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Showing posts with label efficiency. Show all posts
Showing posts with label efficiency. Show all posts

June 26, 2009

Windows 7 Pricing Announced!

Windows 7 is an amazing OS, and I highly encourage everyone to get it. Ill be getting the Pro version for work, and Ultimate for home. Unless you need the domain connectivity and security benefits of the professional version, or the media features of the ultimate edition, home basic is what you want.  

Also, starting in mid July, all new computers purchased with Windows Vista, will be eligible for a free upgrade to the equivalent version of Windows 7 when it is released, and as much as I like Vista, after using Windows 7, I have to say, your computer will probable run even better after the upgrade.

 

For the home user: Windows 7 Home Premium

Full Version: $199.99

Upgrade from XP or Vista: $119.99 $49.99- Limited time pre order offer.

 

For Business Users: Windows 7 Professional

 Full Version: $299.99

Upgrade from XP or Vista: $199.99  $99.99 – Limited time pre order offer

 

For those who want it all: Windows 7 Ultimate

Full Version: $320.00

Upgrade from XP or Vista: $219.00 (sorry guys, no special here)

 

Special Pricing ends July 11, 2009

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June 23, 2009

Apple’s MobileMe Helps Owner find “lost” iPhone

I am about as hardcore of a Microsoft/Windows fan as you can get. I love the company and the products, but I can also recognize when someone has made a great product,  and Apple has done that. The iPhone is a fantastic device, and with the release of the 3.0 firmware, it has gotten even better, and Kevin (www.happywaffle.com) has found this out first hand.

Kevin and some friends went to have a drink at a bar after a Lego convention (yea, he is THAT awesome), but unfortunately, left his precious iPhone behind when they left. Like any good (and by good I mean addicted) phone user, Kevin noticed his error very quickly, but by the time he got back to the bar, his phone was gone. Of course, Kevin was bummed, but then it came to him, not only did Kevin have an iPhone, but he had set up the “Locate your iPhone” feature on apples MobileMe! And so Kevin’s journey (hunt) began.

Multiple unanswered texts, several ignored calls, some luck, and a high speed chase brisk walk through a crowded urban neighborhood, and Kevin, with friends, was able to track down the person who *found* Kevin’s phone! And while I don't necessarily recommend chasing down bad guys, you can help but cheer on Kevin.

Read the full tale on Kevin’s rarely updated blog. 

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June 19, 2009

FBI agent looks back on time posing as a Cyber Criminal

A good Q&A with FBI Special Agent J. Keith Mularski (AKA: Master  Splynter), the agent who went undercover for 2 years pretending to be an infamous hacker and spammer to infiltrate "Dark Market"; an online group of cyber criminals.

"It was like a soap opera. There was constant drama going on. A lot of people were accusing one another of being cops."

After spending 2 years undercover, the sting ended with over 60 arrests in Germany, Turkey, The UK and the United States, with charges ranging from Identity theft to kidnapping.

Q. What sorts of crimes were they doing on Dark Market?
A. They were doing all sorts of identity theft. They were hacking into companies and stealing credit card numbers and selling them. They were selling counterfeit drivers' licenses and other photo documentation, as well as manufacturing fake credit cards. They were selling harvested bank accounts and brokerage accounts and selling different types of malware or spyware programs or Trojan horses that you could infect peoples' computers with. The whole gamut of the cyber underground was available there. If you needed it you could get it there on the site.

"The attackers have changed with the emergence of organized crime into these cybercrimes...It's all about the money now and not just about how elite my hacking skills are to get into this Web site. Profit is driving these groups."

Q. How old are they?
A. The average guy is in his mid-20s or so. We've seen guys in their 40s. Ages range from 17 to 40something, typically. A lot of the guys who we arrested were in their mid-30s.

Q. The stakes are higher now for everyone?
A. Definitely.

Read the Full Q&A on CNET

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March 31, 2009

What's a Conficker?

What is the Conficker Worm?

Conficker (also known as Downup, Downadup, and Kido) is a worm that has been spreading across the Internet since around October of 2008, of course, this is just an approximation, and the actual origin is not known for certain. Conficker specifically targets the Windows operating system (Windows 2000 Pro, XP home, XP Pro, XP Media Center Edition, Windows Vista, Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2008). It spreads via malicious web sites, emails, and sharing infected files via P2P software.

What does Conficker do?

As of now, all that is has done is install itself, break your antivirus software, and modify some system files to make itself very hard to remove. It is also likely that if you got the Conficker Worm, you got other malware as well that causes the common symptoms (pop ups, slowness, etc). In addition, it creates false URLs in order to spread it self, and also downloads more malware to your system.

The big concern with this worm is that is has spread so much. Current estimates indicate that it could be installed on as many as 15 Million computers world wide. Now, if it stay dormant and does nothing, that's not that big of a deal, but experts don't think that it is going to stay dormant. Analysts who have looked into the worm believe that on April 1st, 2009 (tomorrow) the worm is programmed to "phone home" and update it self with new instructions, and that is a major concern.

