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Showing content with the highest reputation on 13/05/21 in Posts

  1. Probably more underfunded and understaffed in the name of profits.
    15 points
  2. All cryptocurrency is a waste of energy and damages the environment.
    14 points
  3. Running on outdated software is nothing new it seems. Which is why many businesses are just moving to the cloud, let someone else handle this stuff because they clearly don't care enough to. And people wonder why MS has decided to force updates on Windows Home/Pro. As if massive botnets using peoples home PCs wasn't bad enough. At some point you get tired of others not holding up their part of the job and you getting all the blame.
    13 points
  4. Microsoft is shutting down Azure Blockchain Service in September

    The answer to any problem is almost always never Blockchain.
    7 points
  5. Microsoft doesn't provide automation for patching Exchange with cumulative updates, and only provides security patches for the latest couple CUs via Windows Update. It means that it needs at minimum, some administrative attention around twice per year is needed to keep patched, even when otherwise set to auto updates. That bare minimum level of maintenance would be comparable in annual cost to typical auto maintenance for a single modern vehicle. Maybe 10 hours' labour assuming something goes wrong during patching at least once or the consultant wants to milk the billable hours a little and watch progress bars, much less if it's buttery smooth and is combined with other concurrent maintenance tasks. It's pretty irresponsible to run a public-facing mail server and try to get away with less. And yes, it's not that abnormal to do so. Not everybody has someone to explain the repercussions of bad security, warnings go unheeded, etc. The bar for "good enough" security is constantly on the rise too - what was once adequate is now poor. Mentalities have an impact as well. Some industries that are heavy on procedure and have significant change aversion are often left at odds with the fact that there is no way to reprimand an attacker, and those attackers do not colour within the lines of the defined access controls whenever possible. Picks and bolt cutters to the metaphorical LOTO locks. A system that "has worked great for years" and "is stable, reliable, and well documented" may be "ripe for the taking" in the hands of an experienced operator. TL;DR. It's not normal, but not as rare as it should be either. Old Exchange patches barely scratch the surface of the problem; that's just a symptom of a system left to rot. Effectively keeping up with security does end up rather costly with the necessary combination of tools, labour, and services, but it's not as costly as failing to do so.
    7 points
  6. Colonial Pipeline was using vulnerable, outdated version of Microsoft Exchange

    "Colonial Pipeline was using vulnerable, outdated version of Microsoft Exchange" Probably was also running on Windows XP Service Pack 1.
    4 points
  7. The pipeline controls should be their own private networks within the company with their own dedicated computers with no way for the company wide LAN or internet available to them. The sad thing is that this probably isn't the only company/industry that isn't walled off.
    3 points
  8. Tesla stops taking Bitcoin for vehicle purchases after just 49 days

    Get what you deserve? I've made more money in the last 3 months from Doge and Safemoon than i did in over 20 years of working. I know a lot of people are scared of it but its pretty fun when you get the hang of it. Gambling is still gambling - whichever way you look at it. If you think otherwise, you are deluding yourself.
    3 points
  9. Kind of ironic considering their cars are electric powered. Almost as ironic as those who think electric cars are zero emissions.
    3 points
  10. Tesla stops taking Bitcoin for vehicle purchases after just 49 days

    Clear example of market manipulation. Tesla buys Bitcoin at beginning of year, announces they will accept it, then when prices rise, sell (to help quarterly profits), then announce they will no longer support it. The regulators should get involved... oh wait; crypto currency isn't regulated! You get what you deserve if you dive into the crypto minefield.
    3 points
  11. They're not all as bad as Bitcoin! I think that cryptocurrencies should be taxed according to the environmental damage they cause. BTC would come out particularly badly in my mind.
    3 points
  12. I didn’t get any basil with my MBP. I feel cheated. I hear the battery lasts a long thyme!
    3 points
  13. Colonial Pipeline was using vulnerable, outdated version of Microsoft Exchange

