Free anti-virus from Microsoft.

As many of you know, I am a big fan of free.  Especially free utilities that make computing a little bit nicer.

Microsoft has just announced a new anti-virus application that will come in at first in a beta and possibly end up being free when it’s released.

I don’t know if this will get them as far anti-trust matters are involved, but I say let them give us stuff for free if they feel like it.

 

UPDATE 3-Microsoft will soon unveil free anti-virus software | Reuters

Introduction to Internet Safety and S...

How the internet works

1. The Internet is made up of a lot of nodes.
2. Individual users, Internet Service Providers, Backbones (Universities, Gov't, Telcos), Underwater Cable to Other Continents
3. Each computer to some degree is assigned an IP address (ex.: AOL.com -> 205.188.142.182, 64.12.50.151, 64.12.193.85, 207.200.94.38)
4. Some IP address are mapped to domain names (ex.: AOL.com -> 205.188.142.182, 64.12.50.151, 64.12.193.85, 207.200.94.38)
5. DNS Servers - Are the indexes in which IP address are matched up to Domains
6. A host of servers or computers may sit behind an IP range or Domain
7. Entities, usually companies, map their given IP address to a specific name

Common attacks

1. Virus - Embeded in .exe or document file, attachments to e-mail
2. Phishing - Social engineering designed to trick you into giving sensitive information (Bank, Credit Card, Health Info.)
3. DNS Poisoning - Non-authoritative DNS server (replacing the trusted lookup server with a compromised one)
4. Cross Site Scripting - Browser attack in which on site grabs parallel data from a concurrently browsed site (Don't browse while you're doing activities that require security
5. Buffer Overrun - The router is sent large amounts of bad data in order to overwhelm the router and put it in a defaulted state that can be taken can be taken over remotely

Securing your DNS

1. OpenDNS
   1. Filter out by type
   2. White/Black list
   3. Growing community screening new sites and classifing them
2. Make sure you use the settings recommended by your ISP (usually obtain from DHCP)

Securing your network

1. Wired
   1. Make sure your Router is properly secured with a strong password.
   2. Make sure you only allow people you know well on to your network
   3. Keep your important personal data behind some sort of strong password
   4. Make sure each machine on your network requires a password to access
   5. Keep your router firmware reasonable up-to-date
2. Wireless
   1. Wired security rules still apply
   2. Only allow people on to your network that you would trust with your life
   3. Enter the key for them
   4. Make sure you use secure with a passphrase using the latest common denominator of encryption
      1. WPA2 PSK TKIP
      2. WEP with at least 64 Bit Encryption
   5. Choose a passphrase that's hard to guess
   6. If possible, hide the broadcast of the SSID

Securing your computer

1. Use a secure account and password
2. Do not have open shares
3. Use the built-in firewall, or port security software, on your operating system below are links to articles about the different Operating System firewalls
   1. Windows
   2. Mac OS/X
   3. Ubuntu 
4. Virus/Malware Scanning Software
   1. AVG
   2. Trend Micro - PCillan
   3. Microsoft One Care
   4. ClamWin
   5. Google Pack
   6. ISP will often provide free security software as part of their service

1. Keep your machine updated regularly
   1. Windows Update
   2. Ubuntu Update Manager
   3. Mac Update releases
2. Use modern operating system
   1. Windows Vista/7/XP SP3
   2. Ubuntu 8 or newer
   3. Mac OS/X
3. Make a full backup of your machine from when you know it was in a good state

