DCN Services: technologeneral
General Technical Musing from the Staff at Dyess Computer & Networking Services, LLC.
04/11/17
Subtitled: I pay a doctor so I don’t have to learn medicine
We will get back to the equipment cleaning conversation, but today I wanted to look at an article I came across while scanning through slashdot.org. The article is “New Malware Intentionally Bricks IoT Devices” and was originally published at (among other places) bleepingcomputer.com (An amazing resource for all things anti-malware, especially if you want to do it your self, but need some guidance on how to do that). I am sorry it is so long, but there was a lot I needed to go over (read “rant about”).
Without rehashing the article, it is linked, a summary could read something like this: Someone, somewhere, is tired of the fact that many (most?) IoT devices have crappy security (both inherently and because manufacturers set defaults at the lowest settings), and rather than allowing them to sit there with a sign that says, “botnets welcome here,” has decided that if neither the manufacturer nor the end user could be bothered to secure it, that it didn’t deserve to be allowed on the internet.
Now, slashdot is a forum style news aggregator frequented by techies and geeks and such (I feel right at home 
), and predominantly (as of last perusal), the overwhelming vibe there was, well basically, “Go Team.” or as a /.er posting anonymously put it, “It’s one of those rare times when I can say that I know what they are doing is wrong, but I understand. I don’t support them. I’m just not going to stop them. I won’t root for them, at least not out loud.”
), and predominantly (as of last perusal), the overwhelming vibe there was, well basically, “Go Team.” or as a /.er posting anonymously put it, “It’s one of those rare times when I can say that I know what they are doing is wrong, but I understand. I don’t support them. I’m just not going to stop them. I won’t root for them, at least not out loud.”
So, why the conflicting statements. Why is this bad and yet oh so good? I mean, we are talking about something akin to me coming into your house and bashing your television to pieces with a baseball bat (or cricket bat if you prefer), because you don’t have an alarm or reasonable lock on your doors (or because you use the same key that comes with every model of that door). So why would anyone root the perpetrator on?
- People love vigilantes (look at almost every superhero ever made, half or more of all action movies, and the deep seated feeling that sometimes the only way to fix something is to do it yourself.)
- People love when someone else’s hubris leads to their downfall. (used here to include, “it can’t happen to me”, “what do I have that anyone would want”, “Everything else I want to do is more important than securing that.”) It is the entire reason “Greek Tragedy” is a thing…that and the Ancient Greeks needed something to do before the advent of computers.
and finally, - Tech people KNOW that security is more important than the usefulness of your device (except when it isn’t)because the security of your device effects the security of all the other devices. And they KNOW that the only way to cause a true change is to either make the change they want so appealing nobody would do without it, or make the status quo so painful to maintain that no one is willing to do it. The first is next to impossible in the security world. No one (except geeks and techies) wants devices that are harder to get into and use. And no one (same comment) wants a continuous learning curve on how to configure those devices themselves.
The second method only works if you go to extremes. You don’t believe me?
You are aware that there are people with, well, a particular set of skills, that enable them to get into your computers, phones, DVRs, and other electronic devices, can track the things you are doing on the internet, and use all of that information to break into your accounts and steal your money or your identity, or use your devices to cause damage to other people and companies.
You know this and you still (most likely) do some or all of the following:
- Have no antivirus/anti-spyware installed on your computer(s) (or have the one that was forced on you…I mean came bundled with the system you bought).
- Not having your AV/AS doing active scans.
- Still using Windows Vista (Bad) or XP (Worse)
- Use the same password or passwords to access everything
- Use a password or pin that has any of thew following: names, ages, Birthdate or years, words you can find in the dictionary, or commonly used patterns.
- Use passwords that are too short.
- Use an administrator account on your computer for general use.
- Leave the default username and password enabled and in use on anything (this should be changed before you do anything else to the system)
- Accept End User License Agreements without reading them.
- Accept the default settings for anything without understanding what it means and the security implications (or worse, not looking at the settings at all).
- Don’t complain to software, hardware, or system vendors when they are not providing up to date security options with their products.
