Category: Security

Was going to make a short post comparing video-hosting sites, but found my password here didn’t work. Again.
Also found my host account login didn’t work.

The host has no record of any previous account password changes before tonight, so now rather concerned my Keepass file has become corrupt somehow.
Except the password for this site was stored in FireFox too. So someone’s been messing with my site in addition to whatever’s wrong with the host account.

Passwords and salts have been re-randomised and backups are in progress. Databases are already backed up.

Very annoying. No arting time, just fucking around trying to fix more things that someone else broke.

A piss-poor scam premise

Just had a phonecall from “BT tech support”. Apparently there’s “corrupted temporary files on my computer”.

 

Them: Hello, am I speaking to Mr Turpin?

Me: Yes you are.

Them: Hello, my name is Chester, I’m calling from BT tecnical support about your phone and broadband service. We’ve been monitoring that there’s corrupted temporary files on your computer..

Me: Wait, so you’re intercepting my communications..?

“Chester”: Yes sir, we..

Me: You’re SPYING on my communications??

Chester: Well sir we’re from the research depar..

Me: The only way you could know there’s corrupted files on my computer is if you’re illegally monitoring my communications!!!

Chester: Ah, well sir..

Me: What did you say your name was?

Chester: Ah? Mr Turpin.

Me: No that’s MY NAME! Fuck off please!! *I hang up*

 

Just sayin’, a good scam probably isn’t one that starts by telling you they’ve done something illegal to you.

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I have been known by the chosen pseudonym “Sci Starborne” on the internet for over a decade. I am known by this name to far more people than by my birth name, and especially by people I actually care about. I enjoy living under this name and having all the associated back-history that goes along with it, so heavily resent being forced into having to use only my birth name which tends only to attract nightmarish ghouls from school-days.

In addition to this, the naming option is illegal under EU law, and perhaps more importantly seeks to squash the original levels of anonymity that motivated much of the original blogging revolution.

I cannot use Google+ in good faith without feeling I am assisting in a march toward a future where all internet usage is licensed and traceable, with the associated further hindrance of anonymous freedom of speech.

If you had left the option to choose a *display name* separate from my real name, I might not be leaving but would still not be inclined to post any original content on your service.

You’ve come up with a nice framework, an improved layout for social networking formats, but the first one that mimics it and allows you to make a page for your pet cat is going to win out. You’ve put too much framework in place with too little sympathy for those who dislike it.

I find this all another reminder that a company motto is in no way legally binding.

FYI: Go to “Account Settings“, click “Account overview” tab, and select your choice “Delete Google+ content or your entire Google profile”

Eye-Fi and mobile phones – instant remote backup of photos?

Curious about the use of the Eye-Fi to instantly back-up your photographs, using your mobile phone as an access-point.

When I first heard about the Eye-Fi SDHC a couple of years ago, I was very intrigued, but saddened that it seemed so locked in to one service. But time’s gone by now, and it looks like they’ve opened their doors a lot wider.
The Eye-Fi is an up to 8Gb SD card with a built-in 802.11n wifi functionality. The idea is that when a photo is taken, it’s stored and also uploaded by any open wifi point to the web service. And now there’s a number of services including YouTube, but more importantly I feel, the open-source Gallery 2. The Gallery 2 option means it can now upload to your own personal webspace, located in the country and legal protections of your choice.

However it still requires you to get within 27meters (max) of an open wifi point. And with the spectre of an un-redacted Digital Economy Act looming, open wifi points may soon become rather thin on the ground.

However, one of the things that came up in the original discussion of the Eye-Fi was the idea of using a data-enabled SmartPhone with wifi as a bridge. Eye-Fi talks to your phone via 802.11n, phone talks to the internet via 3G or other mobile broadband. It’s a delightfully simple and compelling concept, but one that has apparently seen little development. Perhaps I’ve simply not found it yet, but it’s hard to find discussion of the subject past 2007.
Certainly you could use a laptop for the same purpose, but that shouldn’t be necessary, particularly as open-source phones such as the Android now exist, where the necessary programming should be relatively simple. And in any case, the uptime comparisons are unlikely to favour it.

In a world where police can illegally demand or force you to delete the video and images from your camera, I for one would treasure the warm inner glow from knowing that while the originals are gone, identical copies have already transferred to my phone and on to a secure server on the other side of the planet.

So if anyone knows of a bit of software to turn your SmartPhone into a passive wifi access-point/bridge, I’d love to hear about it, as I’m sure others would.

Family and email security

Tech support for family is tricky, especially when the damage is already done..

I’ve just spent three hours cleaning out my mothers computer. Hadn’t been virus or spyware checked in over two years. Fortunately she doesn’t browse much so she got away with some odd keylogger and AV-avoider. But that seems to have been enough for someone to get into her Yahoo Mail account, change the password and spam her contact list saying she’s in financial trouble in Kuala Lumpur (and to send her money there, of course) before deleting not just those sent items but everything else in the account.

So we finally figured out the password reset secret answers and got the passwords reset using KeePass this time. It will probably take mum some time to get used to it, but the other option is setting her up with webmail on my server instead where I can restore from backups, because there seemed to be no way to restore once the trash file has been emptied..

That said though, half an hour ago I found a link to the mailbox recovery form. It’s only a maybe, and only good for 24hours after deletion,  but it’s a better chance than none at all. And thanks to using KeePass and helping her pick the master password, I could get in to use the form while she’s asleep.

Maybe if we’re lucky, morning will come around and some of her mails will be restored to her.