The potential for a worm like this is massive, and the update could make the worm do anything from delete files, download more malware, turn your computer into a spam bot (a computer that sends out massive amounts of spam) or all the infected computers could be combined to form a massive botnet, which would be leased to the highest bidder.

A bot net, is a network of computers, usually lots of home systems spread across the world, that are controlled as a single unit and used to either send out massive amounts of spam, or to DDoS targets. If used as a botnet and the target is a bank, a utility company, or even a few large organizations the results could be crippling. If they target ISPs, the Internet could come to a crawl, if they target a company, they could lose massive amounts of business.

The problem is, at this point, we don't really know what will happen, and that is scary. But not to worry, we are not helpless.

Symptoms of Conficker:

  • Users being locked out of directories
  • Access to admin shares denied
  • Scheduled tasks being created
  • Access to security related web sites is blocked.

How to stop Conficker:

This worm uses a known exploit in Windows that Microsoft has patched a long time ago. The problem is, many people don't update their computers, so the fix is never installed. So the first step is to update your computer.

  1. Go to update.microsoft.com and install all of the latest updates for your computer. Once they are installed, reboot your computer, and go back and run the updates again. Keep doing this until no more updates show as needing to be installed.
  2. Update your anti virus software. Open up the software and run the automatic update. If your subscription is expired, either renew it right now, or uninstall it, and download and install a free anti virus like AVG
  3. After the updates, run a full system scan, and delete any threats that have been found.
  4. Restart your computer, and run the full system scan again.
  5. You can also use an online scanner like Trend Micro's Housecall,  Symantec's Removal Tool, or
  6. Microsoft's Malicious Software Removal Tool


For more information about the Conficker Worm See the following:

Microsoft Malware Protection Center

Microsoft Help and Support

McAfee Conficker Information Page

Symantec's Conficker Information Page

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    March 28, 2009

    A Response To "Why Can't Windows Shutdown Properly"

    An article written by Larry Magid and posted on CNET today complains about a problem with the Windows Operating system  win95taking too long to shutdown and start up. And while I agree that there are times Windows moves too slowly, I also have to point out that the reason is rarely Windows.

    The first thing you have to understand is what actually happens when Windows is shutdown. If the only thing installed on a computer is the Windows Operating system, then all that needs to happen for the computer to shutdown is:

    1. Anything in RAM that will be needed later is written to the hard drive.
    2. All open files are closed
    3. All Services required to run the computer are stopped
    4. Power to the hardware is stopped and the computer is now shutdown.

    This process doesn't change very much even after other software is installed, but what does change is what files need to be closed, what need to be written to the hard drive, and what services need to be stopped. This is where the problem comes in.

    Think about what is running on your computer right now, you probably think "oh...just my Internet browser", and chances are, you are probably wrong (at least, you should be wrong)

    On a typical computer the following types of software are installed, and at least a portion of them are running in the background (i.e. they aren't being actively used by the user)

    1. Antivirus software - this is a good thing by the way.
    2. Instant messaging software (I have 2 different IM services running, 1 for work, 1 for personal use)
    3. File indexing software (things like Microsoft Desktop Search or Google Desktop)
    4. Quicktime/iTunes services
    5. Software update services (used to update various pieces of software installed, and there can be several services depending on the software)
    6. Viruses (most computers I work on have AT LEAST 1 piece of Malware or a virus)

    So when you shutdown a computer, Windows must go through each one of these and stop them from running, when they are told to stop, they all go through their own processes to store data, close files, and end services. If there is a problem with the software, it may hang, and you will see that wonderful "Program not responding" error. This happens frequently when several things are trying to close at once because they are trying to access similar resources. If any of these programs have trouble closing, Widows can't shutdown.

    So why can't Windows just force a program closed and move on? Well, it is because if Windows just started forcing applications close, files that are being written to, or things that have not been saved yet can become corrupt or deleted, and that would cause even more problems.

    Windows being slow to start is caused by the exact same thing. All of that stuff you have auto starting can cause problems, and many of the hang ups experienced are caused by other programs not starting properly.

    The number 1 cause of these slowdowns are viruses and malware. Most software like this is not written to be efficient, they don't take standard coding 'rules' into account and are very rarely thoroughly tested. Because of this, they cause all kinds of problems, and the authors don't have to answer to anyone since the software shouldn't be installed in the first place. Pirated software that has been tampered with is also a major cause of these kinds of errors, as well as running software when your computer does not meet the required hardware specifications. Now, this isn't to say that Windows is always perfect, because it is not, but considering how universally used it is and how much different software can run on it, it is almost impossible to make sure it is 100% perfect all the time.

