This is a bad week for Virus / Worms /rogues etc. If you or any of your family use Facebook or MSN Messenger please read the following, it might save you from some grief and save some money.

MSNWorm.FU is a worm that spreads through MSN Messenger. To do so, it opens conversations with the infected user’s contacts and offers them a file as if it were a photo for the contact to accept and consequently become infected. The file is sent together with sentences such as:

“me puedes marcar en esta foto de facebook?” (can you tag me in this facebook photo) “me cerraron mi cuenta por subir esta foto. si esta muy mal?” (they closed my account for loading this photo. Is it that bad?) “viste esta super fiesta de año nuevo?” (check out the New Year party) “toma, esta perfecta esta foto como wallpaper” (here, this photo is perfect as wallpaper)

The file is usually compressed in a .zip file to avoid being detected by the Messenger.

DirDel.A is a worm that reaches computers with a folder icon, to fool users into running it. When run, it does not display any message or open any folder. This malware replaces folders in different directories with a copy of itself. For example, if there is a folder called Example, it creates a copy of itself in the same directory called Example.exe and deletes all the original folders and their content.

This worm spreads by copying itself to all the system drives and shared folders.

P2PShared.AB reaches computers disguised as an email file, with names related to trademarks, such as Ikea.exe. To spread, it copies itself onto the shared files of P2P programs, with names of programs, disks, and so on. For example:

Youtube Music Downloader 1.0.exe

Absolute Video Converter 6.2.exe

FOOTBALL MANAGER 2009.exe

Password Cracker.exe

This worm also spreads via email by sending spam emails with subjects such as You´ve received a Hallmark E-Card, and an attached file called postcard.zip which contains malware. See image here

In addition, this week PandaLabs has informed about a new phishing attack used by Facebook as bait. French users received a message inviting them to view specific content in Facebook. When they did, they were redirected to a fake Facebook page, similar to the original. Any details they entered were sent to cyber-crooks.

More information here:
http://pandalabs.pandasecurity.com/archive/Facebook-Phishing-Site-Targets-French-Users.aspx

You can thank my friend David Anderson at Technically Yours for this information.

Share on Facebook

Originally published at An unbiased street view with curb appeal. You can comment here or there.

I just added the Facebook Photos plugin. This allows me to select photos from Facebook within the ‘write a post’ area in my blog here. It’s like using Facebook as an image gallery. Why not? I have already uploaded to Facebook and publish them so I should be able to show them to whoever I wish without having the user login to Facebook. This photo is stored on facebook.

I have also added the Wordbook plugin. an application and plugin that will post what I write here in my news feed and my friends’ news feed. However, the ‘NewFacebook’ has caused an issue and the developer is working to provide an update. So for now you might only see ‘Paul has posted a blog entry’.

Share on Facebook

Originally published at An unbiased street view with curb appeal. You can comment here or there.

There is a phrase I use as a personal moral measuring stick to life. The phrase is “100% correct”. OK two words, three if you spell out percent. When I am doing something new I ask myself, “does this feel 100% correct?”

There are a lot of things in life I don’t know whether what I am doing is right or wrong. I’m not talking about murder or robbery, more of the questioning of thy self.  such as, do I compromise myself too much? Or, should I say something to so-and-so about some such thing? Was taking this contract a good idea? You get the picture? It’s not a big concern, Nothing in life is concrete, but occasionally I run across the things that feel 100% correct.

Taking time out of a busy day to teach a child to ride a bike. Going for a run. Riding a bike to work. These things all feel 100% correct. I think it has something to do with my underlying motivation for deciding such actions. If the motivation to choose something or move in a certain direction is pure then the feeling is peaceful and pure. 100% correct.

It’s not brain surgery to tell if altruistic actions are 100% correct but they serve as a great way to compare feelings to other things I do in life.  When making a decision I, 1) check my motivations, 2) look for gut instinct and then 3) review logical thought only after the first two pass the test. Lately in general and for the most part my life feels 100% correct and it feels new and vibrant.

A new blog using my own domain name that is my name, (no handle to hide behind), hosted and maintained on my own server, which I’ll talk a bit about later. I’m off the grid man. Welcome to my new personal space.

Share on Facebook

Originally published at An unbiased street view with curb appeal. You can comment here or there.