Tag: internet
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Security issues in ADSL and other routers
I’ve never been a fan of using ADSL/Wifi routers as the main firewall for a network ( which unfortunately ends up being the case for most home users ). These are devices built to the cheapest price, using the cheapest software development and generally, there are very few ( if any updates ) for security…
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The people we trust
The right to privacy in the new social era is no longer a given. In fact, many say that you should expect to have no privacy with information made available on the Internet. I’m a half and half kinda guy in this argument. On the one hand, pure social media information should be assumed to…
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Personal security, Digital Security and Identity Theft
We live our lives in an always-on digital world these days. Medical, banking, shopping, services, mobile, multimedia – all of these are engaged with and executed on-line. Along with a whole host of threats including viruses, malware, phishing, pharming, advanced persistent threats and more. Not only do we have to deal with threats from the…
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The cloud and security
Moving your applications and data into the cloud presents a paradox when talking about security. A recent Thales survey found that over 60% of respondents thought that the cloud provider was responsible for protecting their sensitive and/or confidential data. And over 50% said they didn’t know what their cloud provider does to protect their data.…
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WordPress 3.5.2 updates security
For those using WordPress, you’ll be happy to know that version 3.5.2 has just been released with a number of fixes including SSRF ( server-side request forgery ) attacks, a number of components updated to fix XSS ( cross-site scripting ) holes and DoS ( denial of service ) attacks on WordPress’ post password protection…
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Linkedin security issues with DNS redirection
Starting yesterday, Linkedin went offline for a period of time due to a DNS redirection problem. Essentially when going to the www.linkedin.com site, one would in actual fact be visiting an alternate site that was not actually Linkedin. This issue is generally known as DNS Hijacking. Data that may have been compromised due to users…
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SARS e@syFile issues
e@syFile is SARS’ client tool to manage your taxes and payroll components. It can work in an off-line mode, but allows you to connect via the Internet to SARS once you are ready to submit documents. With regards to usability, the tool is pretty poor. Having followed the process myself for PAYE Reconciliation, I can…
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ADSL Router Security in the crosshairs
It’s long been a bugbear of mine when ADSL modems are used at the perimeter of networks as the security device/firewall. Including the fact that many of these units are made to the lowest cost possible and have many vulnerabilities, they are holy unsuited to the task of providing decent security. That’s why I always…
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Aaron Swartz and freedom of information
I had a passing knowledge of Aaron but did not know too much about him beyond his involvement in Reddit. It’s very sad nonetheless to hear of his passing this weekend past. At his own hand shows perhaps a despair he may have had as a result of his legal issues. Aaron’s story will ring…
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A little hackathon
I recently decided to move my Joomla installation from v1.5 to 2.5, a not-inconsiderable task considering that there is no direct upgrade from 1.5. It took some time to get the Jupgrade free tool working but finally I got all my content moved across. Of course, 1.5 templates are not compatible and so started a…
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Email delivery ( and some other stuff about email )
Email is still the single most used communications tool on the internet and will probably remain so for some time to come. We send in the region of 300 Billion emails per day and for the most part, everything just works. On the face of it, email is simple: compose, address and send. But behind…
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csync CLI usage and mirall tuning
This post provides ad collates information regarding the client components which is not provided as yet by ownCloud. csync cli usage The ownCloud csync version uses the same syntax as the original csync but with a differing url syntax/module. 1. create a folder/repository through the web interface that you will sync to 2. choose a…
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Who is looking at who
Analysis of website usage is a huge part of understanding how to improve websites, how to give visitors a better surfing experience and how to maximise the time a visitor spends on a site ( potentially purchasing items while they are there ). SEO, or search engine optimisation, goes hand in hand with site analysis…
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SA Radio getting even crazier
The saga between NetDynamix ( the provider of streaming services to BallzVisual Radio and 2OceansVibe Radio ) and Shawn Dewberry, the author of a scathing report into possible over-inflated statistics provided by NetDynamix, has continued through the last week. MyBroadband, a leading SA online tech news site, asked Chris Grant, NetDynamix CEO, for a number…
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SA Radio gets a little crazy this week
Earlier this week, Shaun Deswberry released a post slating the listener/viewer statistics that had been released by NetDynamix, the company that streams the Ballz Visual Radio and 2Oceansvibe Radio online stations.He backed this up with a lot of reasonably sounding technical detail so it was surprising that NetDynamix immediately went on the offensive and said…