information

Wed
12
Dec
Dennis Faas's picture

Wireless Keyboards Handy For Hackers, Too

Security experts have found a way to intercept information from Microsoft's wireless keyboards, and warn that other brands could also be at risk. The affected keyboards don't use the popular Bluetooth technology, but instead broadcast on a very ... short radio frequency. Most surprisingly, the encryption appears to be shockingly weak. It turns out that much only the keystrokes themselves are encrypted, not any of the background information such as that used to synchronise the keyboard and computer. Shockingly, the same encryption key (the code needed to decipher the data) is used for the entire ... (view more)

Fri
23
Nov
Dennis Faas's picture

British Government Leaks Bank Details of 25 Million

The British government has admitted losing a compact disc containing the personal details of 25 million people. The scandal has led to concerns that criminals could use the information for identity fraud or to access online bank accounts. The disc, ... which contains details of every family receiving child benefit (a form of social security paid for all children), was produced by a junior official at Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC), the British tax department. The official put two passwords on the disc, but did not encrypt the information. They then sent the disc to another government ... (view more)

Fri
23
Nov
Dennis Faas's picture

Being Phished? What to do!

Do you think you've been a victim of a phishing scam? First of all, don't call or write us here at Infopackets! Unfortunately, we can't do anything for you, other than tell others to be careful! But here are some things you can do that will help ... ... Phishing is done through email and it is a big problem. In the past year alone, I have received thousands of emails that included huge lottery winnings from just about everyone in Europe, folks that were dying from cancer, car and plane crashes, and, of all things, tooth decay, part time job offers, and all sorts of "official" messages from ... (view more)

Mon
15
Oct
Dennis Faas's picture

Parts of Vista Incorporated Into Windows XP SP3

Since the introduction of Windows Vista, a lot of the emphasis has been on Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1) and little has has been mentioned regarding Service Pack 3 (SP3) for Windows XP. It was originally assumed that Windows XP SP3 would simply ... be a rolled up collection of bug fixes and patches but there reportedly seems to be more to it than that. Recently, Microsoft released a beta of Windows XP SP3 to a select group of testers reportedly labeled as build 3205, weighing in at 334.92 MBs. Originally reported by NeoSmart , XP SP3 contains 1,073 hotfixes and patches released since XP SP2 ... (view more)

Fri
12
Oct
Dennis Faas's picture

Reasons XP Will Continue To Thrive

When Windows Vista was released to the public in January of this year, it was expected to replace Windows XP. Unfortunately for Microsoft, businesses and consumers have been avoiding Vista like the plague for a wide variety of reasons, and it seems ... the over-priced, overrated operating system won't be improving a whole lot in the near future. A recent article from Tech Blorge listed four signs indicating Microsoft will continue to support Windows XP for a while to come. After the four reasons given by Tech Blorge, I've added a few other reasons as well. Here are the four signs given by Tech ... (view more)

Tue
18
Sep
Dennis Faas's picture

How Secure is the Vista Registry?

We've noted in the past how easy Windows Vista makes it to track your computing habits and all the information it maintains. Joe Wilcox from Microsoft Watch has a disturbing article that shows how dangerous the Windows Vista registry can be. After ... searching his Windows Vista registry he found some disturbing personal information such as his name, address and phone number, online account user names, software registration codes and some information that identified some of his online accounts. Needless to say, coming across that information didn't give him a warm and fuzzy feeling. This time, ... (view more)

Wed
01
Aug
Dennis Faas's picture

Microsoft, The DoD and Windows

After coming across the information from the "Does Windows Vista Send Information to the Government?" story , I decided to do a little research on Microsoft, the Department of Defense (DoD) and the National Security Agency (NSA). What I found was ... very interesting, and it raises some serious questions. It's not clear what software was being used by my source as I wrote that previous post. He may be using some sort of file sharing or peer 2 peer (p2p) program. He posted pictures of a log from the peerguardian 2 program, software that isn't listed as compatible with Windows Vista. Just because ... (view more)

Wed
01
Aug
Dennis Faas's picture

Canadian Predators Roam MySpace

Is MySpace safe? It may be hard to answer yes to this question since, as of July 25, 2007, 29,000 registered offenders had created profiles on the world's most popular social networking community. (Source: businessweek.com ) Before you cancel your ... Internet service and sell the kids' computer, find comfort in the fact that things will be changing for the better. MySpace has teamed up with Sentinel Tech to create technology to banish registered offenders from its site. However, the new measures do not apply to Canada. But, don't be too eager to point fingers at MySpace. Ottawa's information ... (view more)

Mon
23
Jul
Dennis Faas's picture

Microsoft's Appeal Soon to see a Verdict

On September 17, the European Court of First Instance will present its verdict in Microsoft Corporation's antitrus appeal. The appeal, which has taken more than three years to render an outcome, relates to Microsoft's mistreatment of its ... competitors. "By bundling Windows Media Player, its audio and video playing software, into Windows, Microsoft competed unfairly against rivals such as Real Networks Inc. and Apple Inc., the Commission ruled. And by failing to share technical information about how to interoperate with Windows PCs, Microsoft managed to steal a march in the market for low-end ... (view more)

Thu
12
Jul
Dennis Faas's picture

Can Minicomputers Save a Species?

Technology has allowed us to save time and energy, but can it save an endangered species? In Deerfield River, Massachusetts, computer engineers looking to test new wireless communication networks have teamed up with biologists looking to track local ... area snapping turtles. It's a species that has many people worried that their extinction is inevitable due to the rapid expansion of nearby land development. The project to save said turtles is school-related, and is whole-heartedly endorsed by the University of Massachusetts. Using a combination of orthodontic cement and duct tape, students ... (view more)

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