Bob Young

Remote English-speaking tech support to residential, small business, and SOHO clients, mainly (but not exclusively) in the USA. Sole proprietor, FIFO Networks.
Cybersecurity - Networks - Wireless – Telecom - VoIP

I do a fair amount of custom work for people when a loved one dies: unlocking computers, data recovery, and account recovery (Advice: keep paying their cell phone bill until you've got all their data back).

Use https://fifonetworks.com/contact-us/ for questions or to schedule service. It's just me. You'll be communicating directly with me.

Licensed and Insured.

Public Key

npub1d5mcrhz7v8ykwwc4sld0j5xdn4q8wrdt94ezewrmrpjmctxgzdwsw9eu62

NIP-05 Address

[email protected]

Profile Code

nprofile1qqsx6dupm30xrjt88v2c0khe2rxe6srhpk4j6u3vhpa3sedu9nypxhgpz3mhxue69uhhyetvv9ujuerpd46hxtnfduqs6amnwvaz7tmwdaejumr0ds3ye8zl

Publishing to

relay.damus.io

nos.lol

Author Public Key

npub1d5mcrhz7v8ykwwc4sld0j5xdn4q8wrdt94ezewrmrpjmctxgzdwsw9eu62

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Last Notes

2026-05-24 19:01:29 GMT

When AI destroys itself...
Mad cow disease is caused by cows eating cattle feed made from cows.
When an LLM ingests its own output, it quickly goes mad.
This shall hereafter be referred to as mad LLM disease.
#AI

2026-04-30 00:25:56 GMT

Before I started my own company I worked as Director of Technical Services for communications company in the Western U.S.
I lobbied hard for company credit cards for the tech crew that traveled from site to site. Until then, the company made them pay for their own travel, submit expense reports, and get reimbursed after the fact.
Getting approval for the credit card program was HARD. I argued that my small team was people we knew well. They were honest. And they’d still have to submit their expense reports with receipts every week. Accounting could compare the receipts against the charges on the statement and see if they were using the cards for anything they weren’t supposed to.
The President and the Director of Finance both objected. They said, “No matter how much you think you know someone, they can surprise you. Companies that allow credit cards routinely report fraud.”
After a couple of months of dialogue, I got my way. Two credit cards for each tech: a gas card and a Visa card.
Worked fine – for awhile.
Then, one day, we discovered a discrepancy, which led to an investigation, which led to uncovering misuse, which led to one of my techs in Montana being fired.
This story is a parable about trusting code in GitHub because “you know the person who maintains the repository from years of interacting on social media.”
#Github #supplyChain #malware #privacy #cybersecurity

2026-04-29 23:41:56 GMT

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@nprofile…mpvz
Here's the link to the manual at the Internet Archive.
https://archive.org/details/manualsbase-id-249998/mode/2up
You can download the manual from there. It says, "The battery should only be exchanged by authorized service personnel," it doesn't include detailed disassembly instructions.

2026-04-26 23:00:24 GMT

Here’s why the Wi-Fi coverage was inadequate in the Washington Hilton Hotel ballroom during the White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) annual dinner on April 25, 2026.
It’s not because the Hilton is being cheap. It’s simply physics. In this post, my goal is to help people who aren’t RF engineers understand why high-density Wi-Fi is so hard to get right.
BACKGROUND
The dinner was interrupted during the salad course by loud noises, and the Secret Service rushed into action. The President and many other people were evacuated and the building was secured. I was watching a Breaking News segment on TV. The journalist who was covering the event for the TV station I was watching was using a Wi-Fi VoIP connection to talk to the newsroom, and it wasn’t working very well.
It’s easy to say, “Wow, the Hilton should have better Wi-Fi in such an important ballroom,” but it’s not that simple.
WI-FI IS HALF-DUPLEX
Refer to the picture. The IEEE 802.11standard, more commonly called Wi-Fi, uses half-duplex communications. It’s bi-directional, but only works in one direction at a time. When the smartphone is transmitting, the Access Point (AP) is receiving, and vice versa.
The reporter I was listening to estimated that there were 1,500 people in attendance. This number may be low; the WHCA official report on the 2025 dinner lists 2,600 people in attendance, in the same ballroom. Television coverage inside the venue showed several guests using their phones to video record the scene. No doubt some of them were live-streaming, or at least attempting to.
In a modern football stadium (another high-density Wi-Fi environment), wireless APs are located under a seat or on a seat back, operate at low-power, and serve a small cluster of nearby seats. In a hotel ballroom this type of fixed arrangement is harder to do. We might imagine a low-power AP under every table (that would be wonderful!), but the tables aren’t permanent and it isn’t practical. Instead, the ballroom has APs with directional antennas mounted at various points on the walls and/or ceiling.
CONCLUSION
When the AP is receiving, and several phones transmit simultaneously, the AP gets interference and decodes very little. The 802.11 (Wi-Fi) standard isn’t designed to accommodate that scenario. The solution is to plan many low-power APs, each serving a very small area. This is difficult to do in an environment with moveable furniture for hosting different types of events.
#CallMeIfYouNeedMe #FIFONetworks +1 206-465-2422
Cybersecurity - Networks - Wireless – Telecom – VoIP
https://media.infosec.exchange/infosec.exchange/media_attachments/files/116/473/489/590/048/845/original/070a1a0c955320a5.jpg

2026-04-23 05:50:36 GMT

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@nprofile…dhef
I know what déjà vu is, but I have no idea why you mentioned it in relation to my post.

2026-04-23 00:17:23 GMT

When the labor reports are not good, and you’re having difficulty finding a job, consider applying to smaller companies.
It’s not always true, but it’s frequently true that small business owners care more about their employees, compared to big business management teams.
There are a lot of small businesses, and there’s a lot of variation in the quality of the leadership teams. Your mileage may vary, let the buyer beware, look before you leap, and all that. But when you remember what average means – half of the small businesses are above average, so you’ve got a decent chance.
I remember one auto insurance office where my wife worked. It was a small office with two agents and four customer care people. One time I was talking to the owner and he told me about the pressure he felt: “I’m not just providing for my family, but by running this business I’m providing for six families. When business slows down, it weighs on me heavily.” That man cared.
That’s very different than working for a CEO of a company with 2,000 employees who says, “Profits are down. Let’s lay off six percent of our staff.”
#jobs #JobMarket #employment #CareerPlanning

2026-04-10 00:44:31 GMT

Given the abusive policies, poor working conditions, and job insecurities of working for many large corporations, here’s my recommendation: if you’re looking for a job, look closely at Small and Medium-Sized Business (SMB) opportunities.
Mega-corporations are no longer the goose that lays golden eggs. They are shedding jobs and shredding souls.
If you have the personality for it, I encourage you to start your own business, but I know that’s not for everyone.
“But Bob, I can’t make as much money if I don’t work for a mega-company!”
Okay, it’s time for some serious introspection. What do you want out of life? What will create your contentment and peace? It may be time to reduce your spending, reduce your stress, and walk away from the superficial trappings of success that are causing you stress, not inner calm.
If you want to make a difference, and be more easily recognized for the difference you make, work in a smaller company where you can shine brightly.
#jobs #employment #security #planning #goals

