Month: March 2021

OK, so things change, it happens! I don’t know if I like the new look or not, but I am sure it will grow on me.

Windows 10 is getting new File Explorer icons as part of a visual overhaul

The Verge – By: Tom Warren – “Microsoft is giving the File Explorer inside Windows 10 a visual overhaul with new icons. The software giant has started rolling out a test build of Windows 10 that includes changes to the system icons you’ll find in File Explorer, including the Recycle Bin, Documents folders, and devices like disk drives.

‘Several changes, such as the orientation of the folder icons and the default file type icons, have been made for greater consistency across Microsoft products that show files,’ says Amanda Langowski, Microsoft’s Windows Insider chief. ‘Notably, the top-level user folders such as Desktop, Documents, Downloads, and Pictures have a new design that should make it a little easier to tell them apart at a glance.’

Perhaps daringly, Microsoft also notes that ‘and yes, the Recycle Bin icon has also been updated!’ — a clear nod to some changes the company tried to make to the Recycle Bin in the past that didn’t go down well with Windows users.

These icon changes are fairly minor in the grand scheme of Windows, but they’re part of a broader effort inside Microsoft to modernize Windows. Microsoft unveiled new system icons for Windows 10 earlier this month, and the company previously updated some of its Windows 10 icons last year with colorful versions and also tweaked the Start menu to make it more streamlined.

Microsoft is also planning a ‘sweeping visual rejuvenation of Windows,’ codenamed ‘Sun Valley.’ The company is expected to detail its visual plans and more about the future of Windows in the coming months as part of a dedicated news event.

The icon updates will arrive alongside some tweaks to the layout of File Explorer, too. Microsoft is adding additional padding between elements in File Explorer, and there will be a compact mode to return to the classic File Explorer mode. The updated view is a little more touch-optimized and complements the new icons.”

Is your organization, or business, running Microsoft Exchange? If so, path it NOW if you haven’t! This exploit was discovered earlier this month, hopefully this is “old news” to you Exchange sys admins!

At Least 30,000 U.S. Organizations Newly Hacked Via Holes in Microsoft’s Email Software

KrebsOnSecurity – By: Brian Krebs – “At least 30,000 organizations across the United States — including a significant number of small businesses, towns, cities and local governments — have over the past few days been hacked by an unusually aggressive Chinese cyber espionage unit that’s focused on stealing email from victim organizations, multiple sources tell KrebsOnSecurity. The espionage group is exploiting four newly-discovered flaws in Microsoft Exchange Server email software, and has seeded hundreds of thousands of victim organizations worldwide with tools that give the attackers total, remote control over affected systems.

On March 2, Microsoft released emergency security updates to plug four security holes in Exchange Server versions 2013 through 2019 that hackers were actively using to siphon email communications from Internet-facing systems running Exchange.

Microsoft said the Exchange flaws are being targeted by a previously unidentified Chinese hacking crew it dubbed ‘Hafnium,’ and said the group had been conducting targeted attacks on email systems used by a range of industry sectors, including infectious disease researchers, law firms, higher education institutions, defense contractors, policy think tanks, and NGOs.

In the three days since then, security experts say the same Chinese cyber espionage group has dramatically stepped up attacks on any vulnerable, unpatched Exchange servers worldwide.

In each incident, the intruders have left behind a ‘web shell,’ an easy-to-use, password-protected hacking tool that can be accessed over the Internet from any browser. The web shell gives the attackers administrative access to the victim’s computer servers.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, two cybersecurity experts who’ve briefed U.S. national security advisors on the attack told KrebsOnSecurity the Chinese hacking group thought to be responsible has seized control over ‘hundreds of thousands’ of Microsoft Exchange Servers worldwide — with each victim system representing approximately one organization that uses Exchange to process email.

Microsoft’s initial advisory about the Exchange flaws credited Reston, Va. based Volexity for reporting the vulnerabilities. Volexity President Steven Adair said the company first saw attackers quietly exploiting the Exchange bugs on Jan. 6, 2021, a day when most of the world was glued to television coverage of the riot at the U.S. Capitol.

But Adair said that over the past few days the hacking group has shifted into high gear, moving quickly to scan the Internet for Exchange servers that weren’t yet protected by the security updates Microsoft released Tuesday.

