Computer Hardware and Software
Posts tagged Security
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Sep 8th
Because of school and other stuff I won’t be able to continue blogging any more for some time. In the mean time, you should read those great books written by Mark Russinovish:
- Zero Day (2011)
- Trojan Horse (2012)
Those great books only cost a few bucks as Kindle edition (you can read those on your computer, smartphone or tablet, too!). Download the Kindle Reader Software for Mac or PC here: www.amazon.com/gp/kindle/pc/download
Have fun!
Windows Intune – PC management in the Cloud!
Jul 21st
Windows Intune, in a nutshell, is a Web-based console where IT administrators can manage the deployment of Microsoft updates and service packs to all PCs, keep track of hardware and software inventory, fix PC issues remotely, manage protection from malware threats and set security policies. Windows Intune can be accessed anywhere an Internet connection is available.
Microsoft is aiming the cloud-based Windows Intune squarely at companies with 25 to 500 PCs, as businesses of this size typically don’t have the resources to manage and configure servers in an on-premise desktop management environment.
For $11 per PC per month users will get the Windows Intune service plus integrated anti-malware (anti-virus and anti-spyware) and Windows 7 Enterprise upgrade rights. Volume discounts will also be available for purchases of 250 licenses or greater.
Windows Intune will be sold like other cloud services from Microsoft — through Microsoft partners and the Microsoft Online Services Web site.
You can find more in depth information in the PDF below or just visit windowsintune.com.
Have you made your decision to be a Mac or a PC?
May 31st
This is a video review of Mac versus Windows which shows both – the good and the bad – sides of PCs and Macs:
<video>
Personally I made my decision to be a PC because I love to have control over every little part of the OS (using OpenBSD, Ubuntu Netbook Edition and various Windows).
What are you? (Mac, PC or both?) Please comment!
Update: Should colleges start giving Apple’s iPad to students?
May 22nd
This morning I wrote about all the discussions to the question Should colleges start giving Apple’s iPad to students?
But since this time there were many important news-releases surrounding the Apple iPad.
For example data now points that the iPad has become (or always was, given its short life thus far) so popular that it is on the right track to outsell the venerable Mac, Apple’s regular computing line. According to an analyst Apple is selling some 200,000 iPads a week, versus a mere 110,000 Macs in the same time frame.
The iPad is of course a new product, and slower sales are to be expected once the full global roll out has been completed and enough time has passed to fill initial demand. That will take weeks, if not months. At 200,000 a week, Apple will have moved at least another million iPads.
The shocking statistic that has the tech world in an uproar is that some 20% (1 in 5) Americans is either “likely” or “somewhat likely” to purchase an iPad. The population of the United States is roughly 300 million, 20% of that number works out to some 60 million. If Apple sold that many iPads at the lowest price point possible, $500, it would bring in some 30 billion USD in revenue.
Seeing those data, people start to think, if maybe the Apple iPad is going to get a mainstream device and draw in a huge amount of PC users not using apple products yet. For sure other manufacturers will be really unhappy with Apple and since they don’t want to loose all of their clients to the Mac or iPhone/iPad, they have to adopt Apple’s new standards and also be sort of nice to them…
I guess this will end in a really huge showdown between Microsoft and Apple. But then there is another question: What about all the other big technology companies like Google, HP/Dell, HTC, and so on. For sure these companies all have their reasons to like neither Apple nor Microsoft but they will have to decide very soon! Or maybe it will go bad for both Microsoft and Apple as you see Google working on their ChromeOS and HP hugging WebOS.
No matter what happens, it is going to “take a bloody end”. I just hope that customers won’t have to suffer too much.
PS: take a look at how I tagged this post..
McAfee offers compensation for failure of its AntiVirus Solution
Apr 28th
McAfee has said that it will offer compensation to home and home office users for losses arising as a result of last week’s flawed signature update. The update (DAT 5958) caused the system file svchost.exe to be detected as the virus W32/Wecorl.a under Windows XP SP3 and quarantined. This resulted in affected systems entering an endless reboot loop. Read the rest of this entry »
Botnet with integrated copy protection
Mar 19th
The current version of the ZeuS botnet uses classical copy protection mechanisms to prevent the use of unlicensed pirate copies. ZeuS is a malware toolkit used, for instance, to steal online banking data. The basic version currently costs about $3,000 to $4,000.