2026-04-07 01:04:29 GMT

This post isn’t about what you think it is, so take a moment to read the POST, not just the PICTURE, before replying.
The picture of trikcode’s post says, literally, quoted with it’s bad grammar and syntax unmodified:
“the generation that refused to accept cookies.
is now giving AI access to their desktops, files, and bank accounts.”
This post isn’t about AI.
This post isn’t about privacy.
This post isn’t about incorrect grammar and syntax.
So, what am I posting about?
The evolution of language. And how we must embrace it.
The grammar, syntax, spelling, and even the alphabet, of American English in the 1700’s doesn’t apply today. We don’t even write the letter “s” the same way our predecessors did.
Dictionaries list some words as “archaic” or “obsolete.” And new words are added to the dictionary because they become common and are well-understood.
Capitalization has changed over the centuries. In fact, there was a time when there weren’t upper-case and lower-case letters; there were just letters.
In the early days of the Internet, and in the early days of text messaging (these two time periods are not identical, BTW), I was dismissive of incorrect grammar, newly developed acronyms, lack of punctuation, and so forth.
But. Today. We can now see that these changes are consistent with long-understood and well-articulated principles of language development and morphology.
Such changes don’t happen overnight. Changes to language often occur first in slang and common usage before being accepted into business or formal communications. Also, changes in spoken language and changes in written language occur on two different tracks, and don’t always mirror each other.
In addition to linguistic changes in online written communications, I must at least briefly mention changes to verbal, oral communications that are simultaneously occurring because of the globalization of the English language. For example, in the USA, we traditionally put adjectives before nouns. We say, “cold water,” whereas in many other languages, the noun comes before the adjective. In Spanish, we say, “agua fría,” which in direct English translation would be “water cold.” We’re also not used to hearing the verb at the end of the sentence, unless we’re watching Yoda in Star Trek (“Try you must”), or hearing the verb at the beginning of the sentence unless we’re watching Mr. Miyagi in Karate Kid (“Is no defense”).
It is now common to read technical papers written in English by subject matter experts whose first language is not English. These articles, white papers, technical manuals, textbooks, and blogs contain sentence structures that sound odd to people who have grown up knowing only one language, and yet – AND YET – we completely understand the meaning of the “strangely organized” words.
Now we come to my point.
It is no longer appropriate to criticize differences in written or spoken language, unless it fails to communicate.
Languages evolve, in every way: alphabet, grammar, syntax, words, spelling.
If someone expresses an idea, and you understand the idea, their communication is perfect.
And if you don’t understand what they’re trying to communicate, don’t be too quick to judge. The problem may be on your end.
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2026-04-04 02:43:33 GMT

Last Thursday I was doing a remote tech support call for an elderly gentleman and his wife in Macon, Georgia (I’m in Seattle). He said, “The printer is in another room, and I want to check the status to see if my document is done printing. It takes a lot of steps. Is there an easy way to see when the printer is done?”
SOLUTION
I put a shortcut to the printer queue on his Windows desktop, which was actually on a laptop. They both liked it, so I put another shortcut on the desktop of her laptop.
HOW TO DO IT
If you’d like a shortcut to open your printer queue, here are the steps. If you have more than one printer, you can make one for each of them.
Step 1: In Printer Properties, copy the name of your printer.
Step 2: On the desktop, Right-Click - New - Shortcut.
Step 3: Where it says, "Type the location of the item," write:
C:\Windows\System32\rundll32.exe printui.dll,PrintUIEntry /o /n "YourPrinterName"
Between the quote marks, replace YourPrinterName with the name of your printer, found in Step 1.
Example:
C:\Windows\System32\rundll32.exe printui.dll,PrintUIEntry /o /n "WF-2930 Series(Network)"
Step 4: Give the shortcut a name and save it.
Step 5: While something is printing, double-click the icon to see the current document queue and status.
#CallMeIfYouNeedMe #FIFONetworks
#TechSupport #RemoteSupport #HelpDesk
Cybersecurity - Networks - Wireless – Telecom – VoIP
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2026-03-30 00:20:22 GMT

It's Sunday evening, 5:17pm PDT. I just finished month-end server maintenance for the last client. I have the evening free to sit in the recliner, watch TV, and eat popcorn. Of course, it starts all over again with mid-month maintenance in about two weeks. It's like laundry, or mowing the lawn. You're never REALLY finished.

2026-03-28 07:57:12 GMT

It's 12:47 am, and I am quite drunk. I'm going to bed now. I'll wake up briefly about 3:30 with a roaring headache, pee, get a drink of water, and go back to sleep. I don't care. I won't mind the headache. Today my oldest brother decided of his own free will to enter hospice care. The doctor says at most he has a few weeks. He's nine years older than me. As a child, I idolized him. As adults, he was a ne'er-do-well, always broke, mostly unemployed. But I love this ne'er-do-well, and I will mourn his passing. This is hard.

2026-03-25 15:47:55 GMT

It’s time for company’s to change this website notice to, “You may need to download an application to view PDF documents.”
The Portable Document Format (PDF) was originally a proprietary format, but it has been an open standard for many years now.
I sign Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs) with several of my clients. Adobe’s constant pressure to incorporate their automatic cloud storage and artificial intelligence analysis of documents that are read, created, or edited with their software make their products not just a security risk, but a legal risk.
I canceled my Adobe subscription and uninstalled all of their products from every computer I use for work-related tasks. (Full disclosure: my wife still has her Adobe subscription and has no interest in changing products).
Opening a PDF file in a web browser is also a security risk if you have an NDA, since many web browser providers are analyzing displayed content. If you have security obligations to your clients, I recommend disabling the viewing of PDF files in the browser, or, better yet, use a less invasive browser for work-related tasks.
I’m not making any recommendations in this post (or in the comments) for PDF viewers or browsers, because that would create the impression that this is a sales pitch. If anyone recommends something in the comments, that’s fine, just understand that I’m not making an endorsement here.
But back to the original point, in my opening sentence: unless Adobe is paying you to recommend their product on your website, you should drop the reference to Adobe in your PDF notice. It’s an open standard, and recommending a particular product when it’s not a requirement is misleading at best.
#CallMeIfYouNeedMe #FIFONetworks
Cybersecurity - Networks - Wireless – Telecom – VoIP
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2026-03-24 18:53:56 GMT

One of the most bewildering aspects of remote tech support is when I connect to the user's computer, there's an error message on the screen telling exactly what to do to fix the problem, and the user says, "Just close that, it always pops up."
I respond with, "Well, that's a safe error message, so I'm going to click on it and resolve it so it doesn't keep being an annoyance."
And then their problem is fixed and I invoice them.
It would make sense to me if they said, "I'm not sure if it's okay to click on that, or if it's trying to trick me."
But when they don't think it's related to the problem - I don't know how to explain that.
#HelpDesk

2026-03-24 02:36:11 GMT

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@nprofile…8ra6
Yes – much of American society is living on the edge, with no safety net, and cash is king. I was struck by that hard reality a couple of years ago on a trip to work in Georgia. I ate breakfast at a Waffle House, because it was the only thing open at 4:30am when I had to leave the hotel each day to get to the (very) rural job site. There on the counter were employment applications. They were 3x5 cards. I picked one up and looked at it while I was waiting for my omelet. It said, “We pay weekly in cash.”
Holy cow. That was an employment incentive. That’s “why you want to come to work for us.”
I realized again how blessed I am.
But, part of my question isn’t about getting $5k in cash. Part of what I don’t understand is preferring $100 bills. Most places don’t want bills that large. But I don’t know. If you walk in and pay your rent and your car payment with cash, and do a big grocery order right after payday, maybe the big bills work out okay.

2026-03-23 23:09:24 GMT

Turning to the Fediverse with a question.
Today I was in a bank branch that I don't typically visit. While I was at one teller window waiting for my banker to do stuff, a person at the teller next to me did a withdrawal. I heard the flap-flap of the bill counter, and then the teller gave the person a STACK of $100 bills. They left, next person came up... same thing. It was probably fifty to a hundred $100 bills.
What's going on? What do people do with all those large bills?

2026-03-21 22:28:40 GMT

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@nprofile…ag68
52! (i.e., 52 factorial, which is 52 x 51 x 50 ... x 1), equals 8.06581752 x 10^67 or 8 times (10 raised to the 67th power). I hadn't thought about it before, but it's quite possibly true.

