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Obama and McCain’s computers hacked into
Both Obama’s and McCain’s comuters were hacked into but a "foriegn entity"
H/T to American Thinker
The computer systems of both the Obama and McCain campaigns were victims of a sophisticated cyberattack by an unknown "foreign entity," prompting a federal investigation, NEWSWEEK reports today.
At the Obama headquarters in midsummer, technology experts detected what they initially thought was a computer virus—a case of "phishing," a form of hacking often employed to steal passwords or credit-card numbers. But by the next day, both the FBI and the Secret Service came to the campaign with an ominous warning: "You have a problem way bigger than what you understand," an agent told Obama’s team. "You have been compromised, and a serious amount of files have been loaded off your system." The following day, Obama campaign chief David Plouffe heard from White House chief of staff Josh Bolten, to the same effect: "You have a real problem … and you have to deal with it." The Feds told Obama’s aides in late August that the McCain campaign’s computer system had been similarly compromised. A top McCain official confirmed to NEWSWEEK that the campaign’s computer system had been hacked and that the FBI had become involved.—Newsweek
It looks like either Russia or China were the perpetrators lookming for the Foreign Policies of both candidates to use at later times in negotiatings.
What is Web 2.o????
We are Web 2.0
H/T to Fort Hard Knox
Keep your anti-virus up todate
There is a new ransomware out there that is very hard to crack. Ransomware is a malware that encrypts the victims files and asks the citim to buy the encryption key to unlock their computer. As always keep your anti-virus, anti-malware, and firewalls up to date.
H/T to Lifehacker
Ransomware Encrypts Victim Files With 1,024-Bit Key
Now more than ever, it’s important that Windows users ensure their machines are safe from hackers. A dangerous new strain of malicious software that holds the victim’s computers files for ransom has been unleashed, and Kaspersky Lab is warning that security researchers have yet to crack the encryption key.
The malware in this case is the latest version of Gpcode (Kaspersky calls it Gpcode.ak), a nasty piece of "ransomware" that scrambles all of the victim’s data files with an encryption key known only to the attacker(s). Victims are told via a pop-up message that they need to purchase a special decryption program to regain access to their data.
Kaspersky and other anti-virus companies have previously unraveled the secret encryption key for all previous versions of Gpcode, but this time, the malware author apparently has learned from his previous mistakes. Now, the Gpcode author is encrypting victim files with an extremely strong 1,024-bit RSA encryption key.
"We estimate it would take around 15 million modern computers, running for about a year, to crack such a key," writes Aleks Gostev, senior virus analyst at Kaspersky, on the company’s blog.
"The author has bided his time, waiting almost two years before creating a new, improved variant of this file encryptor. Gpcode.ak doesn’t not repeat the errors found in previous versions of the virus."
Kaspersky said it’s not clear yet how the ransomware is being spread. Once a system is infected and the files are encrypted, it leaves the following message in a pop-up alert:
"Your files are encrypted with RSA-1024 algorithm.
To recovery your files you need to buy our decryptor.
To buy decrypting tool contact us at: ********@yahoo.com"I don’t see anyone but Kaspersky making a lot of noise about this virus, so my guess is that most of the victims are probably in Eastern Europe and Russia. But if your machine does get infected with Gpcode, Kaspersky wants to hear from you (so does Security Fix, for that matter). They’re offering assistance to anyone victimized by this virus. Check out this link for more information.
The company also is trying to generate support for a collaborative effort to break the encryption key; check out the forum here. I wish Kaspersky luck with that, but I don’t believe they will succeed. It is extremely fortunate for most users that this type of attack isn’t more widespread, as it is likely that most victims will end up paying the ransom if they ever want their data returned.
Update, 4:24 p.m. ET: Fixed my inexcusable 1,028 goof in the headline and text.
Light posting again
Later today will be light popsting due to golf. Hopefully all the rain in the area will be gonewhen I get to the Course.
If you are everin the St. Louis Area and love to play golf, I suggest playing Ann Briar. It is the best course in the area for the price.
Golf Digest rated Annbriar one of America’s Top 500 "Places to Play."
