Use VNC Instead Of A Monitor

Have an extra PC but no monitor? Use VNC to control it. It's less expensive than a monitor, easy to use, and saves space. (A great way of checking in on the kiddos as well. ;)). VNC can also be used to control your PC from your cellphone, and vice versa on a rooted phone. RealVNC offers this service with good performance and low memory usage on a LAN. There are plenty of third-party client/server programs freely available for Windows, Mac, and Linux, and newer Windows versions have a built-in RPC utility that can be controlled from other programs as well. I have used M$'s RPC version on a few occasions, but I still prefer third-party VNC applications. It's is easy to setup on a LAN, a bit more trouble if you intend to use it over the internet. Everyone with a network should have VNC installed on their machines and accessible from their computer. It's so much easier when the kids yell "Mom!" or "Dad! My computer is messing up again!". You will be glad you did.

I found a few Youtube videos that show how to configure and setup my Windows favs, RealVNC and TightVNC, and a demo of VNC on a smartphone. Setting this up is a breeze and well worth it.

For Linux, I recommend the Remmina client coupled with "Remote Desktop" server for Linux distros. These are installed from the package manager and configured in much the same way. Remmina has the ability to handle both VNC and RPC servers. I love it.

Here are the videos:

• Installing and Configuring TightVNC on PC
• Installing RealVNC With Router
• VNC For Android Demonstration

A Viable Alternative To Dreamweaver

I used Dreamweaver for years to develop websites. I like the clean layout and abundance of features (like FTP, server side editing, and preview), it seemed like the only alternative for my web designing needs. I couldn't imagine designing without it. Then something happened. Windows 7. I disliked the OS. A lot. Not because it was a POS like Vista, but because it reminded me of the best features found in other operating systems. Gone were the little quirks brought on by "Microsoft's way", but the OS just too darn slick and quite a departure from previous versions. But I digress. The point I'm not making very well is this: my computing needs and wants changed. I went with Linux and never looked back. I tried running Dreamweaver in Wine, but that was not an alternative. The search was on for a new development tool that was more than just an editor and a list of files.

I tried Seamonkey. No joy there. The lack of features turned me off the minute I tried it. Next, I performed a web search and found Aptana Studio (there is a version for Windows as well as Linux). I had nothing to lose and everything to gain, so I installed it. I fell in love immediately. The interface is intuitive, there are plenty of features for shell scripts, XML, CoffeeScript, Capistrano, etc. It natively supports HTML (including HTML 5), CSS, Javascript, and Ruby. It's interface sports the ability to adapt to multiple platforms through the use of bundles. Bundles contain hundreds of commands for platforms such as Drupal, Boxee, Titanium Desktop, Titanium Mobile, JQuery, and Wordpress. It also sports a built-in terminal. Like Dreamweaver, all of my website files are accessible through a left panel, has line numbers, and even a preview function for my html! Other features include debugging, skinnable interface, the ability to open URLs, code completion, code highlighting, among many more. This is the alternative I was seeking.

There are some differences and lack of features I am happy to live with, especially for the price (free). Lack of FTP is really no big deal. I found I prefer a good full featured FTP program to deal with permissions, local directories, and connectivity in general. Lack of automatic table insertion is a pain. I don't use tables often, but when I do typing all of those trs and tds really annoy me.

This IDE is based on Eclipse and is offered as an Eclipse add-on or a stand alone version. I found the Eclipse add-on version to be buggy and not function quite as well as the stand alone version. This IDE has been the perfect alternative to Dreamweaver. I would recommend this application to any web developer looking for an alternative to Dreamweaver, no matter what OS you are using.

Encrypt Your Information With TrueCrypt

TrueCrypt is an encryption program capable of creating encrypted partitions and file containers on your hard drive or USB stick. It also gives you the flexibility to hide the encrypted patitions from prying eyes. There are several algorithms to choose from, all use a 256 bit key, and all of them will encrypt your files nicely. TrueCrypt has the ability to remove/unencrypt partitions as well. Drives encrypted with this program can not be accessed on other systems that do not have TrueCrypt installed. If you forget your password, you lose your data.

The TrueCrypt homepage is located at http://truecrypt.org and the installer files can be found under "Downloads". After picking your "poison" so to speak, install TrueCrypt, insert external drives if needed, and run the program to setup your encrypted partitions or file containers.

Click "Create Volume" to get the process started. The program then prompts you to create an encrypted file container or volume on a partiton, volume type, volume location, encryption options, volume password (write this down), and format options (FAT for USB). You will be asked to wiggle your mouse within a window to increase cryptographic strength, and the process is completed.

TrueCrypt is a "true" security tool. It does not provide any way of recovering your password (what would be the point?), has the ability to hide protected partions, and it provides strong encryption. IMHO this is the best encryption program I have used, hands down. Builds are available for Linux, Windows, and Mac which makes it a good choice for all users.

Sending Text Messages Via Computer

There are a plethora of messaging clients for Windows that will handle SMS messaging. There aren't that many options for Linux, and the ones that are available rely on AT commands to a tethered device or access to a SMS gateway. Linux chat clients are great for chat networks, but lack any type of SMS feature. After engaging in an extended text conversation with my wife (on a phone with a hideous onscreen keyboard), I knew there had to be a better way. I found two ways that will work on any platform, and here they are:

Yahoo! Messaging

Since Yahoo integrated their Messenger app into Yahoo Mail, there is no more need for a chat client to accomplish SMS through their chat network. Log onto Yahoo Mail, sign into the Messenger service, select a contact with a cell number, and chat. This is by far the easiest solution I have found.