2026-03-21 22:24:41 GMT

Are QR codes for restaurant menus safe? Why yes, as a matter of act, they are. And before you start with the “But Bob,” read the whole post.
There’s this concept in cybersecurity called a risk assessment. When the restaurant puts an official, restaurant-sponsored QR code linking to their menu on your table, the risk is very low. Click on the link and pick your favorite food and beverage.
Did someone tape a new QR code over the original QR code? The risk went up. Ask your server if the restaurant changed the QR code. If they did, the risk is back down.
QR codes are a nice benefit in the age of smartphones. They make it much easier to get a complex URL into your browser, and to identify valid concert ticket holders, and many other things.
THE LESSON
Instead of parroting negative rules (“Don’t do this!” “Don’t do that!”), use your skills and do the analysis.
(About the picture: someone on Threads complained about QR codes for restaurant menus. They don’t like them. Fine. Me neither. But then someone posted in the comments, “You should never scan random QR codes this is a huge cybersecurity issue.” And that’s just a gross oversimplification).
https://media.infosec.exchange/infosec.exchange/media_attachments/files/116/269/504/483/826/632/original/bf06ae87e3afe7a0.png

2026-03-19 19:10:32 GMT

Dear Kindle App:
Do not load recommendations.
Load my library.
If I want recommendations, I'll ask.
Sincerely,
Everyone

2026-03-19 03:49:06 GMT

A client has an air gapped system with Microsoft 365 on it. This was a decision on his part, without any prompting from me. I found out about it after the fact. Of course, it quit working without an Internet connection to periodically verify the product is still licensed. When he called looking for a solution, I switched him to LibreOffice and now he’s using Calc for his spreadsheets. Now I’m wondering if I’ll see more of this. Has concern about AI accelerated the move to Free and Open-Source Software (FOSS)?

2026-03-12 15:38:13 GMT

My Android phone just got the March feature drop, and it took me a half hour to go through the settings to find and disable all the changes they made that I don't want or care about. There's still one more thing I want to disable, but I haven't been able to find it yet in the settings.
Which I interpret to mean they really, really don't want me to disable it.
#android

2026-03-10 04:21:44 GMT

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@nprofile…0xu8 From Lumo AI:
"Testing flash memory for errors involves checking for bad blocks, verifying data integrity, and assessing the drive's health metrics. Since flash memory (like SSDs, USB drives, and SD cards) behaves differently than traditional hard drives, the methods vary slightly depending on your operating system and the level of detail you need.
Here is a breakdown of the most effective methods:
1. Using Built-in Operating System Tools
These are the safest first steps as they don't require installing third-party software.
Windows (CHKDSK): The chkdsk utility scans the file system and the physical disk surface for errors.
Open Command Prompt as Administrator.
Run: chkdsk X: /f /r (Replace X with your drive letter).
/f fixes logical file system errors.
/r locates bad sectors and recovers readable information.
Note: This process can take a long time on large drives.
macOS (Disk Utility):
Open Disk Utility (Applications > Utilities).
Select the flash drive from the sidebar.
Click First Aid and then Run. This verifies and repairs the partition map and file system.
Linux (fsck):
Ensure the drive is unmounted: sudo umount /dev/sdX1.
Run: sudo fsck -v /dev/sdX1.
For a more thorough check that attempts to recover bad blocks, you can use badblocks, but be cautious as some modes are destructive.
2. Specialized Third-Party Tools
For a deeper analysis, specifically looking at the physical health of the NAND flash cells and the controller, dedicated tools are superior.
CrystalDiskInfo (Windows): This tool reads S.M.A.R.T. (Self-Monitoring, Analysis, and Reporting Technology) data. It provides immediate insight into:
Total Bytes Written (TBW).
Reallocated Sector Count.
Uncorrectable Error Count.
Power-On Hours.
Verdict: If the status is "Caution" or "Bad," the drive is likely failing physically.
HDDScan: A free utility that allows you to run surface tests (Read, Write, Erase) on the drive.
Read Test: Scans for slow or unreadable sectors without modifying data.
Write/Erase Test: Warning: This will destroy all data on the drive. It forces the controller to rewrite every block, revealing weak cells that fail under stress.
F3 (Fight Flash Fraud): Essential for verifying the actual capacity of a drive. Many counterfeit flash drives report a larger size than they physically have.
F3Write: Writes data to the entire drive.
F3Read: Verifies the data.
If the read fails or data is corrupted at a specific point, the drive is likely a fake or has failed beyond that point.
3. Understanding the Results
When analyzing the results, keep these flash-memory-specific factors in mind:
Bad Blocks vs. Bad Sectors: Flash controllers often remap bad blocks internally. If a tool reports many "reallocation" events, the drive is wearing out.
Wear Leveling: Flash memory wears out after a certain number of write cycles. Tools that show high "Program/Erase Cycle" counts indicate the drive is nearing its end of life.
Controller Issues: Sometimes the NAND chips are fine, but the controller managing them is faulty. This often manifests as the drive disconnecting randomly or becoming read-only.
Recommendation
Backup your data immediately before running any write-intensive tests.
Start with CrystalDiskInfo (or equivalent) to check S.M.A.R.T. health.
If the health looks okay but you suspect corruption, run CHKDSK or First Aid.
If you suspect the drive is counterfeit or has hidden physical defects, use F3 (for capacity verification) or HDDScan (for surface scanning)."

2026-03-08 03:30:34 GMT

Regarding the fear that AI will ruin our ability to think and our will to work: this concern was also common at the advent of...
1) Paperback novels
2) Comic books
3) Commercial AM radio
4) Television (the “boob tube”)
5) Pocket calculators
6) Gameboys
...and the list goes on.
#ai

2026-03-07 18:39:31 GMT

Make the Microsoft CEO search for an email on Outlook live on camera.
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2026-03-07 06:50:10 GMT

I expect the coffee mug seller to block me in less than 10 minutes.
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2026-03-07 05:43:09 GMT

There's a lot of speculation now about how reliance on AI is going to make us stupid. I disagree.
The premise is that the younger workers are going to rely on AI, and when the current truly skilled workers age out, the up and coming workers won't have the deep knowledge of their craft. They'll be dependent on AI, and won't have the experienced understanding necessary to innovate.
History tells us a different story. I'll share an illustration with you. I've used this illustration before, when personal computers became popular, and again when the Internet spread from the university to the home.
So, here you go. Think about this.
You don't know how to make lye soap.
You don't know how to make candles from beef tallow.
You don't know how to shear sheep or spin their wool into yarn.
And on and on.
And yet these skills, and others, were common in America's pioneer days
The point is that the skills and knowledge that members of a society need are constantly changing, ever evolving.
When I started my career in electronics, there were twchnicians who made their living in a TV repair shop. Today there are adults who don't even know TV repair shops were a thing. I can still repair a tube-type television, but I can't make a living with that skill. Now I do computer and network support.
It's hard for us to see the new skills that will be needed, but they're imminent. Needs will arise. Challenges will be met. People will see opportunities, and skills will be developed.
We depend on cars instead of horses.
We depend on gas furnaces instead of fireplaces.
We depend on freezers instead of salting our beef.
Will we depend on AI?
Probably. It's looking more and more likely.
Remember that we, as a species, are survivors. New problems compel us to find new solutions.
Dependencies don't finish us.
They drive us.
They drive us forward.

2026-03-06 18:34:51 GMT

The client's firewall was blocking VPN attacks from IP addresses in the USA. Randomized timer with attempts anywhere from 2 seconds to 15 minutes apart. Brute force attack using first initial, last name. In the lower left corner, 19:47:05 is the last entry before I blocked the entire Class B address range.
#CallMeIfYouNeedMe #FIFONetworks #cybersecurity
Cybersecurity - Networks - Wireless – Telecom – VoIP
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2026-03-04 21:05:20 GMT

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@nprofile…fuax I'm genuinely concerned that Trump intends to light those special firecrackers.

2026-03-04 20:23:11 GMT

Trump just said: "When crazy people have nuclear weapons bad things happen."

2026-03-03 20:32:17 GMT

There are two laptops in my backpack on this trip: my regular laptop, and my air gapped laptop. The air gapped laptop is for work I do for clients when I have an NDA.
Carrying the extra weight became necessary when AI products started analyzing everything: emails, schedules, Word documents, spreadsheets, PDF files - even the simple Notepad app is now infected with spyware.
I'm now getting NDAs from clients that have specific requirements to not expose their information to AI.
On this trip I spent some time engineering a new network. When I finish the design back in my office, I'll send it to the client using encryption on a secure channel.
(Photo: my backpack keeping me company during lunch at TGI Fridays in DFW Terminal E.)
#CallMeIfYouNeedMe #FIFONetworks +1 206-465-2422
Cybersecurity - Networks - Wireless – Telecom – VoIP
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2026-02-28 20:34:12 GMT

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I followed up the previous speed test using a different tool. Average download speed is lower, and looks more like what I expected.
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2026-02-28 20:23:16 GMT

Speed test on this Delta flight from Seattle to Dallas shows 26 Mbps download. It's higher than I thought.
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2026-02-28 06:15:10 GMT

Putting my forensics toolkit in my backpack for a trip to Dallas, TX tomorrow.
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2026-02-27 15:50:11 GMT

My website looks like crap, and I'm glad.
I made it myself. There's no way anyone will ever think it was made by AI.
fifonetworks.com
#helpdesk #techsupport #informationtechnology

2026-02-27 03:13:53 GMT

Video conference tip: use a camera higher than your nostrils. This is a common issue with laptops. An alternate solution is to keep about 3 feet away from your camera. A full face closeup with a camera looking up your nostrils isn't the most flattering look.