With a 4½-star rating, it is ranked 7th in the state of Illinois. The St. Louis Riverfront Times annually votes Annbriar Golf Course as one of the "Best Golf Courses" in the St. Louis, Missouri area.With its precision-placed tee boxes, rolling fairways and lush greens, Annbriar Golf Course is the perfect golf getaway for any skilled golfer. Amateur golfers will find Annbriar Golf Course to be a great place to practice multiple approach’s and to enjoy a country club atmosphere at affordable prices. Professional or skilled golfers will get the pleasure of experiencing the improved and challenging tee box placements.
Vista vs. Xp
Alright I got to ask all of the tech geeks out there, should I switch back to XP Pro or should I keep the Vista onmylaptop and just get mote memory. I know that the 1G of memory is not going tom cut it for Vista, and getting 4G would cost about $75. But the thingis Igot a copyof XP Pro but it is very slimmed down and does no even have Windows Media Player on it, it is a corporate version. Andwhat do you all think about Vista over XP Pro or XP Media Edition,becaus I got a versionof that also?
I know that the sluggishness of the Vista rightnow is not too bad, but I knowit will get frustrating until Ican get more memory.
Send me an email or leave a comment here.
Oh and noe I can watch tv and blog or live blog, so Iamveryhappy about that. Before on the old desktop I haveatv tuner, but it makes the computer run s slow and half the time the driversdid not work correctly.
New technology for storing information
This is prett cool. It is a new way to store information on iPods and MP3 players. It will be able to hold much more information than the flash storage that is used now.
The new chip that will let an iPod store 500,000 songs
A new storage technology will pave the way for MP3 players and other gadgets to store a hundred times more information
Mobile phones, iPods and other consumer devices may soon be able to hold a hundred times more information than they do at present thanks to a breakthrough in storage technology.
Scientists at IBM say they have developed a new type of digital storage which would enable a device such as an MP3 player to store about half a million songs – or 3,500 films – and cost far less to produce.
In a paper published in the current issue of Science, a team at the company’s research centre in San Jose, California, said that devices which use the new technology would require much less power, would run on a single battery charge for "weeks at a time", and would last for decades.
So-called ‘racetrack’ memory uses the ‘spin’ of an electron to store data, and can operate far more quickly than regular hard drives.
Like flash memory – the most advanced type of memory for small devices such as mobile phones – it has no moving parts, meaning that the problems associated with mechanical reliability are dramatically reduced.
Unlike flash, however, it can ‘write data’ – or store information – extremely quickly, and does not have the ‘wear out’ mechanism that means flash memory drives can only be used a few thousand times before they wear out.—Times Online
Watch out for Valentine’s day Storm Worm
Every holiday there are many new and innovative ways that hackers get malware out there. The bggest one going now is to click a link to get a e-card. Once you click the url, the malware is then loaded onto the unsuspecting computer and can be used in a variety of ways. As always, if you do not know who an email is from delete it.
FBI warns of Valentines Day Storm Worm virus
Submitted by Layer 8 on Mon, 02/11/2008 – 2:04pm.
The FBI and the Internet Crime Complaint Center today said that with the Valentine’s Day holiday approaching, users should be on the lookout for spam e-mails spreading Storm Worm malware.
The Storm Worm virus has capitalized on various holidays in the last year by sending millions of e-mails advertising an e-card link within the text of the spam e-mail. Valentine’s Day has been identified as the next target.Such email directs the recipient to click on a link to retrieve the electronic greeting card (e-card). Once the user clicks on the link, malware is downloaded to the Internet connected device and causes it to become infected and part of the Storm Worm botnet. A botnet is a network of compromised machines under the control of a single user.
Botnets are typically set up to facilitate criminal activity such as spam e-mail, identity theft, denial of service attacks, and spreading malware to other machines on the Internet, the FBI stated.
Over this past Christmas/New Year holiday, the Storm Worm morphed a couple times, changing the malicious file’s name, shifting to new malware hosting servers and adding a rootkit to cloak the bot code from anti-virus software.
Others note another nefarious malware attack known as the Mega-D botnet, which offers discounted sexual enhancement pills to users, delivers a unreal 30% more spam than Storm, is also out the waiting to be set free in malicious Valentines cards.
Testing a new widget
I got an email from these guys to tet out a new widget. It is called Triggit. It is a new way to put links to Amazon link or youtube video easier to blogs. I am going to try iit out here so bare with me while I try it out.
