Episode 22 – The Business of Malware Part 2

This week we're going to continue our discussion with Chris Bequeath and learn more about the malware removal business. Part 2 of a three part series.

TechPodcasts Promo Tag :10 Intro 1:17
Billboard :39

News and Comment segment 3:23
Mozilla reported 8.3 million downloads of Firefox 3 on Firefox Download Day 2008, held June 17. The Force Field held a launch party of its own. A page and forum was created at TheForceField.net to download and discuss the new browser at the time of launch.

System Management News, a publication for IT System Administrators and Data Center Managers, predicts a cloudy future for computing, as in cloud computing. Can IT service providers incorporate it in their businesses? If so, what are the possibilities? Good questions. At any rate, this is something to consider or at least to watch.

You can read the feature in the June 15 issue of System Management News. A single issue of System Management News is $9.95 but a subscription is free to professionals who qualify. if you are an IT professional and would like a free subscription to System Management News you can subscribe at http://theforcefield.tradepub.com/free/smns or simply click on the link in the show notes in the RSS feed for this episode.

Bill Gates is finally leaving Microsoft. Or is he? Gates initially announced his retirement in 2006 and has since spent much of it telling everyone he's officially gone. But will he really be gone?

Commercial Break 1:00
Alternageek Podcast Promo :30

Totally Cool Tech Podcast promo :30

Intro to Interview 1:44
This week we are going to continue our discussion with Chris Bequeath, owner of Business Network Solutions learn more about the malware removal business. We will learn about some of the organizations involved in the detection and removal of badware, the tools and techniques he uses to remove it and find out where he thinks the malware problem is heading in the next few years – not only as a nuisance but a possibly a national security issue as well. Part 2 of a three part series.

Chris Bequeath Interview 19:00

Wrap up and Close :46

©2008 Savoia Computer. All rights reserved.

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Intel says no to Vista, won’t upgrade to new OS

(TheForceField.Net) June 27, 2008 — The New York Times reported this week that Intel will not upgrade its computers to Microsoft Windows Vista.

In an article written by Steve Lohr and posted on the newpaper's web site, an anonymous source close to Intel said that the company will not migrate to Vista and a company spokesperson said that although Vista would be installed on some machines for testing and deployment in select departments, the company would not be installing it on all computers for its 80,000 employees.

Intel joins the ranks of a large number of corporations that have shunned migration to Microsoft's latest version of Windows, slowing adoption of the operating system in both the SMB market and the enterprise. Many companies perceive Vista as slow, buggy and a resource hog. Lack of support from software developers and for third party device drivers are also considered factors against adoption.

This was not unexpected. Many companies typically wait until the first service pack is released and the bugs are worked out before moving to a new operating system. However, the release of SP1 lacked improvements many were expecting or hoping for and so far has done little to spur adoption.

The decision by Intel is likely to create speculation about the chip maker's relationship with Microsoft, which historically has been very close and is believed by some in the industry as a reason Redmond found itself faced with legal problems related to their Vista Capable program,  a marketing campaign which designated certain OEM PCs shipped with scaled down versions of Windows Vista as being capable of running the higher versions. Some of the machines were found to be lacking the resources to actually live up to the designation, prompting at least one lawsuit. E-mails collected from Microsoft executives and made public indicated Microsoft was aware of the problem but may have felt compelled to offer it anyway to please Intel.

Although Intel does not plan to fully migrate to Vista, the New York Times article reports that the company could change its mind. Intel and Microsoft have a long history together and enjoy a close relationship. Soft prompting from Microsoft could influence them to upgrade after all. For now, however, the company reportedly has no plans to do so.

 

 

Electronic Design Magazine

 

Contributors needed for new TechiWiki Project

As you all know, The Force Field podcast and web portal cover the business side of running a tech business. But the business side isn’t all there is to running one. There is the tech side, too.

Those who know me and listen to The Force Field know that I have discussed the pros and cons of being a “MacGyvertech” in our computer business. Although I have sometimes talked about the advantages of specializing in a certain area instead of trying to be everything, there are times when all of us need to be that “MacGyvertech”.

I myself was nicknamed “MacGyver” when I worked at WRBW-TV in the mid 90’s for finding ways to patch things together and make it work.I realized since then that no matter how much you want to specialize there is always that situation where you do need to do it all yourself.

During the last few months I’ve been working on another project to complement The Force Field and open up to a larger audience. The new project is designed to be community driven depends on the collective knowledge and experience of techs everywhere. This project is very large in scope and it greater than I alone can handle. I need your help.