2026-02-26 00:30:11 GMT

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@nprofile…fqfm Well, that's a shame...

2026-02-26 00:26:27 GMT

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@nprofile…39l4
Thank you for linking to this TED talk. Wow!

2026-02-25 23:32:24 GMT

Wife is driving home from work, and we talked on the phone a minute ago. I asked, "Would you please get the mail on your way in?" She said, "Sure. Is there anything else you need me to do?" I said, "A hundred jumping jacks." She said no. Jeesh.

2026-02-25 18:43:00 GMT

Want to reduce "alarm fatigue" caused by false positives? Then quit alarming the wrong stuff. Here’s how to decide what needs to be alarmed:
If it requires immediate human attention, it's an alarm. Otherwise, it's a log entry.
This is one of the most common mistakes I see in the field when I’m working with clients on streamlining their operations and reducing downtime. There is a strong (super-strong!) tendency to say, “I’m not sure, so I’d better make this an alarm.”
In many organizations, there’s also a fear factor: “If I decide not to alarm this, and then we have a critical system outage that could have been prevented, I’ll get blamed for not enabling this alarm.”
The cure for this is twofold: (1) alarm-or-log decisions should be made by a team, so no one person has the weight of the company’s downtime on their shoulders, and (2) the manager over the alarm-or-log team needs to review and approve the team’s plan and take full ownership of it. The manager needs to have the kind of personal integrity it takes to say, “I’m responsible.”
SIDENOTE: In the Navy I was taught, “You can delegate authority, but you can never delegate responsibility. You are responsible for everything your team does.” In the civilian world I’ve seen a lot of bad managers rise in power by blaming a subordinate, and then “fixing” the problem by firing and replacing the scapegoat.
This environment of fear results in everything being alarmed, and the result is that nothing is effectively alarmed.
THE WRONG SOLUTION TO ALARM FATIGUE
The wrong solution to alarm fatigue is excessive automation. Listen to me: there is no automated detection system in a complex network that can evaluate every combination of events. The speed and scale of automated monitoring systems is essential in large networks, but they augment the human agents, they don’t replace them.
#CallMeIfYouNeedMe #FIFONetworks +1 206-465-2422
Cybersecurity - Networks - Wireless – Telecom – VoIP

2026-02-12 06:17:33 GMT

Late night musings: how much coding is done while coders are high?

2026-02-10 23:16:08 GMT

VoIP technology has been around long enough and progressed far enough that there are VoIP application engineers in their 40s, working for big-name ISPs, that don't know the difference between a KSU and a PBX.
I'm not shaming or ridiculing. I'm just noticing with surprise - again - how fast technology changes.
I'm an old fart who's having too much fun to retire. Over the years I've installed and maintained KSUs and PBXs - but I've also taught VoIP architecture at colleges and private companies.
Right now I'm helping a small business replace a rather ancient KSU with a cloud-based VoIP system. During discussions with the ISP's application engineer it became apparent that, to him, any multi-line copper phone system is a PBX. This isn't true, but it hardly matters.
The VoIP system upgrades today are a complete remove and replace operation. Nothing of the original system is kept. For that reason, he really doesn't need to understand much about the physical architecture of the outgoing system. He just needs to communicate clearly with the customer about functions.
Anyway, it's a good thing I never stop learning. Otherwise, I'd be a dinosaur just like this KSU we're ripping out.
#voip #telecom
https://media.infosec.exchange/infosec.exchange/media_attachments/files/116/048/867/328/523/274/original/52847d0d400c125b.jpg

2026-01-16 07:56:10 GMT

Can someone with actual technical qualifications tell me if Vivaldi is a secure browser, or is it just more hype?
And why should I believe you: give me some indication of your credibility.

2026-01-15 21:00:22 GMT

Why did the ISS astronauts return early? What was the medical condition that could be complicated by microgravity?
My theory: pregnancy.
This is only a guess, and no criticism is implied.
#ISS #astronauts

2026-01-10 04:21:25 GMT

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@nprofile…zrfp Why would you criticize something or someone when there is no way you can possibly know all the details?
The owner still needs access to the account. There’s a transition period.
There were no passwordless tokens on this account. No other keys. No recovery email that wasn’t removed. No SMS recovery that wasn’t removed. There’s no other way in.

2026-01-10 00:15:55 GMT

This morning I got a call from a client, a business owner: “Bob, I’m going to fire a key employee today. What do we need to do to lock him out of all systems?”
I got my secure laptop on the workbench booted up and ready. I use it for access to client account management portals, and nothing else. No web browsing, no social media, no games, nothing. The rest of the time it’s powered off and disconnected from the Internet.
The owner texted me when the firing was complete. I moved from my desktop to my workbench and reset the user’s password for their Microsoft account. I texted the temporary password to the business owner.
In Entra ID, I closed all open sessions on all devices, forcing reauthentication. I did one other thing: I deleted the Microsoft Authenticator account in Entra ID. The former employee’s phone can’t be used for a password reset via the “forgot my password” method.

2026-01-09 21:20:46 GMT

The "shared responsibility" model for cloud security means that no matter what happens, it's your fault and the cloud service provider had nothing to do with it.
#cloud

2026-01-09 19:27:11 GMT

I got an email today from one of my vendors letting me know that they'll be requiring 2FA beginning January 12. I logged into my account, and in doing so learned that I had already set up 2FA.
A couple of things:
1) I logged in to set it up, thinking they must not have offered it before. It turned out that it was there as an option, and of course I had enabled it when I created the account some time ago.
2) I’m also thinking, “What!!!??? This is a major global provider of OT/ICS equipment, and they’re just NOW getting around to making 2FA mandatory?”
My guess is they realized they needed it to be mandatory, not optional, for CMMC compliance.
It’s too bad that it takes regulation to make companies do the right thing.
#CallMeIfYouNeedMe #FIFONetworks
#cybersecurity

2026-01-09 05:48:56 GMT

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@nprofile…3qfc
I quit using my Gmail and Hotmail addresses a few months ago because both Microsoft and Alphabet are fully committed to having complete access via their AI.

2026-01-09 04:05:39 GMT

Do you just want something to make you feel good again after this tough week? Watch any YouTube video by the Graystones. Here's BAKER STREET by Gerry Rafferty - cover by The Graystones.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rtkcGUc__vw
#music

2026-01-08 16:46:21 GMT

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@nprofile…eara
I was there to connect one site-to-site VPN to a company in Seattle that you have no doubt heard of. I offered to give the owner a quote to clean it up, but he declined without even considering it. In the end, it took me months to get paid for that one simple job, so I’m glad I didn’t do a lot of work there.

2026-01-08 15:51:46 GMT

My son texted me a picture of the network rack where he works. He wrote, “Does this mess give you anxiety?! It drives me crazy!!”
So I texted back a picture of a network I worked on a few years ago: “I worked on this mess when we were in Lincoln City. I won't name the company, I'll just say "somewhere on the Oregon coast."
The picture I sent him (shown here) had some paperwork that revealed the client company’s name, and I blocked it out.
How about you? Have you got a picture of a network “mess” you worked on? Please examine the picture carefully before posting, and remove any company names or secure information.
#TechSupport #infrastructure #InformationTechnology
https://media.infosec.exchange/infosec.exchange/media_attachments/files/115/860/271/677/062/032/original/d3141e9b67e5c2ba.jpg

2026-01-07 21:39:01 GMT

In light of today's news from Minneapolis, it's worth repeating my pinned post: FIFO Networks is now offering cybersecurity services to the resistance.
This isn't free; standard rates apply.
I am not underground.