    depends on whether you want to have high profits for shareholders in the short term.
    3 points
  14. Probably more underfunded and understaffed in the name of profits. That is 100% it, they'd rather line their pockets than foot the bill to pay people to fix it.
    3 points
  15. Cool. Then I'll just need to find a PS5 and I'll be set!
    2 points
  16. Source? He did say... //The Department of Energy is working directly with Colonial to get the pipelines back online and operating at full capacity as quickly and safely as possible. The FBI also is engaged to assess the — and address this attack. The agencies across the government have attacked quifly — quickly to mitigate any impact on our fuel supply. And over the weekend, at my direction, the Department of Transportation issued an emergency order to loosen restrictions on truck drivers in order to allow more fuel to be transported via tanker. We’re prepared to take additional steps, depending on how quickly the company is able to bring its pipeline back to full operational capacity. The Federal Bureau of Investigation has determined Colonial’s network was infected by ransomware, and it’s a criminal act, obviously. The FBI released details of the attack so others can take steps to prevent being infected. My administration takes issue — this — takes this very seriously. We have efforts underway with the FBI and DOJ — Department of Justice — to disrupt and — and prosecute ransomware criminals. And my administration will be pursuing a global effort of ransomware attacks by transnational criminals who often use global money-laundering networks to carry them out. My administration is also committed to safeguarding our critical infrastructure, which — much of which is privately owned and managed, like Colonial. Private entities are making their own determination on cybersecurity. So to jumpstart greater private-sector investment in cybersecurity, we launched a new public-private initiative in April. It begins with a 100-day sprint to improve cybersecurity in the electric sector, and we’ll follow that with similar initiatives in natural gas pipelines, water, and other sectors. // I don't see anywhere that the government should not interfere??? https://www.whitehouse.gov/bri...ident-biden-on-the-economy/ The EO fact sheet doesn't state anything contrary to his remarks either... the Colonial Pipeline incident is a reminder that federal action alone is not enough. Much of our domestic critical infrastructure is owned and operated by the private sector, and those private sector companies make their own determination regarding cybersecurity investments. We encourage private sector companies to follow the Federal government’s lead and take ambitious measures to augment and align cybersecurity investments with the goal of minimizing future incidents.
    2 points
  17. Write protected USB drive

    I've had usb flash drives give me write protected issues in the past when they should not have. Turns out the drive went bad.
    2 points
  18. I can't even imagine recovering from a ransomware attack when it goes through and encrypts 1000's of computers in a company.
    2 points
  19. A fake MSI Afterburner download page is spreading malware

    There's your problem.
    2 points
  20. Huawei P50 renders leak showing a unique camera bump

    Until Google services are restored, Hauwei is a non starter for most
    2 points
  21. Microsoft is shutting down Azure Blockchain Service in September

    A buzzword guaranteed to make technically illiterate management wet themselves.
    2 points
  22. Tesla stops taking Bitcoin for vehicle purchases after just 49 days

    yes, start excepting dogecoin
    2 points
  23. I never understand this. Anything relating to critical infrastructure should be separate to the general network and not connected to the internet other than when needed for critical patching etc. As something that would be a high profile target, it doesn't matter how great your security is, as people are more likely to try and find ways around to infuriate you. If it needs access to the internet, then at the least it should be heavily locked down to the specific places and protocols required for its function. I cant imagine a scenario where the core infrastructure making the plant work would need to be connected to the same infrastructure as the exchange!?
    2 points
  24. A lot of companies have zero interest in security until something happens. When a manager has to report to their manager on why this happened then they care. But until that happens security takes a back burner to productivity.
    2 points
  25. They forgot to reject iTunes and Siri
    2 points
  26. Instagram is rolling out pronouns on user profiles

    Yeah, I consider myself fairly open minded but that is just ridiculous. The only one I can guess is vi which I assume is for people who gender identify as an UNIX text editor. LOL
    2 points
  27. I didn’t get any basil with my MBP. I feel cheated.
    2 points
  28. That is why I believe any crypto coins are mostly filled of air (just like Wall Street). Prices go up and down because of someone buying/ selling, not the actual product but the 'apparent value'. It's all a game really (been going on for decades). You might win or you might lose.
    1 point
  29. Write protected USB drive

