Posts Tagged: ‘Security & Safety’

Cybersecurity Month (2022-09)

August 28, 2022 Posted by Tiny

Thoughts From a Clicker
By Tiny Ruisch

Are you prepared for next month?

October is National Cybersecurity Awareness Month.  It was created in 2004 as a collaboration between government and industry to provide resources that users need to stay safer and more secure online.  Administered by the Department of Homeland Security, this is a perfect time for all of us review our online practices to avoid falling victim to the many attacks that can compromise our lives.

To coincide with the national Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) cybersecurity campaign, Governor John Bel Edwards has signed a proclamation recognizing October as Cybersecurity Awareness Month in Louisiana.  Here are some links that will hopefully help everyone lock down their electronics.

The city of Baton Rouge has held seminars in the past.  Although there isn’t any scheduled this year, you can view past conferences at Red Stick Ready – Cybersecurity Preparedness.  There are also several links to handouts and other helpful information.  As an added bonus, at the bottom of the page there are links to prepare for many other disasters and hazards.

Some other links that you might find helpful:
• The Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency home page has links to information on everything the US Government publishes.  You can read the blog, sign up for the newsletter, view many “how-to” articles and much more.
• Identity Theft is a Federal Trade Commission Consumer Advice page on how to prevent your personal information from being stolen.
• Scam Alerts is a Federal Trade Commission Consumer Advice page with three sections: 1) How To Avoid a Scam; 2) What To Do if You Were Scammed; and 3) Report Fraud, Scams, and Bad Business Practices.
• The Internet Crime Complaint Center is a Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) site with detailed instructions how how to report on-line crime.

I hope you can use the links in this article to stay safe.

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Unsafe Computing Practices (2020-07)

July 20, 2022 Posted by Tiny

Thoughts From a Clicker
By Tiny Ruisch

Forrest Gump said, “Stupid is as stupid does.”  Could this mean that an intelligent person who does stupid things is still stupid?  Everyone has heard the stories of the computer user that used their disk player as a coffee cup holder.  Did you hear about the computer user that called tech support trying to figure out why their computer wasn’t working?  Turns out there was a power outage.  When you Google “stupid computer stories” you get about 47,100,000 results.  No matter how you look at it, we’re talking about a lot of stupidity.

I’m not planning to talk about stupid computer things, just plain dumb or unsafe computing practices.  Probably one of the dumbest things some people do is neglect antivirus and anti‑spyware programs.  Antivirus programs can be a royal pain in the you know what.  They’re always blocking some application you want to use.  You often have to disable them to install new software.  They have to be updated on a regular basis to do any good.  It seems like the subscription is always expiring and prompting you to renew it.  But you can’t afford to go without virus protection.  The malicious programs that AV software detects can not only wreak havoc on your system but can spread via your computer to the rest of your network.  Don’t be dumb.  Keep your antivirus up to date.

I think it’s really dumb to just click on anything and everything.  I know how tempting it is to quickly load that solve everything program without first reading the EULA.  Be careful.  You might be agreeing to let everyone on the internet send you spam.  Even worse, you could do like one of my sisters did ‑ agree to use your address book for a sales pitch. I know how hard it is to resist clicking that e‑mail hyperlink your best friend just sent you, just be careful.  It’s so easy to download backdoor Trojans without even knowing it.  Don’t be dumb and give in to “click mania.”  Think before you click a link.  Links can also be disguised in “phishing” messages or on Web sites to appear to take you to a different site from the ones they really point to.  You can often find out the real URL by hovering over the link without clicking it.

Don’t be dumb and install/uninstall lots of programs.  I know how tempting it is to be on the cutting edge, so you often install and try out new software.  Beta programs are usually free and give you a chance to sample neat new features before most people.  There are also many freeware and shareware programs made available as Internet downloads by their authors.  I know none of our club members would never do it, but some users even install pirated software.  The more programs you install, the more likely you are to run across ones that either include harmful code or are poorly written and cause your system to crash.  Even if you install only licensed commercial software, too many installs and uninstalls can gunk up the registry.  Not all uninstall routines completely remove program remnants and at the least, this practice can cause your system to slow down over time.  Don’t be dumb.  Install only programs that you really need.