2026-01-07 19:52:53 GMT

Follow-up to yesterday’s post about Have I Been Pwned (HIBP):
I’ve seen company email addresses reported in HIBP summaries that were used for such non-business related accounts as Ducks Unlimited. Then, when that account is breached and the email addresses are sold, it just increases the overall spam workload on corporate security systems. It creates other security risks, too, especially when employees reuse passwords for more than one account.
RECOMMENDATION
Consider including a paragraph in the Acceptable Use Policy prohibiting using company email addresses for personal business, social media, or other activities.
Corporate policy makers: You might want to include an exclusion, allowing the use of company email for LinkedIn. There are some use cases where the company email for a LI account makes sense, so you’ll need to do your own risk assessment based on your needs.
Individuals: Using your company email for personal business can create problems when you change employers and lose access to that email. So apart from the company security issues, it’s just wise not to use their email address for anything else, anyway. Regarding LinkedIn: you can add more than one email address to your account in Settings. When you’re out of work you really want access to your LinkedIn account, so if you do use your company email with LI, be sure you go into settings and add a secondary email that you can always control.
#CallMeIfYouNeedMe #FIFONetworks
#cybersecurity #privacy

2026-01-06 23:29:34 GMT

Some advice when using Have I Been Pwned (HIBP).
HIPB is a great site to use to find out if your email address, and other associated data, has been exposed in a breach.
Here’s two examples of the HIBP report for an old email address of mine.
RECOMMENDATION
Companies are reluctant to disclose the full extent of a breach if they think they can get away with partial reporting. Also, HIBP may not have found all of the leaked records. Therefore, even if HIBP doesn’t list passwords as being included in the breach, you should still change them.
Note that the leaked password in the one example is the password for that account, not the email password. But, if you make the mistake of using the same password for both of them – well, you can be sure the cybercriminal will try that password on your email and everything else they can find.
SUMMARY
Change the password on any account shown to have been compromised.
Don’t use the same password on multiple accounts.
#CallMeIfYouNeedMe #FIFONetworks
#cybersecurity #privacy
https://media.infosec.exchange/infosec.exchange/media_attachments/files/115/850/750/033/967/112/original/9b783706f006f88a.png

2026-01-06 23:22:58 GMT

2026-01-06 01:06:08 GMT

This is out of my area of expertise, so I’m asking for advice. I’ve heard arguments that it’s better to keep your domain registration separate from your web hosting. Is it? Does it matter? I mean, you can keep them separate, but is there any reason not to pay the same company for both?
#DNS #WebHosting #domain

2026-01-05 17:24:25 GMT

Proprietary protocols are a security risk.
Proprietary protocols necessitate vendor lock-in.
When you commit your design to proprietary protocols, you lose the freedom to shop for lower cost products.
You’re stuck with the vendor’s availability and deliverability schedule.
If another vendor comes to market with a desirable feature, you can’t buy their product or use that feature until your proprietary protocol vendor includes it in their product – which may be a long time, if the feature is protected by a patent.
You’re stuck with the vendor’s schedule for firmware updates and CVE patches.
RECOMMENDATION
Your risk analysis should include an inventory of hardware, software, AND protocols.
Recommend the redesign of any system with proprietary protocols.
In the short term, before redesign is complete, update your Incident Response plan, growth plan, and spares inventory to minimize crises.
CEOs: Ask your CISO, CIO, or systems architect, “Do we rely on any proprietary protocols?” And if they don’t immediately know the answer, it’s time to find out.
#CallMeIfYouNeedMe #FIFONetworks
#cybersecurity #CostControl #resilience

2026-01-03 23:58:07 GMT

FIFO Networks is now offering cybersecurity services to the resistance.

2026-01-03 22:44:23 GMT

It's time for regime change in America.
Our government is no less evil than Russia's.

2025-12-31 20:30:27 GMT

The AI models are in competition, and this affects you personally. Here’s how to stay on top of what’s going on so you aren’t caught off guard...
Did you say that the article/picture video you posted was AI generated? Fantastic! Thank you! That’s genuinely important, and I’m glad you’re doing it. But, please go one step further: specify the AI model you used.
ChatGPT
GPT-4o mini
Gemini
Gemini 1.5 Flash
Lumo
Lumo 1.2
Copilot
Claude 3.5 Sonnet
Claude Opus
... and so on.
It’s really important that we don’t lump all artificial intelligence models together. They’re each different, they have different capabilities, and they produce different outputs.
There will be winners and losers. Some AI models will develop a reputation for being untrustworthy, and other models will generate results that are considered more credible.
My advice to you: critically evaluate the AI content that you interact with, whether your interaction is intentional or incidental.
And always cite your sources.

2025-12-31 01:20:35 GMT

Well, I’m done with the Chamber of Commerce.
When I moved from Seattle, Washington to Lincoln City, Oregon, I did a couple of business related things: I re-licensed my business in Oregon, and I joined the Lincoln City Chamber of Commerce as a way of getting known in the community. A couple of years later when I moved back to the Seattle area, I thought, “I should probably join the Chamber here,” but I never did. And now I’m glad I didn’t re-associate with the Chamber, because I just randomly learned something: the US Chamber of Commerce (of which the local Chambers are members) opposed the FTC’s rule banning non-compete agreements.
To hell with non-compete agreements.
The last time I signed a non-compete agreement was in 1983. When I left that company 12 years later I had to hire an attorney to advise me about my next job. It turned out the non-compete clause was toothless, but I had to pay money to find that out. I made the decision then that I’d never sign another non-compete. They were placed in front of me, mind you, as part of the on-boarding process, but I always politely said, “I don’t sign non-competes,” and THEY HIRED ME ANYWAY.
I never lost a job by refusing to sign a non-compete. (Your mileage may vary).
And now that I know the US Chamber of Commerce is in favor of companies having the right to enforce non-compete agreements, I don’t want to be affiliated with them.
I reserve the right to work anywhere, anytime, for anyone. It’s my life, not yours. I sign non-disclosure agreements all the time, but non-competes, never. You can keep your secrets – but my knowledge, experience, and skills are mine, and fully transferable.
#jobs #contracts #NonCompete

2025-12-30 17:18:56 GMT

Prospect: "We need to improve our security! The threat of AI attacks is worrying me."
My reply: “Better security starts with location.”
Location matters. When I was in the Navy on a “West Pac” cruise, I did some duty as Shore Patrol in ports where we docked. I noticed something.
There were parts of the cities where sailors could go and enjoy a nice dinner, have a few drinks if they wanted to, and return to the ship safely. And there were other parts of the city where danger lurked. I remember one man being carried back by his shipmates, bleeding, after he had been stabbed and robbed.
Yes, danger can happen anywhere, but some places are more dangerous than others.
And the Internet is a dangerous place.
You’ve read the articles. Artificial intelligence is going to increase the scale, speed, intensity, and unpredictability of attacks.
So the first question to ask yourself is, “Does my data need to be in this neighborhood?”
Some of it does, yes. Online ordering information needs to be on the Internet.
Customer data, on the other hand, can be moved offline. Employee data, too. Get it out of the dangerous neighborhood, and half your security problem is solved.
Bsides conferences are full of lectures on improving cloud security, but I’ve never heard a single lecture there on deciding what can be removed from the cloud. People have stopped thinking about the neighborhood. I’m not picking on Bsides; this is just an example. Cloud-only thinking is everywhere.
- When you're ready for a Wide Area Network built without Internet connectivity,
- When you're ready to admit that most of your data doesn't need to be connected to the Internet at all,
- When you're able to see that most of your data only needs to be accessible from a small number of locations,
Then you're ready for me to help your team design and implement:
1) a network that doesn't have a global attack surface,
2) and where data can't be exfiltrated over the Internet because the Internet just isn't connected to it.
#CallMeIfYouNeedMe #FIFONetworks
#cybersecurity #InformationTechnology

2025-12-30 00:01:27 GMT

Good grief, someone in Germany needs to calm down.
https://media.infosec.exchange/infosec.exchange/media_attachments/files/115/805/573/842/932/984/original/5056ec6da8544b43.png

2025-12-29 22:50:17 GMT

Today, for the second time in my life, I used AI to write a script for the Windows command line. It was faster than looking up the options for the command. For simple stuff, it works great.