    Is this one you purchased or one that came from other source. There are USB keys used as security for software and protection of diagnostic work that are hardware writ protected.
    1 point
  30. you think the hackers will work for the same salary the current "programmers" are getting paid? lol
    1 point
  31. Tesla stops taking Bitcoin for vehicle purchases after just 49 days

    sure does!
    1 point
  32. The only thing that stops this is paying your IT department well and keeping your employees happy. Which is something I've never heard of in most companies lol
    1 point
  33. Musk: Buys tons of BitCoin -- Says how great bitcoin is -- Says can buy a Testla with it ---- BTC Price goes up Musk: Sells BitCoin -- PROFIT!!! -- Eh BitCoin and Doge are a hustle -- Eh BitCoin is bad for the environment Sounds like a classic pump and dump? I'm sure I got the order wrong there somewhere but feels like one
    1 point
  34. Tesla stops taking Bitcoin for vehicle purchases after just 49 days

    TBH Trump was neither stable nor a genius. Exactly, I was suggesting that Musk isn't either lol
    1 point
  35. Tesla stops taking Bitcoin for vehicle purchases after just 49 days

    Get what you deserve? I've made more money in the last 3 months from Doge and Safemoon than i did in over 20 years of working. I know a lot of people are scared of it but its pretty fun when you get the hang of it.
    1 point
  36. A fake MSI Afterburner download page is spreading malware

    Well part of the actual problem is that the damn thing won't download in Chrome, Firefox or in Private Modes (I thought it was one of my extensions) I ended up having to download it at TechSpot, and that is why fake malware pages are so successful. https://www.msi.com/Landing/afterburner/graphics-cards If download works for you, then hooray, lord knows what blocks it on my end.
    1 point
  37. There is no question that they were using unpatched software. The question is exactly how were they compromised? Was it that outdated piece of software? So the title would be correct, but sure, blame it on the "mainstream media". LOL. Gotta have a scapegoat somewhere, right? No personal responsibility...
    1 point
  38. Write protected USB drive

    What is the specific key.. Make and model? If its write protected - no you wouldn't be able to format it.. The whole point of write protection Protecting from being written too, or overwritten, etc.
    1 point
  39. Microsoft is shutting down Azure Blockchain Service in September

    Haha, I remember that one of my university instructors used to joke that "Most solutions using blockchain create a problem themselves and then claim to solve it", which is not completely accurate imo but it does make sense to some extent because many problems that blockchain claims to solve can be solved by customizing your databases and/or IAM on cloud/on-premises environments accordingly.
    1 point
  40. Instagram is rolling out pronouns on user profiles

    Neither are bigotry or ignorance, so i'd advise following your own advice.
    1 point
  41. New Windows 10 concept shows us a new Start menu and flyouts

    *Looks at Gnome 40* *Looks at render* You may want to get your eyes checked. Stock Gnome 40 Nautilus: https://1drv.ms/u/s!AiOH5gkEn6ZfvsA9BuDQOU4t_nQhVw
    1 point
  42. Colonial Pipeline was using vulnerable, outdated version of Microsoft Exchange

    "Was using" / "may have been using". Very mainstream media style reporting in play
    1 point
  43. It's scary to imagine how many functions of critical infrastructure could simultaneously be taken offline in a wartime situation, causing widespread chaos, as I reckon this type of lapse security practice is probably widespread.
    1 point
  44. you mean the FBI didn't hack them and fix it? oh wait they are too busy doing that to everyone else but critical infrastructure...
    1 point
  45. Google wants you to imagine a future without passwords

