All Narfed Up photography and words by Bryan Villarin

Security


Prevent the Internet Archive Wayback Machine from archiving your website

A coworker asked me of a website that tracks different versions of websites. I forgot what it was (gasp) but my boss remembered that it’s the Internet Archive Wayback Machine.
I checked All Narfed Up to see if it was tracked, only to find out I blocked it eons ago. (See?)
If you don’t want its spiders [...]

Wireless security for new notebook users

My cousin, Narissa, just got a laptop for Christmas and asked me about wireless security. I figure now is a good time to revisit this because she’s probably not the only one that received a notebook for the holidays. Fortunately, she’s thinking about security; most people probably just connect to open wireless access points without [...]

Laptop got stolen

Actually, it wasn’t mine. It was James‘. He had a Macbook Pro.
It happened in San Gabriel, off N San Gabriel Blvd and E Hermosa Dr. We were at a Christmas party. He left it on his front seat, inside his notebook case. The thief broke the front window and took it. We were inside for [...]

Slow page loading after immunizing Firefox with Spybot S&D 1.5

Ever since updating to Spybot S&D 1.5 and immunizing my system, pages take a few seconds longer to load. I didn’t realize that it was due to Spybot S&D for at least a week. Brutal, huh?
Solution: Undo Spybot S&D immunization for Firefox. (Here’s the explanation that was too much for me to read.)
For now, SpywareBlaster [...]

4 Tips for a Better Online Buying Experience

A co-worker was asking me on digital camera suggestions, but rather than buying her camera through a reputable online reseller like Amazon.com or Newegg, she went to Fry’s Electronics.
Why? She’s scared of buying stuff online. She also prefers to see and touch it before buying it.

Go to the store and check it out - but [...]

Opt Out Of Verizon’s Scheme To Sell Your Personal Info To Marketers

A lot of my friends are on Verizon Wireless, so I need to let you know about something that you’ll probably overlook in the mail.
Verizon Wireless customers who don’t feel like having their personal information and account information sold to marketers can opt-out by calling 1-800-333-9956. A notice tucked into our recent bill told us [...]

Prevent packet sniffing with DD-WRT, PPTP and VPN

If you connect to the internet wirelessly, a firewall and antivirus software won’t prevent possibly sensitive information — transmitted from your laptop to the router — from being seen by packet sniffers. Why do you need to implement a security system like this? (My emphasis added.)
Uses of packet sniffers: “Spy on other network users and [...]

Did you really delete your files?

Today, on the KTLA morning news, Kurt the Cyberguy featured a news story, “Dangerously Dirty Drive“.
“In order to ensure that no data can be retrieved, it does take a number of hours, typically, to go through and erase the drive effectively.” - Joe Gugel, GeekSquad *
“Everybody needs to take it in to a professional, and [...]

SSL on WordPress.com

I just noticed at my admin CP at WordPress.com is now using SSL. How cool is that? (I’m not exactly sure what that means, but I do know that logging in is now encrypted. Encryption is good.)

Fixing IE after spyware cleaning

One of my posts, which asks readers how I can repair IE 6 without a Windows XP CD, has gotten a large amount of comments (for me, at least). In particular, Keith’s comment suggests using WinSock XP Fix:
I have used it after fixing several machines with spyware installed. 90% success rate at re-establishing internet connectivity.
He [...]

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