Other Online Mail Services

This method can be accomplished with email clients as well, but online services allow real "text" time responses without clicking "Receive Mail". Save your contact's cell messaging address as a secondary email, and chat through email. For example: 1234567890@messaging.sprintpcs.com will send a message to phone number 1234567890 on the Sprint network.

Here is a short list of messaging server addresses that can be used with any email client:

• AT&T/Cingular - Cell # @txt.att.net or Cell # @cingularme.com
• Sprint PCS - Cell # @messaging.sprintpcs.com
• T-Mobile - Cell # @tmomail.net
• US Cellular - Cell # @email.uscc.net (SMS)
• Verizon - Cell # @vtext.com
• Virgin Mobile USA - Cell # @vmobl.com

Some Things Are Just Kewl: Steganography

Steganography is hiding information inside of another file, usually an image, but could be anything from mp3s to pdfs. There are many tools freely available for this purpose. There are many purposes for using stego, legitimate or not. While this is something really kewl, it can be dangerous as well. All kinds of things can be hidden in an image. Text, other files, scripts, etc. The secret behind most forms of stego is file headers. Beyond that stego can be encrypted and password protected to keep prying eyes at bay. I'm going to show you a really simple (and unencrypted for legal reasons) way of hiding an executable jar file in an image. The kewl thing is that it can run by any JRE, and opened in WinRAR.

Simple Windows Stego Example

Stego can be performed stright from the command line in Windows. It's kind of like using data streams to hide data, but that's another topic. To hide an executable jar file (or other compressed file) in a gif, open a dos box in a directory where both files are present, and use the command "copy /B my_gif+stuff.jar combined_file.gif". Make sure your gif is large enough to mask the added data. The file can be viewed in an image viewer like any other image file. Set execute permissions and open it with any Java JRE, and the executable jar will run. You can also use WinRAR to open the compressed file and view it's contents.

a Working Example

Download the file below and open it in an image viewer. You can go into file properties and make it executable, and run it from a Java JRE (or java -jar gnome.gif from the same directory).This file can be extracted with the unzip utility (unzip gnome.gif)

Linux Example

You can do this in Linux as well. Open a terminal in a directory containing a jar and gif file, and issue the command "cat my_jar >> my_gif.gif" and the newly created gif will contain the information. Here is a youtube video I put together: http://youtu.be/c4twCZyyRyw

A Warning About Downloading Stego Software

Stego software with encryption ability is illegal to download from some countries. Their laws do not permit the exportation of software containing strong encryption. You have been warned.

Stego has many uses including copyright protection, storage of sensitive information, transmission of sensitive data over public networks, and even executing programs. Many people either don't know about, or underestimate the power of hidden data. Sometimes things aren't always as they appear.

Repair Windows 7 Hosts File

Windows 7 comes with an odd quirk: the hosts file is ignored. For those of you who may not know what the hosts file does, it contains a list of network addresses and allows you the flexibility to block them or change them. Malware can invade this file and wreak havoc on your internet connection. There are websites that contain custom hosts files that allow you to block internet advertising (like SomeoneWhoCares.org). It's a useful tool for network administrators. It befuddles me why Win 7 has this problem, though I can speculate. Perhaps it's a part of Windows security. Maybe the original hosts file is corrupt. Whatever the reason may be, Windows 7 is ignoring it.

The fix is so easy, it's almost laughable. Simply delete the old one and replace it with a new one. That's all there is to it. To do it, you will need administrative privileges. Log in as administrator. Open the directory C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\ in Windows Explorer. Right-click the "hosts" file and select "Open file". If prompted, select "Notepad" as the program to open it. Select all and copy. Minimize the window. Now open up Notepad as administrator (right-click >> Run as administrator) and copy the contents into a new file. Close the minimized copy. Go to Windows Explorer and delete the "hosts" file. Go back to Notepad, click "File >> Save As", navigate to C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\, and save the file as "hosts" without any extension (not "hosts.txt", just "hosts"). That's it. Problem solved.

Tracking Down Windows Malware

I know from experience how difficult tracking down unwelcome system guests can be. Once an infection takes root, it invites other "guests" and before you know it there are several of them residing on your hard drive. They are becoming more difficult to remove due to the increasing prowess of malware programmers. In fact, I have experienced many infections that could not be resolved due to the number of malicious files or a single program continually reinstalling itself. One can speculate as to how these programs may operate, but the only sure way of cleaning your system is a wipe down and reinstallation of the operating system. There are cases where infection hasn't reached critical mass and the critters can be removed with reasonable certainty. I'm going to give you some pointers on where to look, and what tools to use.

If you suspect infection, turn off system restore. It's located in the Start >> All Programs >> System Tools menu. Chances are the malware has already been saved and any attempts to use the restore function will only reinstall the software on your PC. This is one "feature" of Windows that is both very good, and very bad. For obvious reasons. Backup your bookmarks, passwords, user directory, or any other files you wish to keep. Crank up the browser and delete all temporary files and cookies. Turn off all plugins and helper applications. If any helper objects were recently installed, uninstall them.

If you have access to the internet, visit Trend Micro's Housecall and do a scan. Any existing antivirus program may have been disabled or compromised. A scan from a clean machine needs to be performed. Most malware resides in either the User directories or the Windows directory, unless a malicious program has been installed. If an entire program has been installed, try uninstalling it. if it will not uninstall, remove the program's files from the Programs directory and remove it from the menu. After the scan is finished, and the changes have been accepted, don't restart your computer right away.