Here is my favorite movies. The Godfather
It looks like it works pretty good. I really don’t know how much I will use i but it works pretty good.
I guess I can use it when I am adding pictures to the blog. I cna use my Flickr account and get them from there.
New Ransomware
PC Mag has a warning about a new threaton the internet. It is called ransomware. It is a trojan that get into your system and then encryptd file son your computer and then asks for money to decrypt them.
Ransomware is malware—or sometimes just e-mail—that attempts to extort money out of the recipient, generally with the threat of some damage to the system. Sunbelt Software has uncovered an interesting example in an installation of the the adware system IFRAMEDOLLARS.
Read the linked article for more details, but the gist of it is that the program first encrypts a wide variety of files on your system. It then drops a file named README_ASAP.txt which tells you that your system is insecure and, for your own good (ha!) they have protected the files for you. For $150, only payable through Western Union, they will send you they decryption program.
Sunbelt also reports that antivirus detection of the program is "light" at this time.
Always remember not to open any email if you do not know who it is coming from. And if it looks suspicious delete right away.
Here is the text from Sunbelt Software above:
README_ASAP.txt
Dear User,
Thank you for using our service.
We’ve recently inspected your system and found out many critical security holes.
It’s not a joke, and it bring out clearly that we were able to crypt all of your text files, documents, archives and data files.
For your security we did it before than someone else: hacker, virus or just stupid vandal.
In world, hijackers are hunting for your bank account, credit card information, or something valuable.
Now, even if they’ll hack your computer they steal nothing, because all of your important files are now crypted and secured. There is no technology or scientific method to crack this kind of encrypting in near future Unfortunatelly as like other job, our services cost money. Just only 150$ US dollars. It is worth much less than if you loose all your files.
We accept only Western Union, and we garantee that your’ll receive decrypting program with detailed manual in less than hour after we’d received your payment.
If you need your information back, just send an email to:[redacted]
and we’ll send you further instructions in 5 minutes.
Do not worry, you’ll get all back in hour after we get Western Union Transfer details. ONLY IN ONE HOUR!!!We are sorry for your inconvenience, but better we and less, than somebody and more.
Q. I didn’t order your service and dont want to pay! I’ll go to police!
A. It’s up to you. If you belive they do it better, then do it.Q. I am poor student\bankrupt\housewife. I dont have money.
A. It’a sad to hear.Q. I’ve sent an email to you for a discount.
A. Sorry, but we can’t answer to all our correspondents due to high load.Q. I need my information ASAP!
A. Dont worry! You will get it in one hour after we receive your MTSN. (western union control number)Q. How i can trust you? Maybe you’ll rip me?
A. We understand if you send money for our work-your info important for you.And we don’t want make your life worse.You’ll certanly get the Decription Program.Thank you ,
Network Security Audit Plus.
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A new virus
There is a new virus going around that I have seen many times. If you get any one of these emails, delete it immediately.
Subject: WORST VIRUS EVER — CNN ANNOUNCED
I have been receiving tons of these postcard emails recently, but I
have not opened one as I was concerned. I checked this on SNOPES and it is
true.Be cautious of this.
Here is a link to the snopes page:
http://www.snopes.com/computer/virus/postcard.asp
PLEASE SEND THIS TO EVERYONE ON YOUR CONTACT LIST!!
A new virus has just been discovered that has been classified by
Microsoft as the most destructive ever. This virus was discovered yesterday
afternoon by McAfee . This virus simply destroys Sector Zero from the hard
disk, where vital information for its functioning are stored.This virus acts in the following manner:
It sends itself automatically to all contacts on your list with the
title:"A Card for You".
As soon as the supposed virtual card is opened the computer freezes so that
the user has to reboot. When the ctrl+alt+ del keys or the reset button are
pressed, the virus destroys Sector Zero, thus permanently destroying the
hard disk. Yesterday in just a few hours this virus caused panic in New York
, according to news broadcast by CNN.This alert was received by an employee of Microsoft itself.
So don’t open any mails with
subject: "A Virtual Card for You."As soon as you get the mail, delete it !! Even if you know the sender !!!
Please pass this mail to all of your friends.
Forward this to everyone in your address book. I’m sure most people,
like myself, would rather receive this notice 25 times than not at all.
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