A Disturbing Practice

I've recently received several phone calls from a company that claims my computer has contacted them via the Internet and that it has a "problem".  I've had some clients receive the same call, and even my parents have been harassed by these people.  If you actually engage them in conversation, they will do everything they can to try and get you to run commands on your computer.  I've even actually taken the time to go through the entire script with one of these callers, and if you follow their advice they will actually install and then sell you software that makes your computer more vulnerable to attack.

Something that everyone should know about their computer is that there's no mainstream anti-virus/anti-malware/operating system etc... that "phones home" when it has a problem, so if you receive a call from anyone claiming that your computer has reported anything to them, this is immediately suspect.

Secondly, if you maintain your computer and follow the tips for safe computing (running anti-virus software, running anti-malware/adware software, keeping your system patched, running a firewall, using good wireless security, having a system password, etc.) you greatly minimize the potential for any infection or compromise of your system.

The "bad guys" out there know this, and they know that users are getting more savvy, so they have to figure out new ways to get their hands on your data and/or compromise your system for their zombie army.  If anyone ever asks you to go to a website and download anything, unless you know and trust them, I'd do my research first and make sure that they have your best interests in mind... nowadays it seems that threats to your system come not only via email and the Internet, they can come over your telephone!

Skype Bug Sends Messages to Unintended Recipients

There are reports that the current version of Skype has a bug that can copy messages to unintended recipients.  Skype has acknowledged the issue and states that a new version will be released in the coming days to address this bug.

In the interim, I'd recommend to avoid using the "chat" or "messaging" feature within Skype for any sensitive conversations... you never know who will end up reading it!

Windows Server 2012

Last week I was at the Microsoft Management Summit in Las Vegas and they announced the release of Windows 2012 will be in November.  I got some "hands on" with the new OS, and I have to say that if they actually deliver on the hype of last week, this will be an interesting update to their flagship operating system.

Among the features that stood out for me:

• Powershell 3.0 - 2300+ cmdlets and a totally new ISE.
• Server management MMC can now manage multiple servers with status available "at a glance" via color codes (green = good, red = problems.)
• Revamped storage allows provisioning (including thin provisioning) directly from the OS and disk changes can be made "on the fly" without reboots.
• New file system (ReFS).
• NIC Teaming is now built into the OS and works across hardware vendors.
• "Core" is now the default install.

If the actual software lives up to even 60% of the marketing hype from the conference, I think that this new OS will make it easier on I.T. departments as the modern infrastructure model shifts from virtualization to the public/private cloud model and I.T.A.A.S.  I'll be interested to get some hands-on with this OS in an actual production environment and see how it performs, and I'll post my experiences here.

Documenting in Windows - The Problem Steps Recorder

Here's a nifty tool that I only recently discovered, the Windows Problem Steps Recorder.  This is a great way to create baseline documentation for Windows applications; you simply turn it on, go through your process, then stop recording.  You end up with a file that has all the steps laid out for you along with screenshots that are highlighted to show exactly what steps you went through.  Great for both troubleshooting and for documenting!