If you don't have internet access, or your machine becomes unresponsive in normal mode, reboot into safe mode (F8 >> Choose safe mode). Make sure you are logged in as Administrator. Uninstall any recently installed software, including browser plugins and helpers. Check the hosts file located in the C:\Windows\System32\Drivers\etc folder. Open the file in notepad and examine. If it doesn't look like the one pictured below, and there are a lot of entries, remove them until the file looks exactly like the picture below. BTW, those are tab spaces between the IP and domain addresses. Save and close. Open a command prompt (Start >> All Programs >> Accessories >> Command Prompt, or Start >> Run enter cmd) and type in netsh int ip reset c:\resetlog.txt, and hit enter. This resets the TCP/IP stack and places the log in the root directory. Check connection. If you still don't have internet, you need a professional, sorry.

Click Start >> All Programs >> Accessories >> Run (or Start >> Run for older Windows versions), type in msconfig, and hit enter. A window will pop up resembling the one below. Click the Startup tab. This is where startup can be customized. Exercise caution and DO NOT uncheck anything that your computer manufacturer has loaded, ESPECIALLY on a laptop. You should have a pretty good idea of what programs are running on your system, like AV, Roxio, Nero, Java, etc. A tell is an entry with no manufacturer name, but legit files don't always show a manufacturer. It's always a good idea to research something before removing it from the start routine. Stay away from entries with "key", "touchpad", "smartpad", "mouse", or any variation thereof especially if the computer manufacturer loaded it onto the system or else when the system reboots, there may no way of controlling it.

Go back to the Run dialog, type in prefetch, hit enter. Select every file in this directory and delete it. Check the hosts file as outlined above. Check your firewall for any unauthorized open ports. Now reboot and rescan. If all is clear, double check msconfig, turn Windows Restore back on. If not, repeat until everything is gone or you get ready for other measures.

Additional Steps:

If you are comfortable editing the Windows registry, Autoruns is an excellent tool for checking and editing registry entries. Entries ending in \Run or \Startup need to be checked as well as Browser Helper Objects and Task Scheduler. File creation times and knowing the location of legitimate files is extremely helpful. Backup your registry (and save it to the root drive) before editing or you may toast your entire Windows installation. Autoruns also displays the path to the file for easy removal. You may have to remove files from safe mode.

If a reinstallation of the OS is necessary, don't do an "over the top" install. Format your disk (better yet, wipe it with DBAN) beforehand.

If there is access to another PC with AV on it, remove the drive from the infected machine and slave it to the other PC in lieu of an online scan. Many Linux live CD's have clam AV installed. That could be used to scan the infected drive from the Optical drive without having to remove anything. Check it out here.

Try getting some help at PC Mech Forums. They have friendly and knowledgeable admins (and users) that may be able to help.

Getting rid of these critters is not fast or easy. Sometimes it takes a professional to track it down on the fly. Malware can hide anywhere on your system, and has the ability to masquerade as legitimate processes. The easiest option is always a format and install after a thorough backup. it could take even the most seasoned tech hours to remove, or to reach the realization that a format and install is the only way to go. These steps are a good starting point for removal, but far from a comprehensive guide. As you can see it is a time consuming and involved process.

Why Use a CMS For Your Website?

It's simple: Why reinvent the wheel? Unless you enjoy spending hours coding, using a CMS (Content Management System) is really the way to go. They are simple to setup and are easily customizeable through CSS. Systems like Joomla or Wordpress are fully customizeable, support a plugin architecture that allows you extend them quickly and easily, and offer regular security updates. The best part is, anyone can add content and update their website via an administrative interface. Users can be added with varying permissions from members with posting privies to full administrative power. These systems are the best way to get your brand out there and help you expand as easily as possible.

Password Protected?

Don't get lulled into thinking password protection is real protection. I can't count how many times people have brought me computers wanting access after forgetting their password. It's easy to gain access to a password protected computer. In most instances simply giving a computer a three finger salute (Ctrl + Alt + Del) and typing in "Administrator" with a blank password will give you administrative access to most Windows machines. If you have physical access to any machine, data can be extracted easily. If you keep any sensitive information on your computer and it is lost or stolen, the new owner will have access to all of your data including email accounts, server accounts, your company's network (if you VPN), and whatever else you may have stored. There are some things you can do to prevent unauthorized access to your data when your computer is not in your possession.

Encrypt, encrypt, encrypt. Every modern OS has the ability to encrypt drives and folders. They use your password as a seed or key for the encryption algorithm. By doing this, a snooper can't slave your drive to another computer and steal your data. It isn't fool proof, but they will have to work for it. Most thieves don't have the technical capacity to break the encryption and will be easily discouraged. Before encrypting everything, you will want to write down your password and store it in a safe location. If your computer belongs to your employer, discuss your options with your network administrator. They can provide future support in the event of a disaster. Running Windows Vista or Windows 7? You can take advantage of the password reset disk. There are other tools available to deal with this situation, but these are the easiest by far. Without this password, your data will be inaccessible.

Disable the administrator account. This will thwart the old three finger salute approach to gaining access, especially on XP and earlier Windows versions.

Create strong passwords. Use characters in your password, but avoid special alt characters. Make your password it 10-20 characters long. The longer your password, the more time it will take to crack. Passwords like "1234", "password", and "samthecat" won't cut it.

