The Hack Attack - If you read last Thursday's edition of this blog, you may recall that I detailed a hack attack upon one of my clients. In the News - They walk among us! Enjoy - Relax and enjoy these images and videos!
You may well imagine how I fixed my gaze upon the television this morning when a local news program interviewed a man who was similarly attacked!
The news report showed the victim, sitting in his living room, recounting the experience.
The story—titled "Magalia man warns of scammer"—quoted the man, "He calls me again and says he is Microsoft and that I have all these viruses in my computer and that it is running real slow."
The stranger wanted $300 to fix the computer. The victim continued, "He told me what is your social security number I told him I did not want to do that. He says I'll crash your computer then and you can't use it."
This is a sad tale, certainly. I find the way the story was presented to be unduly sensational—in particular since removing viruses, malware, Trojans, and ransomware is something I do daily, and the only recommended action given in the report is "...call the Federal Trade Commission."
The article makes it sound as though this sort of hack leaves a computer virtually unrepairable. When the report states, "Now Cookseys computer sits useless on his living room floor. He says he can't afford to buy a new one," the viewer is left with the idea that the computer is unrepairable. The fact is, this is a relatively simple repair, and I generally charge a fee of only $60.00 to make it!
Wednesday, October 22, 2014
The Hack Attack, In the News, and Enjoy
Thursday, April 25, 2013
Fast-Talking Computer Hacker
Fast-Talking Computer Hacker Just Has To Break Through Encryption Shield Before Uploading Nano-Virus - LOS ANGELES — After dashing off an indiscernible code on his laptop keyboard and sharply striking the enter key multiple times with his forefinger, a fast-talking, visibly tense computer hacker said that he just has to break through the encryption shield before he could upload the nano-virus, sources confirmed Tuesday.
The arrogant if socially awkward hacker, a 30-year-old software-programmer-turned-cyberpunk known only as "Cipher," reportedly told his buttoned-up yet eager employers who were hovering over him and watching his every move that breaking into the supercomputer's mainframe would be "child’s play."
"The firewall's a bitch, but I should be able to get around it," Cipher said before swiftly wheeling his computer chair to an adjacent desk, clearing away the pile of empty pizza boxes and Maxim magazines and scanning the numbers and figures scrolling across two mounted flat-screen monitors. "Oh, what have we here? Looks like they updated their security system. Impressive. But not impressive enough."
"And...I’m in," he added as the words "ACCESS GRANTED" appeared on his laptop screen.
Monday, April 08, 2013
Gun Control, Parks and Recreation, Hack, The Bible, and Monday Madness
Gun Control - The gun buyback program is a great success in Chicago! "Parks and Recreation" and "Hack" - Laura and I enjoy watching commercial-free television series on Netflix and Amazon. All episodes of the programs we choose to watch are generally available, making it an enjoyable process to watch an entire series of episodes at whatever pace we choose. Because there are no commercials, half-hour programs become 21-23 minutes, and hour-long programs become 41-43 minutes. Generally, we have a comedy and a drama that we watch—alternating between the two depending upon our mood.
Currently, we are watching the comedy series, "Parks and Recreation." Parks and Recreation is an American comedy television series on the NBC television network, starring Amy Poehler as Leslie Knope, a perky, mid-level bureaucrat in the parks department of Pawnee, a fictional town in Indiana. It was conceived by Greg Daniels and Michael Schur and debuted on April 9, 2009. Currently in its fifth season, it uses a single-camera, mockumentary filming style, with the implication being that a documentary crew is filming everyone.
We are also watching the dramatic series, "Hack." When corruption charges strip him of his job, his family and his pride, former cop Mike Olshansky (David Morse) forges a new identity as a Philadelphia cab driver, patrolling the city as a roving vigilante who works with local police.
"The Bible" - We generally do not buy DVDs, since we have access to thousands of movies and television programs via instant streaming from Netflix and Amazon. An exception to this, however, was our purchase of "The Bible." "The Bible" is a television miniseries based on the Bible. It is produced by Roma Downey and Mark Burnett and was broadcast weekly between March 3 and March 31, 2013 on History Channel. Burnett considers the scripted 10-hour series to be the "most important" project he has undertaken. The project was conceived by Burnett and Downey, who are married, after watching Cecil B. DeMille's version of The Ten Commandments for the first time since childhood. The series is Mark Burnett's first scripted project. In addition to Burnett and Downey, executive producers include Richard Bedser and History's Dirk Hoogstra and Julian P. Hobbs.
Monday Madness - It is time to relax and enjoy the morning!