It’s really dumb to plug your computer right into a cable or DSL modem and go on the Internet.  Some people don’t realize that they’re putting themselves at risk from viruses and attackers.  Every Internet connected computer should be protected by a firewall.  Just having a firewall isn’t enough.  You must also make sure it’s turned on and configured properly to protect you.

I think it’s really dumb to plug in any electronic equipment without using a surge protector.  Doing so can physically destroy your computer equipment, as well as the data it holds.  You might might think your system is in danger only during an electrical storm, but anything that interrupts the electrical circuit and then restarts the current can fry your electronics.  Something as simple as turning on an appliance that’s plugged into the same circuit can cause a surge.  If you have a power outage, there could be a surge when the electricity comes back on.  Don’t be dumb.  Protect your electronics against damage from power surges by always using a surge protector.

Remember that everything in this column is just my opinion.  It doesn’t really matter to me if you follow my advice.  I don’t gamble very much, but there is one thing I’m willing to bet on.  It might not happen for a while, but eventually, you’re going to get caught!

Thanks for reading and keep on clicking.

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Don’t Be Dumb (2019-10)

July 12, 2022 Posted by Tiny

Thoughts From a Clicker
By Tiny Ruisch

In the movie, Forrest Gump said, “Stupid is as stupid does.”  Could this mean that an intelligent person who does stupid things is still stupid?  Everyone has heard the stories of the computer user that used their disc player as a coffee cup holder.  Did you hear about the computer user that called tech support trying to figure out why their computer wasn’t working?  It was because there was a power outage.  When you Google “stupid computer stories” you get about 59,100,000 results.  No matter how you look at it, we’re talking about a lot of stupidity.

This month, I’m not planning write about stupid computer things, just plain dumb or unsafe computing practices.  Probably one of the dumbest things some people do is neglect antivirus and anti-spyware programs.  Antivirus programs can be a royal pain in the you know what.  They are always blocking some application you want to use.  They often have to be disabled to install new software.  To be useful, they have to be updated regularly.  It seems like the subscription is always expiring and prompting you to renew it.  You can’t afford to go without virus protection.  The malicious programs that AV software detects can not only wreak havoc on your system, but can spread via your computer to the rest of your network.  Don’t be dumb!  Keep your antivirus up to date.

I think it’s dumb to just click on anything and everything.  I know how tempting it is to quickly load that solve everything program without first reading the EULA.  Be careful!  You might be agreeing to let everyone on the internet send you spam.  Even worse, you could do like one of my sisters did – agree to use your address book for a sales pitch to all your friends.  I know how hard it is to resist clicking an e‑mail hyperlink your best friend just sent you.  Be careful.  It’s so easy to download backdoor Trojans without even knowing it.  Don’t be dumb and give in to “click mania.”  Think before you click a link.  Links can also be disguised in “phishing” messages or on Web sites to take you to a different site from the ones they genuinely point to.  You can often find out the real URL by hovering over the link without clicking it.

Don’t be dumb and install/uninstall lots of programs.  It is tempting to be on the “cutting edge”; so you often install and try out new software.  Beta programs are usually free and give you a chance to test new features before other users.  There are also many freeware and shareware programs made available as Internet downloads by their authors.  I know none of our club members would never do it, but some users even install pirated software.  The more programs you install, the more likely you are to run across ones that either include harmful code or are poorly written and cause your system to crash.  Even if you install only licensed commercial software, too many installs and uninstalls can gunk up the registry.  Not all uninstall routines completely remove program remnants and at the very least, this practice can cause your system to slow down over time.  Don’t be dumb. Install only programs that you actually need.

I think that it’s dumb to plug your computer right into a cable or DSL modem and go on the Internet.  Some people don’t realize that they’re immediately putting themselves at risk from viruses and attackers.  Every Internet connected computer should be protected by a firewall.  Just having a firewall isn’t enough.  You must also make sure it’s turned on and configured correctly to protect you.