Invest in a laptop lock or alarm. If you turn your back for another cup of joe, thieves can't easily swipe it.

Keep your sensitive information on an encrypted USB drive. When you shutdown your computer, put it in your pocket or keep it on your keyring. These drives provide protection against common thieves and "finders", and are easily replaced.

Backup, backup, backup. Make weekly or bi-weekly backups of your unencrypted data and store it in a safe location.

The most important thing to remember is this: If a professional hacker wants your data, he will get it. There isn't any protection against them. Your security plan should safeguard your data against common intrusions, and those are the scenarios we should guard against.

Use OpenVAS to Enhance Security

OpenVAs is open source pen testing software. It scans machines for vulnerabilities and offers suggestions for fixing problems. there are over 12,000 plugins that are included and many more available as updates. Virtually every type of attack can simulated with a little know how, but the default settings can help home users tune their firewalls and seal up common vulnerabilities in a snap.

When I ran this program against my Windows 7 machine with Comodo installed, the firewall lit up with notifications. I was able to block ports that otherwise would be left wide open. It was able to detect VNC service, the lack of SMB, and even an ssh server that I wasn't aware of. It made other suggestions about packet filtering to help shore up my network's security. When run against my Linux box, it was able to determine my kernel version, another ssh server I was unaware of, and determine there were no SMB clients running on my computer.

After doing some research and really getting to know OpenVAS this software will become a goto in my security arsenal. It's relatively easy to setup and use, but it's only for Linux users. Windows users may take advantage of the Backtrack live cd with includes many more pentesting programs. If you are serious about network security, this one's for you ;).

One Simple Rule For Sudden System Shutdowns

In my many years of uh, *ahem* "computing" I have learned one thing: 90% of sudden system shutdowns are caused by overheated processors (including video processors). There are other causes, of course. PSU failure, malware infection, corrupted OSes, even corrupt or failing hard drives. But by and large an over heating CPU is the culprit. What many people or websites won't tell you is that every 1 or 2 years the fan and heatsink should be removed form your machine for a thorough cleaning and a fresh layer of thermal paste. Heatsinks get dirty and thermal paste dries up. If the condition isn't caught quickly, your processor will become Post Toasties. A little heat won't cause your cpu to die completely, but it will damage it to the point of unreliably processing data. This leads to corrupted operating systems, data errors, blue screens, network failure, partial screen display, among others. These problems can appear in virtually any part of your system and are difficult to pin down, if you don't know where to look. If left alone, it will render your whole system useless. To find out the operating temperatures of your cpu, look up your processor's white papers on the manufacturer's website.

Here are some things you can do to keep an eye on your processor's temperature to safe guard against this problem:

• Install a heat sensor unit. If you know your way around a system, they are not too difficult to install. You can check the temps of your cpu, mobo, hard drive, video processor, or whatever you choose to monitor.
• Install software that monitors system SMART data. For Windows users there's Speedfan. A free monitoring tool for your computer. Linux users can configure Conky to montior a myriad of system information.
• Regular dusting. Every 3 - 6 months you should power down, crack open the case and clean out the inside with compressed air. For heavy dust accumulations on the case, a damp (not dripping) rag will do the trick. Avoid getting any exposed components wet. If this happens, let the component dry completely before powering up. Refrain from using anything containing alcohol, or household chemicals in general.
• Annual disassembly. This includes removing the mobo and cleaning behind it, cleaning off and re-applying thermal grease, cleaning system fans, heat sinks, PSU, video processor(s) and around drives.

If you follow these recommendations, you will greatly reduce the likelihood an overheated processor will ruin your computing experience.

Ideas For Old Computers

When you look at that old single core machine you probably see a pile of junk. You might even think that the components are so old they couldn't be used for anything. Well I'm here to tell you they are good for something. I will concede they are not up to playing the latest games and running modern programs (at least in the windows world) but they are still useful machines. Some of my ideas may call for an upgrade or two, but most of these ideas can make use out of your hardware as is.

Build A Firewall/Router

A firewall can be built using little more than a Pentium II system, two NICs, and 256 MB RAM. Download and install a Linux distro that is designed to act as a firewall/router, and you are ready to go. The low hardware requirements and easy setup make this an easy project for anyone with a little tech know-how and tight budget. A couple of distros worth mentioning are Devil Linux and IP Cop.

Setup An Internet Surfer

These can be built with a Pentium III system with 512 MB RAM and a NIC. Add Xubuntu, Lubuntu and you are set. For systems that have at least a 1GHz processor and 1GB of RAM, you could install Ubuntu or PC Linux. I like to clear off the desktop and add a shortcut to Firefox and rename it "Internet". It's an easy solution for visitors, and it reduces the possibility of compromising your machine.

Build A File Server

A simple server to store and serve up files is cheap and easy to build. A Pentium III with 512 MB RAM should do nicely. I'm not talking about RAID arrays. Just a simple file server for storing files and backups. Gentoo or Slackware are good choices for this. For the average home user, this will do nicely. Grab an account with a dynamic DNS provider like No-IP.com and access your files from everywhere.

Setup A PBX

If you still use telephones, you could build a PBX system. The faster the system the better, but you could build a PBX capable of handling 1-2 lines with a Pentium III equipped with 512 MB RAM. This project isn't simple or easy. For starters you can't use just any hardware for connectivity. Setting one up requires doing research and LOTS of configuration time. If you are looking for a challenging project, this is for you. Visit Asterisk to get started.