Security firm SecureWorks has discovered that the ZeuS server only works with a system specific key. Similar to the Windows OS, the malware creates a kind of fingerprint of the respective hardware configuration when first started. The vendor then provides the user with a personalised licence key for this configuration.
The ZeuS server is responsible for controlling the botnet. It communicates with the infected computers – the bots –, it receives the data they provide and issues commands, etc. The client software injected on victims’ systems of course does not require a licence key. Extensive division of labour has existed in the malware scene for some time. Many gangs use the professional ZeuS software which is modular and can – for a fee – be extended to include, for instance, different Windows versions or browsers. By using a licence management system, the product has reached a new level of professionalism.
Chuck Norris Virus Roundhouse Kicks Unprotected Routers!!!!!11
Feb 23rd
Just a few seconds after publishing my last post I read about this really ChuckNorris-stuff on a german newspage (I hope you all have humor):
Apparently, when Chuck Norris wants to create a botnet, he’s such a badass that he doesn’t even have to attack computers.
The Chuck Norris virus, so called because of the words “in nome di Chuck Norris,” (Italian for “In the name of Chuck Norris”) in the source code, attacks routers and DSL modems by guessing commonly used passwords. It also exploits a security vulnerability present in many D-Link routers.
This virus, which takes advantage of an incredibly common vulnerability, is potentially incredibly dangerous. Even the most security-minded of consumers will often forget to change the default password on their routers after setting them up. Because this virus can change DNS settings of the router, it can also hijack the browsers of computers on its network, steering them to malware-infested sites or phishing sites.
In addition, due to the widespread use of Linux and MIPS-based chips in internet-connected devices (like routers, modems and even cable boxes), this particular vulnerability could be devastating. According to Jan Vykopal, head of network security research for Masaryk University’s Department of Computer Science (and the discoverer of the virus), devices in Asia, Europe, North and South America are already infected, and it appears to be spreading quickly.
While this particular virus might not become the next conficker, it suggests that similar exploits could be on the way. Despite the fact that many people have antivirus software on their computers, most people completely overlook the security of their routers. It’s only a matter of time before another more effective version of this exploit finds its way into more routers and cable boxes.
Peeking into Windows’s virtual store
Feb 22nd
In the user data area in Windows Vista, Server 2008 and Seven there is a folder called “VirtualStore” which you can find in C:\Users\[USERNAME]\AppData\Local\ .
It is worth having a peek now and again. Here’s part of mine:
image showing my VirtualStore folder
But what exactly is that folder for?
The Virtual Store is a feature of User Account Control, the centerpiece of Windows’ new enhanced security. Read the rest of this entry »
Microsoft confirms rootkit cause of Windows XP blue screen of death
Feb 20th
Microsoft has confirmed that a rootkit is responsible for the blue screen problems currently occurring with Windows XP following a recent update intended to fix a 17-year old security vulnerability in the virtual DOS machine. According to a post on Microsoft’s Security Response Center blog, all of the affected systems were infected with the Alureon rootkit.
The company says that the rootkit made several modifications to the system’s behaviour, which caused the systems to become unstable. It also determined that 64-bit systems are not affected. Apparently, however, not all 32-bit systems with the Alureon rootkit were affected: the “chain of events” relating to when the machine was infected and when the update was installed played a role. Microsoft went on to say that it had “not found quality issues with security update MS10-015″. Only a few days ago, based on its own analysis, Symantec had suspected that a rootkit was responsible for the blue screen of death (BSOD) issues.
TweetMyPC version 3 released!
Feb 16th
About
TweetMyPC is a little software-application for Windows, written in VB.Net using the .Net-Framework v3.0, which allows you to control and access your computer from anywhere by simply sending a twitter-message with a special command as its content.
Why twitter?
Most time when you want to connect two personal computers you need a Read the rest of this entry »