    Oh...and if you are thinking about comparing it to a Mac, please think about the total combinations of hardware/software available to work on a computer running Windows, and what's available for your Mac. There is no comparison, and because of that, you cant fairy compare the problems they have.

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    March 26, 2009

    Writing an Effective Email

    Email communications are a big part of most peoples day to day lives. I use email to keep in touch with friends and family, to get email_icon2 updates on things I am interested in, and of course, as my primary form of communications.

    On any given day, I will receive between 100-150 legitimate emails; and by legitimate, I mean I need to at least look at them to see what is going on, of those, I actually read about 40-50 in full because I really don't have the time (or need) to read through every single one in its entirety. I am able to go through a lot of the emails because they are well written and formatted. If an email is properly written, I am able to easily determine if the email is meant for me, if I need to reply to the email, and am able to get the info I need quickly. So lets talk about how an email should be composed, we will start from top to bottom.

    Determine who is going to receive the email:

    To: - The 'To' field should only be used for people who the email is directed at, and who you may want a response of some type from. If you want others to get the email as an 'FYI' don't put them in the 'To' section.

    CC: - CC stands for Carbon Copy, and that is exactly what this field is for. You add people to the CC section because while the email is not directed at them, you do want them to have a copy. Many times I will CC my boss or others who need to be kept in the loop on an issue, but don't actually need to reply to an email. They will get the email and have the information they need if asked about it, but really don't need to read it typically.

    BCC: - BCC should be used for 1 thing, and 1 thing only. To hide who you are sending a message to. This is a helpful feature when sending out company or department wide emails because it prevents people from replying to everyone by accident (or on purpose), or can be used to send a copy of emails to superiors, or departments like HR or Legal if they need to be aware of an issue, but you don't want to let the recipient know.

    The Subject Line:

    Every single email you send should have a subject line, no excuses no exceptions. Subject lines give the person who receives the email an idea of what the message contains,it makes it easier to follow conversations via email that include multiple people, and makes it easier to find the email later when searching for it.

    You Subject should be brief, and contain the primary topic of the email. I personally hate subjects like "a question" or "hey..." when I get them at work. Those are fine for emails between friends etc, but if you are emailing a client, or a business, don't use those. I also dislike subjects that are the start of a sentence then continue in the email, like "I was thinking about that car...." and then the body starts "...and it looks like a good deal". The subject is fine, but the body needs to be able to stand on its own.

    Email body:

    While everything above is very important, it is mostly just used for organizational purposes. The body of the email is where the meat is.

    Your email should be well written, clean, and concise. If it is in a work environment, it should be treated as semi-formal (formal if to clients, or is a serious topic) writing. This means punctuation and grammar should be correct, thoughts should be complete, and the tone should be professional. Anything less than this makes it harder to read and hard to understand. An important thing to remember when writing an email is that meaning of things can be misinterpreted if not made clear. When talking to someone, you have things like tone and body language to help get your point across, you don't have that in email. Sarcasm is harder to detect, as are small jokes about things, so be careful, as a few poorly chosen words can turn something funny into something offensive.

    Attachments:

    Name attachments appropriately. Like any file, there should be a descriptive name to indicate what it is. Scanned documents typically have a generic letter/number combination as their name. Do the recipient a favor and rename it for them so they know what it is. Also, don't attach things that don't need to be attached. I have gotten emails from people that are word documents as attachments, with the only thing in the body saying "See Attachment". While this is ok sometimes, it usually isn't. Attachments should be in addition to the info you are providing.

    Also, use common formats for attachments. If a document doesn't need to be edited by the recipient, send it as a PDF so they can open it on any computer they want instead of only opening it on one with your word editor installed. Images should be JPEG of GIF files when possible as they are highly compressed and can be opened in just about all software (this can always be done since sometimes the higher quality of TIFF or RAW images are needed).

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    March 23, 2009

    The Ultimate Steal Is Back

    A lot of people like to hate on Microsoft, but they do a lot of good, especially when it comes to helping students. Right now, you can get Microsoft Office 2007 Ultimate Edition, which usually sells for over $600.00 for only $59.99 through a program called The Ultimate Steal, which is put on by Microsoft. The only stipulations to the program are that you must be a student, and you much have an email address ending in .edu.Other than that, this is a completely legit deal, so if you need MS office, and you are a student, there is no better choice.

     Buy Microsoft Office Ultimate 2007!

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    March 10, 2009

    Your Digital Legacy

    In a world where protecting your online identity is as important as protecting your credit cards, car titles, and home deeds, it onlylegacy makes sense that if something happens to you, there is someone you trust to take care of it. 

    A company called Legacy Locker has now made that task a little easier. According to their website Legacy Locker is

    "a safe, secure repository for your digital property that lets you grant access to online assets for friends and loved ones in the event of death or disability."

