Latest hack involves an email that pretends to be from Microsoft, and contains an executable that the recipient is directed to run as an update.
I can't believe that in this day of automated updates of just about everything, people fall for this. The executable contains Backdoor: Win32/Haxdoor. It will open ports on the infected machine that allow remote code execution. The effect is that the damaged PC becomes a Zombie, running whatever code is sent to it, and eventually becoming useless.
Be skeptical of everything on the internets, children. Even The Brothers Grimm couldn't see all the nasties that abound there.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Like the cool kids do
So, ya know, I'm like, hanging, over at Panera, drinking a smoothie, and posting to my blog.
ZOMG!
Spent the morning at Morning Edition, hosted at Weber's by the Ann Arbor Chamber. A fine time again. Then off to visit customers in the Jackson Road/Scio area, and try to drum up some cartridge business. C'mon people - get with the program.
This midday is the HBA's associates meeting, during which I will try to get business owners to notice that I'm trying to save them some money here. Lastly, I need to pick up a laptop (another victim of Antivirus2008) and get that on the road to recovery.
Thursday is a mess - I'm out of pocket all day: Washtenaw referral network, Saline Leadership, a Saline Chamber after-hours at Flatout Bread, then a membership meeting at Tri County. Swamped, I tell you.
But at least now, right this minute, I have a moment of relative quiet and a smoothie. Mmm, good smoothie...
ZOMG!
Spent the morning at Morning Edition, hosted at Weber's by the Ann Arbor Chamber. A fine time again. Then off to visit customers in the Jackson Road/Scio area, and try to drum up some cartridge business. C'mon people - get with the program.
This midday is the HBA's associates meeting, during which I will try to get business owners to notice that I'm trying to save them some money here. Lastly, I need to pick up a laptop (another victim of Antivirus2008) and get that on the road to recovery.
Thursday is a mess - I'm out of pocket all day: Washtenaw referral network, Saline Leadership, a Saline Chamber after-hours at Flatout Bread, then a membership meeting at Tri County. Swamped, I tell you.
But at least now, right this minute, I have a moment of relative quiet and a smoothie. Mmm, good smoothie...
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Another Rogue
My old pal Antivirus2009 was out and about today, and he brought a pal: Say hello to 'SafePCTools'. Seriously. 'Safe PC Tools'?? C'mon, what happened to 'ReallyNotAVirusInDisguise2007'? Lovely names that the ne'er-do-wells come up with.
But the naive continue to fall prey to them. Remember, Windows will never, ever, spontaneously pop up a window that warns of an infection, and then Not Suggest a Microsoft Product.
So, a little inkiness, a little wireless networking, the same ol. But a busy sort of same ol, so no complaints here.
But the naive continue to fall prey to them. Remember, Windows will never, ever, spontaneously pop up a window that warns of an infection, and then Not Suggest a Microsoft Product.
So, a little inkiness, a little wireless networking, the same ol. But a busy sort of same ol, so no complaints here.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Keeping on keepin on
Tuesday saw us having a new desktop to work on, and so on. Just a performance issue (with the PC, not me). I guess thats what happens when one's teenage daughter has never seen a freebie not worth downloading. Just sayin.
I had a Toshiba laptop to trouble shoot the other day. There was no power - meaning, that even plugged in, it wasn't booting up. I changed the DC jack (was corroded, it was), and still no joy. Tried a new battery [Plug] over at Batteries Plus on Packard [/Plug] and still no joy. The disassembly went well, and all the components looked ok, and the power was correct down to the mobo. I guess, when they die, you just have to let them go.
This evening was the big NRA banquet over at Tri County. Always a good time: [Gimli] Prime rib, fresh cool ale [/Gimli]. It benefits a good cause, and we've benefited from it a lot over the past few years.
I had a Toshiba laptop to trouble shoot the other day. There was no power - meaning, that even plugged in, it wasn't booting up. I changed the DC jack (was corroded, it was), and still no joy. Tried a new battery
This evening was the big NRA banquet over at Tri County. Always a good time: [Gimli]
Sunday, October 5, 2008
My Turn
Looks like the ol blog has moved to bi-weekly.
So be it. I've been busy as hell trying to keep all this running. So, what has been happening, you ask?
Well, I've had some HTTP work - usual stuff... viruses, optimization, and we're busy with CW. But. I could be doing the world a lot of good by spreading the CW word around a lot more. So thats what I'll do. I'm going to be a man on a mission. I want to proselytize the world on the CW (and HTTP) models and make the masses come a-calling. Let us be inundated with orders, like an onrush of inky tidal wave.
