two calls to comcast

one of our accounts got shut off. I called comcast business support to make a payment.

800-391-3000

1st prompt: new or existing crusty

2nd prompt: Zip Code

3rd prompt: tech support, billing....

4th prompt: account details menu

so comcast takes your phone number and zip code, then authenticates you into an account.

In this particular case it happed to not be my account. I before I realized what was happening, I heard info on last payment date/amount, total balance due. hung up.

call #2

existing crust
zip
tech support --> Human

name, address, phone number

three accounts pop (account from 1st call was not one of them).

tech support explanation was that phone number links accounts across all comcast boards (biz/residential).

busted.

new gmail privacy feature

Hey, this is important: We don't have a password recovery email address or phone number for your account. If you lose access, we may not be able to help you.

ubuntu security

this is not a guide.

1. automated sniffing: Snort

2. View Log Files:

sudo gedit /var/log/XXX

3. manual sniffing: TCPDump & WireShark

sudo tcpdump -vvi eth1

installing wireShark ubuntu:

sudo apt-get install wireshark

4.

vulnerability scanner:Nessus

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=27674

sudo apt-get install nessusd nessus nessus-plugins

sudo /etc/init.d/nessusd restart

register nessus.

use this path if you used apt-get:

sudo /bin/nessus-fetch XXXXXXX

sudo update-nessus-plugins

not sure of your path?

dpkg -L nessus

scan result break down




checks for rootKits.

http://www.chkrootkit.org/

./chkrootkit -x | more

examine suspicious strings in the
binary programs that may indicate a trojan

RooTkit Hunter:

sudo apt-get install rkhunter

sudo rkhunter --propupd

then:

sudo rkhunter --check


5. AV

http://www.itsecurity.com/features/ubuntu-secure-install-resource/


Antivirus

• Clam AntiVirus - One of the most popular UNIX based antivirus solutions. Works well with email gateways.
• AVG Anti-Virus - Free version of a popular commercial virus scanner.
• BitDefender - On demand command line/shell script scanner.
• Panda Antivirus - Uses sophisticated software to remove viruses from workstations connected to a Linux server.

6. fine tune the os

turn off bonjour -->

sudo /etc/init.d/avahi-daemon stop

sudo nano /etc/default/avahi-daemon

AVAHI_DAEMON_START=0

sudo /etc/init.d/cups stop


http://www.zolved.com/synapse/view_content/27995/Top_Ten_basic_things_to_know_about_securing_Ubuntu
1. http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=7353

youtube's Privacy Options

I noticed today that there is flag for "privacy mode" in the "customize" options menu for embedding a youTube video. According to google this feature is designed to give user's more control:

We've been working to give our users more options and control over these cookies. One such option is the privacy-enhanced mode for our embed player. This mode restricts YouTube's ability to set cookies for a user who views a web page that contains a privacy-enhanced YouTube embed video player, but does not click on the video to begin playback. YouTube may still set cookies on the user's computer once the visitor clicks on the YouTube video player, but YouTube will not store personally-identifiable cookie information for playbacks of embedded videos using the privacy-enhanced mode.

Awesome, thanks for the option. But hey, wait. If privacy mode "on" means that you don't set cookies when a "user" views the page (instead when they actually click play), the past, and often current method, privacy mode "off", is that you set cookies on a "user" machine every time someone views a web page with a youtube video embedded (regardless of whether or not they actually click play).

Ok, so tracking cookies, no big deal right. Old news. Just wanted to point that out.

chess.com + meebo

noticed today that chess.com (who I recently paid for a membership too) slipped a meebo on me when I saw a small but crafty ad on the bottom left hand corner of my browser. some of those lowKey pop up toolbars work great, like on the hype machine, but in this case because I was not expecting it, it put me off.

I told her many stories about how the world could be, and she listened calmly. she knew right when I was going to finish my sentences, and saw my words in a clear and distant vision. we stood on the deck looking out into the valley. the cold mountain air was no match for our combined warmth. i held her close to me and felt the future from many years away. before I could see it up close, my attention snapped and I was tugged back to the evening. Maybe I wasnt supposed to get that close? We stepped back in side, having seen something beautiful, strange and frightening.