Anti-virus flaws Leave Holes in PC Security (Part 1)
The internet is a very dangerous place to be without protection from the thousands of threats that are out in the wild (the term “wild” is a technical term for running malware that is wreaking havoc on computers connected to the internet) and even with some of the best software comes risks. In the BlueHat hacker convention, developers and hackers come together in the headquarters of the world’s largest software manufacturer/developer and they discuss together some of the most pressing issues regarding what else but threats to Windows. The invitation only event brings together some of the best hackers and software developers who bring out the best and worst of both worlds and something came up that was pretty alarming. Even with virus protection a computer connected to the internet can still get infected, why?
The Internet on the verge of Collapsing (Part 3)
Satellites were tried but they had a lot of problems so the best way is still with land-borne transmission methods. From relays, switches to routers to all the various parts, they are ageing at a fast pace that the technology and amount of users last year have increased so much that another capacity change is needed. Hot swapped parts in redundant systems have to be reconfigured to cover for the redundant devices that have already failed to restore their back-up capacities. Older switches and routers have to be replaced with newer and faster ones that can do more than double the capacity of current technology
Browser Injections of Microsoft SQL sites on the Rise
As we all know, every hole needs someone to find it before it can literally be called a hole. A current analysis of the type of malware attack that capitalizes on many web browser’s using Microsoft’s SQL system is on the rise in what was previously a trivial pursuit for hackers. IT Security experts are seeing an alarming rise in the types of attacks that use the SQL system to download payloads without the user even knowing it even when visiting legitimate web sites. In reality, there is no way of knowing if the site you are visiting is compromised till you notice the weird behavior of your system that signifies malware activity. The hackers have found a way of using a generic approach of using the signatures of legitimate web sites through Microsoft’s SQL system which is used by thousands of legitimate sites and using that as a means of getting their programs (malware) into the unsuspecting computer’s browser making it into a propagation tool or for some other reason that we will be sure of that is something not to your liking.
The Internet on the verge of Collapsing (Part 2)
The very scientists who formed it decided it was good for sending information to a lot of people and it was faster that next day door to door and in no time, the internet was born. Internet simply means an interconnected network that is formed by thousands upon thousands of networks that are interconnected to each other allowing people from across the world to communicate and share information to another across the world. These interconnected networks have various components, some of which have been upgraded though the years to carry more volume in terms of information. From early copper wires to fiber optic cables they are now all in need of extensive rehabilitation if the internet is to continue to grow. Some components of these networks are as old as the net is. Some inter-connections are so vulnerable that any failure cuts off half the world losing all communications.
The Internet on the verge of Collapsing (Part 1)
We all love the internet, we work, live and do everything on it that we cannot live a day without using it. Well then here’s a shocker people, for according to experts from Cisco, the internet has two years to live due to ageing equipment that is in need of a major overhaul. You might be asking if this is true, sadly this is true and without a concerted effort form industry and governments it might be worse. The internet began as a military network across the US that was a product of the cold war when the West can’t trust Russia and they needed of some way of telling those on one side of the country that somebody is doing something somewhere to the other side of the country. Russia collapsed and the cold war is over but the internet found a new use.
Digital Television
The next innovation to hit the entertainment industry is the advent and standardization of net to TV programming where television programs are broadcast through the internet directly to your digital net ready TV. The said innovation is hailed as a Renaissance for the old television set which has changed little in its long and colorful life. The delivery to your high definition television set does require multimedia consoles such as the Xbox 360, Media Center PC and others multi-media Consoles to receive and decode the signals from the internet to a form the HD TV can use. The fact that it is digital also gives more vivid pictures compared to previous cable television technology which required the use of coaxial cables, from which signals degraded as distance increases.
Netflix Hounded by glitch
The online DVD rental store is suffering from a technology glitch that is causing delays in the delivery of DVD rentals to customers. Technicians are hard at work in restoring the site but customers are advised to be patient with their rentals which are manually being processed and sent out as soon as possible. The web site suffered an outage due to a system glitch, taking it off the internet causing inconvenience to it’s 7.5 million subscribers. Reliability is still one of the most vulnerable points of technology dependent firms, as with Netflix a simple technology glitch caused them to go off-net that may have long repercussions with regards to customer loyalty.
Locking up the Open Internet? (Part 2)
The problems associated are identity theft, brute force attacks (that crippled the internet itself in some instances these past few years leading to billions in losses) and other seemingly innocent invasions of the internet type. A new generation of tech savvy hackers who are well educated with he technologies that are in use it as tools for propaganda and other criminal activities and there seems to be no stopping them in the near future. Security is the problems for m\not many realize just how vulnerable they really are from attack. Most operating systems like Windows, Leopard and Linux based variants have built-in protection but they are rarely configured properly to provide ample protection form intrusion.
Locking up the Open Internet? (Part 1)
It seems that some people are beginning to realize the problems associated with too open an internet. The many attacks on government websites, lost information, social network security leaks and breeches are now more common as the regular volley of crimes we are used to. True to this, many governments have been forced to put up internet or cyber crime investigation units due to the huge increase of these online crimes which is all over the place. The US government has announced its drive to seek out terrorists through the virtual world as part of its anti-terrorist measures.
Microsoft and Yahoo, the saga continues
The bully efforts of Microsoft to obtain Yahoo has failed and the back-up tactics have done the same but is Microsoft ready to throw in the towel in it’s efforts to get their hands on the internet search company? Apparently not, for there has been rumors that an upcoming meeting of major shareholders of Yahoo that is said to be being targeted by Microsoft people. News of this has been circulating all over the internet but Yahoo has denied all the above stated rumors as, rumors. But industry analysts are saying otherwise for Microsoft needs a part of the market monopolized by the many search engine companies that are under strain as result of the current sub-prime financial crisis.
Court Finds Contractor Guilty of Identity Fraud (Part 2)
Experts have long advised us to keep information that you want private off the internet but today’s wired world is making that almost impossible for you need credit card numbers for transactions (groceries, clothes, and more), Social Security Numbers to check the balance of your loan and many more, all of that information gets stored somewhere in a computer that processes it and keeps it in archives as long as the law specifies it. Anybody coming across that very information can use that against you in many ways such as identity fraud and other forms of identity theft that leaves you vulnerable from all sides. There was a story of a pregnant woman who left her child in the hospital after giving birth, after sometime another woman comes in to get a checkup only to be arrested for child abandonment. That woman had to spend a couple of hours explaining to hospital authorities and police that she is not the mother of the abandoned child and that her driver’s license was stolen along with her wallet a few days ago. Even after saying that, she still had to go on and on for hours to clear things up and another month or so to get child’s records excluded form her medical records that needed a court order to make it happen. All that trouble because of a stolen license card, imagine having your address, social security number and information along with your credit card numbers and other financial information, you do the imagining.