Missouri Archives

Home » Missouri » Page 4

This “Computer Maintenance Department” sure doesn’t know much about computer maintenance

Dave Farquhar scams, security May 22, 2013June 7, 20141990s, AMMYY, antivirus, avast, business relationship, caller id, cissp, Computer Maintenance Department, computer security, FBI, Microsoft Security Essentials, Missouri, power button, troubleshooting

“Peggy” from “Computer Maintenance Department” (1-645-781-2458 on my caller ID) called again. Lots of people are aware of these phone calls. They call, make vague claims about receiving a report that your computer is running slow and giving you errors, and are very careful not to say who they are or who they work for. Usually I just do whatever I can to get them off the phone.

But after having lunch with some other computer security professionals last week, a couple of them talked me into finding out how these guys operate. So I fired up a PC that turned out to have a real, legitimate issue. After resolving that issue myself, I turned the caller loose on my semi-functional PC so I could see what these scammers actually do. He had me connect to Teamviewer.com and run their remote access software. I followed his instructions, watched him connect, then slyly unplugged my network cable.

When my network connection dropped, “Peggy” quickly transferred me to a “senior technician” who used the name “Roy.” Read more

Dave Farquhar

David Farquhar is a computer security professional, entrepreneur, and author. He started his career as a part-time computer technician in 1994, worked his way up to system administrator by 1997, and has specialized in vulnerability management since 2013. He invests in real estate on the side and his hobbies include O gauge trains, baseball cards, and retro computers and video games. A University of Missouri graduate, he holds CISSP and Security+ certifications. He lives in St. Louis with his family.

dfarq.homeip.net

How to help the tornado-struck community of Moore, Okla.

Dave Farquhar Uncategorized May 21, 2013May 20, 2013Missouri

I’ll put what I was going to write about this morning on hold for a few days. I was writing about something that disappoints me, but it’s nothing compared to a mile-wide tornado hitting the town you live in, which is what happened to 55,000 residents of Moore, Oklahoma yesterday.

Now, aside from a year or so in Ohio as a toddler, I’ve spent my entire life in Tornado Alley. There are seven states that get more tornadoes than Missouri, but only seven. Oklahoma gets more than any state other than Texas. I know the drill, and even my three-year-old knows it. When the sirens blare, everyone goes to the basement, and I turn on one of the weather channels to see what’s going on. I even have a battery-operated TV that I can use if the power goes out. It happens several times a year, and we’re used to it.

What we’re not used to is the bad stuff happening. That happens every year too, somewhere, but you never really get used to that. Read more

Dave Farquhar

dfarq.homeip.net

The trouble with bringing your own software

Dave Farquhar security, Software May 3, 2013November 22, 20181990s, adobe creative suite, apple, hp, macintosh, micron, Microsoft Office, Missouri, office 2007, pc magazine, university of missouri, windows 2000, windows 7

PC Magazine is advocating a bring your own laptop, with your own software approach to business. It likens it to mechanics who bring their own tools.

The trouble is that while mechanical tools in a toolbox operate autonomously and don’t interfere with one another, software residing on a computer does. Read more

Dave Farquhar

dfarq.homeip.net

New media in Cuba

Dave Farquhar Uncategorized March 21, 2013March 20, 20131980s, bbs, loyalists, Missouri, old school

I read an ingenious article this week on Slashdot, talking about how Cubans evade Internet censorship (not to mention lack of access) by passing contraband material around on flash drives. It’s so old school, but brilliant.

Sure, it’s less efficient and less elegant than using the Internet, but unlike the Internet, it’s nearly impossible to detect and even harder to stop. Read more

Dave Farquhar

dfarq.homeip.net

I do not agree with my church president’s forced apology over Newtown, Conn.

Dave Farquhar Christianity February 10, 2013July 23, 2017computer security, Jerry Kieschnick, Jesus Christ, journalism, lcms, Missouri, Post Dispatch

This morning, I read something in the St. Louis-Post Dispatch that disturbed me greatly. I didn’t say anything about it until I had a chance to confirm with my pastor that it is true.

In the aftermath of the shooting in Newtown, Conn., Rev. Rob Morris, pastor of Christ the King Lutheran Church, spoke at an interfaith service designed to give comfort to the community. the Rev. Dr. Matthew Harrison, the president of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, of which I am a member and a former employee, forced Rev. Morris to apologize. (I will refer to him as Dr. Harrison throughout because he has earned that degree, not because I agree with what he says. It is possible to acknowledge rank while expressing disagreement.)

Dave Farquhar

dfarq.homeip.net

My Stan Musial stories

Dave Farquhar Baseball, Human Interest, St. Louis January 22, 2013January 22, 20131980s, cardinals, extra mile, Lead Belt, left fielder, Missouri, Stan Musial, Ted Williams

When I was a toddler, I played in Stan Musial’s swimming pool.

Yes, I really did.
Read more

Dave Farquhar

dfarq.homeip.net

Advice on avoiding college debt–at least for Missouri residents

Dave Farquhar Saving money August 17, 2012August 16, 2012college degrees, Ivy League, Missouri, mizzou, Post Dispatch, university of missouri

The business section of the Post-Dispatch had a good article on avoiding college debt. It’s tricky, as even Mizzou costs $22,000 a year now. I’m pretty sure when I was a Tiger, it was more like $10,000 a year, though I had scholarships that knocked that down even more.

Dave Farquhar

dfarq.homeip.net

There’s plenty of credit for the Internet to go around

Dave Farquhar Uncategorized July 25, 2012July 14, 20171980s, 1990s, 3com, AT&T, IBM, IRC, Missouri, networking equipment, university of missouri, unix

There’s a crazy rumor going around saying that the government didn’t do much of anything to create the Internet, and that private industry did it all.

I remember the Internet before the private sector got involved in it. I was there.
Read more

Dave Farquhar

dfarq.homeip.net

It’s not about the money

Dave Farquhar Personal June 17, 2012March 18, 2020Missouri

I made my resignation official on Friday. It was a hard decision to make, but I had a nagging feeling, on a couple of fronts, that I didn’t have a lot of choice.

But I’ll be OK. I had a new gig lined up long before I handed in my resignation. I’ll make a smooth transition and I’ll find some way to contribute on my new job almost immediately. I’ll be working closer to home, in my home state of Missouri, with a better schedule and more options for professional advancement. Still, I’m leaving the best place I ever worked, and that’s difficult. The only thing that made it possible for me to leave was the hostility.

This will be the least professional thing I’ve written in a long time, but I’m upset. Read on, and you’ll see why.

Dave Farquhar

dfarq.homeip.net

How blogging helps my professional career

Dave Farquhar Writing May 10, 2012October 11, 2019Missouri

My boss’ boss (I think we’re just two levels of management removed now) spent half the day composing a long e-mail message containing a large number of questions. He sent it to my boss, who forwarded it to us. I read the 10 or so questions that pertain to me.

Then I took a walk. Walking to the bathroom and using the facilities always seems like a good idea before I start writing. Read more

Dave Farquhar

dfarq.homeip.net