‘We’ve worked on dozens of cases so far where web shells were put on the victim system back on Feb. 28 [before Microsoft announced its patches], all the way up to today,’ Adair said. ‘Even if you patched the same day Microsoft published its patches, there’s still a high chance there is a web shell on your server. The truth is, if you’re running Exchange and you haven’t patched this yet, there’s a very high chance that your organization is already compromised.’

Reached for comment, Microsoft said it is working closely with the U.S. Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), other government agencies, and security companies, to ensure it is providing the best possible guidance and mitigation for its customers.

‘The best protection is to apply updates as soon as possible across all impacted systems,’ a Microsoft spokesperson said in a written statement. ‘We continue to help customers by providing additional investigation and mitigation guidance. Impacted customers should contact our support teams for additional help and resources.’

Meanwhile, CISA has issued an emergency directive ordering all federal civilian departments and agencies running vulnerable Microsoft Exchange servers to either update the software or disconnect the products from their networks.

Adair said he’s fielded dozens of calls today from state and local government agencies that have identified the backdoors in their Exchange servers and are pleading for help. The trouble is, patching the flaws only blocks the four different ways the hackers are using to get in. But it does nothing to undo the damage that may already have been done.”

Here’s a great deal from c|net!

Fix your laptop’s weak Wi-Fi reception for just $6.49

c|net – By: Dave Johnson – “Amazon seller: TechkeyDirect

Deal price: $6.49 with code and coupon

Wi-Fi deadspots are the bane of everyone’s home network. As it happens, though, sometimes the problem isn’t entirely the fault of a weak Wi-Fi router that can’t reach all the way into every corner of your home. It’s often compounded by an anemic Wi-Fi radio in your laptop that can’t make use of the signal you have. Well, you might be able to solve that problem for just a few bucks: The Techkey Wireless USB Adapter is now just $6.49, a ridiculously low price for a network card. It usually sells for $13, but you can clip the product page coupon and apply promo code NQAU4OCW at checkout to drop the price into pocket-change territory.

The Techkey adapter plugs into any USB port and requires no drivers or software installation. According to Techkey, it should deliver up to 450Mbps at 5GHz or 150Mbps using the 2.4GHz bands at a range of up to about 100 yards. The 5dBi high-gain antenna should allow your laptop to get solid Wi-Fi even in weak reception areas that previously registered as dead zones.

I haven’t had a chance to try this for myself, but hey, it’s six bucks. Most fast-food lunches cost more. If you give this a shot to fix a sketchy Wi-Fi signal, please sound off in the comments to let me know how well it works for you.

As always, the usual caveats apply — the price was accurate at the time of this writing but is subject to change. If you see a different seller other than Techkey, chalk it up to Amazon switching sellers for the same product, and consequently the discount might no longer be available.”

From the “Streamable” Newsletter: “AT&T customers will now have to account for HBO Max data usage thanks to California’s net neutrality law. The law bars internet service providers from a practice known as zero-rating. In this case, streaming Netflix counts towards a user’s data cap, but streaming HBO Max does not. AT&T is unhappy, but others see it as a win for users, as service providers can no longer use deals like this to influence purchase decisions. ‘Given that the Internet does not recognize state borders, the new law not only ends our ability to offer California customers such free data services but also similarly impacts our customers in states beyond California,’ AT&T said in a blog post.”

Now (as of March 18, 2021) Ars Technica columnist, Jon Brodkin claims that this is NOT true, that the new law does not prohibit “zero-rating.”

AT&T lied about California’s net neutrality law yesterday when it claimed the law requires AT&T to stop providing ‘free data’ to mobile customers.

In reality, the California law allows AT&T to continue zero-rating HBO Max, its own video service, as long as it exempts all competing video services from data caps without charging the other video providers. But instead of zero-rating all video without collecting payments from its competitors in the online-video business, AT&T decided it would rather not exempt anything at all.

For details here’s the link: AT&T lies about Calif. net neutrality law, claiming it bans “free data”

This guy makes some interesting observations on VMware’s direction with vSphere v7 for the future. This effects home lab installs of vSphere, should VMware care? Is user education important to them for home lab users? Something to think about.