ETC Blog, The Tech Resource
Sophos UTM DNS resolution bug leads to misclassification of web traffic.
*UPDATE 01\10\2017* I FINALLY got an error that calls out a file that is faulting. I started having various ipv6 sites not loading or loading very slowly. Inspection of the logs showed the following: 2017:01:10-10:19:53 etcutm httpproxy[8853]: id="0003"...
Small Businesses and NPOs Getting Fleeced. Something I See Happen All Too Often.
I was contacted by a NPO in Frederick County. They need to replace their primary server which does their local authentication and file services and also runs their e-mail services in house. Unless you have legal requirements this expense is simply unjustifiable. I...
If you want a Windows 7 machine, build custom
Microsoft as of today is no longer shipping Windows 7 to the big OEM computer makers anymore. This means the chances of you finding a Windows 7 machine..or even a win 10 machine with "downgrade rights" to Windows 7 stop existing as well. If you want a real downgrade...
The Basics on NOT Getting Infected (Updated April 23, 2016)
Windows has design issues...I have talked about it many many times. However it IS possible to have a malware free system. It's really not that hard. You do need to change your behavior on how you operate your windows systems. 1. Have a security audit done if...
Mobile Device Security: Simplified
For my second video in my Simplified series I talka bout some basics in mobile device security. did you know that these wonderful devices are actually computers? What do you need to do to keep them safe like you do any computer? Are there some basics to keeping...
DDOS and Your Security Simplified
I have made another video where I attempt to simplify the DDOS and what it means for your security. Take a look at this video and feel free to comment on my Facebook page. DDOS and your security simplified.ETC Maryland followup video in DDOS and your security Posted...
OCT 21st National DDOS news(Tons of links)
This post is not only about tonight's massive DDOS attack but the terrible problems IOT is causing due to their horrid security. If you want a quick overview skip right to the video. If you want to get into the weeds a bit read on...but be warned. There are tons of...
If you have Samsung Galaxy Note 7 return it immediatly
Even the replacements are catching fire. All of the major carriers in the US have issued press releases that say they are halting Note 7 replacements and offering exchanges for the phones regardless of purchase date. A lithium ion battery if it goes into thermal...
Another reason to block ads.
I have always blocked ads. I knew that having a third party serve you ads with questionable security means these ad servers would be a problem for internet users. Sure enough Spotify ads were compromised by malware authors and for a while your Spotify was now an...
When you have poor security…BLAME RUSSIA(or whomever else)
When the Yahoo hack was revealed I absolutely dismissed Yahoos assertions of a nation state actor. I have been waiting for the independent investigations to play out and now the REAL reason for the hack has come out. Yahoo internal security was poor. Unlike Google,...
IOT default insecurity = Internet infrastructure danger
Krebonsecurity editor Brian Krebs now posts showing the source code for the botnet that forced Akamai/Prolexic to boot him off their network. What is amazing is that while Prolexic was struggling to handle nearly 700 megabits there was another even larger DDOS going...
The ethics of data destruction
The Clinton e-mail deletion scandal is quite a mess. Now it is becoming clear what company and what product was used to delete those files. The product is called bleachbit and a good explanation of it is over at a minerdetail.com. Bleachbit is an opensource...
DDOS…The new wave of digital censorship
I have been watching the saga of security blogger Brian Krebs and his krebsonsecurity blog. He has had the benefit of high powered DDOS protection from Prolexic which is an Akamai subsidiary. Krebs has for a long time now been able to infiltrate and report on the...
New ETC Maryland evaluation platform coming online
As noted in my earlier post ETC Maryland has been building and is deploying a new virtualized environment to properly evaluate the flood of new security products coming out from multiple vendors. The platform consists of a primary Hyper-V host, a primary VmWare host,...
Ad blockers and analytics
I just had an interesting conversation with my web design partner Lori Curley of Curley Marketing. Third party analytics have gotten caught in the ad blocking drag net. This means the numbers form third party apps like Google Analytics and Clicky analytics can be...
AdBlockPlus now literally means it’s name
AdBlockPlus now means we will blocks ads PLUS give you ads folks pay them to allow. I saw the initial link at hackernews but the full story is on theverge. A couple of years ago I heard that the company behind ADB+ wanted to start allowing certain ads through for...
Remember when I mentioned Windows as a service? Windows Subscriptions are on their way.
I have been mistrustful of Microsoft even since Windows 10 started coming out. The constant Windows as a service mentions and the nearly illegal and almost malware like campaign to get Windows 10 everywhere really had me not liking the entire Windows 10 ecosystem....
Vendor Spotlight: CDC Cellular Repair, LLC.
The internet is buzzing with "news" of a potential problem with the Apple Iphone 6+ devices with two chips on its main logic board. One of my vendors alerted me to this more than a year ago. John O'Rangers of CDC Cellular Repair in Frederick, Maryland is the person I...
Progress report on new secure storage and backup
Well this is why research is done before product roll out...:) I purchased a server to use as my new storage host and it turns out the hard drive controller card is not suitable for the server product. Luckily I had another smaller server that will suffice for...
New Computer Build for Home Business Client
This client needed a faster computer for general office work than their current all in one desktop was able to deliver. ETC Maryland recommended a ultra small computer with desktop class power instead of the laptop based system they currently had in place. Since...
Is your POS system Cloud based? Even the “mighty” Oracle cannot keep it’s cloud secured.
I have said it again and again. You should NOT have a POS system that is cloud based. Nothing that need to be kept confidential should be cloud based. Oracle bought Micros a couple of years ago to add to its cloud offerings. As I have said again and again, the...
ETC Maryland enters into reselling agreement with Hagerstown consultancy for web hosting.
ETC Maryland is pleased to announce that ETC Maryland and CBM Systems, Inc of Hagerstown, Maryland have entered into a reselling agreement. Under the terms of the agreement ETC Maryland will provide webhosting services to CBM Systems clients. CBM will retain...
SSD care and maintenance tips
There are several things folks have "burned" into their mind about hard drive maintenance that no longer apply to SSD drives. There are also several major considerations when it comes to data security that are different between SSD drives and Hard Drives. The first...
New firewall platform research project
I have grown weary of the proprietary vendors or vendors who start off Open Source and then switch to closed source while code quality and value for both me and my clients goes down. Even though I ahve partnered with Sophos and Dell their products do not meet every...
SSD’s for workstations/desktops so far so good
I just dumped my main computer( my annual maintenance is a format/reload) to reload it and I decided to put Windows 10 on this machine for giggles. The install was really fast as this system is nothing to sneeze at: Intel core I-5 4690k 32 Gigs DDR3 1600 Crucial...