    Essentially, legacy locker gives you a place to store all of the information that makes up your online identity. Email account information, online banking usernames and passwords, online bill pay and stock trade account information. In addition to providing a secure and easily accessible place to store all of this information, they allow you to select a beneficiary (or multiple beneficiaries) and in the event something happens to you, the information will be released to them. This can potentially save your family days, if not weeks of grief while trying to hunt down this information.

    I love this idea...but am hesitant. Not only are you putting all the information necessary to access your online life in a single place, but you are putting it in place that really has no reputation, and this for me is a major concern. Now, there are security risks any time you are storing valuable information anywhere, so to mitigate these risks, people spread their information around, but this means more time spend managing information.

     

    The Bad:

    1.  No real reputation: While founder Jeremy Toeman is known in the blogging and marketing world, he is not a security expert, nor is he an expert in estate management.
    2. All of your information is in one place: Never put all your eggs in one basket. Not only does it increase the risk of loss if there is a breach, it also increases the chance of a breach because they are now a high profile target.
    3. Website is not up to par: Their website lacks a lot of information, their ToS, Privacy Agreement, and Conditions of use are very cookie cutter, and not specific to the service they provide. In addition, there are A LOT of spelling errors, and other mistakes in terminology which indicates a lack of understanding of the service itself.  If they can't pay a proper copy editor, how can we trust they are paying someone to properly secure their site.

    The Good:

    1. They make it clear that they will share your information, but only with affiliates who will be working with them on the service you bought, not 3rd party services.
    2. They have a proper SSL certificate in place through thawte, inc. Who is a trusted source in security
    3. They claim to have been audited by both thawte and McAfee.
    4. Data is encrypted at a higher level once stored than it is during transmission. Now this may sound bad, but they are using a 256 bit encryption during transmission, which is what banks use. Data is stored with a 512 bit encryption on the server, which is exceptional.
    5. It really is a good idea, and with the proper backing and effort it can be a great product.

     

    My Opinion:

    I think it is too early to pass judgement, especially since the product doesn't go live for another month. I like the idea, and I like that they are working with known security experts. I am however highly skeptical of storing so much information in one place, especially online. I wont be one of the first to sign up, but I will be keeping an eye on this product.

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    March 5, 2009

    The Happy Computer Checklist

    Computers are great tools and awesome toys. They do the work of thousands of people, allow you access to more information than anyimages single person could ever need and let you play awesome games. And after all this, many people still treat them like crap, and its time we put a stop to it. A happy computer, is a great computer, and a computer you will love to use.

    The key to a happy computer is maintenance! you clean up your house, you clean your car, you clean you favorite sun glasses, why wouldn't you clean your computer?

    To keep your computer running like a champ, I recommend the following:

     

    • Anti-virus software - This is a must. AV software comes in all shapes and sizes, and in all price ranges, find one that fits your needs and get it. I use the free version of AVG on my home computer, and my company manages over 1200 desktops and servers that use the paid for version. The software is clean and easy to use.
    • Updates - Many updates that are released resolve bugs found in software. Bugs in software usually mean less efficient software, so keeping all of your software and hardware drivers up to date, will help keep your computer running smoothly. To update Microsoft products, you can use the built in update tool, most other software also comes with an update tool, but if they don't, just check the manufactures website from time to time.
    • Elbow Grease - Once every few months, it is a good idea to look at what you have on your computer and get rid of what you don't need. Uninstall software you don't use, archive documents or photos you don't really access anymore to an external drive or DVD. This will keep hard drive space free, and that means faster responses when your computer is looking for other data.
    • General Clean Up Tool -  With everyday use, computers are bound to get tons of files that really aren't needed. Temp files from viewing websites, residual files from software that you uninstalled, and numerous other things. And while Windows comes with tools built in to get rid of them, there are better solutions out there. I like to use a tool called CCleaner. CCleaner will remove all of the junk that gets on your computer during day to day use, and it will do it in a easy to use way. And best of all? IT IS FREE. I like to run a tool like ccleaner about once a month, you can do it more frequently, but once a month is what I find to be a good balance.
    • Disk Defragmenter - When you save data to a hard drive, it will search for the first open space available to write that data. As you write more and delete more, the free space becomes scattered around (fragmented). When drives become fragmented, your computer starts running slower because it takes the computer longer to find what it is looking for. Windows comes with a disk defragmenter tool, and it will get the job done. For more advanced users, you can use a tool like Defraggler (free and made by the same people as CCleaner). You should run disk defragmenter each time you do any major clean up (like running ccleaner or manual clean ups like the ones listed above)

    If you do these things, your computer will be happy for a long time. I've seen way too many people throw out perfectly good computers because they were "running slow" and had they followed the above, they could have saved themselves some money.

    And as an added bonus, doing the above also helps keep your computer secure!

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    March 3, 2009

    Deleted a file by mistake?

