Dr. Bill | The Computer Curmudgeon

This may be simply that Gen Y folks just don’t care about their security online, rather than that us 55+ folks are “safer.” However, it makes sense that we care more about security.

People over 55 pick more secure passwords than 25-year-olds

“Sorry, gen Y: Your parents are smarter about safety online.

Despite the digital savvy of younger generations, people over age 55 pick passwords that are twice as secure as those chosen by people under age 25, according to a new study by University of Cambridge computer scientist Joseph Bonneau.

‘There is a general trend towards better password selection with users’ age,’ Bonneau wrote in his study, the largest ever of password security, which was presented at the 2012 IEEE Symposium on Security and Privacy.

Take that, millennial generation!

But before older websurfers start crowing, take note of Bonneau’s larger conclusion: no one makes passwords that are secure enough, regardless of age.

‘The most troubling ?nding of our study is how little password distributions seem to vary … with effective security varying by no more than a few bits,’ he wrote.

On average, he found that it would only take around 1,000 attempts to try every possible password and eventually crack them, according to an analysis in New Scientist. That’s surprising, because even a randomly chosen six-character password composed of digits and upper and lower case letters should offer far more security.

Lujo Bauer, who studies passwords at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pa., told New Scientists that Bonneau’s findings were legitimate.”

This sounds good for privacy concerns, but, obviously is bad for the commercial concerns of those doing the tracking!

In Ad Network Nightmare, Microsoft Making ‘Do Not Track’ Default for IE 10

“Microsoft announced Thursday that the next version of its browser, IE 10, will ship with the controversial “Do Not Track” feature turned on by default, a first among major browsers, creating a potential threat to online advertising giants.

That includes one of Microsoft’s chief rivals — Google.

The change could also threaten the still-nascent privacy standard, and prompt an ad industry revolt against it.

Do Not Track doesn’t attempt to block cookies — instead it sends a message to every website you visit saying you prefer not to be tracked. That flag is currently optional for sites and web advertising firms to obey, but it’s gaining momentum with Twitter embracing it last week.

The proposal also has the backing of the FTC, which has grown deeply skeptical of the online ad industry’s willingness to play fairly with users and has threatened to call for online privacy legislation. After initially opposing the idea, the online ad industry is now seeking to soothe the feds by hammering out rules that aren’t too tough on data collection. The hope then is that not many users avail themselves of the tool, and then not much has to change in how ad companies build profiles of users in order to sell premium-priced targeted ads.”

Zowie! This is the “big one” from a security perspective! It appears to be state sponsored computer malware attacking many systems world-wide! ouch!

The Flame Virus: Spyware on an Unprecedented Scale

“Security researchers recently discovered one of the most complex instances of computer malware on record. Flame, which also goes by the names SkyWiper and Viper, has infected hundreds of computers across the Middle East and Europe. What does it do? Where did it come from? Who unleashed it?

What makes Flame so unusual is its size. It’s much larger than some of the largest malware instances that researchers have found. For instance, the infamous Stuxnet virus that was targeted at Iran’s uranium enrichment facilities several years ago was 500 kilobytes, according to Wired.

‘Flame is a sizable beast,’ said Graham Cluley of Sophos Security, a publisher of digital security software. ‘With all its components in place, it’s approximately 20MB. And this is one of the reasons why people have bandied phrases around like ‘biggest’ and ‘most sophisticated.’ Reverse engineering 20MB of code is a sizable piece of work.’

Researchers have only scratched the surface of what is hidden in all that code. Stuxnet (and its sister DuQu) took researchers months to figure out exactly what it did and where it might have come from. Flame will take a lot longer.

Flame, at its core, is spyware. It has the ability to log key strokes from an infected user’s computer, use the computer’s sensors such as the microphone and Web cam to record what is being said around it, and take screenshots. It can also sniff a network to steal passwords, be spread through USB drives and local networks, and transfer data to command-and-control servers. It can infect Windows XP, Vista and Windows 7 computers.

This is not your ordinary spyware, though. While it does have some simple and basic elements of spyware (which can key log and use the microphone as well), its sheer girth betrays a more sophisticated approach.

Normal spyware is not hard to detect. It is usually some type of derivation of existing malware that has been repurposed by hackers and distributed through normal channels such as spam or infected websites. Antivirus companies such as Symantec (Norton), Kaspersky, Sophos, Bitdefender and others recognize the spyware shortly after it is discovered and issue a detection kit for it. Microsoft then comes out with a patch and the cat-and-mouse game between the malware writers and security companies goes on. To a certain extent, this is what has happened with Flame. Detection and removal kits have already been released by security companies including Sophos and Symantec, as well as the Iranian government.”