2025-12-29 19:29:35 GMT

Date: December 26, 2025
Time: 5:30pm PST
Location: Johnny Mac’s Restaurant and Bar, Henderson, NV
We were waiting for a table. There was another group, also waiting. One of them caught my attention when he mentioned “the printer isn’t working.” As I shamelessly but surreptitiously eavesdropped, I concluded that he (a) runs an MSP or (b) manages an IT department.
Paraphrased from memory, he said:
“When I’m interviewing I always ask them, ‘The printer isn’t working. What should you do next? How will you handle it?’ Most of them have no idea. They show me their certs. They’ve got their CompTIA A+ and Network+ certs, but they can’t do something so basic as tell me how they’d start working on a basic printer problem. I don’t know how they got their certs. They don’t know anything.”
As someone who taught the CompTIA certs for years, I’d like to help you understand what “entry level” really means.
Maybe a couple of analogies will help.
EXAMPLE 1 - Doctors:
Someone gets their bachelor’s degree in pre-med, then graduates from medical school magna cum laude. Are they an expert diagnostician now? No. Real doctors don’t trust the new graduates with anything. They’re a physician-in-training, and the next step is their hospital residency. In other words, the coursework doesn’t make them an expert. It provides the background. Then they need on-the-job training under the supervision of experts.
EXAMPLE 2 – Police Officers:
Someone graduates from the police academy and gets hired by a local police department. Are they immediately placed on solo patrol? No. They’re assigned to a Field Training Officer. They work with an experienced mentor for a period of time so they don’t get hurt or embarrass the department.
Do you see? Someone can get the highest scores on the certification tests, but they still need the opportunity to work with an experienced mentor.
Back to the mock interview question: “The printer isn’t working. What should you do next? How will you handle this problem?”
The first thing I’d say to the interviewer is, “Are we treating this scenario as telephone tech support, or am I on site, where I can see and touch the printer?”
We can go in so many different directions from there. If I can see the printer, and if the error light for low toner is on, I’ll begin one way. If all lights and the LCD screen are off, I’ll begin a different way.
The interviewer hasn’t provided enough information to create a useful scenario, and instead has chosen to judge someone straight out of coursework before they have the opportunity to develop good field skills.
Entry level means this:
“I’m motivated to learn this craft.”
“I put myself through school, which proves my enthusiasm and ability to learn.”
“Give me a chance, and you won’t regret it, because I’m dedicated to this journey.”
If you need a competent interviewer to help you evaluate prospects at any level up to VP, I can help.
#CallMeIfYouNeedMe #FIFONetworks
#interviews #hiring

2025-12-29 16:54:30 GMT

- reply

UPDATE: I'm sure a few readers have been waiting with 'bated breath - "What happened to the ice cube?"
We were gone four days, and upon our return I rushed excitedly to the kitchen, opened the freezer, and ...
the ice cube was intact!
The microwave clock wasn't blinking, either, so there was no power failure longer than a flicker the whole time.

2025-12-29 04:05:27 GMT

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@nprofile…mm65
Simplify, simplify, simplify.
Although if the ultimate goal is to learn proxmox, then you do what you gotta do.

2025-12-29 03:05:01 GMT

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@nprofile…pqql
My main email address is all over the web, so I get more spam than that. A typical day is around 20 to 25 spam emails, but the majority of them go into a review folder because I have filters set up for the repeat offenders. But since Christmas Eve, I've only been getting 2 or 3 a day.

2025-12-29 01:26:42 GMT

Are the spammers taking a holiday break or something? My email filters are a lot quieter these last few days.
Now that I've said that, of course the floodgates of hell are about to open on my primary email address.

2025-12-28 21:51:17 GMT

The Avis car rental at Harry Reid International Airport (Las Vegas, NV) still uses a dot matrix printer with tractor feed paper. I haven't seen a printout like this in years.
There is no criticism here - for one thing, I don't have enough information to know why they're doing it. Also, I'm in favor of using things as long as possible, and I believe we have moved too far towards being a "throw-away" society.
I'm just commenting on how rare it is to see this older technology still in use.
https://media.infosec.exchange/infosec.exchange/media_attachments/files/115/799/401/632/101/841/original/00cfaa46c7b384bb.jpg

2025-12-28 21:24:30 GMT

Commenter: “But the way we get the biggest advantage from our computer power is to connect them. Are you suggesting we build a separate infrastructure to connect systems with sensitive information?”
My reply: “Yes. Wide area networks can be built with dedicated circuits. Quit preferring cheap to secure.”
https://media.infosec.exchange/infosec.exchange/media_attachments/files/115/799/295/056/438/589/original/93fe76c573bb93c0.png

2025-12-28 18:40:04 GMT

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@nprofile…gdg7
It's not a thin skin. It's a realization that "I no longer want to put up with this." A few years ago, it started for me on LinkedIn, and I adopted a policy which I later articulated this way: "Block fast without remorse." I don't explain, I don't justify, I don't defend. I just block them on the first rude comment. It's not a problem that they disagree with me. It's how they disagree. What they say. The tone of their reply. To my surprise, on all social media platforms, my follower counts grew. The negativity stops good people from interacting.

2025-12-27 21:39:24 GMT

I as just reading a Reddit thread about DNS problems and was mildly surprised by the number of respondents claiming Cloudflare is the panacea.
Centralization is a military-grade problem.
Cloudflare, whether you like to think about it or not, is a weak link, a spider's web, a tightrope walker standing on one foot, a wobbly top, a disaster waiting for its time to be revealed.
But far worse is the culture that currently exists, a culture that sees no danger here.
#centralization
#cloudflare

2025-12-25 06:08:15 GMT

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@nprofile…rps7
I'll have to test that. Ice floats on water, so my initial guess, without doing the experiment, is that the penny will stay on top until almost all of the ice is melted. Then it will tumble off and fall to the bottom of the water. But maybe the ice on the top will melt first and form a puddle.

2025-12-24 22:44:52 GMT

PROBLEM: How do you know if there's an extended power failure when you're out of town? Will your meat in the freezer spoil and refreeze before you return?
We're flying to Las Vegas to spend Christmas with our son. We'll be gone for a few days. The weather report at home is for high winds and power outages.
SOLUTION: I put a single ice cube in a glass in the freezer. When we return, if the ice cube is still shaped like an ice cube, any power failures were of short duration and without harmful consequence.
#Travel #PowerFailure

2025-12-24 01:04:56 GMT

A LinkedIn connection that I think highly of announced that his speaker application for Atlantic Security Conference (AtlSecCon) has been successfully submitted. I thought, "Cool! I'll check out the website!"
Wowzers.
A security conference website, and no way to opt out of the cookies.
I never left the homepage. I closed the browser tab instead.
#AtlSecCon

2025-12-23 22:31:03 GMT

Entrepreneurs and solopreneurs: have you registered your small business with the US Government’s System for Award Management (SAM)? Registration is a necessary step for doing business with the US Government. Once you’re registered, you renew annually. I processed my renewal application yesterday.
Side benefit: once you’re registered with SAM, some other registrations, like Veteran Owned Small Business, Woman Owned, Minority Owned, and so forth, are easier to achieve with the Small Business Administration (SBA). You can submit your SAM registration as part of the proof.
If you’re a Veteran Owned Small Business, I recommend two distinct VOSB certifications.
1. Get the national certification through the SBA, and
2. Get certified with your State as a VOSB, too.
For example, my business is licensed in the State of Washington, so I got the VOSB certification from the Washington Department of Veterans Affairs (WDVA).
I once asked why a county government required me to have the WDVA cert, and why they didn’t care about the SBA cert. It turned out the county’s conditions required that the job be awarded to a Washington business, so they were looking for state certs, not national certs.
Fraud alert: once you’re registered with SAM, your business information is published in a national public database. (You can opt out of being listed publicly, but unless you’re in national security that would be pointless. You want the advertising). Here’s the reason for the fraud alert: every year you’ll get emails from companies offering to help you renew your SAM registration. There’s no reason to pay these scammers a dime, because SAM registration is free, and they provide free assistance if you have questions. Just mark on your calendar 30 days before your registration expires, login, and start your own renewal process.
#CallMeIfYouNeedMe #FIFONetworks
#cybersecurity #InformationTechnology
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2025-12-22 17:12:47 GMT

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@nprofile…8etr
I hope so. I would've enjoyed the conversation. I retrospect I might have worded my reply to contain a bit more information: "Wait just a moment..." but it all happened very quickly.