    At one time or another, everyone has mistakenly deleted a file from their computer, or deleted a picture from the memory card of their  frontscr camera thinking that they had another copy or that they no longer needed it. And while many of these files end up in the recovery bin and are easy to get back, sometimes you need something just a little better. Pirform, Ltd, the makers of awesome software such as CCleaner, has released a new piece of data recovery software called Recuva.

    Recuva was released a few months back, but up until about an hour ago, I had yet to try it. Yes, even I delete things by mistake....but that's not what happened tonight. It was a nice quiet night, and my phone rang... an emergency call from a client. She was trying to move some files from a thumb drive to her desktop, but along the way, the files were deleted. What better time to try a new piece of software then in a crisis?

    Recuva worked like a champ. I downloaded and installed it in less than 2 minutes. Then with an incredibly clean and simple interface, I was able to select the location that the files were originally located, the types of files I was looking for and where I wanted to recover the files to.

    A minute later, I had a folder full of recovered files. My client is happy, I am happy, and my future clients will be happy because we now have a new tool to help them when mistakes happen.

    So the next time you accidentally delete an important folder or file, give it a try, it worked for me.

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    March 1, 2009

    Acceptable Usage Polices

    An important step in preventing inappropriate use of computer equipment and time at work is to define what types of activities are acceptable. Sure, it may seem like common sense to you and I that browsing MySpace or Facebook at work is not appropriate when you are on the clock, but unless you define the behaviors that are acceptable and unacceptable, you cannot fairly expect the staff to know for sure, nor can you fairly punish them since no rule was technically broken.

    A good acceptable usage policy will cover several aspects of computer usage, not just what web sites are ok to visit and which aren't.

    Some things you need to remember to cover are:

    • What information can and cannot be released to the public
    • What permissions must be obtained before releasing any data to media or the public
    • Who is authorized to release data
    • Who is authorized to speak on behalf of the company
    • What type of information can be transferred or discussed via email or instant messenger.
    • Policies on employees posting on web forums about the company, or in association with the company.
    • Where can company information be stored
    • What kind of work can be taken home
    • Are USB thumb drives or other external storage devices allowed.
    • Policies on changing computer settings
    • Policies on personal data on work computers.
    • What types of web sites are appropriate
    • Acceptable usage of company equipment on personal time.

    All of this needs to be discussed, and written out in a way that is easy to understand. If an employee is not told what they can and cannot do, especially when it comes to things like releasing data to the public, or speaking on behalf of the company, it can lead to mistakenly releasing information, which can lead to much bigger problems.

    • In addition to noting what type of behavior is acceptable and not acceptable, try to explain why the rules are in place.
    • Why is talking to the media a liability?
    • Why is posting on a forum while trying to defend your company dangerous?
    • How does this directly affect he employee?

    If an employee has a person interest in making sure data stays secure, they are going to be much more cautious about it.

    Once the rules are set, you also need to list the consequences of breaking these rules. Consequences may be applied on a case by case basis, as not all violations are equal, but there must be standards and they must apply to everyone equally, or they are useless. Once consequences are in place, they must be enforced. Having consequences in place, but only selectively applying them confuses employees, and makes it look like you are playing favorites, and this will quickly lower the respect your employees have for you.

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    February 27, 2009

    The Recycle Bin is NOT a place to file things...

    Ill never understand the apparent surprise of people when the files that they moved to their recycle bin, or the deleted items folder in Recycle_Bin Outlook disappear. You wouldn't be surprise if you put some mail in your rubbish can at home, and then days later that bin was empty, and you certainly wouldn't put something you had no intention of getting rid of in a trash can. So why is it, that people think the recycle bins on their computers are a storage space? Or that if they deleted emails, they should expect them to be in the deleted items folder instead of being gone?

    Now I understand that Microsoft (and every other Operating System developer) has trained people to think that deleted really isn't deleted, and they have done this so people who accidentally delete something aren't screwed, but really, you should not depend on these recycle bins as a storage place, and here is why.

    • If you are in a corporate environment, and their mail server begins to run low on space, one of the first things an admin is going to do is flush the deleted items folders (assuming the don't already have them configured to automatically delete email after a specified period of time)
    • If you run any software to "clean up" your computer, one of the things it does is empty the recycle bin to clear up space.

    Rather than using the deleted items folder or the recycling bin, you should Create and Use Folders to Organize your Mail and Windows files.

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    February 26, 2009

    What Causes Delays in Email Delivery?

    Email is one of the most handy tools available to both individuals and businesses a like. It provides nearly instantaneous communication with friends, family, colleagues, and even that friendly Nigerian E-mailPrince who said he wanted to give me a million dollars.

    For the most part, when you send an email, within a few seconds, the recipient has it, but sometimes, that email that you really really need doesn't show up when you expect it, and you don't know why. To understand why emails get delayed, you have to understand how an email is sent from one person to another.