- and finally, assuming that malware are Pokemon and that your favorite AV or AS product will “Catch ‘em All” (It won’t. We use a combination of about 10 different tools that find and remove specific types of malware, including viruses, worms, trojans, adware, spyware, tracking cookies, rootkits, and other undesirable software, programs, and modifications.)
And the reason you probably still do all of that is, because it is hard (it is) and it is time consuming (more than you would believe) and it is a big world… surely it won’t happen to me (sorry. That is what every one of the hundreds of people who had their devices bricked thought (if they had thought about it at all)).
It is not that the techies and geeks don’t see that the person who set this up is wrong. They see that. They just also see the reason for the incredible frustration directed at both manufacturers and consumers in this little Greek tragedy.
On the other hand, they could be wrong. It could always be some joker just wanting to watch the world burn.
03/30/17
Just like, ”how often should I change my air filter,” and, “when is the best time to plant radishes,” there is an answer to when and how often should I clean the dust and gunk out of my computer, and like the first 2 questions the answer is going to be a range and depend on where you are and and how you use it.
The simple answer is at least every 9 months. Let me say that again AT LEAST every nine months. If they don’t need cleaning that often, you are not running them enough to justify having them. To be clear, every nine months is the minimum, and that is for Home and Office computers that are up on a desk, in rooms with tile or other hard floor, with very little foot traffic, no smoking near it, no animals in the building with it, no eating or drinking nearby, and only adults using it.
So start here:
Home or Office computer: 9 Months
School computer: 6 Months
School computer: 6 Months
Any other computer: 7 Months
The Rules: (You can read the below in Jeff Foxworthy’s voice if it helps).
*If you have Dust generators in the building (I mean Pets, smokers, Bad cooks, Cheap vacuums, woodworkers, sculptors, or people who wear too much perfume), You can subtract 2 months for each category. (If you are in the office of a cigar-smoking carpenter who wears too much perfume and has a German Shepard in his shop, you need to clean that computer every month, or use QuickBooks somewhere else).
* If you have carpet on the floor, the computer on the floor, or eat or drink near the computer, you can subtract another month for each one of those. (I see you over there, laying on the carpet with your laptop, eating french fries, and scrolling through Facebook).
* and finally, if you let a T(w)een use the computer: subtract another month (two if you let kids under 10 use it.)(nothing against kids they just make computers more likely to get dirty)
So, a School computer that kids use, that are on the floor but no carpet or anything else, should have thier computer cleaned every 3 months.
But, if you don’t like simple math, just look at the vents and ports and miscellaneous holes and cracks in you computer case. If you see clumps of dust (of any size), then you should have had it cleaned a month or more ago and should schedule it sooner next time.
Once again, As always, if you have any questions on this or other topics, just send us a message or post in the comments. Have a great day!
03/28/17
Last time we talked about why you should clean out your computer equipment. Today, we are talking about where you should clean that equipment. Sounds like an odd topic for an entire post doesn’t it? You are going to clean it either where it is at or wherever you have space to move around and clean it. Well, read on for some things you might not have thought about.
In 2004, Three environmental groups (silicon valley toxics coalition, computer takeback campaign, and clean production action), Conducted a study of toxins found in household dust. So as to not list everything the found, I will sum it up like this: every chemical (or a byproduct of it) that has ever come into your house can be found in your dust. Think you don’t have dust because you keep a clean house? When was the last time you cleaned out your AC (duct work and all), the inside of your dryer, every piece of electronics with a fan, etc. The inside of your hand mixer has dust in it. Some dust you can see. Watch a sunbeam and see if there is dust falling in it. Some dust, however, you cannot see. I am sure your house is clean, but it is not sterile. Work with me here. 
So, if dust is toxic, how toxic is it, and how much is in your computer? It is toxic enough that some of the compounds found during the study were banned right afterwards (some build up in your body a little more with every exposure). How much is in you computer depends on how much it is generating, how much airflow the case has (in and out), and how often you clean it. Still think it is a good idea to clean these just anywhere?
So, where should you clean your computer equipment? Well, unless you have the equipment to capture the dust as it comes out, you should do the dust removal outside (on a clear, dry, still day). If you do have the equipement, do it wherever you want. After the dust is gone, the remainder of the cleaning can be done on any flat surface that is comfortable to work on in either a standing or sitting position.
