Security Watch | Matt Hines » January 2007

January 30, 2007 | Comments: (0)

Let's celebrate the BSOD

TAGS: Security

While Vista makes it's grand entrance, or maybe underwhelming snore, Wired has decided to commemorate the infamous Blue Screen of Death.

I remember seeing several BSOD's on the Las Vegas strip a few years ago during a particularly boisterious BlackHat Conference.

Now back to dealing with RSA Conference emails...

Posted by Victor R. Garza on January 30, 2007 01:15 PM

January 29, 2007 | Comments: (0)

The pain of Vista begins

TAGS: Security

Caught this McAfee anti-virus incompatibility entry over at Wired's Monkey Bites blog. Seems we're in for the long and normal path of most resistance as we slowly migrate over to the new OS.

While Bill wants to get 100 million people to move over to Vista by the end of the year (not impossible considering worldwide PC penetration). I know that I'm not going to be recommending it to businesses anytime soon. I'm going to be, as always, cautious.

And six different flavors of the new OS? Ugh, I see support headaches galore.

I do find it curious that Vista comes with Windows Defender to protect it against spyware and other potentially malicious software, but it doesn't come with integrated anti-virus. Which, I'm sure, will be leading to more of the pain alluded to above.

It's too bad that MS doesn't deal with AV vendors directly, embedding different flavors into the OS. You just choose during installation or first time use of the PC. That way businesses and consumers could step out of the way and just get systems to work (at least more so than they do now). Of course this happens with many systems now, but you only have one choice, the one the hardware vendor chose for you (if you're not using a predefined image).

The number one complaint I hear from people about personal AV software is how it seems to have issues with their OS. I guess that may just keep happening as we moving forward.

But I may just be having a pessimistic Monday.

Posted by Victor R. Garza on January 29, 2007 10:24 AM

January 28, 2007 | Comments: (0)

How to Rob a Bank

TAGS: Security

I had a chance to see the CNN Special Investigations Unit show last night titled Identity Theft: How to Rob a Bank, and I found it fairly informative.

While the show was first aired in May of '06, it's still a useful way to spend an hour, especially if you want to learn about what techniques identity thieves are using to go for the big money, and by big money, I mean upwards of $5 Mil. This amount, it turns out, was sent to Europe and has yet to be retrieved even though the perpetrator is spending time in federal prison.

While many of the perpetrator's stories go back several years, the interviewer puts past crimes alongside current law enforcement and financial institution efforts to foil ID theft in its different incarnations. As one financial institution representative puts it - ID thieves flow like water, for every obstacle you put in their path the find a way around it.

Graphical representations of the steps that ID thieves use is also a nice touch to the show.

If you've got a few minutes, set your Tivo or PVR to catch this show sometime in the next few days. Watch it, even if as just a reminder as to the tenacity and magnitude of theft that these criminals perpetrate, all from the comfort of their own homes.

This link should give you a little excerpt from the show.

Posted by Victor R. Garza on January 28, 2007 11:01 AM