Joel Esler

Taliban pose as pretty women on Facebook, dupe soldiers | ZDNet

2012-09-10T08:25:00.001-05:00

Taliban pose as pretty women on Facebook, dupe soldiers | ZDNet:

Speaking of Facebook, here is another cautionary tale about being careful who you talk to online. Just because they say they are a woman, doesn't mean they are.

Please leave comments below.

How to secure your Facebook account

2012-09-10T08:23:00.001-05:00

How to secure your Facebook account | ITProPortal.com

Some good tips here, just how to make sure the following settings are setup the best you can for privacy. Not really a lot of content, but good to forward to that person in your life that needs a bit of help.

Privacy settings
Ads, apps, and websites

Mountain Lion: How to get the most out of iMessage

2012-07-28T12:14:00.000-05:00

So, now that Mountain Lion has been released for everyone I thought I'd write a quick blog post on how to get the most out of iMessages (now called Messages) on your iOS device and your Desktop.

If you are an Apple Ecosystem person (iOS + OSX) you'll love it. Messages is the replacement for iChat and it allows you to have the same conversation with anyone that is in the iOS ecosystem across all your devices all at the same time.

So here's how to get the most out of it.

Open Messages, the icon looks like the above picture. In your preferences, you need to set up your iMessages account. I use my iCloud account, (me.com), but you can use any email address I believe. So, add your iMessages account. Enter all your email addresses there on the bottom, it may ask you to verify them (at which point Apple will send you an email through the account that you entered to ensure you actually own that account):

The next setting to pay attention to is the "Caller ID". Pay particular attention here because you are going to want to set that to be the same as your iOS device. This is the awesome part where everything becomes one.

Then you should be good to go on the desktop.

Now let's setup iOS to be exactly the same. So go into your Settings in iOS, and go to Messages. It should look something like this:

Tap on that with your finger. Take a look at the settings and set those up how you want them.

But you'll see a section that says something to the effect of "Send & Receive":

Note: I am using the developers preview of iOS 6 to take these screenshots, so your screen will look different.

Go in there and add all the same email addresses that you added on your Desktop. Also, on the bottom, you will see "Caller ID". Set the Caller ID to be the same as what you put on your Desktop. On your iOS devices, I'd suggest NOT setting it as your phone number. I set mine as my iCloud email address, as that address has my phone name right in it and it's pretty obvious to the recipient who is sending a message.

Repeat this process if you have multiple OSX Desktop machines (laptops), iPads, iPhones, whatever.

After this process is complete, whenever you have a conversation through iMessage, it'll be the same on all your devices. Desktop, iPad, iPhone whatever. When people answer you back, it'll go to all your devices.

This allows you to start a conversation on your Desktop, pick up your iPad, go to a meeting, have the same conversation going on seamlessly, no syncing with anything, and keep going in the same conversation. Have to leave the meeting to go somewhere? Pick up your iPhone, because the conversation will be exactly the same.

If everyone in the ecosystem did this, it would be a seamless network of interaction between everyone. I love it. I hope that Apple will streamline this setup process a little bit, (like unifying the phone number and email address, and allowing the setup of the accounts in one place, and those settings pushed through iCloud to all devices, so that everything is the same)

One more thing.

Open up Facetime. Open up your preferences in Facetime, and set everything up the same way. That way, your Facetime is also ubiquitous everywhere.

Please leave comments below.

@Sparrow, I have a feature request

2012-07-01T17:41:00.000-05:00

In the Gmail interface, if you are in the middle of a "conversation" there is a black arrow to the message you are currently working with. That way you can put the arrow on a specific email and then hit enter to expand that message. The current Sparrow interface doesn't have the black arrow to see where you are in the conversation.

That being said, if you are in the middle of a thread (where there are new messages appended to an already thick stack of messages in a conversation that is collapsed when you reopen it), the black arrow should be by default placed on the new (non collapsed message), as Gmail does.

This is all for consistency in between the two platforms, and the need for the keyboard shortcuts (the best feature of Sparrow IMO) to function exactly the same as Gmail's.

Please leave comments below.

Documents in the Cloud

2012-06-20T09:54:00.000-05:00

Dear Apple,

I see that in your presentation you told us that apps like Preview and TextEdit would have the ability to save to iCloud, and thusly all your documents would be pushed to all your devices.

So my question is, what in iOS 6 is going to allow us to read TextEdit documents on the iPhone/iPad? Are you going to sync PDFs (that are saved in Preview, per your demonstration) to iBooks? Or are you going to have a separate iOS app for PDF's?

Just a couple of simple questions I'd like to be able to have an answer to.

Thanks.

Please leave comments below.

Apple Hardens Security with Mac OS X 10.7.4 and Safari 5.1.7

2012-05-09T16:14:00.001-05:00

TidBITS Safe Computing: Apple Hardens Security with Mac OS X 10.7.4 and Safari 5.1.7:

What a fantastic idea.