    Ya, if the average user is responsible for "Backing up their database file" .. it ain't gonna happen. Yeah, sadly I think your totally right as many just want to get online, type in a quick username/password, do whatever they got to do, and move on. not realizing that certain things online, if they got taken over, could wreak havoc on their lives. but it seems like many always have to learn the hard way. not just in terms of this password stuff but even when it comes to important data backup like family photos/pictures they would be upset if they lost but yet take not even a minimal level of measures to protect that data. MOST users are atrocious when it comes to data backup. We are even talking Quickbooks and Quicken ... "When was the last time you backed that up?" ... "Oh I don't know. maybe a couple of months ago. My favorite one was when I asked a guy if he had been backing up his QuickBooks on his Mac. He said "I think it's been backing up to this flash drive" ..... ..I said, "You think?" ....I said you should "KNOW!" Around that same time he rebooted his Mac and at that moment, the flash storage decided to go tits up and he had to send in his computer for data recovery. Before he rebooted and around the time we had that conversation his Mac was pretty un responsive. It's as if the flash memory was already starting to go. After he got is computer back and his data recovered he still sucks at backing up. Given what your saying... it seems almost like they don't even know what to do. like it's not a lazy thing in some peoples case, they honestly just don't know some very basic stuff about computers but basically... these people are doomed as if they don't have a pretty basic understanding of computers and the like by now (like with a basic file manager etc), they never will, especially given computers (and general modern tech) have been around a good 20 years now. but what what can you do, as I figure if people are still THAT bad, they always will be. so it's like your talking to a brick wall. that's got to get a little frustrating for you as you probably see that stuff routinely. but who knows, maybe you get a pretty good laugh out of it and on the bright side, it's people like that who will always need those random tech guys around, who look like a genius in comparison, even if they ain't doing anything special. but with all of that said... that's got to be difficult for you to stay professional with those kind of people especially if they are acting like the loss to them is the end-of-the-world but yet they still continue to do absolutely nothing about it (it's almost like they assume if something goes wrong that people like you and I etc can bail them out which won't always be the case). because ill admit I don't have much patience myself (basically little to nothing to be honest) with some people who struggle to figure out basic browsing the internet and the like level of stuff. because it's really frustrating to still be telling people about that stuff, and not just in that regard, but how to operate say a TV with switching to different inputs and they still struggle with it and that stuff has been around quite a bit longer than general computers and is nothing difficult to understand. but I guess some peoples minds just struggle with this kind of stuff. good luck I know more than one person who is helpless if their window gets dragged off the right side of the screen and they can't see the Minimize, Maximize or X. They don't know they can drag the window back to the left... No joke. You must have the patience of a saint dealing with that stuff as I would crack, especially if I had to spend any length of time explaining that to someone who's even vaguely used computers a fair amount over the years. I've been doing this for almost 20 years (going on about 17) ... I've been told I have the patients of jobe. Sometimes i do get frustrated to the point where I squeeze something so hard I hear a crack lol. Made an Easy $20 copying a video file from one USB flash drive to another USB flash drive. It was for a lawyer of all people. She didn't know how to copy a file from one USB to another USB. It was a video for a tial. Had to do that for her on two occassians. Are you kidding me with that lawyer that can't figure out how to copy a video file from a flash drive to another flash drive? ; because if not, I would probably lose a bit of confidence in that lawyer as you would think lawyers should be at least a little smarter than the common person. but if they can't even figure that out I might question their competence as a lawyer on some level, especially given it's not like computers have only been around a small amount of time and we are talking pretty basic stuff here that requires barely any computer knowledge to do. another one I was just reminded of while just on the phone with a customer is this. I get this one all-time time. Me: Go head and open up a web browser / Them: "How do I do that?" ... I then have to tell them to open chrome or edge.
    1 point
  46. hahahhahaah explorer is slow and buggy? what would microsoft do? [ ] - Fix explorer ? [✔] - Create a separate application that hack explorer to fix bugs That is what a billion dollar company is capable of? it's scary
    1 point
  47. Instagram is rolling out pronouns on user profiles

    Can "meat popsicle" be one of them?
    1 point
  48. Staying on 1909 until web browsers break and no workaround exists. Stuff like this makes me want to go to LTSC. "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." I still have a microwave oven from 1968 that still works a treat. They need to make it so it's only 1 new build every 2-3 years.
    1 point
  49. 99% of all consumer-level camera users are doing so via SD card. This allows for that.
    1 point
  50. Minecraft Dungeons' Hidden Depths DLC surfaces on May 26

    I really like it. I also play D3 (stopped around season 10) and Torchlight 2 (PC). It's quite easy, but it scales well. The controls are simple, and the inventory management is good. I play it on Xbox One S. It does get a bit repetitive after a while, but then so does D3 once you've played every class, done all the rifts, found the cows/unicorns/bear/treasure goblins.
    1 point