2025-12-22 17:06:19 GMT

I might stop contributing to Wikipedia. That's a radical thing for me to say.
I've heard all the arguments about the leadership's politics and whatnot. Those complainers don't sway me.
I buy food without asking how the farmer treats his wife.
I take my car to the repair shop without asking who the mechanic voted for in the last election.
If you have good products or services at a fair price, I'm probably going to be a customer.
And disliking Wikipedia's Jimmy doesn't take into account the large community of genuinely nice, dedicated people who have put in a lot of effort to make Wikipedia a reasonably trustworthy place to learn.
That's what Wikipedia has been for me, for years. I've used Wikipedia on a consistent daily basis for years. And I pay for the "free" hardware, software, and information sources that I use regularly. (Example: I'm posting this on infosec (.) exchange, and I'm a monthly contributor).
In the beginning, I'd send Wikipedia a contribution, they'd send me a thank you email, and that was it. Later, I started getting an appeal, and I thought, "Has it really been a year since my last contribution?" Turns out, no, it had only been a few months.
Solution: I now add all my annual software contributions to my calendar. I ignore the "donate" buttons and send a contribution when my own reminder pops up.
But Wikipedia has gotten so pushy I'm abandoning ship.
1) I do a search.
2) A Wikipedia result appears.
3) I click the link.
4) The page is covered by an inescapable pop-up.
5) I click the little tiny "I already donated" button.
6) Then a SECOND full-size pop-up appears, asking me to buy something from their merch store. And I have to close THAT window, too, before I can read the information I came to learn.
Nope. No more. The value proposition that made Wikipedia valuable as a rapid source of specific overview information is no longer there.
In fairness, I do wonder if I'm seeing the continual donation pop-ups because of switching to a more secure browser that isn't storing their donation cookie. If that's the reason, and you're knowledgeable - not just guessing - please let me know.
https://media.infosec.exchange/infosec.exchange/media_attachments/files/115/764/302/839/130/619/original/c781241cdefea0d0.png

2025-12-22 04:06:28 GMT

A situation today made me sad, but I wouldn’t change what I did.
Setting the stage...
Penney and I were in a restaurant, seated at a table at the end of a row of tables. There was access to our table from three directions – both sides, and one end. I have an aviation-style jacket. It looks like a classic WWII aviator’s jacket, but it’s all synthetic material. I bought it at Kohl’s about a year ago. I hung the jacket on the back of the empty chair next to me.
The incident...
An older man approached my side of the table, and commented that he had noticed the beautiful jacket. He said that his dad was in World War II and have a jacket that looked just like it. I was smiling as I listened to him, warming up the conversation I expected we would have. But just as he started talking to me, our server came up to Penney’s side of the table, and she was ready to take our orders.
The dilemma...
From my perspective, no matter what I did next, I would offend someone.
If I ignored the reminiscing stranger, he would be offended.
If I ignored the server, she would be offended.
My solution...
I am absolutely opposed to ignoring cashiers, waiters, ticket agents, or anyone else in a customer service role. They’re giving me their undivided attention, and they should receive my undivided attention. For example, I consider it inexcusably rude to talk on the phone while you’re placing your order at the coffee stand. So, I have a set of personal rules in place to cover this situation. I didn’t like doing it, but I smiled and said to the elderly man, “Right now I’m going to give my complete attention to her,” and pointed at the server. Then I turned away from him. When Penney finished placing her order, I gave the server my order. With my peripheral vision I could see the man stand there for a brief time, and then he moved out of sight. After our server left, I looked around, didn’t see him, and asked Penney what she had observed. He didn’t sit down at a nearby table; he had been on his way out when he spoke to me, and when I turned my back on him to place my order he left. So I couldn’t go over to his table and resume the conversation.
The timing was just so unfortunately but perfectly bad. The older man wasn’t trying to interrupt the server. They both arrived at opposite sides of the table at the same time.
I feel sad, but in a similar situation in the future, I’ll do the same thing again. I smiled, I was polite, but I was clear: “I’m going to give her my attention right now.”
Service workers, you will always have my undivided attention and respect when you’re taking care of me.

2025-12-21 04:17:08 GMT

A big THANK YOU to the City of Salina for renaming your landfill.
The name is so... fitting.
https://media.infosec.exchange/infosec.exchange/media_attachments/files/115/755/621/402/828/626/original/f2e4c8ba0fa7e6c9.jpg

2025-12-21 03:31:02 GMT

A blast from the past. Anyone need Windows XP Pro installation media? I have 4 sets. The optical disks are in the original packaging, with the license keys. They were all used years ago on computers that no longer exist. I was getting some electronics parts out of the storage unit today when I found these buried in one of the plastic crates.
https://media.infosec.exchange/infosec.exchange/media_attachments/files/115/755/440/206/512/989/original/2622671f83e10024.jpg

2025-12-20 05:49:06 GMT

WTF? You can't buy menthol cigarettes in California? WTAF???

2025-12-19 22:55:21 GMT

All people have problems.
There are people that make excuses.
There are people that find solutions to problems.
These people are not in the same circle on a Venn diagram.
https://media.infosec.exchange/infosec.exchange/media_attachments/files/115/748/693/024/222/547/original/35e599ea356d03f5.jpg

2025-12-19 20:48:12 GMT

SCAM ALERT!
Buying a gift card to pay someone?
STOP
Be aware gift cards are for gifts, NOT emergency payments or to pay a debt.
Prevent the scam and report it to your federal division of consumer protection.
https://media.infosec.exchange/infosec.exchange/media_attachments/files/115/748/194/244/950/905/original/157bf9b57c037e04.png

2025-12-19 00:35:41 GMT

This phishing email got a laugh out of me. It looked legit. It claimed to be from Intuit: “QuickBooks Payment” and “Transaction failed.”
But, when something doesn’t seem right, investigate the email’s header information.
First problem: it didn’t pass the SPF check (Sender Policy Framework): “IP address redacted] is not allowed to send mail from intuit (dot) com.”
The second problem, though, is the part that made me laugh. The logo? The QuickBooks logo in the email came from... Wikipedia’s image repository, Wikimedia Commons.
I just don’t think Intuit does that.
#CallMeIfYouNeedMe #FIFONetworks
#email #phishing
https://media.infosec.exchange/infosec.exchange/media_attachments/files/115/743/426/310/327/860/original/235e1ed26e3df646.png

2025-12-18 07:31:40 GMT

If you ever plan to buy a house, rent a house, or rent an apartment in the Pacific Northwest, you should pay attention to what's happening with our weather right now: we've had two separate hundred-year weather events in the last four years. Climate change is real, it's here, and it's going to get worse.
Here's what you need to do: learn to read a topographical map, and use that skill when deciding where to live.
1) Stay away from lowlands near rivers.
2) Remember that even on high ground there can be low spots, or ground depressions, that can hold rainwater after the ground is saturated by several days of heavy rain.
3) Pay attention to what's uphill from you. Is the house/apartment building in an area that will become a ravine where rainwater drains?
4) Wet hillsides can become mudslides. Don't let mud slide into your house, and don't live in a house that can slide downhill.
Summary: what's better than flood insurance? Choosing a location that won't have floods.