To all members of The Force Field: I am actively seeking submissions and contributions of content for a new sister site now in beta. The site has a main portal and forums, much like The Force Field. The main area of the site, however is much different and exists on community managed content. In particular, tech related, how-to content.

It is a TechiWiki .

This is intended as a comprehensive database of picks, tips, tricks and techniques for everything tech. The concept is to provide an instant resource for techs, partiularly those in the field, who need a fix in a pinch, without having to call around to their buddies, slogging through hundreds of tech forums or googling through thousands of listings for an answer.

I am calling on members of The Force Field and techs everywhere to contribute to the wiki and make it worki for all of us.

To participate, go to http://www.macgyvertech.com and join the forums or the wiki.

Thanks!

Rick

The Virus Hunters Workshop

Last week I was invited to attended The Virus Hunter’s Workshop , an all day event sponsored by Kaspersky Labs .

The event was held in a meeting room at The DoubleTree Guest Suites in Charlotte NC and consisted of a basic course in malware detection and removal. The workshop included several hands-on labs. Each attendee was provided a laptop complete with software tools, malicious code to launch and complete instructions for conducting the exercises.

While the entire workshop was very interesting and informative, I found the labs to be the highlight of the entire day. I walked away with some real training I can use in my business and was well worth the time spent.

The Virus Hunters Workshop will also be hosted in Reston, VA and Boston, MA. Registration is closed for Reston but if you are in the Boston area you may be able to register for that event scheduled for June 24 and 25, 2008. You can register at www.virus-hunters.com .

I highly recommend the Virus Hunters Workshop to every service provider who currently offers or plans to offer malware removal services to their customers. If you can’t attend the Workshop, I recommend you search for some form of education or training in this area before performing the services as a professional.

 

 

Security Source Magazine

 

Hostway Announces Apple iPhone 3G Triple Giveaway

Customers ordering five or more hosted Microsoft Exchange accounts from Hostway between June 17 and September 17, 2008 will be automatically entered to win a 16 GB Apple iPhone 3G in one of three drawings.

Chicago, Illinois (Vocus/PRWEB ) June 19, 2008 — Hostway Corporation, the global Web solutions leader, will hold three drawings for the new 16 GB Apple iPhone 3G to give Hostway customers a chance to experience all the benefits of Microsoft Exchange on the most cutting-edge wireless device to date.

 

Hostway Corporation Logo
Hostway Corporation Logo

"We're thrilled that the new iPhone 3G was designed to better integrate with Microsoft Exchange's ActiveSync features," said David Choi, business development analyst for Hostway’s Advanced Product Group. "We include ActiveSync free with every hosted Exchange account, so our winners will be able to enjoy on-the-go access to email, contact lists and calendars on the newest iPhone."

Apple recently announced the highly anticipated July 11 release of the new 3G device (referring to third generation mobile phone standards and technology.) Touted by Apple as a combination “revolutionary phone, widescreen iPod, and breakthrough Internet device,” consumers are eager to get their hands on the gadget.

And Hostway is doing its part to make that happen. Three drawings will be held as part of the Giveaway, with winners to be announced on July 25, August 25 and September 25, 2008.

Customers who sign up early have more chances to win. Any name not selected in the first drawings will be entered into each subsequent drawing. Customers who order five or more hosted Exchange accounts between June 17 and September 17, 2008 are automatically entered in the drawing.

Hosted Microsoft Exchange offers enterprise-level messaging with the flexibility of sending and receiving email messages from a wireless device, desktop computer or any computer with an Internet connection. It also encourages team members to work together with collaboration features including: shared folders, calendars and task lists.

No purchase is necessary for Hostway's iPhone drawing. Certain restrictions apply. For information about alternate means of entry and other giveaway details, go to http://www.hostway.com/iphone/iphone-terms.html.

About Hostway Corporation
Hostway Corporation provides domain name registration, Web hosting and ecommerce, colocation, managed dedicated hosting, SaaS hosting, Web design and online marketing services to more than 600,000 customers and over 2 million Web sites worldwide. It operates state-of-the-art data centers that reduce the complexity and cost of Web-based technologies for small businesses and large enterprises. Founded in 1998, Hostway is one of the world’s largest Web hosting companies with a direct presence in 11 countries, 15 worldwide operation centers and more than 600 employees.