I think it’s really dumb to plug in any electronic equipment without using a surge protector.  Doing so can physically destroy your computer equipment, as well as the data it holds.  You might think your system is in danger only during an electrical storm, but anything that interrupts the electrical circuit and then restarts the current can fry your electronics.  Something as simple as turning on an appliance that’s plugged into the same circuit can cause a surge.  If you have a power outage, there could be a surge when the electricity comes back on.  Don’t be dumb.  Protect your electronics against damage from power surges by always using a surge protector.

Remember that everything in this article is my opinion. It doesn’t really matter to me if you follow my advice.  I don’t gamble very much, but there is one thing I’m willing to bet on.  It might not happen for a while, but eventually, you’re going to get caught!

Keep on clicking and thanks for reading.

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Goodbye Adobe Flash

January 3, 2021 Posted by Tiny

A Pain in the Whatchamacallit
By Tiny Ruisch

Without any apologies to Shakespeare, I bid farewell to Adobe Flash.

Alas, poor Flash!  I knew it, dear readers: a program
of infinite errors, of most excellent fantasy: it hath
crashed my computer a thousand times; and now, how
scorned in my imagination it is!  my mind rims at
it.  Here hung those updates that I have missed I know
not how oft.  Where be your mockers now?  your
erratic installs?  your songs?  your flashes of merriment,
that were wont to set the monitor on a roar?  Not one
now, to mock your own smirking?  quite chip-fallen?
Now get you to my recycle bin, and tell everyone, let
her paint an inch thick, to this favour she must
come; make her laugh at that.

Last month Adobe retired their multimedia software platform used for production of animations, Rich web applications, desktop applications, mobile apps, mobile games and embedded web browser video players.  Flash got its start as SmartSketch, a vector drawing application.  This was later morphed into a new program, FutureSplash Animator.  This was the software that was used to launch the animated TV series “The Simpsons”.

In 1996, Macromedia purchased FutureSplash and re­‑branded it as the Macromedia Flash Player.  Over the years, there were several improvements to the software.  This led to a period where almost all web sites used Flash in some way.  Many were programmed totally in Flash.

Macromedia was acquired by Adobe in 2005.  The entire Macromedia product line including Flash, Dreamweaver, Director, Shockwave, Fireworks and Authorware were renamed to Adobe.  Many say this is when the Flash Player started its downward trend.  In 2010, Steve Jobs banished it from the iPhone for being too insecure.  In reality, Flash became a prime target for hackers.  Adobe was constantly patching bugs, a process which often created new ones.  In 2017, Adobe announced the End Of Life for Flash would be December 2020.

Adobe Flash had a life of fifteen years.  In technology years, that is a fairly long time.  In “Flash” years, not so much.  The Flash first appeared in comic books in 1940.  He’s been around in movies, television, games and other media since then.  Flash Gordon debuted in 1934.  Although he has spent a lot of time lost in outer space, he has also often been resurrected in movies and TV.  Not too many people remember Flash Thompson.  He was a character in the early years of Spider Man.  He also made several appearances in later years.

As a matter of full disclosure, I must admit that I won’t miss Adobe Flash.  I haven’t allowed it on any of my machines for about four years.  I for one, hope that it never gets a new life

Thanks for reading.

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The Twitter Hack

August 9, 2020 Posted by Tiny

A Pain in the Whatchamacallit
By Tiny Ruisch

Darn the bad luck.  All those rich Twitter accounts giving back double Bitcoins and I wasn’t able to join in.  Unfortunately all of my spare money is tied up with helping out a Nigerian Prince that I had met through an e‑mail exchange.

I couldn’t have joined anyway.  I have neither a Bitcoin or Twitter account.  Sorry Jeff, Barack, Joe, Michael, Elon and all the other billionaires.  I’m kind of surprised that President Trump didn’t join the double back offer.  He has obviously been subjected to some kind of hack.  I’ve noticed that he has even been wearing a face mask.

I’ve come to the conclusion that these hackers weren’t very smart.  The only made a little over a hundred thousand dollars.  The break in was noticed almost immediately and Twitter shut down verified accounts.  I would think they could have made much more just by selling account sign in information on the dark web.

