By the way, I do get bombarded with emails from Professor Charles Soludo (mentioned in the message) who has been trying to get me to send $400.  This is very interesting.  The fake FBI is trying to save me from the fake professor.  The FBI banner breaks across the lines because it appears to be in 2 pieces.

First an example of Charles Soludo.  Please note he doesn’t spell his own name the same twice.

From the Desk Of:.
Prof Charles Soludo
Executive Governor (CBN)
IMMEDIATE PAYMENT
REF: CBN/IRD/CBX/021/06
[OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR]

We have this 23th day of July  2008 received a payment credit instruction from the federal Government of Nigeria to credit your account with your full contract funds from the Nigerian reserve account with our bank.

This is to notify you that you funds has been programmed for immediate release into your nominated account but we can not transfer this funds direct to your nominated bank account, because we are having a little problem with International Monetary Fund (IMF) so our method of payment is by Diplomatic Courier Service
Be inform that every arrangement regarding your cash payment through diplomatic services has been made; note that your funds have been package like a consignment.

Be informing that the Diplomatic Agency has to move down to your Country in order to deliver the Consignment to your doorstep.

Note that as soon as the Diplomatic arrive to your Country they will give you a call immediately to enable you help them to get (Yellow Tag Paper).
You have to help the diplomats to get (yellow Tag Paper) so that the customs and immigration will not stop them in Airport, for security reason you are advice to follow the rules and regulation of the diplomats for easy collection of the consignment, you have to welcome the diplomatic agent, to enable them deliver the Consignment to you immediately, be inform that as soon as the diplomatic obtain the above name certificate they will deliver the Consignment to your door step.

To remind you that the diplomats has a transit to Poland and finally to arrive at your Country as the last destination on their diplomatic travel route this week,

I want you to send your direct mobile phone and your home address to me immediately, so that as soon as the diplomatic arrive in State they will call you immediately to notify you.
YOURS SINCERELY,
Your Full Name: ______________________________

Your Complete Address (Physical Address with Zip Code not
P.O.BOX) : ______________________________

Name of City of Residence:_______________________________

Country:____________________________________
Direct Telephone Number:
____________________________________
Mobile
Number:____________________________________

Number:___________________________________

Occupation:&AGE________________________________

PROFESSOR CHARLES C. SOLUDO,
GOVERNOR, CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA (CBN)
NOTE: RESPONSE SHOULD BE MADE IMMEDIATELY BEFORE IT WILL BE TOO LATE FOR

====================

The message trails off there, as though the professor got distracted from writing.

Later I received this message from the FBI:

====================

Urgent Information From

Federal Bureau Of Investigation (NSA)

Have a great weekend!

-Wolf

One guy I know, continues to have success though, both with solid old techniques as well as advanced SEO using Web 2.0 tactics that can help your site climb 5 full pages overnight! That one guy is Jae Jans, and he’s giving you the keys to his SEO Safe within his latest course on SEO.

Jae spent the last 2 months putting all of his tactics, techniques and strategies into a streamlined, step-by-step course that will take a complete search-engine newbie from start to expert optimizer almost instantly. The course includes videos on some of the most mysterious pieces of properly optimizing your site for the search engines including:

• What really gets you banned, and what the big boys want you to think will get you banned.
• How to boost traffic with one small tweak to your site’s code
• The future of SEO prophecy
• Effective methods to build a massive backlink network

…and much, much more.

If you get there fast enough, there are some surprise “fast action” bonuses for you.

If you haven’t been getting the traffic or results you wanted, Jae says it isn’t your fault.  Up til now, you either had to spend 5 or 6 years, failing your way to success, or you had to find somebody who would bother to offer you mentoring.  Now all you have to do is click the link below.

http://www.blackbookcollection.com/search-engine-optimization.php?rid=27

Spyware is worse than adware because its main purpose is to track your behaviour and maybe even collect your your banking habits, passwords and credit card numbers.  This could eventually lead to “identity theft.”  The smallest issue is the performance issues on your computer, as the spyware takes up some of your system resources to work.  Spyware is usually invisible to the user.