Contact
Lyza Swearingen Latham
Director of Marketing
Hostway Corporation
954-334-8139

 

 

Free eBook

 

The Force Field SysAdmin Response

Keith Albright from the Mind of Root podcast started a SysAdmin/Scripting Meme and called me out this week to answer the questions. I had to really think about them for awhile as some of it takes me back a few years. it’s a little fuzzy but I will do the best I can to answer them.

 

How old were you when you started using computers?

I was somewhat fascinated with the concept of computers as depicted in science fiction films when I was a kid and looked forward to a future when I could have and use one myself. I grew up watching movies such as Colossus: The Forbin Project, 2001: a Space Odyssey and TV shows such as Lost in Space and Star Trek, all of which featured computers with artificial intelligence. I thought the Batman series in the ’60s was cool because he had a computer in the Bat Cave that somehow seemed to know everything. Some of my favorite movies and TV shows were enjoyable for the technology factor alone.

It wasn’t until I was in my 20’s that computers were made affordable and easily accessible to the public, but as soon as I could afford it I purchased one. That was in 1982.

 

What was your first machine?

My very first real computer was a Commodore Pet 2001. I couldn’t afford a new one, so I purchased it used for around $300. It had a built-in 9 in. display, cassette tape drive and a little chicklet keyboard. The computer had a whopping 8k of memory which consisted of a set of static RAM chips socketed to a mainboard that blew frequently. I found a supplier for chips and replaced them as necessary. The computer was a course in computer repair. The first thing I learned about it was ESD.

 

What was the first real script you wrote?

My Commodore PET required knowledge of BASIC and I had to learn it in order to write my own programs. I recall writing a simple database script to catalog stuff. I also recall Hello World and a couple of other exercises but I don’t remember which was actually the first. When I purchased a Commodore VIC 20 and later a Commodore 64 I wrote a few other BASIC programs for myself but by that time there was so much software available for the 64 I didn’t need to do much scripting and only used BASIC to fix bugs in existing programs.

 

What scripting languages have you used?

I dabbled in Commodore Basic, some batch file scripts in MS-DOS, a little PHP (not a guru but I can tweak existing code) but I am not a programmer and have little patience for it. There are so many useful free scripts out there now that I can usually find what I need and tweak it instead of writing it myself.

 

What was your first professional sysadmin gig?

I ran my own computer business for nearly eleven years and act as SysAdmin to a few of my business clients. My first paid job as an outsource Admin was for a pain management clinic and the first thing I had to do was clean their network and all their backup media of virii. It was a massive infection. The second thing I had to do was bring them into license compliance and then build a new server, new workstations and the latest version of their medical software. Then I completely rebuilt their network.

If you knew then what you know now, would you have started in IT?

Good question. I would probably still be doing something related to IT but I would have done a lot of things differently and I probably would have stayed more focused on the web and media related aspects of IT instead of working with hardware and small business networks. To be honest, I would rather research, write and talk about IT and emerging new technologies than stare at a file server all day.

If there is one thing you learned along the way that you would tell new sysadmins, what would it be?

Listen to everyone, especially end users. Keep an open mind and research everything before making decisions. Never assume anything and always assume the worst. Keep your ear close to the ground. Stay alert to new trends, techniques and technologies and think of ways you can utilize their potential in your network.

And finally, whatever you do, don’t cut the red wire.

 

What’s the most fun you’ve ever had scripting?

I never really had fun scripting. It is just something I do when I have to do it. Well, I did have some fun with Hello World. It was a chore after that.

 

 Who am I calling out?

All listeners and members of The Force Field! 

 

You can hear the Mind of Root podcast on The TechPodcast Network . It is also available in the Media Center here at TheForceField.Net.

 

 

System Management News

 

 

Episode 21 – The Business of Malware Part 1

This week we are going to talk to Chris Bequeath and find out how he went into the malware removal business, learn about the different types of badware out there today and how we can offer malware removal solutions to our customers at a reasonable cost and still earn a profit. Part 1 of a three part series.

TechPodcasts Promo Tag :10
Intro 1:19

Billboard 4:09
Recently I was invited to attended The Virus Hunters Workshop, an all day event sponsored by Kaspersky Labs. The Virus Hunters Workshop will also be hosted in Reston, VA and Boston, MA. Registration is closed for Reston but if you are in the Boston area you may be able to register for that event scheduled for June 24 and 25, 2008. You can register at www.virus-hunters.com.

