Galt's Gulch

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  • Posted by $ MikeMarotta 6 years, 9 months ago
    Kaspersky Labs has global visibility and that includes millions of independent IT security people in the USA. Kaspersky is as much a target as Microsoft and Apple. If there were any weaknesses or backdoors, it would have come out long before this. You may be right. Such compromises may yet be discovered, however, in the absence of actual facts, any such claims here and now are groundless.
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    • Posted by BrettScott 6 years, 9 months ago
      Mike is correct. Kaspersky anti-virus is in many American homes, businesses and even some government offices. Has been for a long time. The founder and CEO, Eugene Kaspersky, indeed has ties to the KGB and works closely with the Russian government. That’s why this rumor percolates to the top of water cooler talk every few years. The software ‘calls out’ for updates, like every other anti-virus. It’s easy to catch other, nefarious behavior by such a product, but the accusation has never been proven. It would be easy for Kaspersky to direct the software to pull personal information from user’s computers. But it would easily be caught by security researchers and that would end the company’s business in the U.S..
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    • Posted by IndianaGary 6 years, 9 months ago
      This isn't the first time I've heard about "issues" with Kaspersky. Before retiring I was in the IT industry for over 40 years. Do you really want to find out that there is a problem the hard way? Go ahead and continue using it if you are comfortable with it, but I've NEVER had their software on ANY of my computers and never will. Willingly, that is.
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  • Posted by ProfChuck 6 years, 9 months ago
    This is another reason most of my computers run LINUX. I would never put anything sensitive on a Windows or IOS machine. I guess the hackers haven't figured LINUX out yet. Or they don't care.
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    • Posted by $ AJAshinoff 6 years, 9 months ago
      It more a matter of the path of least resistance.

      I run windows. Haven't been hacked or infected. But then I was in IT for 20+ years and I don't open all the ports.
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      • Posted by ProfChuck 6 years, 9 months ago
        One of the greatest exposure vectors is phishing email. They are usually easy to recognize and avoid. I back up all of my systems regularly and maintain frequent restore points. A really dangerous scam is via telephone. the scammer usually says something like "We have detected dangerous behavior on your computer and our technical staff can correct the problem, just give us your password and IP address.. It's funny because if you ask them some really technical questions hey hang up on you
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    • Posted by $ MikeMarotta 6 years, 9 months ago
      "They" do attack Linux and everything else. As Alan pointed out, though, it is a matter of least resistance. Phishing in Windows gets more results. However, it is also true that amateurs attack systems and professionals attack people. If you think that "hackers" (whoever they are) have not figured out Linux, you are in for a rude awakening.

      I am a mere technical writer. But I give talks at computer security conferences here in Austin. As a member of OWASP, I have been in peer study groups and presented on Wireshark. I am not a hacker, but I hang out with them, and I assure you, nothing is beyond them collectively.

      Last night at an OWASP happy hour, we were laughing at our colleagues in the office who do not even try to decipher a challenge. Hackers love challenges. Think of Turing in "Imitation Game."
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      • Posted by ProfChuck 6 years, 9 months ago
        You are absolutely correct. Linux is no more impervious to malware than any other system It just hasn't been that attractive a target. It may be that most LINUX users are more computer geeky than Windows and even MAC users so they are more alert to threats and how to avoid them. I am a member of several LINUX User Groups or LUG's and malware is a frequent topic of discussion. One of the most interesting and potentially dangerous defenses against hack attacks is the "booby trap". Several of our members have placed particularly pernicious code inside attractive looking folders.but opening them will immediately infect the hackers system with viruses and trojans that make STUXNET look like a sniffle.
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  • Posted by term2 6 years, 9 months ago
    We are heading to a society where the interconnected internet is just no longer viable. All this hacking stuff will just end the advantages of the internet. Maybe we should invest in carrier pigeons to deliver sensitive data.
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    • Posted by $ MikeMarotta 6 years, 9 months ago
      Naw, mails have been robbed ever since there were mails. In the 18th century England, mail coaches had armed guards. Think of the Wild West... Even without bad guys, in 18th century America, merchants sent three copies of payment drafts via three different ships just because crossing the Atlantic was chancy. You have to adapt to the times, that's all. Ratchet up your own security.