Adware is not invisible like spyware.  One major behaviour of adware is to produce pop-ups that are designed to market either something similar to what your browsing habits suggest, or whatever the sponsor has to sell.  Mostly we get adware by downloading some free thing from the web.  Games are prime adware carriers, because everybody loves a free game.  Often the EULA of the free game states clearly that you are agreeing to ads.  It is certainly lucky for the adware suppliers that hardly anybody reads EULAs, isn’t it?  Software firewalls like Comodo and ZoneAlarm are great for protecting you from the actions of Adware and Spyware, but only if you understand how these firewalls work.  The firewall will usually throw up a dialog saying “xyz.exe is trying to access the Internet.” If you habitually allow these actions, you are defeating your firewall.  You might look at the notice and ask yourself if you just hit a button asking for an action that required some program asking to access the internet.  If so, it is probably safe to allow the access, but it you are not doing anything that requires the internet, just reading a web page, or playing solitaire, and a request comes up, then I suggest you respond with “Deny.”  If something useful quits working, then you know what the issue was, but if nothing apparently is damaged by denying the access, then you are alerted to the possibility of adware or spyware and you can start looking for the proof.

One really important thing is to avoid accepting unsolicited security software from unknown sources.  One of the most successful methods for infecting computers with the bagel virus was sending out a fake virus alert with a link to the virus-killer or an attached virus-killer file.  This was, in fact, the virus itself, and you voluntarily installed it on your computer.  Eeeek! One usefull program for checking for spyware is spybot S & D, which is a free application and very good.  You need to update weekly at least and run immunization (to keep from getting ‘drive-by-installs’ of malware from infected hacked sites) and run the spyware detector weekly to see how you’re doing on self-defense.

The best protection from adware or spyware is to run a flavour of Linux, so most of the programs cannot get traction.  Linux machines do not run Windows programs, and most adware and spyware is designed for Windows.  You can download Desktop Ubuntu as a “live disk” and try it out without even installing the operating system on your computer.

There is no such thing as a real threat.

A threat, by definition is something that hasn’t happened yet.  A threat is an imaginary undesired future event.

Most threats never materialize, and when one does, you are far too busy dealing with the event to be frightened.  You add in the fear to the tale you tell about it later, or your listeners add your real experience to their internal library of undesirable imaginary future events.

We analyze imaginary experiences to feel prepared in the event that something similar to the one imagined ever happens. This rarely works out in practice, because the actual event you manifest is not identical to the response being rehearsed.  So the only “real” value to preparing for threat-response is the small feeling of relief that occurs when one realized that a threat has NOT materialized.

How much time do you spend analyzing and rehearsing imaginary joyful experiences?  Is the relief you get from unrealized threat worth all the lost chances to imagine joy?

This has been a 10-second Seminar by Wolf Halton 5-26-08

I am a certified APC InfrastruXure Specialist, so I would offer that efficient cooling, like that available with the InfrastruXure model, is an excellent addition to your power-reduction plans for your updated data center.  When I go into an average data center and see all the fronts of all the server racks, all facing me as I walk in the door, I know that the company is using too much power to cool their racks, sometimes 40 to 60% too much, and they may very well be voiding the warrantees of all the servers from the second row back because the heat is being blown out of the backs of on rack directly into the faces of the racks behind.  Server manufacturers often require that the cool-air side of their servers bring in air at less than 80 degrees farenheit.  The air exhausted by a rack of servers can be higher than 165 degrees faranheit, and this air coming into the cool-air side of a server can cause the server to fail.

When the temperatures are out of control, many companies try turning up the comfort-level AC to bring the front-sides of the servers down into warrantee-safe temperature range.  This causes widely differing temperatures all over the server room, but does not always fix the over-heating of the racks.  It causes instead a bunch of roving hot and cold spots all over the room, as the air currents churn.  Since hot air rises and expands upward and cool air falls, the air being provided by comfort-AC units set high on walls and ceilings tends blow out about 12 feet and drop.  The racks near the AC vents are not getting any of the cooling, and the cool air is mixing with the hottest air in the room before it drops to the racks and even gets a chance to start cooling the ares between the racks.