Media Center

You will need a Pentium IV system, 2 GB of RAM, TV tuner, and all of the disk space you can stuff into it. Luckily there are a few great options for software. If you are running Winders, Media portal is a great open source option, if you do not own Windows Media Center Edition, or XBMC. For Linux there is MythTV, XBMC, LinuxMCE, and GeeXboX. All of them have enough skins, features, and plugins to make a really nice media center.

Setup A MAME Box

Go to MameDev.org and load it on your old Windows box. Then head out to Cool Rom or ROM World to grab a few ROMs. Mame is a ROM emulator that runs old video game ROMs that are no longer being marketed. If your box will run Windows, it will most certainly run MAME. This is a great way to put old joysticks to use as well.

Setup an Active Directory Domain

Depending on the version of Windows Server you have, a Pentium III with 512 MB RAM should suffice. Load up Windows Server, configure Active Directory, and add it to your network. It's a great way of adding security and control to your network.

Build A RADIUS Server

Add authentication to your network with a RADIUS server. FreeRADIUS.org offers a free Linux based RADIUS server to install on your machine. A Pentium II with 256 MB RAM should be sufficient to run a small home RADIUS server.

Honeypot

Configure any old machine, put it in your DMZ, and hack it. Invite your friends to hack it. This is a great way to learn computer security. It's fun, too.

Serve Your Website

For small personal sites, this is the way to go. Pentium III with 512 MB RAM. Grab an account at No-Ip.com and serve your visitors from home.

Surveillance

Hook up a few cams, grab EyeSpyFX.com software, and make it accessible from everywhere. I would recommend a Pentium III, at least 768 MB RAM, and 100 GB disk for recording, less disk space if not. This makes good use of those old webcams.

Jukebox

Install Winamp and load it down with your favorite songs. Add some quality powered speakers, or connect to your stereo for hours of non-stop music.

Link Outside Directories In Apache

I recently setup an interactive file server to store various content and make the files accessible to everyone on my network. I used Apache and MySQL to build the site so it would function like a website. After getting everything setup, I realized that a lot of the content I wanted to make available was on different drives and locations on this server. I'm a big believer in separating data from the OS, so I have videos on one drive, music on another, and all sorts of documents on another. By doing this I don't have to worry about losing my data if or when my OS gets corrupted and needs re-installation. So I start begin the process of setting up links and realize all of these files are are on different drives. Not only are they on different drives, they are outside of my web server. Luckily I knew enough about Apache to know that the httpd.conf file could help me out. The solution was to add a directory alias in the conf file like this:

Alias /tunage "G:/music/"<br> <Directory "G:/music/"><br> Options Indexes Includes<br> AllowOverride All<br> Order allow,deny<br> Allow from all<br> </Directory>

After saving the httpd.conf file, I rebooted my machine. I typed "http://myfileserver/tunage" in my browser and the directory was visible. I repeated this for each directory and I was able to access all of my files without issue.

Use Login Approvals To Secure Your Facebook Account

After recently finding suspicious Active Sessions on my Facebook page, I decided to secure my page with the "Login Approvals" feature. I never dreamed anyone would want to gain access to my FB account, there isn't any sensitive information stored that will greatly impact my life or provide any financial reward for anyone. Nevertheless, I'm a stickler for security. Especially after my security has been breached. Best practices dictate proactivity, but even I find it difficult to be proactive when the threat to my security is infinitesimal. I regularly change my passwords and use strong passwords at every turn. Even if someone happens to gain access to my email account, all they will find is a couple of emails from mom and WHOLLOTTA spam. Want to find out where I live? Great, c'mon over. It's no big secret. My name address is on multiple websites, mailing lists, and millions of telemarketers have my phone number. Even the clerk at the local gas station knows my name and where to find me. Big deal. For me, the fact that someone has accessed a lot of useless information about me doesn't bother me. The fact that there are suspicious sessions on my FB account does.

Login Approvals is quick and easy to setup. After a couple of "are you sure" screens, you will be sent a text with a code to enter into confirmation box. After verifying the device, it is added to the recognized device list. After that, every time you use an unrecognized device to access your account, you will be sent a text containing a code to enter instead of your password. The downside is you have to wait for the code. It arrives pretty quickly, though. The upside is if anyone else tries to access your account you will be notified.

And that's what I'm looking for. Control over my account. I now feel like the balance power has shifted back to my court. I would recommend using this feature to every FB user. Even if you use a hundred (or a million) different devices to get your FB fix, it would be well worth the time it takes to register every one.

Use Android Cam For IP Cam

If you have ever needed an extra camera, or even a quick way to monitor something, the IP WebCam app is just what the doctor ordered. Unlike most other software to turn your cellphone's cam into a web cam, this software can be used with Windows or Linux. All you need is a connection to your phone (USB or Wifi), VideoLAN to grab the stream, or Java installed on your system. IP Cam offers password protection, but will not work with passwords containing consecutive letters or numbers. It also includes the ability to use the front cam, and offers resolutions ranging from 640 x 480 to 800 x 600. It delivers pretty good video, and can even be monitored from other Android devices and across the web.

Setup is really simple. Here it is step by step:

• Install VideoLAN (it can be found here)
• Install IP WebCam on your android device
• Open the app and set up the options
• Start the server
• The app will display an IP address after the server is started. Type it into the browser on your computer (for example: http://192.168.110:8080)
• When you first connect, a webpage will appear with a list of options (shown below). Choose "Open stream in media player" and open the playlist.m3u file with VideoLAN. For Ubuntu the path will be /usr/bin/vlan. Windows will be similar to C:\Program Files\VideoLAN\VLC\vlc.exe. If you can't find it, just search the file system for vlc. Or select the "Use java browser plugin". If you have Java installed, the video will appear in the webpage.

