"false facts"? arrrggh.. You can't say that!
Posts by Jamie Jones
4306 publicly visible posts • joined 14 Jun 2007
Page:
When we said don't link to the article, Google, we meant DON'T LINK TO THE ARTICLE!
Android apps punched out by Judy malware
Wednesday 31st May 2017 18:34 GMT 
Re: Trying to make it sound unusual?
Why all the downvotes? I just pulled apart a game that created a 24/7 background process that logged ever time you started ANY app (including unix shell commands [it logged my use of ssh], and a fair number of the IP addresses you connect to. This module was part of an ad company sdk. It also included a mechanism to ;ull in a bunch of blacklisted ip addresses, no clue what that was used for.
It's far from the first.
Going to this companies web site, you see their boasts how they provide app developers who use their system with all the apps installed, when they are used, and all web pages the user visits
They say 'with the users consent', but who would agree to that? It's probably buried deep in the terms and conditions.
They are just one of many to do this. I thought it was against googles policy for apps to run in the background without a persistent notification..
WebAssembly fandom kills Google's Portable Native Client
Windows is now built on Git, but Microsoft has found some bottlenecks
We're calling it now: FCC votes 2-1 to rip up net neutrality on Thurs
Leaked: The UK's secret blueprint with telcos for mass spying on internet, phones – and backdoors
Friday 5th May 2017 03:23 GMT
Re: She is working for it
Make June the end of May.
Nice one!
I'm not confident though - it seems that most of our population are turkeys who enjoy Christmas, and are easily spun by media and political hysteria, and don't find the opposition a viable alternative... Where have we seen that recently? :-(
Welsh Linux Mint terror nerd jailed for 8 years
Don't click that Google Docs link! Gmail hijack mail spreads like wildfire
Hackers uncork experimental Linux-targeting malware
Wednesday 26th April 2017 18:49 GMT
Re: @AC Keys good passwords bad
Ah yes, moving to a non-default port makes a hell of a difference.
And before anyone makes the comment, it's not security-by-obscurity, as all the other protections are still in place - but it means the attack attempt logs are a lot smaller. (which in itself could be considered a security benefit)
Just make sure that you are running sshd on a privileged port (either a port < 1024, or, on systems that allow it, a port specifically marked privileged by configured policy)
Wednesday 26th April 2017 18:44 GMT
How did you know mine? Is it in the list of passwords?
That reminds me of a true story. Some years back, I worked for a large company, and it was decided to run password cracking tools against all 20,000 or so users accounts.
Any user who had been compromised was sent a warning email explaining the situation, and that their accounts would be locked in X days if not remedied.
As you can imagine, we had many email responses and call logged. The one that stands out read:
"How do you know my password is "6inches"? - Have you, or any of your staff, ever slept with me?"
(It turned out he had moved department and site a few years prior, and his old account was still active, using the actual guessed weak password and email forwarding.)
Sun sets on eight domain names managed by CentralNic
Linux Mint-using terror nerd awaits sentence for training Islamic State
Tuesday 2nd May 2017 14:40 GMT
Re: USB cufflinks.
0] Thruppence ... trump pence ... I don't give trumppence about the current state of the Oval Office ... There is a really bad, if accurate, joke in there somewhere.
Ever since the first Trump-Pence banners went up, I've been calling him "Thrup"
(and BrExit is Britain Leaves EU - i.e. we BLEU it)
Another career suicide as reporter leaves The Register for broadcaster
Samsung Smart TV pwnable over Wi-Fi Direct, pentester says
Wednesday 26th April 2017 18:27 GMT
Re: But who need a smart TV
I have a eavily modified Beelink R68 android box, (native nfs/ip6 configured/512Gb ssd and usbstick) 5.1 surround sound amp, speakers, 1080p projector producing 95" "screen", air mouse remote control/keyboard, and all for probably a lot less than a top end smart tv.
After watching a bit of TV, I'm now sitting back on my sofa, staring at my wall, typing this message. It's nice having a comfy sofa as ones office!
Cowardly Microsoft buries critical Hyper-V, WordPad, Office, Outlook, etc security patches in normal fixes
As you stare at the dead British Airways website, remember the hundreds of tech staff it laid off
Cloudbleed: Big web brands 'leaked crypto keys, personal secrets' thanks to Cloudflare bug
I was authorized to trash my employer's network, sysadmin tells court
Friday 24th February 2017 12:21 GMT
Surely intentional damage is criminal whether you have authorisation to be there or not?
In my last job, my keycard gave me authorised access to the whole building 24/7.
Forget the obvious machine rooms, what if I'd decided to smash up the bogs, and spray graffiti on the walls? I'm sure I'd have been done for criminal damage despite having permission to be there.
And no-where on my contract did they have the "don't vandalise the bogs" clause.
IANAL etc.