News and Comment segment 4:10
Firefox 3.0, the next incarnation of the popular and powerful web browser from The Mozilla Foundation, is scheduled for official release Tuesday, June 17, 2008. The Force Field will participate in Firefox Download Day 2008 with a launch party. A page and forum will be available at TheForceField.net to download and discuss the new browser at the time of launch.

iPods and other mobile media devices are becoming a growing threat to IT security, according to a recent survey by Credant Technologies. The survey report, called “iPods – What You Don’t Secure Could Hurt You, polled 323 IT professionals about the potential security impact of mobile media devices in the workplace and found that although it is a concern, many are not prepared to deal with it. The Survey Report is free to professionals who qualify. To download the Survey Report, simply visit http://theforcefield.tradepub.com/free/w_cred06/ or click on the link in the show notes in the RSS feed for this episode.

Computerworld reports that Microsoft recently became a sponsor of The Open Source Census, and organization that tracks installation of open source applications on computers and promotes the adoption of open source software. Perhaps Microsoft really is ready to embrace open source. Time will tell.

Commercial Break 1:00
Alternageek Podcast Promo :30

The Caffination Podcast promo :30

Intro to Interview 2:09
This week we are going to talk to Chris Bequeath, owner of Business Network Solutions and find out how he went into the malware removal business, learn about the different types of badware out there today, some common mistakes made when attempting to remove malware from computers and how we can offer malware removal solutions to our customers at a reasonable cost and still earn a profit in part 1 of a three part series.

Chris Bequeath Interview 22:45

Wrap up and Close :46

©2008 Savoia Computer. All rights reserved.

Episode 21 – The Business of Malware Part 1

This week we are going to talk to Chris Bequeath and find out how he went into the malware removal business, learn about the different types of badware out there today and how we can offer malware removal solutions to our customers at a reasonable cost and still earn a profit. Part 1 of a three part series.

TechPodcasts Promo Tag :10
Intro 1:19

Billboard 4:09
Recently I was invited to attended The Virus Hunters Workshop, an all day event sponsored by Kaspersky Labs. The Virus Hunters Workshop will also be hosted in Reston, VA and Boston, MA. Registration is closed for Reston but if you are in the Boston area you may be able to register for that event scheduled for June 24 and 25, 2008. You can register at www.virus-hunters.com.

News and Comment segment 4:10
Firefox 3.0, the next incarnation of the popular and powerful web browser from The Mozilla Foundation, is scheduled for official release Tuesday, June 17, 2008. The Force Field will participate in Firefox Download Day 2008 with a launch party. A page and forum will be available at TheForceField.net to download and discuss the new browser at the time of launch.

iPods and other mobile media devices are becoming a growing threat to IT security, according to a recent survey by Credant Technologies. The survey report, called “iPods – What You Don't Secure Could Hurt You, polled 323 IT professionals about the potential security impact of mobile media devices in the workplace and found that although it is a concern, many are not prepared to deal with it. The Survey Report is free to professionals who qualify. To download the Survey Report, simply visit http://theforcefield.tradepub.com/free/w_cred06/ or click on the link in the show notes in the RSS feed for this episode.

Computerworld reports that Microsoft recently became a sponsor of The Open Source Census, and organization that tracks installation of open source applications on computers and promotes the adoption of open source software. Perhaps Microsoft really is ready to embrace open source. Time will tell.

Commercial Break 1:00
Alternageek Podcast Promo :30

The Caffination Podcast promo :30

Intro to Interview 2:09
This week we are going to talk to Chris Bequeath, owner of Business Network Solutions and find out how he went into the malware removal business, learn about the different types of badware out there today, some common mistakes made when attempting to remove malware from computers and how we can offer malware removal solutions to our customers at a reasonable cost and still earn a profit in part 1 of a three part series.

Chris Bequeath Interview 22:45

Wrap up and Close :46

©2008 Savoia Computer. All rights reserved.

Read more

Firefox 3 Download Day 2008 Begins!

Firefox 3 Download Day officially begins at 10 AM Pacific Daylight Time on June 17, 2008. During the next 24 hours, the front page of The Force Field web portal has been dedicated to Firefox 3 Download Day 2008. 

To celebrate the release of Firefox 3, Mozilla announced  Firefox Download Day 2008, an effort set a Guinness World Record for the most downloads of a software application in 24 hours. A web site was created to host the event and encourage participation on a local level. As of Friday, over one million pledges across the world were recorded.

Everyone is invited and encouraged to download Firefox 3 during the next 24 hours and help set a new world record. Help put Firefox 3 in the Guinness Book of World Records and download Firefox now!

If you use Twitter you can follow Firefox!

 http://twitter.com/mozillafirefox

 Current Download count: 8,419,496

 

 

 

Download Day 2008