    When an email is sent, it doesn't just go from your computer, to the recipients computer, it follows a path along the Internet, and along the way has several stops.

    1. An email is created on your computer using a email authoring tool like Outlook or by using a webmail service like Gmail.
    2. Once you click send,the message is sent to your mail server.
    3. Your mail server then looks at the email, determines where it needs to send it according to DNS records the recipient company has set up.
    4. Your mail server then sends the message to the place listed,
    5. Many times, the server listed isn't actually the recipients mail server, it is an intermediary server set up as a spam filter or an archive server.
    6. The receiving server then forwards the message off to the real mail server
    7. The recipient then connects to their mail server and grabs the message.

    This process seems simple right? not exactly. The Internet really is a series of computers, connected via wires, fiber optics, and other computers. An email must travel long distances, and a break down at any step, or between any step can cause a delay.

    Some of the most common causes for delays and failed delivery that I see are the following:

    1. User Error: It is very common for someone to mistype an email address. If you are missing an email, get in touch with the sender, and have them read you the email address they are sending to (don't ask "did you send it to youremailaddress as they will just assume they did)
    2. Spam Filters / Grey Lists / Black Lists: Spam filters are meant to block spam, but sometimes they are wrong and block a legit email, which means the recipient doesn't get it, check your junk mail folder, or ask your admin to check the spam filter if you are missing something.
    3. Internet Connectivity Problems: Sometimes things break, and broken things causes delays. A bad connection between your computer and mail server, your mail server and a DNS server, your mail server, and the recipients mail server(s), or the recipients mail server and the recipients computer can all cause delays in email delivery. Because of this, email servers have rules on the configured to retry message delivery several times before you ever get an error that says the message could not be delivered.

    The bad part about most of these delays is that there is little you, or your IT department can do about it. People make mistakes, computers make mistakes, and things break. The good part is, at least now you have a better understanding of how email gets to you, and are more forging towards your IT guy a little slack when he says there is little he can do to find that missing email for you. In fact, most times, I cant even look into email delays until the email actually gets there and I can take a look at the message header to see where the email has been and when it got there. But Ill talk about that another time.

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    February 22, 2009

    Instant Messaging in the work place

    No No No, this is not some blog about how instant messaging is a waste of company resources, or how to do it without getting caught. This is a blog about how great a tool instant messengers can be for instant-messengersa  company.

    As a tech, instant messaging has been a tool that I have used in the work place for as long as I can remember. It, along with email, are the primary way I contact other techs. Recently, many clients have thought about implementing a good instant messaging software for their employees to use, but are concerned about the risks IM software poses, as well as the loss of productivity that may occur is people can just chit chat all day.While both of these concerns are valid, there are solutions in place for both, but before we worry about the risks of using Instant Messaging software, lets look at some of the benefits.

    The Benefits:

    1. Fewer Interruptions - A lot of the work I do requires me to concentrate on several things at once. Because of this, other interruptions, big or small can cause a problem. If I'm "in the zone" and get a phone call or even worse, someone comes over to talk to me, I usually get distracted and then have to take the time to regroup my thoughts before I can get back to what I am doing, some times it takes only a minute, but sometimes, it takes longer depending on the task at hand. If someone IM's me, I can wait until a natural break in my work occurs, like when I complete a thought and write it down, I can then look at the message, respond, and then move on. And lets face it, most things can wait a couple of minutes, so that delay usually isn't a big deal, and if it can't wait, you can still call.
    2. Convenience - For me Instant messaging is easier and more convenient that making a phone call. I have a list of names in front of me so I don't need to look up a number, and most times I only have a  quick question, so its just simpler to ask. It also gives the other person a minute to look up and answer if they need to, and you aren't wasting that minute sitting on hold. You also aren't interrupting the person like mentioned above.
    3. Tracking Employee Conversations - Yes, I know, most people absolutely hate this, but it is a perk for a business. My company logs all conversations held via IM for every employee, the boss will occasionally read through the logs just to see what we are up to. Do we stop joking around, sending funny links and pictures, nope, and he doesn't expect us to. Then why does he do it? So he can see what we are up to. If we are asking each other a lot of questions, or a lot of people are asking about the same thing, maybe its time for an email explaining something, or a training. If we are all complaining about a customer, maybe its time to reevaluate them as a customer. It is also helpful for when we ask a question to a superior and then do what we are told and it turns out to be wrong, we simply pull the log and say "I did ask, and was told to do this" or if a dispute occurs between what was said and what was done. It gets resolved quickly.