That dear friends is where you should clean your computer equipment. Of course, you can always bring them to us and we can clean them, let you know if any hardware is in danger of failing soon, and tune them up for you. As always, if you have any questions on this or other topics, just send us a message or post in the comments. Have a great day!
03/27/17
The answer to that is, “of course not,” unless you just finished cleaning it, and you know you didn’t. Welcome to the first part of a series on the physical cleaning of your computer equipment. I like the 5 W’s, but I like to go through them backwards, so today we will look at why you should spend time and money to clean up that computer or piece of equipment that “has worked just fine since I bought it.” I am sure that your vehicle could also run a good long time on the original oil and air filters, and you might not notice any difference until it died, but someone who knew what to look for would notice. So, why should we clean our computer equipment?
Welcome to the first part of a series on the physical cleaning of your computer equipment. I like the 5 W’s, but I like to go through them backwards, so today we will look at why you should spend time and money to clean up that computer or piece of equipment that “has worked just fine since I bought it.” I am sure that your vehicle could also run a good long time on the original oil and air filters, and you might not notice any difference until it died, but someone who knew what to look for would notice. So, why should we clean our computer equipment?
Cleaning your desktop or laptop accomplishes a few things:
1. To start with the obvious, it makes them look better (read newer). Dust and gunk (like from spilled drinks) makes everything look old, even if it is brand new.
2. It promotes air flow. Unless you have a fancy water/oil/dry-ice-cooled gaming rig, your computer is cooled by a few heatsinks to draw out heat and some fans to disperse the heat. Clogged heatsink or no air flow means no cooling, and overheated parts will soon be dead parts.
3. Reduces wear and tear. Dust and other foreign particles may feel soft and smooth to us, and some of them are, but they will still eat into or bog down moving parts. These particles are the reason your CD/DVD drive stops opening, and the reason that nice cooling fan you bought with the LEDs stops turning. Dust is also the reason those CD/DVD drives start having problems reading media.
4. We also should not forget the effect our love of drinks (you pick the type) has on our computers. Spills, and oil transferred from our skin, can lead to sticky annoying keyboards, corrosion, build up of bacteria, and most dangerous, short circuits (no, not Johnny Five) (If you didn’t get that, don’t worry, nobody else does either).
5. Finally, it is also a fire hazard. (really?) No, but it is important for all of these other reasons. (note: Not saying it isn’t possible, just that it isn’t likely. So, rather than stress about the machine catching fire, have a fire alarm/smoke detector and a fire extinguisher…and clean out the computer).
1. To start with the obvious, it makes them look better (read newer). Dust and gunk (like from spilled drinks) makes everything look old, even if it is brand new.
2. It promotes air flow. Unless you have a fancy water/oil/dry-ice-cooled gaming rig, your computer is cooled by a few heatsinks to draw out heat and some fans to disperse the heat. Clogged heatsink or no air flow means no cooling, and overheated parts will soon be dead parts.
3. Reduces wear and tear. Dust and other foreign particles may feel soft and smooth to us, and some of them are, but they will still eat into or bog down moving parts. These particles are the reason your CD/DVD drive stops opening, and the reason that nice cooling fan you bought with the LEDs stops turning. Dust is also the reason those CD/DVD drives start having problems reading media.
4. We also should not forget the effect our love of drinks (you pick the type) has on our computers. Spills, and oil transferred from our skin, can lead to sticky annoying keyboards, corrosion, build up of bacteria, and most dangerous, short circuits (no, not Johnny Five) (If you didn’t get that, don’t worry, nobody else does either).
5. Finally, it is also a fire hazard. (really?) No, but it is important for all of these other reasons. (note: Not saying it isn’t possible, just that it isn’t likely. So, rather than stress about the machine catching fire, have a fire alarm/smoke detector and a fire extinguisher…and clean out the computer).
There you have it. 5(ish) reasons to clean your computer equipment. Next time we will discuss where you should clean that equipment. I know that sounds weird, but it matters. Any question you have on this or other topics just send us a message, or post in the comments. Have a great day!