The InfrastruXure rack system puts the cooling where it is needed and routes the hot air away from the room, so your comfort AC works economically and your server temperature stays reasonable.

New virux Hoax ‘Neverland’

There is a new hoax virux that is going around. KrispyKreme and Microsoft announced on Friday. First seen in 1857, this virux cannot be deleted from your hard drive and changes solid-state storage devices such as Flash drives to a liquid state. If you discover you have got this virux, wear rubber gloves to transport your computer to the nearest INDUSTRIAL SHREADER.  It has paid off Snopes.com so they will not write about it.

Do not open it. Don’t think about it and especially, don’t say its name three times. The ‘Neverland’ Hoax virux can hear you breathing. It will immediately erase all of the zeros on your hard drive, it will delete interesting phrases on all magnetic drives within 20 meters of your computer. If the infected computer is a laptop, the result could be catastrophic.

It demagnetizes the stripes on ALL of your credit cards. It reprograms your ATM access code, screws up the read-heads on your DVD player, and only allows you to play CDs without good songs on them. It will program your phone autodial to call only unlisted numbers belonging to people with whom you are unacquainted.

This virux hoax will replace your toothpaste with Poligrip. It will email itself to your boss with a subject line of “Why I think You are an Idiot” and sign the message with your name. It will put baking soda in your salt and make all you Margaritas taste odd. It will run around with your girlfriend behind your back and use your credit cards to pay for nights in sleazy motels.

IT WILL CAUSE YOUR TOILET TO FLUSH WHILE YOU ARE SHOWERING.

It will drink ALL your beer. It will leave the caps off the soda bottles so they all go flat, even the new ones.

It will leave dirty underwear on the coffee table when you are expecting company.

If the ‘Neverland’ message is opened in a Windows XP environment, it will leave the toilet seat up and leave your hair dryer plugged in dangerously close to a full bathtub. It will replace all the sleeping pills with ephedrine and all the aspirin tablets with Viagra, but it will perversely label all the bottles \ / | / \ G |2 / \

If it is opened on an Intel-based Mac, it will leave the lids off when it puts the jars in the refrigerator and will scribble all over your address book. It will enroll you in netflix and order movies in Hungarian. It will upload your house security alarm code to chatrooms and it will reschedule your salon appointments without informing you.

If the ‘Neverland’ hoax virux is opened in an RPM environment, other than Fedora 7, it will post anti-Windows propaganda on the Internet and sign your name. You probably won’t notice, since this is what you are doing anyway. If you are using Fedora 7, the virux hoax will leave you unscathed, except for stealing all your electronic equipment and replacing it with a newer model. Certain sources near the president believe under complete anonymity and a witness protection program that the virux hoax was written by somebody who has a thing for Fedora 7 users. We can neither confirm or deny that comment, but we cannot discuss whether we are under a gag order.

All debian-based Linuxes (and Solaris of course) are naturally immune to the virux hoax. Authorities on medieval German Literature are rounding up the usual suspects for a round of golf. Need I say more?? The cover-up is already in motion.  It may not let me send out this warning.  OMG They are coming.  We cannot get out.  We are doomed!

***WARN AS MANY PEOPLE AS YOU CAN. ***

If you don’t send this to 5000 people in 20 seconds, the worst thing you can think of will happen to somebody you might not know, but when you read about it in the paper or on slashdot you will know! IT was ALL Your Fault! You’re to Blame

My friend Jae Jans has developed the Blackbook Collection, a series of guides on internet marketing to show you the best practices to use in order to enjoy long term success online.

The first “Blackbook” is coming out on June 3rd. Go to their site immediately to find out all about it.

http://www.blackbookcollection.com/?rid=27

Wolf

P.S. I forgot to mention they are giving away tons of great Free Content

P.P.S. Jae says there will be no public affiliate drive, and people will only be let in as affiliates by invitation.  He has given me a very small number of affiliate invites. To get yours, email me wolf@wolfhalton.info When the invitations are gone, they’re Gone!