Good Habits

1. Keep the computer in a public space, not in bedrooms or far off corner of the house
2. Use the buddy system, make sure the computer use is during times when everyone is around, so no one is tempted to participate in inappropriate activities
3. Limit the amount of time you or your family spends on the computer for leisure activities (Click Here for instructions)
4. Install reputable well tested web site filtering software (K9, Microsoft Family Safety Software, OpenDNS)
6. Do not over estimate people's will power where illicit/pornographic material is involved
7. Go through the logs of sites visited generated by the web safety/filtering software regularly, either weekly or semi-weekly (available with OpenDNS, and Microsoft Family Safety Software)
8. Phones/SmartPhones/iPods are computers, treat them as such, monitor their access and usage
9. Things as They Really Are - Elder David A. Bednar, Quorum of the Twelve Apostles 
10. Use “Private Browsing” when doing things like banking or private health related activities, only do one activity per private session, after the activity is done, close the private browsing session and open another if you have another activity to do
1. Internet Explorer – only available in IE Version 8 (hot key: ctrl + shift + p)
2. FireFox – Private browsing isn’t supported in the current release but is slated to come out when version 3.1 is released
3. Chrome – is available in all versions and is called “Incognito Mode” (hot key: ctrl + shift + n)
4. Opera – no standard private browsing session feature

Know your computer

1. Recognize when it's behaving slowly or unresponsive
2. Be comfortable that you have enough security
3. Some security like Window User Account Control, will be somewhat annoying, but it does add a measure of safety; The worst security you have is the security you disable
4. Be willing to do the maintenance or have someone do the maintenance regular like updates, patches

What to do if you think you've got problems

1. Unplug the internet connection
2. Run virus scan
3. If you've recently installed something prior to the problems, uninstall it
4. Run Task Manager and see what seems to be running (advanced)
5. You may have to have someone take a look at it.

Update: I just added section 10 under “Good Habits” about private browsing and browser that support

Watch your head, uhhh...camera...

For those of you who haven't had a chance to use Google Maps Street View, I would have to say that you're missing out.

It's pretty nice to be able to really see the building or place that you might be headed to. I've used it a few times, and I like knowing what the destination building actually looks like.

Google has hired a fleet of cars/vans/trucks, with cameras on top, to build these street "views. The cameras are usually mounted on the top of the vehicle.

This is where the entertainment of this entry begins. Things are kind of funny when something gets knocked askew. Things are even funnier when they happen with photographic evidence. I only wish it were a video camera on top of the car this time.

Google Street View camera + low bridge = uh-oh Webware - CNET

Car Stereo Thieves Phone Home...

Okay, so one of my pet peeves is people stealing things from other people.

It's kind of the epitome of the parasitic nature of the "terrible" society we live in.

This article does bring a smile to my face, because sometimes the dumb people take themselves out of the game.

Technically Incorrect - CNET News: Kid's cell calls police while he allegedly boasts of burglaries

Fire-Breathing Robot Babies

This is one of those things that defies descriptions. In fact, it bets to be judged entirely on its own merits. I will say that this is one of the reasons I consider living in Japan:

Gigantic Fire-Breathing Robot Babies Have Taken Over Roppongi

Think before you Tweet...

A little while ago I did a few blog entries about Twitter, a micro-blogging/personal broadcast tool.

While I found it entertaining, I realized that my "Tweets" would be broadcast into the ether. I wasn't sure that everybody needed to know everything I was doing or doing.

Well, apparently some people just don't learn that water is wet until they jump right in.

Here's an interesting article on the deliterous effects of Tweeting before Thinking:
Twitter gets you fired in 140 characters or less - Technotica- msnbc.com

Academic Research Paper Aggregator

I don’t personally read a lot of academic papers.

Actually, I don’t read a whole lot of anything on paper, but apparently a company that builds an organizer/aggregator seems to be doing pretty well.

It just secured another round of funding from VC, and from the screen shots, looks to have put together a nice application.

So if any of you want to give it a try let me know how it goes.  I might even start reading again, if it’s a nice enough application:

http://www.mendeley.com

Je ne sais quoi...

This is a video I cam across from the robot blog on Makezine.

I don't know that I would call it disturbing, so much as beyond understanding.

I do believe that the Japanese bring interpretive art and robots together far to often for my tastes.

Here's the link to the exercising robot.