Category: General

Anticipated Storm-Bot Attack Begins

Paul
Overview and Blocking Information

Shortly after 0000 GMT 24-DEC-2007 reports came in indicating that the Storm Botnet was sending out another wave of attempts to enlist new members. This version is a Christmas-themed stripshow directing victims to merrychristmasdude.com.

The message comes in with a number of subjects:

Subject: I love this Carol!
Subject: Santa Said, HO HO HO
Subject: Christmas Email
Subject: The Perfect Christmas
Subject: Find Some Christmas Tail
Subject: Time for a little Christmas Cheer

Updated subjects:
“Merry Christmas To All”
“Warm Up this Christmas”
“Mrs. Clause Is Out Tonight!”
“The Twelve Girls Of Christmas”
“Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells”
“Cold Winter Nights”

The body is something similar to:

do you have a min?



This Christmas, we want to show you something you will really enjoy. Forget all the stress for two min and feast your eyes on these.  ;-) 

http://merry christmasdude.com/

[the domain was interrupted for your protection]

I recommend that you apply blocks on that domain (merrychristmasdude.com) for both outbound HTTP requests and incoming emails.

[Via SANS.ORG]

Well whoever is controlling this bot net doesn’t believe in Christmas! ;P In my Previous Article: Some Important programs to prevent yourself from having viruses, I talked about how to prevent some of this if you don’t want to get a virus or a Bot, go check out it again! There are some important steps to prevent yourself from being compromised.

It is the time of Season!!

Paul

As most of you know the internet has made it easy to order stuff for Christmas for the kids, well here’s my little story of an order that went wrong!!

Dec 24,
My wife was supposed to get a package from UPS.

  • At 2:06PM it was delivered. To someone we do not know.

My wife calls UPS and they cant’ get a hold of the driver until the next business day.

  • The next business day is The day after Christmas!! 🙁


I’m guessing the driver is still new to this or had to many packages to deliver and it went to a house it shouldn’t!! My question, Should I call each of the houses around here with the last name on the deliver slip or should I wait?

These are the questions of the day. After all I’ve went through this week with Sore Throat and Fever you can imagine how this just makes the cake more sour!! 🙁 I guess it will be Up to the UPS people to find out what went wrong. Hopefully we either get it back or we get our money back!!

I will be on Geek News Central 24hr for an Hour

Paul

Geek News Central is have a 24 hour Marathon to raise money to the OLPC. OLPC for people who don’t know is the One Laptop Per Child. This is an excellent opportunity to help out where there is no technology. I encourage you to donate to this cause, even a dollar will help out.

Donation can be made for Geek News Central Here:

However I told Todd Cochran I’d be happy to help out. If you would like to join me. Here is a list of few participants that I think you’d like to hear:

  • 1400 HST, 1600 PST, 1900 EST
  • Paul Sylvester and I Talk Podcasting 101
  • 1730 HST, 1930 PST, 2230 EST
  • 1830 HST, 2030 PST, 2330 EST
  • 1930 HST, 2130 PST, 0030 EST
  • 0400 EST, 0600 PST, 0900 EST

    • There are more people going to do this and I strongly suggest you go over to the Geek News Central Website and find out all of the participants for this day. I am sure you will find it most enlightening.

    Keep Windows Up to Date Quickly with Appupdater

    Paul

    appupdater_cropped.jpg

    Windows only: Install and remove programs, update all your applications at once and build your own Linux-style repository for Windows with AppUpdater, an unassuming but powerful free program for Windows. Similar to the Apt or Yum applications in Linux, AppUpdater saves you browsing time and guess work while installing from a big list of programs, including a number of Lifehacker favorites—but you can roll your own repository of programs as well. But Appupdater is more than just a low-tech installer—its real power lies in two simple commands.

    Once you’ve got a good set of programs installed, you simply run (or schedule an automatic process to run) two lines from the Windows command prompt to make sure you’ve got the latest of everything:

    Appupdater [via Hackosis]

    [Via Lifehacker]

    This is a appget like program but it is very useful!! Check it out and see for yourself!!

    Intel to delay 45nm quads – report

    Paul

    ACCORDING TO A REPORT, Intel has decided to postpone the launch of its 45nm quad-core CPUs because AMD is in such a mess.

    Digitimes said it learned from motherboard makers that the chippery was scheduled to launch in January next year. But now the mobo mob have coughed that the launch will be put back a month or two.

    [Via Inquirer]

    I thought Intel was supposed to be paranoid? Is this a new business strategy to get a better processor ready before they send it out?