From the article:

Safari will now check the version of Flash you are running and disable it if it is not capable of updating itself to a current version. Flash versions 10.1.102.64 (yes, that’s a version number, not an IP address) and older don’t include the capability to update themselves to new releases, requiring users to update manually. Newer versions will self-update as Adobe releases fixes, which minimizes the chances a user will be exposed to Flash-related security issues.

It also fixes this error:

Mac OS X 10.7.4 fixes a security error introduced in 10.7.3 that exposed a user’s password if they upgraded to Lion while leaving the legacy version of FileVault enabled. The flaw was due to a developer leaving debugging code enabled, which logged the user’s password in plain text. This problem affected only the older version of FileVault that encrypted a user’s home directory, as opposed to the FileVault 2 feature enabled in Lion that encrypts the entire disk. To be exposed, you would have had to upgrade a legacy FileVault system to Lion and keep the older FileVault in place.
Although this extremely serious bug essentially negated any password security on affected systems, relatively few users were likely exposed.

I believe this pcap to be bad.

2012-05-04T09:00:00.000-05:00



Alerts (2.9.2.2, dump-1.pcap)

1:18275:9       FILE-IDENTIFY HyperText Markup Language file download request     Alerts: 1

1:16425:15      FILE-IDENTIFY Portable Executable binary file download request     Alerts: 3

1:21860:1       SPECIFIC-THREATS Phoenix exploit kit post-compromise behavior     Alerts: 4

1:21042:4       BLACKLIST URI possible Blackhole post-compromise download attempt - .php?f=     Alerts: 1

1:21492:12      SPECIFIC-THREATS Blackhole landing page with specific structure - prototype catch     Alerts: 3

1:21347:3       BLACKLIST URI possible Blackhole URL - .php?page=                Alerts: 1

1:13245:2       BACKDOOR troya 1.4 runtime detection - init connection           Alerts: 2

1:21646:6       SPECIFIC-THREATS Blackhole landing page with specific structure - prototype catch     Alerts: 2

1:11192:12      FILE-IDENTIFY download of executable content                     Alerts: 2

120:8:1         (http_inspect) INVALID CONTENT-LENGTH OR CHUNK SIZE              Alerts: 1

1:20494:6       FILE-IDENTIFY PDF file magic detected                            Alerts: 1

1:21583:4       FILE-PDF Possible malicious pdf detection - qwe123               Alerts: 1

1:21556:3       POLICY-OTHER Microsoft Windows 98 User-Agent string              Alerts: 4

1:648:12        SHELLCODE x86 NOOP                                               Alerts: 3

1:21548:1       BOTNET-CNC Cutwail landing page connection attempt               Alerts: 1

1:15306:16      FILE-IDENTIFY Portable Executable binary file magic detected     Alerts: 2

1:21418:1       BOTNET-CNC Trojan.FareIt outbound connection                     Alerts: 1

1:22041:2       SPECIFIC-THREATS Blackhole landing redirection page              Alerts: 1

I could be wrong. Don't think I am.

Please leave comments below.

8 Simple Tips to Secure a Mac from Malware, Viruses, & Trojans

2012-04-09T07:31:00.001-05:00

8 Simple Tips to Secure a Mac from Malware, Viruses, Trojans:

As much as it pains me to put this on my blog, here is a link to a article over at OSX Daily. Any article that recommends uninstalling Adobe, I'm down with.

Take a look.

Safari 5.1.4 now available

2012-03-12T12:54:00.001-05:00

Safari 5.1.4 now available, fixes issues and improves performance | TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog:

Improve JavaScript performance
Improve responsiveness when typing into the search field after changing network configurations or with an intermittent network connection
Address an issue that could cause webpages to flash white when switching between Safari windows
Address issues that prevented printing U.S. Postal Service shipping labels and embedded PDFs
Preserve links in PDFs saved from webpages
Fix an issue that could make Flash content appear incomplete after using gesture zooming
Fix an issue that could cause the screen to dim while watching HTML5 video
Improve stability, compatibility and startup time when using extensions
Allow cookies set during regular browsing to be available after using Private Browsing
Fix an issue that could cause some data to be left behind after pressing the "Remove All Website Data" button

Path uploads your entire iPhone address book to its servers

2012-02-08T08:16:00.000-05:00

Path uploads your entire iPhone address book to its servers

I guess my appropriate reaction here would be..

Well. WTF!?

Don't use anything by Path.

Let's make TCP faster - The official Google Code blog

2012-01-23T20:44:00.000-05:00

Let's make TCP faster - The official Google Code blog

Interesting Article here.

Samsung Commits To Increasing Smartphone Battery Life In 2012, Hopes For All-Day Use

2012-01-18T08:16:00.000-05:00

Samsung Commits To Increasing Smartphone Battery Life In 2012, Hopes For All-Day Use:

Headlines don't get any easier to write than that.

Quality.

Latest Snort provides alarm for industrial control systems

2012-01-12T13:36:00.000-05:00

Latest Snort provides alarm for industrial control systems - The H Security: News and Features
:

Nice publicity for Snort 2.9.2. as result of years of work.

