Scams, Scams, Scams! Its one of the constants of modern life. 2021 Scams! – Part 1 Whether its trying to scam you regarding taxes, Adobe Flash, some piece of software you use, or tried and true “we’ve got money for you!”, scammers are still out there! Heck, they’re calling by phone and faxing even! Good grief! Listen in to Jonathan, LD, and Sam as they chat it up!
More on Scams! Don’t go nuts! (1/30/21 Part 2)
We’re talking about SCAMS! 2021 Scams – Part 2 Still. Because, frankly? Hey, the bad guys don’t rest. So, we’re keeping you updated! Phone scams, fax scams (people do still get faxes!), email, “watch this for free online!” scams, and more! Bah!
Hospitals and scumbag hackers. There, we said it. (10/31/20 Part 2)
Scumbag jerky hackers and ransom-ware. We hates them. Hostageware on the rise And yet, they don’t go away! So, what happened this time? https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2020/10/us-government-warns-of-imminent-ransomware-attacks-against-hospitals/ https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/hospitals-being-hit-in-coordinated-targeted-ransomware-attack-from-russian-speaking-criminals/ar-BB1auEpi?ocid=uxbndlbing https://www.zdnet.com/article/first-death-reported-following-a-ransomware-attack-on-a-german-hospital/ Also, if you saw the lights in the Maui sky the other night but don’t know what they were? https://mauinow.com/2020/10/25/cluster-of-mysterious-lights-observed-across-maui/
Hacking of the State Sponsored variety! (7/18/20 Part 1)
Aaaah, hackers. There’s been a bunch of hacking in the news! In this hour we talk about state-sponsored cyber-attacks. Analysis of alleged Russian Cyberatttacks on COVID Vaccine Labs Why do countries do this? Well, reasons vary, but here we go…! If you want some reading on it, here are some for you. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-53458122 https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2020/07/iran-state-hackers-caught-with-their-pants-down-in-intercepted-videos/ https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2020/07/russia-linked-hackers-accused-of-targeting-covid-19-vaccine-developers/
Hacking for Fun and Profit (7/18/20 Part 2)
If you want fun and profit, apparently computer system hacking is a promising field! Analysis of the Twitter Bitcoin Hack Jonathan did a bunch of research so you can hear his thoughts this hour! https://www.theverge.com/2020/7/15/21326200/elon-musk-bill-gates-twitter-hack-bitcoin-scam-compromised https://slate.com/technology/2020/07/why-cryptocurrency-advocates-think-the-twitter-hack-could-help-bitcoin.html https://www.cnbc.com/2020/07/16/twitter-hackers-made-121000-in-bitcoin-analysis-shows.html https://krebsonsecurity.com/2020/07/whos-behind-wednesdays-epic-twitter-hack/
Zoom! It’s wildly popular with growing pains! (4/4/20 Part 1)
Zoom.us provides an increasingly popular web-conferencing service that people are using in this time of working from home and social distancing. But, like any good thing, this overnight growth spurt has some growing pains! This previously professional service is now being used for social connection by seemingly everyone, meaning the jerks have come along too. Zoom! Security – Part 1 Join Jonathan, LD, and Sam as we talk about some of the problems Zoom is having!
Making your Zoom meeting more secure! (4/4/20 Part 2)
So, we went over the problems Zoom has been having in hour one. Now? Let’s talk about fixing those problems! How DO you make your Zoom meeting more secure? Zoom! Security – Part 2 Join Jonathan, LD, and Sam as we discuss this popular teleconference service!
Don’t be a Pirate! Yaaaaar! (2/22/20 Part 2)
Computer piracy is probably more common than people admit. Especially in the business world. All those companies have tons of money, so no problem, right? Sorry, afraid not. Yarrr! Its illegal! Obviously, yeah. You want to save some money, but it could get you in trouble with the law. Employees (especially disgruntled ex-employees), even customers who know you’re pirating can actually report you with the possibility of getting a cash reward/bounty if you get busted. nopiracy.org The fines can be pretty bad (they’ve got rewards to pay out). https://techcrunch.com/2016/05/10/software-piracy-claims-can-ruin-your-business-and-reward-those-responsible/ While unlikely, a software vendor could possibly request an audit to make sure you’re in compliance. https://redmondmag.com/articles/2010/09/01/beware-the-bsa.aspx Its not safe! Trojans, malware, and viruses oh my! Many common programs have inexpensive alternatives, even free/open-source ones. LibreOffice or OpenOffice (OSS). GIMP, Inkscape, and Scribus for some of Creative Cloud. Affinity and others for cheap. Do you really NEED the big fancy name software? Being paid/legit means you can get support from the company. Important for updates. Important for compliance within your industry (HIPPA).
Botnets: badware getting better and smarter… grrr… (9/21/19 Part 1)
Don’t call it a comeback! Emotet has been going to the gym and on a diet. What is Emotet? And what is a botnet? Bad Botnet! Bad! No Biscuit! How to recognize Emotet – https://blog.malwarebytes.com/botnets/2019/09/emotet-is-back-botnet-springs-back-to-life-with-new-spam-campaign/ Deeper reading – https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2019/09/worlds-most-destructive-botnet-returns-with-stolen-passwords-and-email-in-tow/ What is a botnet? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Botnet
Phishing has nothing to do with rock band… (3/23/19 Part 2)
Nom nom nom… Phishing is a way of trying to steal account information. Phishers attempt to get logins, passwords, payment information, and more. And its not nearly as hard as you’d hope! Phishing 101! So, we talk about it today, and what you can do to protect yourself. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phishing https://us.norton.com/internetsecurity-online-scams-how-to-protect-against-phishing-scams.html https://www.consumerreports.org/money/how-to-protect-yourself-from-phishing/ https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204759 https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/4033787/windows-protect-yourself-from-phishing Information on SHAKEN/STIR from the news: https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0381-how-does-robocall-work-infographic https://www.fcc.gov/call-authentication https://www.zdnet.com/article/at-t-comcast-successfully-test-shakenstir-protocol-for-fighting-robocalls/