TweakHound

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Security

Patch Tuesday

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Windows Update
Updates available for all currently supported versions of Windows. Updates for Flash and .Net available where applicable.

Windows 7
January 8, 2019—KB4480970 (Monthly Rollup)
January 8, 2019—KB4480960 (Security-only update)

Windows 8.1
January 8, 2019—KB4480963 (Monthly Rollup)
January 8, 2019—KB4480964 (Security-only update)

Windows 10
1809 – January 8, 2019—KB4480116 (OS Build 17763.253)
1803 – January 8, 2019—KB4480966 (OS Build 17134.523)
1709 – January 8, 2019—KB4480978 (OS Build 16299.904)

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Wise Disk Cleaner 10.1.5 Released
Download (I use portable) | Release Info

Stuff I bookmarked recently. Some off topic, some not:

Hey Apple, what happens on iPhones doesn’t stay there, and your ‘clever’ CES ad is promoting a dangerous illusion
That’s a cute ad you have in Las Vegas for the CES tech convention. “What happens on your iPhone, stays on your iPhone” is both a good dig at your rivals and a clever restating of Sin City’s popular catch phrase.
But it’s literally a lie. What happens on customers’ iPhones doesn’t stay on them — and you know it.
Preach

Survey: Americans Warming to Use of Facial Recognition Tech
I’m not sure I buy the results of the study. If it is even close to true then, well, SMH.

Came up in an email convo with a reader and friend:
SiriusXM stations I mostly listen to:
Hair Nation ’80s Hair Bands 
Ozzy’s Boneyard Ozzy’s Classic Hard Rock 
Classic Rewind ’70s/’80s Classic Rock 

Out Of Band Update

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CVE-2018-8653 | Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the scripting engine handles objects in memory in Internet Explorer…

Updates for all currently supported Windows versions.

Windows 10
Build 1809 – December 19, 2018—KB4483235 (OS Build 17763.195)
Build 1803 – December 19, 2018—KB4483234 (OS Build 17134.472)
Build 1709 – December 19, 2018—KB4483232 (OS Build 16299.847)

Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 update history pages not updated as of this writing.

Patch Tuesday

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Windows Updates available. “Addresses an issue” as well as many security updates.
I recommend backing up and updating as soon as you can.

Windows 10
Build 1809 – December 11, 2018—KB4471332 (OS Build 17763.194)
Build 1803 – December 11, 2018—KB4471324 (OS Build 17134.471)
Build 1709 – December 11, 2018—KB4471329 (OS Build 16299.846)

Windows 8.1
December 11, 2018—KB4471322 (Security-only update)
December 11, 2018—KB4471320 (Monthly Rollup)

Windows 7
December 11, 2018—KB4471328 (Security-only update)
December 11, 2018—KB4471318 (Monthly Rollup)

Blocking A Programs Internet Access Via The Windows Firewall

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Many programs on your computer access the internet even though they don’t need to. They phone home for a variety of reason including telemetry and checking for updates.
I don’t need or want most programs phoning home for any reason. Still, they try.
With programs getting more invasive I thought it would be appropriate to show you how to block their access to the net.
[Read more…] about Blocking A Programs Internet Access Via The Windows Firewall

Patch Tuesday

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Windows 7, 8.1, and 10 have updates.

Windows 7
November 13, 2018—KB4467106 (Security-only update)
November 13, 2018—KB4467107 (Monthly Rollup)

Windows 8.1
November 13, 2018—KB4467703 (Security-only update)
November 13, 2018—KB4467697 (Monthly Rollup)

Windows 10
Build 1809 –
November 13, 2018—KB4464455 (OS Build 17763.107)
November 13, 2018—KB4467708 (OS Build 17763.134)
Build 1803 – November 13, 2018—KB4467702 (OS Build 17134.407)
Build 1709 – November 13, 2018—KB4467686 (OS Build 16299.785)
Build 1703 – November 13, 2018—KB4467696 (OS Build 15063.1446)

Additionally Windows 8.1 & 10 have Flash updates.