    The Risks:

    1. It is Informal - People sometimes forget that not everything should be discussed via IM. Confidential client information, or confidential company information usually shouldn't be discussed over IM. IM should be an unofficial communication channel. Things that need to be "on the record" should be communicated in person or in formal writing, like email.
    2. Data Security - There are some risks when using IM. Most are not encrypted by default, because they are meant to be informal forms of communication. The logs are also not encrypted in many cases, so information that shouldn't be shared may be. Depending on the software you use, this data could also get out of the company (although much of the IM software available currently has the ability to make it internal only)
    3. Viruses and Malware - There are a lot of viruses and Malware that target popular IM software. If you allow communication with outside users, this can be an issue. To prevent this, make your IM internal use only and have a good AV software running.
    4. People will use it for Chit Chatting - Yes, people will chit chat with one another and talk about non work related things. As long as it is within reason, its no big deal, they are going to do it anyway, and there are far worse things your employees can be doing aside from communicating with one another.

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    February 19, 2009

    Top 9 Dirty Tricks Scammers Use

    PC World has posted an interesting article Outlining some of the more common scams that are being used to trick hard working people out of their money.

    The list contains scams that are used on Social Networking sites like Facebook and MySpace, as well as attempts to trick users by emailing them at home and at work.

    Scams like this are becoming more common as unemployment rates go up and the budgets shrink because people are getting desperate and looking for an easy fix. Like everything else in life, if something seems to good to be true, it probably is. Be careful who you give your personal information to, and you will be well on your way to protecting yourself from scams like these.

    Read the Full Article Here

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    February 17, 2009

    Update on Kenny Glenn

    Update#1 - http://www.kenny-glenn.net/ is now online.




    Update #2 - Video of Second cat found

    http://www.kswo.com/Global/story.asp?S=9859463

    The second cat has alow been removed from the home, why it was left there to begin with, I dont know.


    When asked about the fate of the abuser, Sheriff "Schulte says he did not know what punishment the boys may face if found guilty, but said the penalties for a juvenile conviction could include psychological counseling, court monitoring until they turn 18, community service to provide restitution for treatment of animals, and/or placement in court custody."

    Please remember that this is a Minor that is being delt with, so do not harass the family. Contact the DA if you want to punish him, we dont want others being hurt becasue of this incident.


    Update#3

    This story has now made it to CNN. Well done everyone. This type of thing is why the internet really is the great equalizer, the power is back with the people when we are able to come together and right the wrongs that have been committed.

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    February 16, 2009

    Kenny Glenn Caught...

    Yesterday a kid in Oklahoma decided it would be a good idea to wake up, and with a friend record him torturing a cat and then post the video to YouTube, this would make him cool right? Wrong!

    What Kenny Glenn did not expect was the wrath of the Internet coming down.

    The Internet is a powerful place. A place where those who do good and bad on a daily basis come together at times when a single enemy has emerged. Last night, that enemy was Kenny Glenn, and no one held back.

    Within hours, his name, address, phone number, school, parents phone numbers, dads business phone number, maps to his house and constant updates were up on their own web site kenny-glenn.com (web site has been taken down, probably for the kids safety.) People were enraged, and these people have the know how to get things done.

    How did they find Kenny? The were able to locate the kid via MySpace based on his YouTube user info, they then verified the information because he had some pictures up which showed enough of his house to match with what was seen in the video. His gross green carpet, a drum set, a strange window, and a confederate flag. From there, is was only a matter of a little investigating to get all of his personal information. It was like a game to these guys, and trust me when I say they had fun doing it. The boards were lighting up last night, updates faster than most could read them. Some updates were solid info about the kid and family, verification of information, work some of the best private investigators in the world would take hours or days to do was being done in minutes by an Army. So to gents at 4chan and the DGers who made this their personal mission, good work.

    Sine the uproar Kenny was taken into custody, released back to his parents, and from the info I have is set to meet with the DA on Tuesday to determine the charges.

    I wont link to the original video because it really is painful to watch, I'm not exactly a cat lover, but this kid deserves everything he is going to get. So let this be a warning for everyone out there who thinks they can be anonymous, who thinks no one will know it was them, be careful. There is an Army out there who love nothing more than to ruin pieces of trash like this.

    Oh, and Dusty the cat is ok. He was removed by the sheriffs department last night and taken to vet for treatment. Kenny on the other hand is going to be miserable for a while...

    YouTube Video of a local news report

    Lawton news (site is slow to heavy traffic)

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    Woman Sues Microsoft Over XP Downgrade Charge

    PC World has published an article about a woman in Washington that has decided to sue Microsoft for charging users who purchase computers with Windows Vista a downgrade charge if they want XP installed.

    Her argument is that Microsoft is being unfair because they are forcing people to buy Vista if they want XP, because XP is being discontinued. Because of this, she things they should give her XP for free since she is buying vista.

    Lets remove Microsoft from he equation, and pretend its another piece of software. Lets say Adobe release Version CS4 of Photoshop, with CS4 do you get CS3? CS2? no, absolutely not, you get CS4. If there was something you wanted in CS3 that's not in CS4, you pay the money for the older version (and they don't give a discount)

    Microsoft is charging just under $60 dollars as a downgrade fee. They do this because now they not only have to give you a copy of XP, they have to continue to manage the licensing for it and provide support for it. I think this is very reasonable.