Like most scams, a lot of people actually fell for it.  Wouldn’t it have been smarter for the thieves to collect credit card numbers while collecting cash?  After all, there are still many people that don’t have a Bitcoin wallet.  There has to be many other ways they could have scammed more money.  Most of these accounts are big players in the stock market.

As I write this, nobody really knows what happened.  Like all major hacks, I’m sure it will be blamed on one of the standard reasons:
1) North Korea,
2) Russia,
3) China, or
4) A rogue employee.
It won’t be long before we will start seeing conspiracy theories.  It could have been the FBI, NSA, CIA or a myriad of other acronyms.  Could you imagine what we would be reading if the POTUS account had been hacked?

This hack will end up being like every other one?  Twitter will announce that they have figured out what happened.  They will assure us that they are extremely sorry but have fixed all the problems.  Life will go on and eventually there will be another big hack and we will forget about this one.

Ho Hum.  Thanks for reading.

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I Want To Believe – Originally Published March 2020

March 4, 2020 Posted by Tiny

A Pain in the Whatchamacallit
By Tiny Ruisch

I’ve been re‑watching the X‑Files, which has always been one of my favorite television programs.  I often think of this show whenever I read another article about people falling for a phishing scam.  Almost every day, there are more companies and people that get compromised.  I often wonder how many don’t ever get reported.

Why does the X‑Files remind me of scams?  Fox Mulder had a poster in his office that said, “I Want To Believe”.  I think that is why phishing scams work so well.  People want to believe that there is really a Nigerian prince that wants to give them money.

These con games have been around long before there was an internet.  Older people will remember getting chain letters.  Just send five dollars to the top name(s) on the list and add people you don’t want to keep as friends to the bottom.  Send the letter on to them and soon your mail box will be packed with envelopes containing money.  I wonder how many readers won the Irish Sweepstakes without even buying a lottery ticket?  No, you didn’t really win an all expenses paid vacation that requires a small processing fee.

When governments, companies, school districts, etc. get ransomware installed, it is often because an employee clicked on a link in an e‑mail.  They wanted to believe that their boss wanted them to do something, that their schedule had been updated or that there is another important event happening.

I’m knocking on the wood of my computer desk as I tell you that I have never had a virus or malware on any of my many computers.  This is despite the fact that I sometimes visit some “shady” web sites.  On those rare occasions, you can bet that I’ve opened my browser in a sandbox.

So how do I avoid all the evils? I just follow a few simple rules.

• I almost never click on a link received in an e‑mail.  This includes messages that I’m fairly sure are safe.  Even my bank doesn’t like me that much.
• When I visit those “risky” web sites I mentioned earlier, I definitely don’t click any links.  If anything interests me, I usually open a new tab and do a search.
• I only download programs from the creators website.  The same goes for software updates.  Only from the program and not a popup on my computer.
• Whenever I install new programs or updates, I carefully check every screen before clicking next.  That includes EULAs.
• I never download or install a browser extension, a program or a plug‑in that I didn’t look for.  If a website tells me I need to do something special, I do something special.  I leave the site.
• I disable auto‑run on all my drives.
• I use a password manager.
• I never, ever click links on social media sites (especially Facebook).

Stay safe on the internet.  Use common sense.  Try not to believe.  Trust no one.
That’s all for this month.  Thanks for reading.

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Windows Defender’s Ransomware Protection – Originally Published September 2019

September 1, 2019 Posted by Tiny

Some Lagniappe for You
by Tiny Ruisch

la·gniappe (lnyp, ln-yp)
n. Chiefly Southern Louisiana & Mississippi
1. A small gift presented by a store owner to a customer with the customer’s purchase.
2. An extra or unexpected gift or benefit. Also called regionally boot.

This month, I’m going to diversify a little and not tell you about a free program.  Instead, I’d like to inform you of a little known setting in Windows 10.  A couple of weeks ago, I read an article about Windows Defender’s Ransomware Protection.  I was surprised that I hadn’t heard about it before.  Maybe it is because it wasn’t originally a feature but was added in October 2017.