Google Chromebook is two years old, and they are being improved all the time… in June a new version will be out… check out the idea behind it in this video.

“Chromebooks will be available online June 15 in the US, UK, France, Germany, Netherlands, Italy and Spain. More countries will follow in the coming months. In the US, Chromebooks will be available from Amazon and Best Buy and internationally from leading retailers.

Even with dedicated IT departments, businesses and schools struggle with the same complex, costly and insecure computers as the rest of us. To address this, we’re also announcing Chromebooks for Business and Education. This service from Google includes Chromebooks and a cloud management console to remotely administer and manage users, devices, applications and policies. Also included is enterprise-level support, device warranties and replacements as well as regular hardware refreshes. Monthly subscriptions will start at $28/user for businesses and $20/user for schools.

There are over 160 million active users of Chrome today. Chromebooks bring you all of Chrome’s speed, simplicity and security without the headaches of operating systems designed 20 to 30 years ago. We’re very proud of what the Chrome team along with our partners have built, and with seamless updates, it will just keep getting better.”

Chromebook Update

“Last year we announced
a new kind of computer
This is the next step

All of you haiku fans (like many of us on the Chrome team) can stop here; the rest can read on for more details.

A year ago we introduced a new model of computing with the launch of Chromebooks. We’ve heard from many of you who’ve enjoyed the speed, simplicity and security of your Chromebooks at home, at school or at work. (Thanks for all the wonderful feedback and stories!) Today, we wanted to share some developments with you—new hardware, a major software update and many more robust apps—as we continue on our journey to make computers much better.

Next-generation devices
Our partner Samsung has just announced a new Chromebook and the industry’s first Chromebox. Like its predecessor, the newest Chromebook is a fast and portable laptop for everyday users. The Chromebox is a compact, powerful and versatile desktop perfect for the home or office.

Speed
Speed is integral to the Chrome experience. The new Chromebook and Chromebox, based on Intel Core processors, are nearly three times as fast as the first-generation Chromebooks. And support for hardware-accelerated graphics, a built-from-scratch multi-touch trackpad and an open-source firmware stack provide a much faster and more responsive computing experience. The new Chromebook boots in less than seven seconds and resumes instantly. With the Chromebox, you can be on a video conference while continuing to play your favorite role-playing game on the side.

An app-centric user interface
With the new user interface you can easily find and launch apps, and use them alongside your browser or other apps. You can pin commonly-used apps for quick access, display multiple windows side-by-side or experience your favorite apps in full-screen mode without any distractions.”

The Next Step in the Journey

Awesome! Check out the new Fedora! It is code named “Beefy Miracle,” but I won’t hold that against it! NOTE: 64 Bit is now the default, 32 bit is still available as an optional download.

Fedora Project – Fedora 17 is out!

“As always, Fedora continues to develop (RedHat contributions) and integrate the latest free and open source software (Fedora 17 Features). The following sections provide a brief overview of major changes from the last release of Fedora.

The following are major features for Fedora 17:

GNOME 3.4 and KDE 4.8
OpenStack, Eucalyptus and Open Nebula
ICC profiles for color printing and an improved gimp
Still more virtualization improvements

Fedora 17 may be installed on most “modern” x86 processors. (There are some “secondary architectures” supported by special interest groups for processors like Power PC, System/390 and ARM).

The minimum processor speed depends on the end use, the method of installation, and the specific hardware. Although some configurations might work on a Pentium 3, most users should consider a Pentium 4 or more modern processor, or the equivalent processor from other manufacturers. Fedora 17 is able to take full advantage of modern, multi-core architectures.

Minimum RAM for text-mode: 768 MiB
Minimum RAM for graphical: 768 MiB
Recommended RAM for graphical: 1152 MiB

Processor and memory requirements for x86_64 architectures:

Minimum RAM for text-mode: 768 MiB
Minimum RAM for graphical: 768 MiB
Recommended RAM for graphical: 1152 MiB

The complete packages can occupy over 9 GB of disk space. Final size is entirely determined by the installing spin and the packages selected during installation. Additional disk space is required during installation to support the installation environment.”

Don’t forget, most of my Fedora Setup crib notes still apply!
https://www.drbill.tv/2012/01/07/geek-software-of-the-week-dr-bills-perfect-fedora-16-build/