Two fun facts about IT

[igotrhythm]

Re: Two fun facts about IT

I don't know shit about encryption so can someone ELI5 for me -- how does this bug get fixed? What should the average person do to protect him/herself in the meantime?

Probably change your password--once right away and again when the patch is applied.

[Artic_counter]

Re: Two fun facts about IT

I have heard that AVs will continue to do a good job protecting your computer even though microsoft have closed their support. However, since I know sweet FA about computers, could you please tell me if any of that is true?

[arcnmx]

Re: Two fun facts about IT

I don't know shit about encryption so can someone ELI5 for me -- how does this bug get fixed? What should the average person do to protect him/herself in the meantime?

For most people the bug goes like this: you login to your email on yahoo (lol), use it normally, etc. Then someone random performs the attack on yahoo: the server might randomly send them your password or the contents of your emails or anything, really.

All you can do to protect yourself is to not use a vulnerable service until they fix it, and change your password once they do. It's easily fixed by updating a system, but that's something someone running a server has to do - not something general users have to worry about.

For server administrators it's also worse than just compromising your user's information, as it could leak private encryption keys as well. Anyone who gets a copy of that suddenly can decrypt and sniff all past and future communications as if the connection were never encrypted at all.

[igotrhythm]

Re: Two fun facts about IT

there is now a Chrome extension to see if a server you're browsing is affected!

https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/chromebleed/eeoekjnjgppnaegdjbcafdggilajhpic

[dAnceguy117]

Re: Two fun facts about IT

in b4 a vulnerability is found in the chrome extension

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I have heard that AVs will continue to do a good job protecting your computer even though microsoft have closed their support. However, since I know sweet FA about computers, could you please tell me if any of that is true?

antivirus software helps deal with malware after it's already on your system. running Windows XP after Microsoft stops providing updates will theoretically make you much more likely to *get* that malware. I'm sure some antivirus software does what it does pretty well, but when you run an OS with widely known and exploited vulnerabilities, you're asking for trouble.

the bigger question imo: why run XP?

------

oh dear I just found something.

http://www.npr.org/2014/04/08/300462688/end-of-windows-xp-support-spells-trouble-for-some

Mike Eldridge, 39, of Spring Lake, Mich., says that since his computer is currently on its last legs, he's going to cross his fingers and hope for the best until it finally dies.

"I am worried about security threats, but I'd rather have my identity stolen than put up with Windows 8," he says.

...................................

[JurseyRider734]

Re: Two fun facts about IT

the computers at my school are still on xp lol. i think it bothers me more that it looks like the keyboards and mice havent been disinfected since those computers started being used, though.

[Ohaider]

Re: Two fun facts about IT

damn now i'm excited to see what happens to xp

[Charu]

Re: Two fun facts about IT

oh dear I just found something.

http://www.npr.org/2014/04/08/300462688/end-of-windows-xp-support-spells-trouble-for-some

Mike Eldridge, 39, of Spring Lake, Mich., says that since his computer is currently on its last legs, he's going to cross his fingers and hope for the best until it finally dies.

"I am worried about security threats, but I'd rather have my identity stolen than put up with Windows 8," he says.

...................................

Wow, someone tell that guy he's noobersaurus and just install Windows 7 or something.1133,dd..

[choof]

Re: Two fun facts about IT

For most people the bug goes like this: you login to your email on yahoo (lol), use it normally, etc. Then someone random performs the attack on yahoo: the server might randomly send them your password or the contents of your emails or anything, really.

All you can do to protect yourself is to not use a vulnerable service until they fix it, and change your password once they do. It's easily fixed by updating a system, but that's something someone running a server has to do - not something general users have to worry about.

For server administrators it's also worse than just compromising your user's information, as it could leak private encryption keys as well. Anyone who gets a copy of that suddenly can decrypt and sniff all past and future communications as if the connection were never encrypted at all.

To expand a bit on this, before the bug gets fixed, another great way to protect yourself is to use passwords with high bit count. I log into Facebook on a secure (lmao) connection, my password is also 212 bits long.

Although if it's 64kb of sequential data, gg no re.

[arcnmx]

Re: Two fun facts about IT

Although if it's 64kb of sequential data, gg no re.

It is sequential. Changing your passwords after the issue is fixed on a given server is a good idea, especially since it's possible all your previous passwords/communication/etc. could potentially be decrypted. Nothing much besides avoiding a service altogether helps in the meantime.

[benguino]

Re: Two fun facts about IT

Yeah, and since when have managers of cubicle dwellers worried at all about the problems their workers face? Any Dilbert comic will tell you that the answer is "never."

I'm sure it's in the company's best interest (not the employee's) to make sure the company's computers are not vulnerable to attack though?

[iCeCuBEz v2]

Re: Two fun facts about IT

i thought this was a thread about the word it

meh

[noname219]

Re: Two fun facts about IT

i thought this was a thread about the word it

meh

"In earlier Middle English, arising from Old English, the pronoun was hit (similar to Dutch "het" and West Frisian "hit" with the same meaning), with the unaspirated it being an unaccented form. The genitive was his, with the new form its only arising by analogy in later Middle English."

"It" means dog in some languages. (azeri, turkish, turkmen, uzbek)

[Izzy]

Re: Two fun facts about IT

the computers at my school are still on xp lol. i think it bothers me more that it looks like the keyboards and mice havent been disinfected since those computers started being used, though.

I love those off white computer cases, mice and keyboards that are basically yellow now.

[m0de]

Re: Two fun facts about IT

as a long time XP user, I am sad