Windows 7 Expiration and Windows 10 upgrade!

Windows 7 end of life - January 14, 2020

It's been a good run Windows 7! Here is the low down on what is actually happening.

To clarify the Windows 7 expiry, which actually means Microsoft will no longer support the OS or publish any more updates or patches for the OS.  It doesn't mean your computer will turn off on January 14th. Also, Microsoft nor anyone else will phone you and tell you that your computer is at risk and will cease to function on Jan 14th. There are quite a few of these scams going around.  If anyone calls you about your computer, hang up! I covered some of this in a previous article (Here)

It is highly recommended to upgrade to Windows 10 now! You can purchase a license key from Microsoft or purchase a home copy from various outlets. Be wary of purchasing a license key from an unknown site or dealer, a lot of times you are giving away your money for a key that is no good!

You can also still upgrade to Windows 10 for free, here is a CNET article regarding how to do so:
 https://www.cnet.com/how-to/upgrade-to-windows-10-free-heres-how/

The main reason to upgrade, is now that it will not be supported or patched, as more security vulnerabilities are found, the more at risk your system becomes. Hopefully, this helps you out!  Feel free to email me if you need more information on this.


Sevenowl

Security Cameras, Doorbell Cameras, and other Cameras

Cameras and surveillance devices are becoming more and more common every day, with tons of people buying them and setting them up. The Doorbell camera is the most popular and the easiest to hack into. Especially a few brands that released without updated and proper firmware, thus leaving customers information sitting out in the open.

Upon installing the doorbell cameras, it usually instructs you to “connect” to the devices wifi, then open an app or webpage to input your information to allow the camera to connect to your home network. Some of these devices did not secure the “information” that you were putting in to connect to your home network, basically storing it on the device itself. With a simple search for WiFi networks, one could easily find the “doorbell” device, connect to it, and use some scripts to gather that info. A lot of these “scripts” are readily available on several different “hacker” forums.

A quick youtube search can also show you how to use these scripts.

Don’t get me wrong, these devices are extremely useful in many situations. Most people simply get them so they can see who is at the door, without having to open or unlock the door. Another great use is for deliveries. It is perfect for seeing when the mailman or delivery company drops off that long-awaited package! Some even use it for small surveillance of their front step or driveway.

The last one, can and is causing some problems in places with people trying to use the images to find the identity of car rummagers, mail thefts, etc. Most of the time, these are successful in finding out who stole your coffee change from your car, or who egged your house. Although that is about as far as you can take it. Most of these images or clips cannot be used or submitted into a court of law, because of a thing called Chain of Custody. Now I will be doing a separate article on Chain of Custody, but I added the link so you can get the basic rundown of what it is.

You can also purchase wireless cameras that can be mounted inside or outside, and are mostly used for “security” purposes. These cameras also connect to your home network via WiFi but are a little more secure than the doorbell camera. But, once again, if you have poor home network security, and easily guessed passwords or even an open (shudder) network, These cameras can also be subject to being accessed and hacked. Not too long ago, the biggest target was Nanny cams or baby camera monitors, especially the ones that connected to your home network. Although hacking the baby monitor was relatively easy if you had the right monitor yourself. There were a lot of horror stories circulating after these were hacked. Here is a great article on baby monitors/cameras and the process behind getting into them, definitely worth a read! Baby Monitors by Groovypost.

As I’ve mentioned before, a little research goes a long way. Check out different cameras, different companies, read the reviews before deciding which is right for you. There are even security companies out there now that are offering doorbell and indoor/outdoor cameras. Again, do your research. Security companies offer these cameras as a “lifestyle” or “specialty”device and not a security feature. Which means they are not supported as security or surveillance systems. And are not monitored by the security company either. Although there are companies out there that do monitor camera systems, although not cheap. Be careful of what you are signing up for.

Also, feel free to check out my upcoming article on Chain of Custody or check out the link above to understand what it is, if you plan on using your video surveillance for legal purposes.

Video clips and Stills are a great deterrent and extremely helpful in aiding law enforcement, but now the market is getting flooded with all types of cameras. If you are serious about getting one, I’d recommend staying away from the $12 cheap cameras that are popping up all over. If it is peace of mind you want, spend the extra few dollars to get that decent camera setup.