If you are having problems with your flowbits

2011-12-07T16:20:00.001-05:00

I moved this post over to the Snort.org blog:

http://blog.snort.org/2011/12/if-you-are-having-problems-with-your.html

iOS code suggests Apple could bring iChat to iPhones and iPads

2011-11-19T12:11:00.000-05:00

AppleInsider | iOS code suggests Apple could bring iChat to iPhones and iPads

From the "duh" department. Apple would be stupid not to combine iChat, Facetime, and iMessage.

It would be awesome.

FILE_DATA_PORTS error in Snort, SOLVED

2011-11-05T15:25:00.001-05:00

I'm basically putting this post up for Google to index it and maybe it'll help some people solve the problem in the future.

PortVar Lookup failed on '$FILE_DATA_PORTS'

If you came to this blog post by searching for the above error, or if you have the above error in Snort, you should read this post on the VRT blog that we wrote. It'll help solve your problem:

http://vrt-blog.snort.org/2011/11/say-hello-to-file-identify-category.html

There. Check that out.

Yield Thought, this guy swapped his MacBook for an iPad+Linode

2011-11-04T16:13:00.002-05:00

Yield Thought, I swapped my MacBook for an iPad+Linode:

This guy is nuts. I could never do this. Even though 99% of my work is done via screen @ work as well.

Interesting though.

(whoops)

A Sister’s Eulogy for Steve Jobs - NYTimes.com

2011-10-30T16:41:00.000-05:00

A Sister’s Eulogy for Steve Jobs - NYTimes.com

Great read. I've never read her writing. But she's good.

Snort.org Blog: Snort 2.9.1.2 has been posted!

2011-10-20T15:18:00.000-05:00

Snort.org Blog: Snort 2.9.1.2 has been posted!: Snort 2.9.1.2, a minor bug fix, has just been posted to the Snort.org website.

Check out the blog post there!

MacOSX Flashback Trojan is covered by ClamAV

2011-10-19T14:50:00.000-05:00

So called because it looks like an Adobe Flash Installer. There seems to be a ton of news around this Trojan on various Mac-related websites. http://www.tuaw.com/2011/10/19/trojan-variation-disables-mac-malware-protection/ for instance.

We wrote protection for this in ClamAV about 5 days ago. I know a lot of Mac users run ClamAV, so I just thought I'd throw this out there.

Please leave comments below.

Apple - Remembering Steve Jobs

2011-10-19T08:19:00.000-05:00

Apple - Remembering Steve Jobs:

One more thing...

Apple today put up a "Remembering Steve" site. Where you can basically go and read emails from the people that wrote in at rememberingsteve@apple.com.

Nice tribute. Apparently today the Apple employees are attending a "remembrance" service for Steve. Apparently this won't be broadcast to the world. Too bad, I am sure many would have watched it.

Please leave comments below.

E-mail improvements in iOS 5 - iPhone J.D.

2011-10-19T08:17:00.000-05:00

E-mail improvements in iOS 5 - iPhone J.D.:

Sorry, a link to another interesting iOS 5 article. Sorry if I am not adding a bunch of color commentary to each of these articles. I am blogging them because I think they are of interest to the readers of my blog. (Which, according to the stats, most of you run OSX.)

I am sure some of my friends will accuse me of trying to draw hits to my blog instead of twittering about the article directly. Here's the truth to that: When I post to my blog, Twitter picks up the article and tweets it immediately. If I don't post to my blog and only to twitter, the readers of my blog through direct links and RSS feeds won't get the article.

So it's a loss either way. So I post on the blog, and it goes to both.

Anyway... read the article. ;)

Please leave comments below.

My Dinner With Android - Four months with Android: reflections, grievances and some tenuous metaphors bundled up into a weighty tome

2011-10-19T08:10:00.000-05:00

My Dinner With Android - Four months with Android: reflections, grievances and some tenuous metaphors bundled up into a weighty tome:

Interesting article, no matter if you are an Android user or an iOS user. He makes a couple interesting points in the article. One being, you can't approach Android like you are using iOS, it just doesn't work like that. Vise Versa as well.

I have a friend that has had an Android phone for awhile, and recently moved to the iPhone 4S. We were talking yesterday and he mentioned to me that it was very strange. I answered him saying that you can't approach iOS like you do with Android.

Another quote from the article that is pointed:

"Fans of Android, let’s not tiptoe around this: Android exists because it is a rip off of iOS. Sure, it has grown into its own in a lot of ways, but its roots are decidedly placed at the introduction of iOS in 2007. Consider the before and after that caused a stir last year. Things changed when the iPhone came out. Apple changed the mobile phone game, and Google did a one-eighty to realign with what they recognized to be a better direction."

Steve Jobs narrates The Crazy Ones

2011-10-07T09:52:00.000-05:00

Steve Jobs narrates The Crazy Ones:

One of my favorite Steve Jobs "things".

Please leave comments below.

Bad-Lip Reading

2011-10-07T08:10:00.002-05:00

Tremendous work.

More here

Please leave comments below.