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Common security attacks and countermeasures

Dave Farquhar security May 3, 2017May 25, 2020Adobe Reader, chrome, denial of service, excel, firewall, password database, passwords, SEO, SQL

As a security professional, I talk to a lot of people about common security attacks and countermeasures. I’m not always certain the people I’m talking to know what these things mean. I am almost certain they aren’t willing to ask.

I know it’s more complicated than it was when I took my Security+ exam a decade ago. The stakes are much higher now. The attacks I had to identify caused inconvenience, but someone conducting a successful smurf attack on your printer won’t get you in the headlines. Today’s attacks will.

How big is 1:64 scale?

Dave Farquhar Model Building May 2, 2017August 1, 20171:64 scale, boxcar, electric trains, s scale

1:64 scale is a popular size for diecast cars. At one time it was popular for slot cars and electric trains too. But how big is 1:64 scale, really?

I’ll explain it mathematically and by giving sizes of some common objects.

Cheap baseboard alternatives

Dave Farquhar DIY May 1, 2017March 25, 2022baseboard, baseboards, caulk, Stain

Over the course of renovating rental property, there have been several times I had to explore cheap baseboard alternatives. I needed something that would be functional and look decent while staying within the confines of a sometimes-strained budget.

My solution won’t win awards but costs a few cents per foot.

HP Elitebook 8440p overheating

Dave Farquhar Hardware April 28, 2017March 14, 2021Arctic Silver, baseboards, capacitor, extra mile, hp, intel, power button, prime95, super glue, Windows 10

You can get used 8440p laptops pretty cheaply because HP Elitebook 8440p overheating is rather common. Symptoms of overheating include unexpected reboots, shutting down, and bluescreens.

The problems with the cooling system are unfortunate. They have nice keyboards, they’re easy to work on, and they’re reliable otherwise, so they’d be nice laptops if they didn’t overheat so much. Here’s how to improve their cooling so you can get a bargain–buying off-lease business laptops is a great way to save money.

Testors model paint tips for better results

Dave Farquhar Model Building April 27, 2017December 18, 2020decal, decals, Pledge Floor Care

Testors is a brand that’s been around for decades. It’s by far the most common brand of model paint for hobbyists. Here are my Testors model paint tips to reduce frustration, give you better results, and save you money. After all, a hobby should be enjoyable, not frustrating.

Windows registry explained simply

Dave Farquhar Windows April 26, 2017August 1, 20171990s

I can’t say I’ve ever seen the Windows registry explained well. It helps to think of the registry as a database. Microsoft loves databases, and they’ve been trying for decades to stuff as much database technology into Windows as they can. The registry was one of the earliest and most successful of those efforts.

Although it was controversial in the 1990s, the registry solved a very real problem. Windows 3.1 and earlier stored all of its settings in huge plaintext files called ini files. They were a tangled mess, and the more you used your computer, the slower it became. The registry made it a lot faster for the computer to find each setting it needed.

A Viglink review

Dave Farquhar Writing April 25, 2017July 16, 2017computer security, SEO, viglink

I think the Web needs a non-spammy and honest Viglink review. So I’ll relate my experience using Viglink over the course of several years. I recommend it, generally. That said, takes some work, and that explains some of the other Viglink reviews you might see out there.

Gigabit card only connecting at 100mbps? Here’s the fix.

Dave Farquhar Hardware, Servers and Networking April 24, 2017April 1, 2024Broadcom, cat5e, IEEE, intel, network cables, networking equipment, PCI-X, pcie, Windows 10

I finished a modernization project where I replaced all of my 100-megabit gear with gigabit-capable gear, including my cabling and router and access points. But after I replaced my last 100-megabit switch, I found we had two Windows desktops refusing to speed up. Here’s how to fix a gigabit card only connecting at 100mbps.

First, if you know you’re not connecting at gigabit, you probably already know how to do this. But if not, here’s how to check your network speed in Windows 10. Then here’s how to fix it. After all, you want to enjoy the advantages of a gigabit LAN if you have the hardware.

Start button disappeared? Here’s the fastest fix.

Dave Farquhar Windows April 21, 2017April 16, 2017Task Manager, Windows 10, windows 7, windows 8, Windows Explorer

If your start button disappeared, I have the fastest possible fix for you. It works with Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 10, and server versions, in addition to versions of Windows you shouldn’t be running anymore.

How does MAC address filtering help to secure a wireless network?

Dave Farquhar security April 20, 2017April 17, 2017AES, antenna, apple

Someone asked me the other day how does MAC address filtering help to secure a wireless network? If you’re in a position where it would help, I argue there are other things you need to do. But I’ll explain how it works, then what I’d rather you do instead.