If you need a laugh,

 

Sevenowl

Trust me!

Trust me, I'm a professional! 

I thought I'd add a little comedy until my next article is ready.

Enjoy everyone!

Sevenowl

Another Ring Camera article

Just an add-on to my previous post regarding re-used passwords and Ring cameras. (previous post here) A US man has sued Ring after his camera was hacked and used to harass his children. Here’s the story: Ring Camera hacked

Once again, be careful when purchasing a lot of these new “WiFi” cameras and doorbells. I’m not saying there aren’t good ones out there, you just need to do some research.

Try not to ‘impulse’ by these. Take a while, google the maker, read the reviews, and even google if it has been hacked before. Most of these cameras (doorbells) have their own little WiFi network, that you connect to, then an app to connect it to your network. Sometimes, those little networks stay wide open and fail to secure, leaving your login information sitting right out in the open.

Most companies have discovered this and have deployed patches and firmware updates, although I would still suggest doing a little research before buying.

Sevenowl

Xmas coming!

With Xmas just around the corner, I'm tied up with a ton of things. But I will get some new posts up here soon!

For those that haven't seen it yet, an example of possible reuse of password and log in.  This may have been how this hacker/scammer gained access to this webcam.

Hacked Ring camera

This is a more common occurrence than people think. Thankfully no serious harm was done. Although it will make a lot of people think twice about these types of cameras. Although the majority of it is not the camera, but the login details. In my previous articles, I explain that using a password manager is becoming a necessity in this day and age. There are many free versions out there, although spending a few bucks on a simple app, that could possibly save you a ton of headaches later on, is definitely worth it!

More to come...



Sevenowl

Passwords & Password reuse

Passwords & Password reuse

This is hot topic everywhere. Everyone has heard the risks of using the same password for multiple accounts. I of course can’t stress it enough either. Never use the same password for multiple accounts. And the age old, “don’t use easy to guess passwords”.

By easy to guess I mean don’t use your phone number, birth date, name, kids’ names or birth dates, this list goes on and on.

Many people will choose easy to remember passwords, just for the sake of it being simple to log into whatever it is you are using. This is the most popular way of getting your accounts stolen. It doesn’t take much for a hacker or scammer to look you up on the Internet and usually find your birthday, address, or phone number. Either from you posting it somewhere you think was safe or from social media sites.

Passwords, you hear about it almost every day, Passwords leaked here, or stolen from there. A lot more websites and online retailers are beginning to ask for stronger passwords, or passwords that require special characters.

Something I suggest is to use a password manager. There are lots out there, I have tried a few and have settled on Dashlane. I find it easy to set up and use, and it even sync’s across all my devices. After using one of these, I don’t know how I didn’t before. It has an autofill, and auto log in features which are great, as they defeat key loggersbecause there is no typing to do.

PC magazine has a good list of free and paid password managers. Check them out here.

Below is also a list of the most commonly used passwords of 2019. Do you see any of yours?

1. 123456                          13. 000000
2. 123456789                    14. Iloveyou
3. qwerty                           15. 1234
4. password                       16. 1q2w3e4r5t
5. 111111                           17. qwertyuiop
6. 12345678                      18. 123
7. abc123                          19. Monkey
8. 1234567                        20. Dragon
9. password1
10. 12345
11. 1234567890
12. 12312

If you have any of those set as your password anywhere, Change it! Passwords you choose should be unique and include special characters like: @,#,$,& and a combination of letters and numbers as well.This makes it much harder to guess. Another good method is making a password at least 8 characters long, if not 12. This makes your password a little tougher to be found by malware or brute force attacks.

You can also consider using an authenticator. These are 2FA (2 factor authentication) apps, that give you a second line of defense. After you enter your password, you are prompted to put in the one time “code” that the authenticator provides you with. Some places even offer key chain style authenticators. I find these are very useful as well, Google has their own authenticator that you can add many different sites to just by scanning a QRcode.

Hopefully this will help some of you out. Don’t forget to check out my earlier articles on some other great topics.

Sevenowl