The night is hot and black as ink; oh g-d I need a drink....
So be it. I've been busy as hell trying to keep all this running. So, what has been happening, you ask?
Well, I've had some HTTP work - usual stuff... viruses, optimization, and we're busy with CW. But. I could be doing the world a lot of good by spreading the CW word around a lot more. So thats what I'll do. I'm going to be a man on a mission. I want to proselytize the world on the CW (and HTTP) models and make the masses come a-calling. Let us be inundated with orders, like an onrush of inky tidal wave.
The night is hot and black as ink; oh g-d I need a drink....
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
We Get Letters
Yeah! I got an email from 'IRS' that states that the government owes me $650.50. I just need to click on the embedded link that redirects to a server on yahoo.jp. I'm sure the IRS has a very good reason for using a free email account in Japan.
Early to rise
Well, its not that early, but still. With the weather being so crisp of a morning, who wants to get out of bed at all?
This week, more of the same. I have a laptop now to fix, it has a broken DC power jack. A fairly common complaint since it is a fragile piece, and we abuse our laptops, don't we? We take them for granted, and them we are all bummed out when they are broken. Which is OK, just bring them to me to fix.
I had an appointment Monday to deliver a full system I had put together. PC, monitor, color deskjet; running XP home. It was reasonably priced, and included data migration and set up. And then the client backed out. He uses his computer just for email and word processing. The fact that it is a 12 yr old Pentium 2 fossil running Win98 on 128MB RAM, with a dial up internet connection mind you, didn't seem terribly inconvenient after all, when faced with a new-fangled XP system. The old one already has Office 2000 installed (from a relative, not even a legit copy) and has his dialup client (and he can't find the install disks), so using a new one would require.... loading applications. Apparently too much trouble for a retired guy to manage. The fact that I would have done so for free didn't budge him.
The real deal breaker for me was when he asked if he could put the memory card from his camera into the new PC to send photos to people on email. Nevermind that sending a 1.5GB photo over dialup from that old POS would take 37 hours, I said, no, an additional external card reader would be needed. Well, that disappointed him no end. It was unacceptable, you see. I asked him how he does it now, and he answered that he doesn't.
Its like one of those old corny jokes. Except that I'm not laughing.
He said he would call when he got his data connection upgraded (already has cable TV, and a cell phone, so was using sole POTS line for the dial up. Go figure.) If I can sell the system in the meantime, I'll be gladly rid of it.
On the CW biz, we just closed September, and I'm pretty proud. The sales were more than double that of July, nearly double that of August, and within the price of a steak to the best month in the store's history. I intend to shatter that this month.
How cool is that?
This week, more of the same. I have a laptop now to fix, it has a broken DC power jack. A fairly common complaint since it is a fragile piece, and we abuse our laptops, don't we? We take them for granted, and them we are all bummed out when they are broken. Which is OK, just bring them to me to fix.
I had an appointment Monday to deliver a full system I had put together. PC, monitor, color deskjet; running XP home. It was reasonably priced, and included data migration and set up. And then the client backed out. He uses his computer just for email and word processing. The fact that it is a 12 yr old Pentium 2 fossil running Win98 on 128MB RAM, with a dial up internet connection mind you, didn't seem terribly inconvenient after all, when faced with a new-fangled XP system. The old one already has Office 2000 installed (from a relative, not even a legit copy) and has his dialup client (and he can't find the install disks), so using a new one would require.... loading applications. Apparently too much trouble for a retired guy to manage. The fact that I would have done so for free didn't budge him.
The real deal breaker for me was when he asked if he could put the memory card from his camera into the new PC to send photos to people on email. Nevermind that sending a 1.5GB photo over dialup from that old POS would take 37 hours, I said, no, an additional external card reader would be needed. Well, that disappointed him no end. It was unacceptable, you see. I asked him how he does it now, and he answered that he doesn't.
Its like one of those old corny jokes. Except that I'm not laughing.
He said he would call when he got his data connection upgraded (already has cable TV, and a cell phone, so was using sole POTS line for the dial up. Go figure.) If I can sell the system in the meantime, I'll be gladly rid of it.
On the CW biz, we just closed September, and I'm pretty proud. The sales were more than double that of July, nearly double that of August, and within the price of a steak to the best month in the store's history. I intend to shatter that this month.
How cool is that?
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