Author: Rick

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Fighting Conficker

I have mentioned several times that Conficker is considered the most dangerous virus to date.

The Atlantic Monthy magazine has a great article titled The Enemy Within on the history of Conficker and where we are now. It’s a fascinating read for both technical security buffs and non techies.

It starts:

The Enemy Within by Mark Bowden

When the Conficker computer “worm” was unleashed on the world in November 2008, cyber-security experts didn’t know what to make of it. It infiltrated millions of computers around the globe. It constantly checks in with its unknown creators. It uses an encryption code so sophisticated that only a very few people could have deployed it. For the first time ever, the cyber-security elites of the world have joined forces in a high-tech game of cops and robbers, trying to find Conficker’s creators and defeat them. The cops are failing. And now the worm lies there, waiting …

Image credit: Alex Ostroy

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Support Remote Computers with Zoho Assist

At Tech DC we occasionally provide remote computer support and take over someone’s desktop to fix a problem. My favorite tool for this is the previously mentioned UltraVNC SingleClick. This requires the remote user to click on an executable to allow me to view their desktop.

A new tool that I started using is Zoho Assist. This is web based remote login software similar to GoToAssist or LogMeIn Rescue, but far more reasonably priced. Unlike UltraVNC SingleClick, Zoho Assist works on PC, Mac, and Linux (SingleClick is PC only) and everything can be setup from a web browser (SingleClick is far more complicated and requires the support person to understand firewalls, port forwarding, and dynamic DNS services). Zoho Assist is free with limited features allowing 5 sessions a month, enough for most people helping a few friends and family. The price for the full service is $12/month.

The person you are supporting has to either click a link in an email you send them or go to join.zoho.com and enter the Session ID for the session you created. Then Java is often automatically installed on the supported computer and the person has to click a series of OKs and Nexts. But overall it is a simple process that you can walk most people though on the phone.

I still recommend UltraVNC SingleClick for advanced support needs for PCs. But for something quick and simple, Zoho Assist is a great service.

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Spirit – New Jailbreak for iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad

The new Spirit jailbreak is out. Wow, this takes about 20 seconds to do. It’s far easier than earlier jailbreaks and now it works on iPads, both WiFi and 3G.

What is jailbreaking and why should you do it, you ask? Then you probably shouldn’t. It can easily destroy everything. But one thing that it offers is background apps, a feature that will arrive in a few months in iPhone OS 4.

Note to iPad users: many apps do NOT work and will make your iPad’s desktop look like a giant iPhone. Backgrounder seems to work. Kirikae does not. See this spreadsheet of working/non-working jailbroken apps for the iPad.