Author: Dave Farquhar

What is a vulnerability management program?

Dave Farquhar security
What is a vulnerability management program?

What is a vulnerability management program? Well, it’s not a computer program, although you will need some software to run a successful vulnerability management program. But vulnerability management is a discipline. A vulnerability management program is an ongoing continuous operation to ensure the discipline is working in your organization.

That may raise as many questions as it answers, so let’s dig in.

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What self-etching primer is

Dave Farquhar DIY
What self-etching primer is

Whether you’re talking cars, computer modification, or restoring old toys, the subject of self-etching primer is bound to come up. You’ve probably seen it in the paint aisles with other spray paints and noticed it costs a little more than regular primer. But what is self-etching primer, and when should you use it? And where’s the best place to buy it?

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Reboot Windows from a command line

Dave Farquhar Windows
Reboot Windows from a command line

A good trick for the busy system administrator is knowing how to reboot Windows from a command line. For example, I used to push patches on Thursday and Friday, suppress the reboots, then reboot my servers from a batch file starting on Monday. Rebooting from a command line rather than using the Start menu and selecting shutdown or restart saved me countless hours.

As a security professional, I know when systems need to reboot based on seeing Tenable plugin 34543 or Qualys QID 90126 in my scan results.

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Qualys asset tracking: All you need to know

Dave Farquhar security

I probably get more questions about Qualys asset tracking than I get about anything else in regards to Qualys. Many people misunderstand Qualys asset tracking. It’s really easy to mess it up, and things can go horribly wrong if you do.

By default, Qualys tracks assets by IP address. It can also track by NetBIOS name or DNS name. If your authentication is really solid and you enable Agentless Tracking, the Dissolvable Agent, and Unified View, you can also in effect force Qualys to track by a system-generated UUID as well.

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Bootleg ground: What it is and why it’s dangerous

Dave Farquhar DIY
Bootleg ground: What it is and why it’s dangerous

In the course of fixing up houses, I’ve seen a lot of wiring mistakes. Common mistakes like reverse polarity or a missing ground will cause the house to not pass inspection, but a bootleg ground is a bigger problem. It’s dangerous, and many building inspectors won’t catch it.

Here’s what a bootleg ground is, why it’s dangerous and you shouldn’t do it, and what you should do instead.

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Never buy a house – good idea or bad?

Dave Farquhar Saving money
Never buy a house – good idea or bad?

Never buy a house. Some people say that’s the best advice they’ve ever received. Depending on your personality type, or where you are in life, I get that. So let’s take a look at the pros and cons of not owning your own home.

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Stan Musial and Biggie’s, St. Louis

Dave Farquhar Baseball, St. Louis
Stan Musial and Biggie’s, St. Louis

For St. Louisans of a certain age, Stan Musial was almost as famous for his restaurant as he was for what he could do with a baseball bat. Musial and his business partner, Julius “Biggie” Garagnani operated a steakhouse near Musial’s residence. In 1949 Musial bought a half share of Biggie’s Steak House and they changed the name to Stan Musial and Biggie’s.

Stan Musial had a storied career in St. Louis. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1969, and spent his whole career with the Cardinals. In 1947 he even played with a failing appendix. He lived a very public life both during and after his baseball career. His various businesses contributed to that public life, but they also made him wealthy.

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How far can you run an Ethernet cable?

Dave Farquhar Servers and Networking
How far can you run an Ethernet cable?

How far can you run an Ethernet cable? The limit is around 90-100 meters. You can generally push that limit harder with CAT6 than with CAT5e, and there are ways you can cheat. Here’s how.

You may be able to buy an Ethernet cable longer than 100 meters, but don’t assume that just because you can buy one that it will work.

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O scale vs O gauge

Dave Farquhar model railroading
O scale vs O gauge

The distinction of O scale vs O gauge can be confusing for some people, especially newcomers to model railroading. Some people can get uptight about the difference, so here’s how to distinguish the two so you can avoid offending someone.

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Peel and stick tile over ceramic tile

Dave Farquhar DIY
Peel and stick tile over ceramic tile

Can you put peel and stick tile over ceramic tile? You certainly can, but there’s a right and a wrong way to do it. Do it without prep time, and you’ll end up with a floor that looks bad and doesn’t last as long as it could. Prep carefully though, and no one will ever know.

Here’s how to put peel and stick tile over ceramic tile and not regret the results. I’ve seen it done the wrong way, and I’ve done it both the right way and the wrong way myself.

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