboot - POOF!! all the bugs and any changes made without your permission are gone - your data storage may be compromised, but the operating system will never get taken over with something like that. There are competitors that claim better technology than what Faronics offers, but I've not been able to test them yet.

The protections that Microsoft lends to the equation are powerful and can defeat all but nation state bad actors as long as one is logged in as a standard user and EVERYTHING is up to date. If your banking and shopping online, I highly suggest the ultimate in anti-keylogging and screen capture technology and install IBM's Rapport - I have extensively tested it, and it is rock solid, but you have to pay attention and make sure it is working in which ever of the big three browsers you like - all of which is simple visual consciousness. My many hours in my honey pot lab are proof enough for me, and I keep testing every chance I get.

Haven't deleted your Yahoo account yet? Reminder: Hackers forged login cookies

Yahoo! bit the big one for me long ago..

When Yahoo! held hostage accounts "synchronized" with AT&T, that was the last straw for me, way back in 2005. We had email through Yahoo! in some of our offices, where that was the only way we could provide services for remote offices. We didn't have them on our head office server yet, because they didn't have the necessary router, or broadband for such a connection. We were on a budget and unless the community population and/or services met a certain category, we didn't use our company email server.

After we switched from AT&T to a broadband service that had just been built in one of the far flung communities, we discovered all email was going to be lost because Yahoo/AT&T refused to release it as a web based email again. Yahoo! and AT&T were both sued over this and lost in court but it was too late for our hapless remote offices. We had to rebuild from scratch, and we never forgot about that. Never again will I or anyone I know, recommend Yahoo for web based email again, even though now - you can supposedly free it up after that court case. They really stuck it in the dirt with treating so many people that way. And then they wonder why their market share keeps going down.

There is nothing more irritating than having to delete Yahoo! as a search engine in everyone's browsers too!! It keeps coming back and taking over the browser like that 'Ask' tool bar that was finally declared a PUP a few years ago. You cannot engender good will acting like this, but Yahoo! never seems to get it. Just like A-Hole, er I mean AOL did years ago. The pestilence will finally be eradicated by their continued bad behavior, and everyone jumping ship like a bunch of drowning rats! Thankfully we finally instituted Outlook Web Access 2003 email for remote dial up offices, so we could get an SSL connection and still use our central server to control our remote offices. Never again will we ever trust an outsider like that for email service - besides I would bet that the HIPAA regulations have by now blocked using such insecure services now anyway.

Macs don't get viruses? Hahaha, ha... seriously though, that Word doc could be malware

Re: What is the point?

Yep!

http://www.scribd.com/doc/13450744/Dino-Dai-Zovi-Mac-OS-Xploitation

Vizio coughs up $2.2m after its smart TVs spied on millions of families

Re: Never fucking heard of it

They are a very popular cut rate brand selling out of the discount stores here in the US - can't verify any other locations in the world. It was started in the US by a Chinese businessman, and was bought out by a Chinese company LeEco.

What is the difference?

Every since the MPAA required DRM spyware and hardware in every blu-ray, HDTV, cable card, HD sound system 2.1 or higher, etc., etc. They've been given carte blanche to spy on citizens all over the world!

Has President Trump’s executive order on 'Public Safety' killed off Privacy Shield?

Re: Nice Try, now go home.

@Warm Braw - BAZINGA!!

Ransomware killed 70% of Washington DC CCTV ahead of inauguration

Re: No word on how it got in?

You got it Phil - this is probably just like the Miria virus explosion taking over millions of vulnerable ioT devices, and those NVR type of devices can typically be included in that device sector.

Boffins break Samsung Galaxies with one SMS carrying WAP crap

Re: Why would Android even support WAP?

Precisely! How lone have we known WAP was crap?!

US Marines seek more than a few good men (3,000 men and women, actually) for cyber-war

They will have to come crawling on their knees!!!!

Because they did not accept me the first four times I tried - Hey I got glasses so what!!?? Mr four eyes ain't so easy to forgive an forget!

Just give up: 123456 is still the world's most popular password

Just get a password manager..

I teach my clients to use Lastpass or any other acceptable password manager, and since they are not in a business environment, I let them put the strong master password on a post-it note and let Lastpass generate all their other passwords to the highest standards. I've never run into a site, so far, that doesn't accept these passwords - If I ever do, I will weight the risk just like other posters here on the Register have already mentioned!

Sundown exploit kit weaves Edge hack hole

Re: Hmmm...

Bazinga!

NASA plans seven-year trip to Jupiter – can we come with you, please?

Just pause for a moment...

and imagine what violence it would take to strip the mantel Lithosphere and Asthenosphere from the iron core of a Mars size planet? It boggles the mind!

To add to that, it would have to have been an older planet, because most planets in the solar system developing during this period would have been massive balls of lava. The only reason Earth is late in cooling off, is supposedly because of the Earth Moon collision around 4.5 billion years ago.

Hacker: Lol, I pwned FBI.gov! Web devs: Nuh-uh, no you didn't

The Russians done it!!

The Russians done it I tells ya! The Russians done it!! Just ask Clapper!

Microsoft update servers left all Azure RHEL instances hackable

Azure horrid experience..

I've had clients who were attacked by nation state and industrial espionage bad actors the minute Azure was instituted. Two of their businesses were destroyed by this. We could not get cooperation from Microsoft on the obvious breaches and disreputable users there to save our souls. I have nothing good to say about that program at all.

One of them was so badly compromised that only snail mail worked to contact Microsoft, and they were no help.

Snail mail thieves feed international identity theft rings say Oz cops

More convenient..

I consider the convenience worth the risk of doing e-commerce. Besides, I get instant alerts out of band, on any changes made to any account, password failures, credit alerts,etc., etc.

That was what I was thinking!!

All my accounts and commerce are done electronically - the only irritating thing I still get are credit card offers, and I always shred them. Fortunately I have a PO box, so that is already a fairly secure location.

Cisco drops patch for nasty WebEx remote code execution hole

It is things like this...

that make me think twice before considering a Cisco gateway. I've hated their GUI for years.

Watch SpaceX's rocket dramatically detonate, destroying a $200m Facebook satellite

You all are wrong

It was Gary Seven and his cat that done it!! Just ask Miss Lincoln!!

German minister seeks facial recognition at airports, train stations

Re: Don't worry probably already hacked!

I once saw a simple .gif image demonstration, where two images taken from a slowly moving camera just fractions of a second apart; and then shuttered like movie frames at 25 frames per second or so; and resulted in fooling my brain into thinking I was seeing a 3D representative of the image. I was gob smacked!! Who knew you could make an image jump off a 2D page and look like it had depth??? I may be mistaken by the technique, but it looked fairly simple to me. The coloring looked a little washed, so it may be necessary to add some element to it about that, I may be unaware of.

None the less, if a human brain can see it, why can't a well written algorithm? I should think with today's high speed computing becoming so prevalent that today's cell phone beats some of the best desktops 10 years ago - I'd think it might be possible.

Update your iPhones, iPads right now – govt spy tools exploit vulns

Re: Phone Security

That's funny? Then why did Obama have to fight his staff, and government security enforcers, tooth and nail to keep his Blackberry? I would have thought it would be the other way around? I don't know what brand they were pushing, but I suppose they wanted conformity to help in security SOP. The other side of the coin would be kind of like having a Hillary private server in the office?

Break out the Elder Scrolls: Skyrmion characters seek storage possibilities

This sounds a lot like the 1st quantum computer

storage story that came out recently.- Maybe spintronics are finally here!

Private moonshot gets the green light from US authorities

Need a return method to Earth?

Now I can finally see a Trans-Linear Accelerator as useful for this mining. It requires only the solar electricity to ramp up the buckets to hurl packages into moon orbit - another system can pick them up from there. I can envision a traveling circuit of "trucks" moving material back to earth and to the moon again, needing very little fuel, and never needing to land. The packages would have to be coated in some kind of moon based heat resistant material though, so it could survive the entry into Earth's atmosphere - the rest is just good orbital mechanics and artillery science.

New Mars rover is GO for 2020 says NASA

I predict..

that the sounds of Mars will be like that classic Star Trek wind chime noise they hear on every planet! HA!

Oz boffins cook quantum computing out of mothballs

Ah!!...

so now spintronics is finally practical!!!

Boffins boggle, baffled by blobs deep inside the Earth

Re: Indigestible protoplanets?

Remnants of Theia? That is what popped into my head!

BAM! Astroboffins now have a second way of picking up black holes' collision super kicks

@LeeE

You have hit exactly on the nail head, of why I had to end a lot of my confusion, and simply realize that when you are dealing with eleven or more dimensions(one part of the theories postulated), then only math can help explain what is going on - and even then, more than one result could simultaneously exist.