This would be an excellent place to learn about the newest Ubuntu Release and to meet people who can help you understand the intricacies of installing Ubuntu Linux.

Planned Date and Location

When - May 17, 2008 9am-5pm

Where - Emory School of Law, Room 5E
1301 Clifton Rd NE, Atlanta, GA 30322

Cool local events this conflicts with: None that I know of!

DC404 Meeting at the Vortex Midtown from 2pm to 5pm has been rescheduled to 5/24 (next week)
My personal plan right now, to go to Installfest.

I have published a new web design ebook called Top-Down Web Design. This eBook covers the crucial period of a web project before the site-coding begins.  It is a truism that coding projects get more expensive and more time-consuming as the project continues, and so it makes sense that the time when you would want to set the scope of the project is before you start choosing the web application or send out the first affiliate ad.

Top-Down Web Design can save you literally thousands of hours of coding in the wrong direction, and possibly recover thousands of potential subscribers who were turned off by your format, content or navigation system.

Get your copy today at theLittleCow.org

Special offer for Subscribers at WolfHalton.info.  Send an email to wolf@wolfhalton.info with the subject line “Member Benefit - Top-Down Web Design.”

I figure the people who were planning to come to my talk should have even more benefit so I did a drawing for a signed copy of my book, Computer Security and Penetration Tools.  Jason Miller of ChoicePoint walked away with the prize.

I am looking for stories about insider threat right now, for a project to be finished later this year.  If you have one, let me know by email or add a comment to this post.  Since Insider Threats are the most prevalent of successful attacks on businesses today, I have been drilling down into the situations that make it possible and the many solutions available.

Just a quick idea.

Computer security is a habit.  There are a few things that need to be done consistently, and they are not difficult.  They are also not expensive.

• # Use a password on your computer.  These days, the threats you let in on your computer might be just bad habits your friends have.  You probably don’t distribute your car keys to all the people who come over to a party at your house, and you probably don’t want to allow anybody who comes over access to your personal stuff.  It’s none of their business.  The government has approved the airport search team to look at the content of your computer, if you are going on international flights.  This has obvious security and privacy issues, and if you have sensitive business files on your laptop or your home computer, you want them behind a password.  Unexpected users on your home machine might not be as careful as you are and you might collect spyware and worms from them going to unsafe sites.
• # Turn on the extensions on your files.  This is specifically aimed at users of Microsoft Windows.  Windows has file extensions turned off by default for common extensions.  You are expected to be able to figure out what a file is by its icon shape.  This works for people who pay attention to icon shapes, but not for those who don’t.  Words are still easier.  The reason for all these international icons, like the signs on public restroom with a stick figures to show where the boys and girls go is because there are plenty of people who are visiting and cannot read the language.  Presumably, on your own computer, you have it set up in a language you can read.  Extension-doubling is a common exploit that makes use of the default Microsoft “hide the extensions” game.  An email attachment called Beautiful_Sites.ppt is likely to appear harmless, however “.ppt” should not be visible if you have common extensions hidden, as it is the extension for Microsoft’s own Powerpoint software.  Evil Hacker, knowing you might have extensions hidden, sends you a file called Beautiful_Sites.ppt.exe, and Windows lops off the tell-tale exe extension, which we all know is short for executable, the standard Microsoft name for program files or application files.  The command in Windows 2000 and XP is “Folder Options”.  Go to your control panel, change to “classic view” and look for “Folder Options.”  The second tab says “View.”  In the middle of the View tab, is a white box with a list of view options. Take the checkmark OUT of the Line that reads “Hidefile extensions for known file types.”  Then click the apply button.  Now at the top of the window a previously greyed-out button becomes live that reads, “Like current Folder.”  This will make all folders behave the same way as the command you just applied.  Click the “Like Current Folder” button and approve the warning that appears, asking you if you really want to do that.  Now you cannot be fooled by the old doubled-extension trick.
• # Make sure your Windows Update system is set to download and install all updates automatically, and make sure the computer is turned on and attached to the Internet during the time you set it to check for Antivirus and Firewall updates.  For home use, My favourite Antivirus software is Bitdefender and my current favorite firewall is Comodo.  These are excellent software companies and both have a free (not free-trial) version for home users.
• # I do not think the “all-in-one” security suites are living up to their hype.  I don’t suggest having a single vender solution for this because that makes your security rest on a single point of failure too.  Did you know there are worms designed to attack specific antivirus products?
• # Don’t use “Windows Firewall” that comes preloaded in your Windows Operating System install.  Windows firewall leaves about 200 UDP ports open, even when it tells you it is locked down tight.

