Diary of a Network Geek

It’s a dangerous digital world out there!

As I’m sure you’ve seen this year, there have been lots of warnings about increased malicious activity.  Everything from phishing to new malware, the cyber-criminals are really working overtime to make your life a living hell.  There’s plenty you can do to stay safe, like only going to sites that you know and not opening attachments from strangers, or even from friends that don’t normally send you attachments.  But, let’s face it, sometimes, things slip by you.  So, what else can you do, especially when you don’t have money to spend on high-end security tools?

Well, check out eWeek’s list of 9 Free Security Tools to be Thankful for and start using them.  At least make sure you have some kind of anti-virus installed.  There are several suggestions on that list.
And, be careful out there!

Advice from your Uncle Jim:
"Sticking to good habits is like having a savings account: when hard times come, we can take the 'investment' we've made and overcome our problems."

A bootable Linux security “suite”.

Cool. I saw this on the ScreenSavers, but it’s still cool and probably new to most of us. It’s a a tool called PHLAK. PHLAK stands for Professional Hacker’s Linux Assault Kit. But, what it is is a bootable Linux distro that’s loaded with security tools and information. Oh, it’s also free. I have to admit that I haven’t actually played with it. Yet. But, on the surface, it looks pretty cool.
Frankly, I like the idea of bootable distros. You can crank them up and try them out without reformating your hard drive. That’s pretty cool. And, for some applications, like security auditing, it’s nice to not leave too many footprints. A bootable distro is pretty good for that. Not perfect, of course, but it does limit certain kinds of trails and fingerprints.
Anyway, it’s Linux, new and fun. Go check it out!