I can tell you that Linux's Movie Player will not open the stream. After that failure, I decided to install VLC for the stream for it's ability to capture and save the stream. Also, you can't simply capture the output by entering the playlist url into VLC's Media >> Open Network Stream option due to the fact that the playlist appends a number to the playlist name (ie: playlist1.m3u, platlist2.m3u). If there is no need to record the stream, the Java viewer will work nicely. It has good quality video, but it seems a little slower than VLC.

I haven't played around with the USB option (or any of the other options) to check out performance. I wanted a functional, and portable, web cam. This software also features disabling visual notification of the video server running, changing the default port, and the ability to stream only sound. To capture the sound stream, type the given url into VLC's Media >> Open Network Stream option. After prompting for a password (if any) it will open the sound stream and play it.

IP Webcam really impressed me. It's easy to setup and use. There are other softwares that offer this service, but this is done in a cross platform way. This software could transform almost any Android device into a virtual spy device ;).

How Well Do You Know The Internet?

I am old enough to remember the days when the internet new technology. A 33kbs modem provided speed o' plenty for surfing the new fangled World Wide Web. The internet was touted as an annymous place where people could surf and access information. Stores had yet to launch websites, local governments weren't online, Google wasn't king, and porn sites were few. But after years of using the internet, I have found out some things most people don't know, and I'm going to share ;).

DARPA Invented The Interwebs

That's right. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency developed it. The interwebs roots stemmed from a project to build a computer network that could not be taken down by catastrophic events.

Internet Privacy

The internet has never been based on privacy. Quite the opposite. Computers require unique addresses in order to communicate with each other. This makes perfect sense when you consider who developed it (Wouldn't it be nice to know which node suddenly went offine?). ISPs keep records of which customer uses a particular address, even static addresses.

Port Scanning?

Even though port scanning is illegal in this country (and many others), your modem is scanned hundreds of times per day. Who's scanning you? Everyone from hackers to your ISP.

Back Doors

The internet is full of software (useful and otherwise) that allow back door access to your computer. The US government requires them to be built into all software used for communications (like email and chat clients).

Online Information

Whatever you put online, stays online. Why? Backups. Most people know the risks of storing online data, but what you may not know is your information is most likely stored in several different locations (virtual or otherwise) each with their own risk of attack.

Free Speech

No such thing. Every website owner is responsible for the content on their websites and can modify or delete content to suit their needs.

Social Networks

These sites are nothing more than data farms. Wanna know something about someone? Make a friend request or follow them ;).

Spammers

Reporting a spammer to his ISP will result in an ocean of spam.

Public Internet Access

Logging into your accounts on a public access point is dangerous stuff. Freely available software (like Firesheep) can hijack http sessions with a click of the mouse, giving the attacker full access to your account.

Disinformation

There are websites built specifically for this purpose on every subject imaginable. Some of it is used to propel sales, put competitors at a disadvantage, push bad software, or to skew facts.

Insecurity Of Information

I don't want this post to be misconstrued as a dump on system administrators. They have a difficult job with many different facets that limit control over their networks. They are charged with keeping information flowing, not slowing it down. The job can be a stressful one. One hiccup with internet service is met with a flood of angry calls and emails. They have to deal with support issues, employee issues, vendor issues, security issues, budget issues, the list goes on. It really is a difficult and thankless job in many ways, But........

IMHO, security boils down to one simple thing: standard (or "best") practices. The industry is based on them, therefore bound to them. Most system admins were taught from the same curriculum, inherit practices from their predecessors, and tend to utilize only what they understand. Very few want or need to be more. Hackers are not bound to any protocol, learn as they go, and aren't burdened with long term data integrity, shareholders, or profits. They are fluid creatures limited only by their imagination and sheer technical ability. In short, there isn't a contest.

For example: If I but three red cars, you could assume with reasonable certainty that my fourth car would be red, too. A lot of protocols that corporations follow are similar in estimation. It's very predictable. Some system admins are happy to place Youtube at a higher priority level than reading logs or checking equipment. A breach can happen anytime, and a network device sending an email isn't going to cut it. It's difficult to stay vigilant when that critical moment will seemingly never arrive. I'm sure there a few admins that take pride in their security knowledge and implement it well, but many don't have a good grasp of attack vectors (both virtual and physical) or how to secure them.

In fact, employee information is the easiest to obtain. It's not very well guarded and is made available for the asking. Try calling a company and asking to speak with a salesman. Mr. John Smith will happily assist you. Visit us on the web at http://mycompany.com, here's my email jsmith@mycompany.com if I can assist you further. That's more than enough to begin planning the stage of attack, and no elaborate trickery was involved. It was all given for the asking (or completely volunteered), and even more can be obtained with a little imagination.

Contrary to popular belief, customer information isn't very high on the security food chain. It's usually stored in a database server accessed by a surprising number of people often from different segments. Salesmen, managers, data entry clerks, IT personnel, customer support, as well as outside contractors have direct, or indirect, access to that information. I often asked myself why they bother using passwords or securing the server room, other than to protect hardware configuration. In comparison, only a select few have access to proprietary or sensitive information pertaining to the company or R and D.

Corporate networks are compromised because they are a wealth of profitable information with plenty of soft targets. These networks are constantly hacked, but reported very little. Every American that has used a debit or credit card can rest assured that their financial information has been in the wrong hands quite possibly more times than you want to know. Can more be done to stop it? Not without rethinking everything we know about networking and doing business.

Controlling Online Information

Most people never give a second thought about their information. They disclose, store, and use it as they need it. This practice can literally lead to ruin. In today's connected world, email addresses are used as user names, recycled passwords, addresses and phone numbers are stored everywhere, and financial information abound. There are some steps you can take to better protect your information and even use disinformation to combat faceless threats.

• Use multiple email addresses - Never use the email you receive from your ISP for things such as your social networking, downloading software, or signing up for news letters. Use a free account. Sign up for several accounts and use one for everything, one for friends, one for networking, etc.
• Don't willingly divulge information about yourself - Only people who truly know you should know your true address, email, phone number, friends, and any other information that could be sensitive in the wrong hands. Never string together this type of information in one place.

• Don't store your financial information on any website - Even though it may be inconvenient, remove this information from your profile after every purchase, especially if you rarely use the account.
• Use an encrypted removable drive to store sensitive information - Chances are you don't use that information everyday. Why store it on your computer? Unplug it when you don't need it. This will lessen the likelihood of your information getting pilfered by malware, or even the technician that works on it. On the plus side, if your system crashes, you have a secure backup of your information.
• Use multiple social networking accounts - One for family and close friends that have a legitimate reason to contact you, and one for everyone else. After all, if you meet online, do they really need to know how to contact you?

These are a few simple ways to begin to take control of your information. Feel free to improvise and create new ways of storing your information. A big fat lie never helped the enemy. Rome wasn't built in a day, and any plan to steal your identity isn't either. Identity theft is constructed by research. A string of good information stored in one place makes any attacker's job that much easier.

Why Not Ubuntu 11?

**This article was published previous to this date**

Over the weekend I decided to replace my install of Ultimate Edition 2.9 for something leaner. After considering different distros, I settled on Ubuntu 11. Mint was shot down because I have no prior experience with it. Fedora was a strong front runner, but I wanted something that leaned more toward desktop usability. Debian and Slackware were too trimmed back for my purposes. Since I have been essentially using Ubuntu 10.10, Ubuntu 11 it would be. What a mistake it would turn out to be.

Let me begin by saying I should have dome my homework on this release, but failed to do so. I ASSUMED that 11 would still use the Gnome 2 interface, offer Synaptic as package manager, have Open Office installed by default, and evolution would continue to be my Email program. I ASSUMED that I would be able to easily find my around and tweak my system as easily as in the past. So much for assumptions. After "getting to know" the left side navigation buttons and fumbling around the Unity (or Gnome 3) interface without joy, I loaded a copy of Ubuntu 10.10 64 bit I had stashed in my disk case. After stripping out some programs and installing others, my system is lean and fast again.

Some people like the new interface, and other distros have used it with some success. It doesn't suit my needs. I don't have the time to re-learn the OS on my main computer, especially for something as superficial as eye candy. I feel like Ubuntu developers could have implemented it differently. Jumping from Gnome 2 to Gnome 3 is a HUGE change. The type of change to learn on a secondary computer before installing on a workhorse. It's inevitable Linux users will have to pick up Gnome 3. When I get ready to make that change, it won't be with Ubuntu.

Screen Grabbing With Java's Robot Class

A few years back I started writing my own remote control software in Java. I had just begun learning the language when I undertook this lofty project. The Robot class is what gave me the idea in the first place. I thought it would be sooooooo cool to be able to grab a screenshot and send it across the network. This led to mouse controls, keyboard commands, etc. It was quite kewl. Anyway, I'm sure there are more elegant ways to accomplish this goal, but it all began with grabbing a screenshot. That's the subject of today's post.

To accomplish this, the screensize needs to be determined, the Robot class needs to be instantiated and a JLabel made available to display the image.

Dimension screensize = new Dimension(Toolkit.getDefaultToolkit().getScreenSize()); JLabel my_screenshot = new JLabel();
Robot system;
try{
system = new Robot();
}
catch(AWTException a){
a.printStackTrace();}


The screen is grabbed with the Robot classs, but it is returned as a BufferedImage. Then place the image in the JLabel by creating a new ImageIcon and set it using using the JLabel's setIcon() method:

BufferedImage scr_shot = sys.createScreenCapture(new Rectangle(screensize));
my_screenshot.setIcon(new ImageIcon(scr_shot));


That's how to grab a basic screenshot using Java's Robot class.

To (Almost) Catch A Hacker (By Accident)

About eight or so years ago I was providing support at a small upstart company here in the DFW metroplex. The business was growing pretty rapidly and had a pretty sophistacated network that was segmented by department, several servers of mixed flavors, used AD for user management, enterprise level "traffic control" with Cisco equipment, and all wired. It was a sweet setup. They had wisely spent some money on doing their network right and had plenty of room to grow. This was before Sarbanes-Oxley, when smaller companies first started thinking about security, but it was only half-assed implemented if at all. When they decided the time had come to add a shipping department, someone had cobbled together a small wireless network using SOHO equipment, and that's where the problems began.

One day my co-worker and I decided to check some things out in shipping. They had been complaining about dropped connections and printer issues, nothing out of the ordinary. The router usually needed a quick reboot, and printer problems usually revolved around ink, user, or driver issues. No big deal. Everything was running smoothly, no issues from other departments, so we decided to go in tandem and resolve them.

Normally someone would perform a quick reboot of the router to get the connection back. Sometimes the employees would do this as well, but lately they have been pushing for a better router. My co-worker decided to log in the router and check it out while I dealt with a low ink cartridge. While "in" the router, my co-worker calls me over to have a look. There were two wireless on this particular segment connected at all times. Always. Now there were three. Houston, we have a problem.

After verifying that the employees were not using an unauthorized machine, we went outside. In an adjacent parking lot, which was always empty, sat a lone car with someone in it. As we approached the car, it drove off and disappeared quickly. We checked the router again, and the connection count was back to two. The network had been compromised.

Luckily, the new segment didn't have system-wide access. After viewing router and server logs, we were able to determine that nothing of any value had been compromised. We caught him in the act. But back then there was really nothing we could do except secure that router and upgrade it. Today it would be a different story. It taught us some important lessons that sticks with me today:

• No target is too small.
• Always thoroghly secure a wireless device.
• Don't become passive with seemingly unimportant or temporary setups
• Log into ALL network equipment and read logs regularly.
• Don't use cheap equipment for enterprise purposes.

Powerful Image Editing With Gimp

The Gimp isn't just for Linux users, and it isn't a cheap knock-off. It boasts Photoshop support, can create and edit virtually any image file that isn't vector based, and it's totally free. The image quality is outstanding and offers control over rendering options for compressed formats like gif, png, and jpg. It also supports editing Photoshop files.

The layout is pretty standard. There's a frame containing the image, another for layers, and yet another called toolbox. The toolbox contains a square selection tool, round selection, path, zoom, paintbrush, gradient fill, etc. Like most Linux based software, it performs things a little differently than it's Windows counterparts. To make shapes, you select an area and fill it, or you can use text-to-path to do other interesting things with text. The paintbrush has many different shapes to choose from and allows control over mode, opacity, scale, fades, by color select, etc. It also features "Intelligent Scissors" that make cropping a snap. There are options for cut, copy, and paste, paste as layer, new image, brush, or pattern. There are hundreds of plugins available online, or can build your own.

There are both Windows and Linux versions of the Gimp, and I use it on both platforms without any problems. Paintshop Pro is now a distant memory, and there are no regrets. This program can do everything Paintshop did, and then a lot more. The Photoshop support alone is worth the download, especially if you need to edit the psd files contained in downloadable website templates. This is one of the best image editors I have ever used.

Encoding Video Files With FFmpeg

If you have ever done any video editing or sharing, you know how difficult it is to find an affordable conversion option for your files. Most video software is either expensive or limits the file types they can handle. FFmpeg is an open source, cross-platform option that converts files between many popular formats. While ffmpeg is a command line program, it is easy to use. For those of you who may prefer a GUI, WinFF is available.

FFmpeg is able to handle virtually every popular (and not so popular) video formats like: mpeg, avi, flv, mp4, wma, RealVideo, Theora, Vorbis, AC-3, Speex, ATRAC, On2, etc. It is also utilized by software manufacturers to handle conversions, although some implementations don't take full advantage of it's power or flexibility. This is as close to a "universal" transcoder as you can get. The package also includes ffserver (for live broadcasts), ffplay(simple player), and ffprobe (a multimedia stream analyzer).

WinFF provides a simple GUI for ffmpeg for those of us who prefer to work visually. Although video conversion can be as simple as typing in "ffmpeg -i input.mpg output.avi", WinFF provides a fast and simple interface to access input files and applying different options (like video size and frame rate). This can be particularly useful for Windows users who may not have a "Terminal Here" script in their context menu ;).

I have found ffmpeg to be extremely useful, and the price is right (free). The developers of this application deserve a big thank you. It takes a huge amount of time and effort to provide this much functionality in one package, and I am truly grateful to them for their efforts. If you are planning to edit video, this is one tool that can't be overlooked.

Port Blocking

It seems like everyone has a router these days, but not everyone understands how to take advantage of their features. I'm going to show you some common protocols to block and how do it my Linksys router. This feature can not only be used to block unwanted traffic, but can also be used to protect your children from adult content. Home routers do not offer the same protections as their enterprise counterparts, but a little traffic filtering can go a long way. Here are some basics:

The picture below shows the Access Restrictions and protocols blocked on my first rule. On this router, only 3 protocols can be blocked per rule. As you can see, the policy is enabled and I have it applied to every PC on my network (not shown). I'm not blocking access to any PCs nor do I have any website filters setup. To filter websites, simply fill in some keywords or actual web addresses in the appropriate areas and save your changes. This feature can be used in conjunction with, or if you are on a tight budget, instead of nanny softwares. It offers some protection for your kids, or any annoying websites you wish to block. Again, you can setup multiple rules to block additional sites.

As you can see, I have blocked Telnet (shell access), SNMP (simple network management protocol), and TFTP (trivial file transfer protocol) on this rule. Some additional protocols to block are SMB (Windows file sharing), VNC (remote control software), and RPC (windows remote control protocol). For more effective filtering, research the protocols in use on your network, and block the ones that are not in use. A complete list of ports and their assigned protocols can be found at www.iana.org/assignments/port-numbers

Port blocking and web filtering aren't difficult to achieve with home routers and offer another layer of protection against the outside network. Filtering is not only good for children, but it can be used to protect the integrity of your network by blocking out spammy or other suspicious sites.