Oh yeah, I said this was about habits.

7 habits of people who run secure windows:

1. ! for general purposes, like email, web use and writing papers, etc., make a new profile that has no admin rights at all.  This way, even if you get infected on that profile, you may not have an entirely buggy computer.
2. ! Check your antivirus scan logs at least monthly to make sure there is nothing funny going on.
3. ! Keep a “throw-away” email for newsletters and signing up for web stuff.
4. ! Be suspicious of free things that require a credit card number to access.
5. ! Make sure your computer is on to receive automatic updates.  (Most computers are small consumers of power compared to the refrigerator, air-conditioning and 100-Watt lightbulbs)
6. ! Delete email older than 3 years (a waste of space, and it may slow your email down).
7. ! Run anti-spyware software every week.  Spybot S&D is a good one (also free).

Penetration-Testing Tools You Need to Know
by Wolf Halton - Author, Speaker, Researcher
(co-author of Computer Security and Penetration Tools)
11:30 AM - 12:15 PM
Ballroom C
April 29th 2008
Cobb Galleria Centre
Two Galleria Parkway
Atlanta, Georgia 30339
Telephone: 770-955-8000

TWO DAY CONFERENCE $195
Conference Sessions, Conference Keynote Breakfast, Conference Reception, Exhibits and Open Sessions (Includes Lunch & 12 CPE Certificate of Attendance)

SECUREWORLD + $695
Extended Training Opportunities - Includes Two Day Conference Tracks
(16 CPE Certificate of Attendance)

EXHIBITS/OPEN SESSIONS…FREE
Exhibits / Open Sessions (Available With Online or On-site Registration)

http://secureworldexpo.com

An Internet search can net you hundreds of penetration testing tools, but which tools are going to help you the most to protect your network? What tools would you use in conjunction to see what was really going on in your wired network. The tools must be easy to use, and it must provide the best test you are capable of. Wolf Halton, security expert and open-source consultant, is here to set the story straight by giving you a “How to” virtual demonstration using the two best penetration tools available.

The Open Source movement has raised fear in the hearts of the closed-source traditional community. They consider the mere concept of making source-code readily available to be equivalent to letting people steal their corporate intellectual property. In response to this fear, software manufacturers have spent huge sums of money to infect you with this fear and make you suspicious of open-source projects and doubt the prudence of using open-source software in your organizations. Mostly, open source software distributors have not risen to the challenge to refute the claims. Wolf Halton, security expert and open-source consultant, presents The Seven Security Secrets of Open Source, to show you ways to improve profitability and lower the costs of doing business by using Open Source software.

Though my segment is non-free, the open Exhibit speakers are good.
OPENING KEYNOTE April 29, 2008
(Open Session) 9:30AM
Jeff Bardin, Director, Risk Management, EMC2
Cyber Jihad

April 30, 2008
INFRAGARD KEYNOTE BREAKFAST
(Open Session)
Keynote Speaker 9:30AM
Johnny Long, Professional Hacker,
Author & Researcher
“No-Tech Hacking”

LUNCHEON KEYNOTE 12:30PM
(Open Session)-Paid Conference Includes Lunch
Gordon Mitchell, President, Future Focus
How to Become A Counter-Spy in Three Easy Steps

LUNCHEON KEYNOTE 12:00PM
(Open Session)-Paid Conference Includes Lunch
Roger G. Johnston Ph.D., Manager, Vulnerability Assessment Team
Smirking and Vulnerability Assessments

So look at the SecureWorldExpo site for all the details. I look forward to seeing you there!