BlackBerry sued by hundreds of staffers 'fooled' into quitting
Sunday 19th February 2017 06:39 GMT
Re: @Yank Lurker Legality
An American web designer friend only had 2 weeks, but even then he was pressured to not take it. One time, he asked for a week off for a holiday. His boss couldn't say no, but casually mentioned how [colleague at similar level] hadn't taken a single day off in the year, adding how the market is tough at the moment, and they may have to reduce development staff.
Fortunately, he's since left there (by his own accord)
Munich may dump Linux for Windows
Tuesday 14th February 2017 10:22 GMT
This seems strange in the current environment
Back when Munich first moved, Windows was far more entrenched in peoples lives that it is now.
Now, just about everyone has an iphone or android phone, and manage the differences just fine. Also, there is more od a shift to cloud/html stuff than before, so the OS is becoming less relevent.
I realise it;s a bit different in an office, but still, alot more OS-agnostic than it was back them.
So, are they saying the original decision was a mistake?
Tuesday 14th February 2017 10:15 GMT
Re: Charlie Clark
Really the same applies to most software now :( MS buggered about the the UX in the great 8.1 failure, Macs have been getting dumber, Google (and Mozilla who seem to slavishly follow them) seem hell-bent on removing anything possibly useful in a web browser. The list goes on and on...
This, this, and bloody well this!
The best of Reg readers' David Hockney-style logo redesigns
Want to come to the US? Be prepared to hand over your passwords if you're on Trump's hit list
Thursday 9th February 2017 11:30 GMT
Re: Such a truly stupid and lazy plan perfectly setup to fail horribly
Why yes, sir, you may have my facebook password.
Look! There's me and the lads chanting Death to America..
Ah yeah, that photo. Haha. that was the first bomb I made, look how amatuerish it is!
Him? Ah, my best mate. With Allahh and 72 virgins now - he took out a bus load of infidels last week.
Vivaldi and me: Just browsing? Nah, I'm sold
More tech companies join anti-Trump battle, but why did some pay for his inauguration?
Conviction by computer is go, confirms UK Ministry of Justice
FYI: Ticking time-bomb fault will brick Cisco gear after 18 months
EU whacks first nail into mobile roaming charges' coffin
Saturday 4th February 2017 22:48 GMT
Who's shit-brained here?
You are.
A SIM from another carrier is not some magical cell-tower hacker. The foreign SIM will only work if the tower is owned by the same company, or a company they have a peering/roaming deal with, so just as they STILL GET paid when Johnny-Forrinner uses his SIM in that country, they will get paid THE SAME when instead a localler uses a SIM imported from Johnny-Forinnerrs country.
This is nothing to do with having a free ride, it's to do with business competition in a free and fair market.
This is about companies addiing artificial costs locally where they can get away with it, and more power to them, BUT as long as there are NO legal restrictions on any company trying to become competition to them.
Saturday 4th February 2017 22:25 GMT
Re: >stir up trouble.
While it is popular (oh, please don't deny it) to chide our American friends on this forum, it very much seems to me that Brexit is an even bigger own goal than Trump, with longer term effects and with weirder motivations than Rep voters deciding to just stick to their party come what may
Thanks for your nice reply, and for what it's worth, I do agree that the critisicm on this site often goes beyond critiscising something going on in America, and into anti-Americanism.
My point is that your point would be more relevent if Brits were moaning about American BRexit criticism.
The American criticisms of anything Brit are actually quite uncommon here - maybe they think it's rude. But I say "Bring it on!". I treat commentators on their words, not their country. I'll either agree, or disagree, but it your argument isn't just an illinformed rant or troll, I will (try to) argues respectively, not pull the 'go away you anti-brit forinner" card.
As for BRexit, yep, disaster. Eu roaming, cross-border media copyright harmonisation (when it comes) and future human rights are all going to be denied to us now. It's the tip of the iceberg.
As for Brexit vs Trump.. Who knows? BRexit is a virtual foregone disasterous conclusion. Trump, could continue to fumble his way through whilst the judges/lawyers/protestrts rein him in. He'll probably be sacked, impeached, or leave out of boredom before 4 years, and it's possible that the damnage would be repairable by the American politicians telling the world "Sorry, we had a mad man in power. He's gone now" (they have no objection to laying into someone who no longer has power and influence) - on the other hand, Trump could fuck things up 'Yuuuuuge" in a way that would make BRexit irrelevant.
Thursday 2nd February 2017 09:39 GMT
You'll find "this Brit", and most of the others here are quite happy to criticise all things "BRexit". We are also quite happy for Americans to do so. Indeed, I value hearing the opinions from across the pond.
This "you aren't from this country, you have no right to criticise" is an almost uniquely American phenomena. (But fortunately, the vast majority of Americans posting here are above such insecurities)
So.. It's a non-issue. It seems that you (as neither a Brit or an American) are just trying to stir up trouble.