    Also, the women fails to realize that a product manufacturer is allowed to discontinue any product they want, regardless of level of demand, so saying but people hate vista, and want XP" is not a legal argument for them to allow people to just buy XP.

    As an IT company, we buy these downgrade rights all the time for clients. Many don't want to move to Vista on new computers because they want to keep all of their systems running the same OS and they don't want to pay to upgrade 40-100 machines to Vista since they have no reason to. This makes sense to me. Smaller companies who are just getting started and are buying new company computers buy all Vista machines, because Vista IS a good operating system despite what all the people who have never given it a shot have to say.

    The bottom line is, if you want a piece of software, you are paying for it. If the only way to get it is packaged with something else, that's a manufactures decision, not yours. What's next. Apple getting sued because I need to use iTunes if I want to upgrade the software on my iPod?

    Read the full PC World Article Here

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    February 14, 2009

    How do Spam Filters Work?

    Over 95 percent of all email sent today is spam. That means if you have nothing filtering the email you read, only 5 of the 100 emails you look at will be legitimate. Within those 95 pieces of junk mail, several will contain tempting attachments that are really viruses, even more will contain letters of sorry trying to get you to send money, and even more will contain advertisements for fly by night pharmaceutical companies trying to sell you miracle drugs. How has time to deal with all of them? No one, and that is why Spam filters are becoming more and more important.

    But how do spam filters know which emails are real and which are spam? Well, like any good security system, they run each message through several layers of tests and checks to ensure the email you get is not dangerous.

    1. Black Lists: The first layer of protection that a spam filter offers utilizes a black list. A black list is a list of IP address and domain names that in the past have sent out spam. It is similar to the black list used by clubs and casinos to keep out trouble makers. Where at a club, every person has their ID checked, spam filters do the same thing and look at where the email is coming from. If the sender's domain or mail servers IP address is on a black list, the message is refused. Some of the most popular blacklists that people use are Spam Cop, Barracuda Central and The Spamhaus Project, although there are hundreds of others, many of which use each other to increase their effectiveness.
    2. Key Word Searches: Spammers know what attracts peoples attention, they know that people love money, people love good looking men and women, people like exciting news, and because of this, they use the same type of word combinations to get people attention. This makes them predicable, and because of that, spam filters can look for key words and phrases and if present, block a message. For instance, if a message says something like "FREE VICODIN!!!!" its probably not legitimate, so the spam filter will mark it as spam. Some of the most common words used in spam are "millionaire" and "sex"
    3. Mail Formatting: Spam filters can also look at the design of an email. Is it all text? is it one big image? are their tons of links to other things. is any of the text hidden? By using characteristics like this, the spam filter can make an educated guess as to what is real and what isn't.
    4. Attachment Scanning: Spam filters will not only scan the email it self, but good ones will scan the attachment as well. This allows the filter to catch viruses and Spyware before they get to your computer.

    When using any of the methods above on their own there is a good chance that you will both miss a lot, and let a lot through, so many spam filters use a point system to rate emails. For instance, a key word search might find a few things that look like spam, but could also be real, so it will give it 2 points, the formatting also looks bad, so it gives it another 2 points. The message comes from an IP that is not black listed, so no points given, and there are no attachments, so no points there wither. this is 4 points. So if the spam filter is only configured to block things that get 5 points or more, then the mail would go through, if it is configured to only allow 3s and below, it would be blocked.

    Of course, no scan is ever going to be perfect. because of this good spam filters will have a way for the email recipients to see all mail that was filtered so they mark it as not spam so the spam filter doesn't make the mistake again, and also have an option to mark things it did let past as spam so the filter can better recognize the spam in the future.

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            February 13, 2009

            67 Computers Missing from Los Almos Nuclear Weapons Lab

            POGO reported today that 67 computers have gone missing from Los Almos Nuclear Weapons Lab, 13 of which were in the last year. While the number of machines missing is a bit alarming, Los Almost says that none of them contained confidential data. I did however find one part of the report concerning;

            "Thirteen of the missing computers were lost or stolen in the past 12 months, including three computers that were taken from a scientist's home in Santa Fe, N.M., on Jan. 16, and a BlackBerry belonging to another employee was lost "in a sensitive foreign country," according to the memo and an e-mail from a senior lab manager...Only one of the three computers stolen from the employee's home was authorized for home use, which raised concerns "as to whether we were fully complying with our own policies for offsite computer usage," he said."

            While I am ok with people taking their work home (believe me, I know how necessary it is sometimes) I also understand that if you are taking a piece of equipment home, there are some special security concerns that need to be addressed. It is concerning that in a place that is supposed to be so heavily secured someone was able to walk out with 3 computers.

            Read the complete article.

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