      Do you use a public key bloc for your emails?
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      • Posted by term2 6 years, 9 months ago
        I have been a bit behind the times on my own snecurity I think. Not sure what a public key block IS. I do find it very stupid to blame Russians for exposing the truthful but hidden info on Hillary. It’s the responsibility of the hackee to safeguard their info from hackers. Anyway no one is suggesting that the information that was released prior to the election was in any way inaccurate. It was what Hillary and the DNC tried to hide from the voters. I thank whoever released it actually
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  • Posted by $ Stormi 6 years, 9 months ago
    I am sick of Russia connections. How about Google and their ties to the Clinton camp during the election, after Hillary said she would go after people? We know what russia is, always has been, nothing new here. Seems like we should worry about China, who controls the whole Internet via the UN now, thanks to Obama. Maybe we should worry about Iran or North Korea hacking also. I lived through the Cuban Missle years, and JFK had a handle on how to deal with Russia, the Dems use them them to get money vilify them. I worry more about liberals.
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  • Posted by $ nickursis 6 years, 9 months ago
    I have used Kaspersky for 10-12 years now, mainly because they have the best performance of a mainstream product. By the logic of the article, I would not use Mcaffe because it is a US based product, no doubt with ties to the CIA and NSA (which may be true but I have no facts). Goes back to honesty, trust, and basic business morals. Since none of that is present in government today, and not a lot in business, why would it be a surprise if there was some connection. But, maybe the Russian government wants a good, quality product, and Kaspersky has built a huge reputation as an analyzer of malware, and probably has a lot of the skills the NSA has. They need to maintain a reputation of disinterested provider, although you cannot rule out the "backdoor" stuff, which I believe, Microsoft has also been said to provide to the NSA, along with Android and Ios on iPhone's. So, what to do? Use Linux, as some say...
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  • Posted by $ Your_Name_Goes_Here 6 years, 9 months ago
    Thanks for sharing this! I've heard the advertisements for Kaspersky Labs' Antivirus product and always had it in the back of my mind that this is a Russian product. Antivirus and Antispyware has access to your trusted information, and I simply couldn't rationalize that risk.

    Despite the opinion of others, I would still fear the possibility of "back doors" such as those that exist in telephony switchgear.
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  • Posted by scojohnson 6 years, 9 months ago
    I use a Mac.
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    • Posted by term2 6 years, 9 months ago
      I use macs and have for years. Its scary to realize that any of these computers can be hacked if connected to the internet. Its just a matter of what its worth to the hackers to do it.
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      • Posted by scojohnson 6 years, 9 months ago
        Macs are just not as susceptible, there is very little non-AppStore software around, the closed-nature of the hardware/software/operating system makes it much more difficult to hack, and the lack of all of the 'bloatware' that PCs use make it pretty hard "hide" a slowdown on a Mac - so the owner notices immediately.

        State-sponsored hackers have the tools to get into anything, anyone that thinks that they are secure because they put on McAfee or whatever is either delusional or ignorant. However, Apple as a company has been very good (compared to the others) about not allowing any built-in backdoors (such as Comey spending millions to get into the San Bernardino terrorists' iphones. If those had been a a generic Android, no problem. (I also use a Blackberry for the same reason).

        Most people are just careless.. never use the same passwords anywhere, someone hacking a website would otherwise have a pretty good idea how to get into your bank accounts, Amazon account, etc. Use a password vault and let it create something infinitely complex and 30 characters long, just copy & paste them and use a different one on every site.

        Get a personal digital certificate for your email, never use a Yahoo or GMail account (ask Podesta how that turned out..) and pay for what you use if you are worried about security. If it's free, you really need to read the fine print, and you won't like it. Mention Alaska in your email and you auto-magically get pop-up ads and spam mail for Alaskan cruises. No accident. Use the digital certificate to encrypt your mail folders, archive, etc. $3.00 a month or so for Office365 or other reliable service won't kill anyone...

        Any banks - use multi-factor, have them text you a one-time password or confirmation or whatever to login. The feature is built-in on the new Blackberries by the way.

        People need to stop blaming others for their own laziness or being cheap.
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        • Posted by $ jdg 6 years, 9 months ago
          Macs are probably not as susceptible because there are fewer Macs, making them less of a target. But "no bloatware"? You haven't developed for the Mac or you'd know better.
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          • Posted by $ AJAshinoff 6 years, 9 months ago
            actually it has to do with OS architecture..Mac's don't share a common registry (rather using individual preference files), making each relatively unique and that much harder for hackers/virus authors to work their mischief broadly.

            That said, Mac do get hacked and can get viruses, it just takes more effort. Hackers and Virus authors, just like anyone else, prefer wide distribution and doing less work.
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            • Posted by $ nickursis 6 years, 9 months ago
              Not just that, but it is volume, MS software has a huge chunk of the market compared to apple, so if you are throwing something out to get people, and it has to be tailored to that framework, go the the biggest market.
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  • Posted by dukem 6 years, 9 months ago
    Kapersky is being heavily touted in the central Oregon area by a very good computer tech repair firm. My wife has been using it for several years withno ill effect. Of course, there are some rough looking men in black suits that use her computer frequently without her permission, but she says. . . (oops! Where did she go?)
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