GCHQ cyber-chief slams security outfits peddling 'medieval witchcraft'
NHS reply-all meltdown swamped system with half a billion emails
How to secure MongoDB – because it isn't by default and thousands of DBs are being hacked
Sunday 29th January 2017 01:08 GMT
Re: Cue useless drivel as defence
The very concept of multi-user, security and authentication came only with WinNT 3.x, and remained unpolished until W2k/WXP
I thin you'll find that concepts of mult-user, security, and arhentication came much sonner in the computer industry - at least by 20 years
Microsoft cans pay-as-you-go Azure for new MPSA licensees
Monday 16th January 2017 00:12 GMT
Oh fuck off!
" licensing focus was a matter of "enhancing and creating synergies"
Still, you get some points if you are playing Bollocks Bingo!
Trump's cyber-guru Giuliani runs ancient 'easily hackable website'
Sunday 15th January 2017 23:59 GMT
You are totally correct about the software having a fake identifier. . It could also be a server run by a l33t guru who just prefers that version, which is his own personal patched fork.
I know that when I was running web software like phpbb and wordpress, none of the exploits that came out would work on my systems due to my own setups.
There is much more to the security of a machine (both good and bad) than simply the id of some application.
However, in this case, looking at the evidence presented - the poor SSL/TLS rating being the smoking gun - doesn't bode well.
Sunday 15th January 2017 23:50 GMT
Re: Yeah, no surprise
Yeah, how dare Trump presume to be President when he knows next to nothing about computers! The nerve of some people!
There is a big difference between not knowing something, and not knowing you don't know something.
If I was President, and one of the things needing doing was to ensure the wellfare of the elder-fruit eating fruitbat on the East-Side, you can be sure it would be done well.
I know nothing about fruitbats, but I'd find someone who seems to knows enough, who can then find an expert on the subject.
If I totally screwed up my appointment to this important role, I'd expected to be ridiculed on my fruit-bat ignorance.
Bank robber reveals identity – by using his debit card during crime
Insane blackhats behind world's most expensive ransomware 'forget' to backup crypto keys
Friday 6th January 2017 22:24 GMT
Re: Google docs spreadsheet with Ransomware info
Me? Not being a paranoid Daily Mail reader, or a paranoid tinhat wearer, or running windows, or linux, I just clicked on the link directly.
Turns out that my browser doesn't have the access ability to scrub my network, fire abusive texts to my boss, or start world war 3. Who'd have thought it?
Seriously, if you can only safely open links by going through a sandbox or temporary VM, you are either doing it wrong, or have the stupidest OS setup going, and should not be acceseing the internet with it in the first place.
However, if you are just showboating, feeding overly paranoid advice to the populace doesn't help security, the grandstanding just muddies the water.
One must believe you are either a daily mail hack, or an anti-virus writer..
New Android-infecting malware brew hijacks devices. Why, you ask? Your router
Thursday 5th January 2017 07:29 GMT
Re: Comcast
Sorry, but that is 100% your fault for using a Comcast provided device for your wifi network. Turn the wifi off, set the Comcast to bridge mode, and install your own wifi router.
Oh, please, that is the most elitist and apologetic answer ever.
I actually have such a setup myself (with an asus R68 or whatever it's called). I'm not on comcast, but did it because I wanted a system that gave me more control at the router.
However it is totally wrong to excuse Comcast if they do this, and also expect someone to mitigate it the way you describe (although, this being a reply to a comment on a tech site, maybe that isn't too 'out-there' and I was a bit harsh with the elitist comment)
Still, really? Company X does something stupid and it's the customers fault?
Stupid law of the week: South Carolina wants anti-porno chips in PCs that cost $20 to disable
Monday 19th December 2016 23:39 GMT
Politicians arrogance
The thing is, I don't expect all politicians to be generally tech savie. What is most revelaing about them is their arrogance that they know best.
There are MANY subjects I know nothing about, but if I was to make decisions regarding those subjects, I'd bloody well research what the hell I was doing beforehand.
When there were new staff at my last job, I was naturally expected to guide them through issues (it doesn't matter how much you know - every company has rlues/quriks etc. uniquely to them)
My biggest beef, (and those staff that proved most unreliable), was NOT the staff that didn't know something and would ask, it was the ones that didn't know aomething, but either thought that they did, or that they could bullshit through.
I was far more willing to trust a task to someone who may even have been the less knowledgable of the two, knowing that if they were unsure, they'd ask, rather than potentially screw something up entirely.
Is it too much to ask the same of our politicians?
You see it ALL the time in the media: Politicians bullshitting, or spinning, or avoiding. I'd be far more likely to vote for someone who says "You koiw what? I don't know the answer to that, but trust me, I'll find out before progressing any further on the matter."
Biting the hand that feeds IT