Windows Defender will monitor which programs are accessing protected folders and the files stored within them.  It will then block suspicious programs from trying to gain access and making changes.  The feature is disabled by default.  Here is how to enable it:

• Open the Start Menu, then click the Settings icon.
• Go to Update & Security>Windows Security>Virus & Threat Protection.
• Scroll down to Ransomware Protection and click “Manage Ransomware Protection.”
• In the next menu, enable “Controlled Folder Access.”
• Controlled Folder Access only protects certain folders by default: Documents, Pictures, Videos, Music, Desktop, Favorites. You can extend the Ransomware Protection to other files and folders by clicking “Add a protected folder” in that same window.
• Navigate to the folder you wish to add to the ransomware protection. Repeat for each folder you want to have protected.

After you set up Controlled Folder Access, Windows Defender will monitor which programs are accessing the protected folders and the files stored within them.  It will then block suspicious programs from trying to gain access.  The problem is that some “suspicious” programs are not actually malicious.  To avoid false positives, you can add a program to the Controlled Folder Access whitelist.  Here is how to do this:

• Open the Start Menu and click the settings icon.
• Go to Update & Security>Windows Security>Virus & Threat Protection>Manage Ransomware Protection.
• Scroll down and click “Allow an app through controlled folder access,” then find and add the desired program to the list. You’ll have to repeat this process for each app you want to grant access to.

You can also click “Block history” to view a list of programs that Windows Defender has prevented from accessing your protected files.  If you don’t recognize a listed program or aren’t sure why it would be trying to access your files, you might want to uninstall it.

If you like this tip, just tell everyone that you’ve got a SWLAPCUG extra, a bonus perk, a small gift, a present from the club: a little lagniappe.

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End User License Agreement(s) – Originally Published August 2019

August 18, 2018 Posted by Tiny

A Pain in the Whatchamacallit
By Tiny Ruisch

I remember about thirty years ago I bought some new software.  I don’t remember the program, how much I paid for it or whether I liked it.  What I do remember is opening the box and taking out a shrink wrapped disk.  After opening the disk, I took out the End User License Agreement (EULA).  The opening paragraph read something similar to this: “By opening the package, you agree to our Terms of Service.”  These companies were sneaky back then and they are still furtive today.

What got me to reminiscing about this was the EULA for Toolwiz Time Freeze, a sandbox program software that I recently updated. It doesn’t get much simpler. The terms of service were easy to read and understand. Compare this with many other EULAs of thirty or forty thousand words that you cannot understand without consulting a dictionary.

I’m not going to go into a long diatribe about the evil things some EULA agreements do.  Things like saying you agree to never sue the company, post bad reviews on social media, agreeing to future changes, etc.  I’m also not going to write about some of the funny EULAs.  I’m pretty sure that Apple doesn’t really think anyone will use iTunes to manufacture missiles.

Instead, I’m going to tell you about some EULA services I use.  Like most other people, I don’t read all agreements before installing software.  You can slap my wrist the next time you see me.

EULAlyzer is a program I’ve used for many years.  When you are installing new software, open the program and you will see an option to “scan new license agreement”.  A new window will pop up with an icon to drag over the EULA window.  The EULA will be imported and you can analyze it.  You do this simply by clicking the “analyze” button.  Eulalyzer then reviews the license for keywords such as tracking, advertising, third‑party, data collection, etc.

I’ve been getting e-mails from Paranoid Paul for more years than I can remember.  Paranoid Paul is a free service that allows you to track changes made to online documents that affect your privacy or your personal information.  This includes Privacy Policies, Terms and Conditions or User Agreements.  I haven’t actually been on the website for most of those many years I mentioned earlier.  To use the service, you must submit an e-mail address.  Then you pick which documents you are interested in following.  Whenever there is a change, you will receive an e‑mail with a brief synopsis of what is new.  The service is free.

Occasionally, I find other programs or websites that claim to do the same thing, but I have found none of them to be as useful or easy to use.  Life would be so much easier if privacy policies were as clean and concise as the one on my personal website.

Thanks for reading.

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