Thoughts From My Inbox
February 19th, 2021

Something About…

I found out this week that snowplows in Scotland are called ‘gritters’ (they spread grit, sand, or salt), and that the Scots actually name these vehicles.  Some are named after famous Scotsmen (Sir Salter Scott, Sir Andy Flurry, and Robert Brrrns), others after musical acts (Sled Zeppelin, Gritney Spears, Spready Mercury), and others after Star Wars characters (Snowbegone Kenobi and Darth Spreader).  For more names and news on Scottish gritters, click here, here, and here.

In case you missed it (and I know a few of you did), Windows 7 reached End of Life (it’s no longer supported by Microsoft) status on January 14^th.  Of 2020.  Over a year ago. But many (including the water treatment plant in Florida that was hacked a week back) are still using this outdated operating system, which leads to huge security concerns. The FBI has now published a warning to companies regarding outdated systems.

It’s that time of year again…. Tax time.  And that means that the scammers are out with their IRS phishing attacks, looking to get your tax ID numbers and file returns using your personal information.  In this case, emails have a subject line “verifying your EFIN before e-filing”.  In past years, we’ve seen instances of company admins received spoofed emails from their CEOs, asking for a list of all employees’ SSNs and personal info.  It’s safe to say that you should always confirm when somebody asks you via email for personally identifiable information.

Have you been a victim of online fraud, whether through phishing, fake technology warnings, or otherwise?  If so, you’re a member of a growing club.  If it does happen to you, you might have some recourse, depending on how you paid for whatever you purchased.

Want to learn how a cybersecurity researcher hacked Apple and Microsoft (don’t worry, it was under the guises of a ‘bug-bounty’ program)?  I thought this might be an interesting piece, but then I started reading it. And then my eyes went glassy and crossed. If you’re very technically adept, you might enjoy this.  Otherwise, move on.

Hackers have figured out how to use Morse Code to get their phishing attacks past email security solutions.  Because they have a lot of time on their hands.

It seems that a group of hockey players in Edmonton, Alberta have just completed the longest hockey game, ever.  40 people took turns playing for 24 hours a day over the course of 11 days, beginning on February 4^th, all to raise money for cancer research.  The best part is they did it the old fashioned way- outdoors! (Sidenote; If you’re curious, those sweaters the players wore for this game are reminiscent of those worn by Team Canada for multiple Canada Cup tournaments, from 1976-1991.

And since we’re on the topic, I’d be remiss if I didn’t bring up the fact that it will be 41 years this coming Monday since the Miracle on Ice. As I always do, I’ll watch the movie Miracle and remember it like it was yesterday. If you’re not familiar, here’s the last minute of the game between the USA and Russia.

The US Department of Justice has charged three North Koreans for multiple cyber attacks, including the 2014 Sony data breach. There are 45 different criminal acts in all, and it’s pretty interesting to see how many different attacks they were able to perpetrate. In addition to the post, there’s a link to a Sophos security paper and checklist for protecting your network.

Best,
Jim