2025-12-18 00:21:45 GMT

Winter weather – power failures – what’s a good design?
In theory – in a perfect world – the backup batteries only need to last long enough for the generator(s) to start up and stabilize with the load of your choice. But, in the real world, the backup batteries should hold the system up in the following scenario:
1. Power goes out.
2. Batteries/UPS take the load.
3. Power failure alarm is issued to the technician on call.
4. Generator fails to start.
5. Generator failure alarm is issued to the technician on call.
6. The tech on call requests service from the generator maintenance contract company.
7. The generator company rolls a truck.
8. The generator service person identifies the problem, repairs it, and starts the generator.
If continuous operation through a power failure is the goal, I design battery/UPS systems for a minimum six hours of run time, and if the generator company has to roll a truck that’s really not enough. Six hours is only enough if you have in-house technicians on call who live close to the monitored system.
If it’s impractical to support a system with the appropriate amount of battery capacity for a generator repair, then the solution is a second generator. If, and only if, the system is protected with a second generator, is it feasible to reduce the battery capacity. Keep in mind that battery capacity decreases over the life of the battery, or with temperature variations, etc. Also, equipment gets added over time, so if the system is built with marginal capacity (generator startup and RPM stabilization), then when you have an outage six months or a year after initial installation, the batteries may no longer be adequate.
Design with lots of margin, not just to load transfer time.
#CallMeIfYouNeedMe #FIFONetworks
#resilience #NetworkArchitecture #infrastructure

2025-12-16 21:27:46 GMT

I am a decision maker.
The world doesn't just happen to me.
I happen to the world.

2025-12-16 18:53:34 GMT

Cybercriminals: if you want to impersonate Microsoft, at least use an email address from Outlook instead of Gmail.
RE: Call-(855) xxx-xxxx | Your MS Office Subscription Will Renew in 7 Days
From: James William
To: [me]
Dear Bob Young,
This is a gentle reminder that your subscription for MS Office is scheduled to expire in 7 days.
To ensure uninterrupted services, your subscription will be automatically renewed using the card we have on file.
You have a 24 hour cancellation window. Please contact us on 1 (855) xxx-xxxx in case you need any assistance with updating your payment information or help with the installation.
Thank you for choosing us.
Warm regards,
[MS Office]
1 (855) xxx-xxxx
https://media.infosec.exchange/infosec.exchange/media_attachments/files/115/730/756/295/083/470/original/aeb4fd024a8ff2db.png

2025-12-16 18:39:53 GMT

Washington state law (WAC 296-880) requires fall protection for commercial roofing work at 4 feet or more elevation. There are people hired by our apartment complex right now walking around on the roofs of these buildings with no safety harness. They have gas-operated leaf blowers on their backs. They’re blowing leaves and twigs from the recent windstorms down from the tops of the roofs, and walking along the edges of the gutters to clean them out. The roofs are wet from the rains.
Not good. This is not good.

2025-12-14 20:26:38 GMT

When a company's commercial cloud network is breached and data is leaked, don't ask, "Why didn't you have better security?"
Instead, ask the important question:
"Why are you keeping sensitive data in Internet-connected storage, dumbshit?"

2025-12-13 08:15:16 GMT

Watching Lady Gaga on Stephen Colbert.
I love Lady Gaga.
We could never be a thing, for every reason.
No matter.
I still love her.

2025-12-13 03:59:46 GMT

“We have ways...” I was scheduling a tech support call with an east coast client to help them set up their new laptop. We did the scheduling via text messaging this evening.
Client: “Still looking for the two passwords (?) you said we would need. We’ve found some “passcodes” but truthfully not really sure what we are looking for. ?? (1) an Apple password/code & (2) an internet access code ??? Would you call me & “refresh” my memory?”
Me: “TIME: how about 6pm Eastern Time on Saturday? Will that be after your dinner? If not, we can start later, like 6:30 or 7:00.
PASSWORDS: (1) The main thing is your Microsoft account. If you can’t find it, it’s not a big deal, we can just create a new one. (2) You’ll need the Wi-Fi key, which many people refer to as the Wi-Fi password. It’s technically not a password, but that’s common vernacular anyway. It’s what we need to connect your laptop to the Wi-Fi network in your apartment. Again, if you can’t find it, it’s not a big deal. I can “extract” it from Carol’s computer. “We have ways...”
Client: “We have ways…” Spooky! Tomorrow at ~6:30 will be great. How about I call you? I believe I have #2. Will look more for #1 tomorrow. Thanks”
BTW, if you ever need to find a stored Wi-Fi key on a Windows computer, open a command prompt and type:
netsh wlan show profile
If the SSID you need the key for shows in the list, then type:
netsh wlan show profile [ssid] key=clear
Now, “You have ways...”
https://media.infosec.exchange/infosec.exchange/media_attachments/files/115/710/253/911/312/304/original/b931a348e52db2d7.png

2025-12-12 18:56:49 GMT

A client in another state gave me a new marketing idea. If you're in IT and out of work, maybe this will be something you can do, too.
BACKGROUND
The client is a husband and wife in their 80s living in an upscale senior living community on the east coast. I've provided residential tech support for them a few times over several years. Last week I helped the man place an online order for a new computer. He was still running Windows 7! I connected remotely to his wife’s Windows 11 computer while simultaneously talking to him on the phone. I helped him shop for his replacement computer. He placed the order, it arrived yesterday, and I’ll be helping him set it up soon. During our last phone call, I said, “I’d appreciate if you recommend me to others if they have computer issues.” He texted me the next day and said, “Send me some business cards so I can pass them out, and I’ll put one on the bulletin board, too.”
THE IDEA
I decided to design a new business card, which I’m calling my “large print edition.” It’s focused only on remote tech support – “Help Desk” services for people who don’t need a full-time IT department. This isn’t my biggest money maker, but it makes me happy, and it fills my time between the expensive projects which are usually fast and over.
The front and back of the card emphasize features that will be of specific interest to residential clients, like the “no fix, no charge” guarantee, and “new computer setup.”
ACTION STEPS
The new cards arrived yesterday, and I’m mailing several of them to my client today. Additionally, I’ll be visiting senior living centers in the surrounding region and see if they’d be willing to keep a few of my cards in the office for residents. I’ll provide a clear plexiglass business card holder to display them.
Let’s see what happens.
#CallMeIfYouNeedMe #FIFONetworks
#HelpDesk #RemoteTechSupport
https://media.infosec.exchange/infosec.exchange/media_attachments/files/115/708/117/110/325/930/original/a6827504e7e20fe3.jpg

2025-12-12 17:47:37 GMT

- reply

@nprofile…4reh
Thank you! That probably would've worked. I went to try it just now, but it let me in this time. That leads me to believe that a refresh was all I needed before.

2025-12-12 16:59:35 GMT

Nope. I don't need to loosen my browser settings to meet your security requirements. This is just odd...
https://media.infosec.exchange/infosec.exchange/media_attachments/files/115/707/658/042/012/488/original/0bdd94eaf90c6205.png

2025-12-12 16:35:57 GMT

Firewall experts: can anyone tell me why SonicWall is blocking shop(.)app, even after its URI is whitelisted?
Yesterday the client complained she couldn't use shop(.)app at work, and yes, her employer is fine with her doing her Christmas shopping on the company computer when it's slow.
I checked the domain's reputation, then whitelisted the URI. No change.
The client says it worked until about a week ago.
It's not being blocked by the browser or the computer's antivirus, because if she connects the same computer to her phone's hotspot, the site is fully functional.

2025-12-10 21:12:33 GMT

Cybercriminal: "I don't care how secure your authentication mechanism is. It doesn't even matter to me. I'll still convince your users to authenticate for me."
#CallMeIfYouNeedMe #FIFONetworks
#cybersecurity

2025-12-10 00:19:51 GMT

To my many friends in the United Kingdom, sorry/not sorry – but really, I don’t think it will affect you.
Today, I updated my top level domain filter in my email. I filtered .uk.
In the rare event that someone I know sends me an email from a .uk mail server, it won’t be discarded. It’ll be routed to an inbox subfolder named “Filtered by Domain.” When I review it there, I can whitelist them.
I so seldom get legitimate emails from domains other than .com that it’s mathematically efficient to filter them out for separate review. Once a day I can scan down the “From” and “Subject” columns, and then select “Empty Folder.”
I keep promising myself I’m going to do the same thing with a separate folder entirely for Gmail, but scanning that one would require more time and effort, so I never quite get decisive enough to do it.

2025-12-09 19:19:42 GMT

Happy Patch Tuesday!