I can only hope that new tools will at least let us see further into the mystery, and wish the mission good luck. First they have to have a successful launch - I don't see considering a failure to reach mission posture though - we will keep trying anyway - as curiosity kills the cat, or doesn't (depending on where

Schrödinger went :-) )

FBI's iPhone paid-for hack should be barred, say ex-govt officials

BAAH!

As long as they have permission from the courts, having an exploit doesn't bother me - this will motivate the OEMs to review their code better next time! I was dead set against forcing OEMs to put back doors in, or forcing them to crack the phone either; but HEY, if there is a discoverable exploit, they are at least doing us a favor by giving a heads up. I don't feel they need permission to keep it secret either. Did Bletchley Park tell the whole world about breaking the Enigma code? Of course not! That kind of competition, is fair in love and war!

Lie back and think of cybersecurity: IBM lets students loose on Watson

Well... At least...

the "Students" will have a job doing content corpus curation, or as a expert interpretor machine learner - at least until they too become necessary. Then the only job you got (for a while) building or maintaining robots - at least until that job is replaced as well.

Flaw found in Lhasa makes for compression confession depression

Gotta love these headline eye catchers..

done in the finest tradition of yellow journalism - Oh wait!

Israeli biz fingered as the FBI's iPhone cracker

Re: Happy now ?

@Iowwall - EXACTLY!!

Re: Lords and Masters

Pffftt!!! Any tin horn at a Pwn2Own contest could have broken into that phone, The FBI was just on another intimidate the free people push! US LEOs do it all the time. It is getting boring now. Any time you have physical access to a device, you own it! I've read they screwed up when an FBI investigator decided to take the initiative and reset the phone - that makes the cloud drive just about impossible to get into after that! Stupid-stupid-keystone cops!

US bank fended off 513 trojans last year alone

Detections - that they know of..

If they are using Symantec to come up with these figures, they better recheck their servers for all the Advanced Persistent Threats(APT), that NO anti-malware suite is going to find! Only code white listing or locking the drive will keep these things off the servers! VM technology can only go so far.

Patch Java now, says Oracle. Leave the Easter chocolate until later

What does Oracle have to do with it???

Java is an Apache project now - right? Red Hat done bought out the coffee mug a while ago.

Hackers giving up on crypto ransomware. Now they just lock up device, hope you pay

Temporarily removing power

from the hard drive during a reboot can also defeat the safemode block - won't help you with encryption types of ransomware though.

US taxmen pull plug on anti-identity-theft system used by identity thieves

Give the whole job to WATSON

Let WATSON be the overlord of the IRS - they could fire at least half the staff and still get a better job done, because IBM's genius boy could figure out when he's being scammed from a mile away. Just like the Hollerith engine came to the rescue of the US Census Bureau in 1890, the new kid on the block comes to the rescue of the entire US tax system!!

In fact - what the heck - he could even DO your taxes for free! There go the bloody tax lawyers! HA!

Re: TCO-ish

Exactly what I thought - they'd do it better, and cheaper too. After all Google already knows all abouit who we all are and what we do - hell they know more about us than the government does!

We're doing SETI the wrong and long way around, say boffins

Dear earthlings..

Ugly bags of mostly water! Please leave us alone, we can't take it!

FBI v Apple spat latest: Bill Gates is really upset that you all thought he was on the Feds' side

Exactly!!

Just as I see it!

Comodo's 'security' kit installed a lame VNC server on PCs on the sly

I never install Geek Buddy..

Any IT security technician knows you never leave any program or application on the PC that is not needed. When installing Comodo's firewall, I always uninstall the ridiculous Geek Buddy. Say what you will about Comodo's products, but their Dragon browser is the most reliable browser I've used in Vista x64, and easily outperforms them all. On newer MS OSs, not so much. Also where are you going to find a free firewall that passes all GRC leak tests. Last I checked ,On-Line Armor isn't free any more. I trust Zone Alarm even less that Comodo's firewall. So there you have it, their certificate system and anti-virus suck, but we still need some of the other things they provide.

Feds look left and right for support – and see everyone backing Apple

I never thought I'd become an Apple fanboy.

Thanks to Tim Cook, I now can be counted in that number!

Come on kids, let's go play in the abandoned nuclear power station

Re: Steel Fuel Tubes

From that film, I'm left with the impression that you Brits are way ahead of us Yanks in the MSR field. All of our scientists that worked on the last project for the nuclear bomber are dying off, and no one is teaching this stuff in the universities over here. If you ask a physics major student about MSR technology you will get a reaction much like a deer caught in the headlights. They don't know what you are talking about.