Win10 “October” Update
Windows 10, version 1809 Re-Released
When you have it offered to you is anyone’s guess.
Media Creation Tool / ISOs available here: Download Windows 10 Disc Image (ISO File)

The Facebook Dilemma

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This topic has been making the rounds for a couple of days. I wanted to watch the entire thing before I passed it along.
The Facebook Dilemma is two, 50+ minute videos of a PBS Frontline special. It is the story of the dangers of Facebook. The first video deals more about the dangers to individuals. The second is about the dangers Facebook presents to society and democracies around the world. It then circles back to the dangers to individuals.
You’ll learn not only about these topics but about the stunning greed, arrogance, tone deafness, and outright deceit on these issues from the highest levels of Facebook.
In the end the only solution is to #DeleteFacebook.

“The promise of Facebook was to create a more open and connected world. But from the company’s failure to protect millions of users’ data, to the proliferation of “fake news” and disinformation, mounting crises have raised the question: Is Facebook more harmful than helpful? On Monday, Oct. 29, and Tuesday, Oct. 30, 2018, FRONTLINE presents The Facebook Dilemma. This major, two-night event investigates a series of warnings to Facebook as the company grew from Mark Zuckerberg’s Harvard dorm room to a global empire. With dozens of original interviews and rare footage, The Facebook Dilemma examines the powerful social media platform’s impact on privacy and democracy in the U.S. and around the world.”

PBS Frontline – The Facebook Dilemma

Patch Tuesday

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Windows Update

Windows 7 and 8.1 get over a dozen security updates.
Windows 7 – October 9, 2018—KB4462923 (Monthly Rollup)
Windows 8.1 – October 9, 2018—KB4462926 (Monthly Rollup)

Windows 10, “This update includes quality improvements. No new operating system features are being introduced in this update.”
Win10 also has over a dozen security updates.
Win10 1809 – October 9, 2018—KB4464330 (OS Build 17763.55)
Win10 1803 – October 9, 2018—KB4462919 (OS Build 17134.345)
Win10 1709 – October 9, 2018—KB4462918 (OS Build 16299.726)
Win10 1703 – October 9, 2018—KB4462937 (OS Build 15063.1387)
Win10 1607 – September 11, 2018—KB4457131 (OS Build 14393.2485)

Cold Boot Attack

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Security flaw in ‘nearly all’ modern PCs and Macs exposes encrypted data
“A firmware bug means existing security measures “aren’t enough to protect data in lost or stolen laptops,” says new security research”
(Thanks Dan!)

Everything you need to know to is in the excellent paper:
F-Secure’s Guide To Evil Maid Attacks

Geeks have always known that once someone has physical access to your PC (or Mac, or phone), given enough time, it will be compromised.
Conduct yourself accordingly, especially on mobile devices. Given that, IMHO it is all about putting hurdles in place to slow an attacker down and frustrate them.
Here is what I tell my friends when they ask about mobile tech device security:
– Use a BIOS/EFI password.
– Use an OS password.
– Use a password manager.
– Encrypt your important docs.
– Cover your webcam. I use these: Laptop Camera Cover Set
– Delete those compromising pics of yourself and/or your significant other (and stop taking them).
– Keep your system up to date. This means both the OS and the firmware.
– Backup, backup, backup

Patch Tuesday

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Sorry I’m a day late with this, yesterday was a long day at work.

Windows Update
Windows 7 and 8.1 get a few security updates.
Windows 10, “This update includes quality improvements. No new operating system features are being introduced in this update.”
Win10 1803 – September 11, 2018—KB4457128 (OS Build 17134.285)
Win10 1709 – September 11, 2018—KB4457142 (OS Build 16299.665)
Win10 1703 – September 11, 2018—KB4457138 (OS Build 15063.1324)
Win10 1607 – September 11, 2018—KB4457131 (OS Build 14393.2485)

Google Chrome Updated
“The stable channel has been updated to 69.0.3497.92 for Windows, Mac, and Linux…This update includes 2 security fixes.”
Download | Download standalone(full) | Download standalone 64-bit Windows version(full)
Android too:
“Chrome 69 (69.0.3497.91) for Android has been released and will be available on Google Play over the course of the next few weeks. This release contains bug fixes and improvements.”
Download

Win10 Insider
Installed Win10 Insider Preview on my dual-boot Win7/Win10 machine. Here is what it did to my Win7 install: