[dba-SQLServer] Windows Secrets: The Sorry Tale of the (un)Secure Sockets Layer

Francisco Tapia fhtapia at gmail.com
Sun Sep 18 18:09:40 CDT 2011


  Another thing you can attempt is to setup a Linux virtual machine
that would prevent hackers from reaching your personal data directly.
I really won't surf the net on Internet explorer (any version). I only
use Firefox with noscript and on a Linux machine helps to obfuscate as
much direct contact as possible...

Sent from my mobile

On Sep 18, 2011, at 1:25 PM, Alan Lawhon <lawhonac at hiwaay.net> wrote:

> Mark:
>
> I have a hardware router, (the "Zoom X5" Model 5654 ADSL supplied by my
> ISP), AVG Internet Security, (including AVG firewall and all the other
> features that come with the AVG Internet Security Suite), along with
> AnteSpam email filtering provided by my ISP.  (I don't know this for sure,
> but I think there might be a hardware firewall implemented in my router
> which blocks any "bad stuff" before it gets to my browser.  If that's the
> case, then I actually have two [separate] firewalls protecting me.)  I also
> have automatic updates enabled for Windows Update.  (I suppose all this
> makes me very "security conscious" with my PC.)  In addition, I'm very
> careful about downloading "ActiveX" components - most of the time I refuse
> them when I'm prompted.  Not sure if that's "smart" or not, but I'm being
> ultra cautious about downloads.
>
> I recall getting some type of virus from an email attachment that I
> foolishly clicked on many years ago.  Getting that virus (or whatever it
> was) was a nightmare getting off of my system.  That experience greatly
> intensified my security awareness.
>
> I have gone ahead and changed my Hosts file to read only.  With all the
> other security I have implemented, setting the Hosts file to RO may be
> overkill, but the harder I make it for a hacker to get into my computer, the
> better.  I hope the odds of me being the victim of a hacker are [at least]
> 99:1 against.
>
> Alan C. Lawhon
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: dba-sqlserver-bounces at databaseadvisors.com
> [mailto:dba-sqlserver-bounces at databaseadvisors.com] On Behalf Of Mark Breen
> Sent: Sunday, September 18, 2011 10:19 AM
> To: Discussion concerning MS SQL Server
> Subject: Re: [dba-SQLServer] Windows Secrets: The Sorry Tale of the
> (un)Secure Sockets Layer
>
> Hello Stuart
>
> Is this your command on your shortcut
>
> C:\Windows\system32\notepad.exe C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts
>
> Me too.
>
> Hello Alan,
>
> you could do that, but my opinion is that if someone gets to your hosts file
> and wants to change it you have so many problems that your hosts file being
> RO is not going to make a difference anyway.  I would suggest instead to run
> like hell.
>
> Mark
>
>
> On 17 September 2011 22:18, Stuart McLachlan <stuart at lexacorp.com.pg> wrote:
>
>> As a general rule, an RO hosts file makes sense. Very few people ever need
>> special entries
>> in it.
>>
>> OTOH, I have a shortcut to mine in a folder on my desktop because I edit
> it
>> quite often,
>>
>> --
>> Stuart
>>
>> On 17 Sep 2011 at 10:39, Alan Lawhon wrote:
>>
>>>
>>> http://windowssecrets.com/top-story/the-sorry-tale-of-the-unsecure-soc
>>> kets-l ayer/
>>>
>>>   http://tinyurl.com/3z9awxj
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> This is a follow-up article to the story concerning corrupted root
>>> certificates which I posted last week.  Microsoft issued an
>>> out-of-cycle security patch to eliminate the source of the phony
>>> certificates, (i.e. DigiNotar), and remove the threat to users of
>>> Internet Explorer and other browsers.
>>>
>>> Since > than 99 percent of the potential "victims" of this security
>>> breach were located over in Iran, Woody Leonhard seems to be implying
>>> that this may be a case of the Government of Iran eavesdropping on its
>>> citizens; thus there is little (if any) chance of this breach
>>> adversely affecting users outside of Iran - like us.  Still, his
>>> analysis of the "lax process" by which root certificates are issued is
>>> illuminating.
>>>
>>> At the end of his article, Woody recommends that users consider
>>> modifying their "Hosts" file (to read only) in order to "lock" their
>>> system and prevent man-in-the-middle attacks and other
>>> security-related vulnerabilities.  Before I modify a system file, I
>>> want to check with the experts on here.  Are most of you in agreement
>>> that changing your "Hosts" file (to read only) is a good idea?  (I
>>> wonder why Microsoft doesn't make the "Hosts" file read only by
>>> default?)
>>>
>>> Alan C. Lawhon
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
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>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>>
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