Being Framed for Child Porn... by PC Virus

PC owners caught with child porn loaded on their computers.

Of all the sinister things that Internet viruses do, this might be the worst: They can make you an unsuspecting collector of child pornography.

Heinous pictures and videos can be deposited on computers by viruses — the malicious programs better known for swiping your credit card numbers. In this twist, it's your reputation that's stolen.

Pedophiles can exploit virus-infected PCs to remotely store and view their stash without fear they'll get caught. Pranksters or someone trying to frame you can tap viruses to make it appear that you surf illegal Web sites.

Whatever the motivation, you get child porn on your computer — and might not realize it until police knock at your door.

An Associated Press investigation found cases in which innocent people have been branded as pedophiles after their co-workers or loved ones stumbled upon child porn placed on a PC through a virus. It can cost victims hundreds of thousands of dollars to prove their innocence.

Their situations are complicated by the fact that actual pedophiles often blame viruses — a defense rightfully viewed with skepticism by law enforcement.

"It's an example of the old `dog ate my homework' excuse," says Phil Malone, director of the Cyberlaw Clinic at Harvard's Berkman Center for Internet & Society. "The problem is, sometimes the dog does eat your homework."

The AP's investigation included interviewing people who had been found with child porn on their computers. The AP reviewed court records and spoke to prosecutors, police and computer examiners.

One case involved Michael Fiola, a former investigator with the Massachusetts agency that oversees workers' compensation.

http://abcnews.go.com/m/screen?id=9028516

Security Essentials

During my enforced break from posting in September & October PowerShell v2 was released for down level systems including Vista, Windows 2008, Windows 2003 and XP.  I’ve set up an XP machine to try it on and needed some AV. Not having licenses left for AVG which is my current AV product I decided to try Microsoft Security Essentials as well (its free which is always a good point for test machines)

Security Essentials comes with a command line tool – but its not PowerShell. I can get two wins here by creating a module that wraps the mpcmdrun tool in PowerShell. It is also a good example of how to run a legacy command line tool within PowerShell and pass parameters to it.

This function is the start – need to perform a scan – its easier to remember start-scan than the syntax of mpcmdrun.  I’ll can refine this by testing the range of the parameter and adding more functions.

ConfigMgr v.Next gets a new name

Apple delivers mammoth update, patches 58 bugs

Retires Tiger from security support with second Snow Leopard patch batch

Apple patched 58 vulnerabilities in its Mac operating systems today, the most since May 2009, including several in the QuickTime media player that it had fixed separately in early September.

Apple apparently also retired Mac OS X 10.4, aka Tiger, from security support; none of the patches affect that operating system, which debuted in April 2005. Apple traditionally stops providing security updates for its oldest still-supported OS several months after the release of a new edition.

Today's security update was the sixth from Apple this year, and the second that included patches for Snow Leopard , launched in late August.

"Seems a little large, but really, it's par for the course for Apple," said Andrew Storms, director of security operations at nCircle Network Security, referring to the number of individual bugs quashed in today's 2009-006 update. In May, Apple patched a record 67 vulnerabilities ; it addressed 55 in February, 33 in September, and 19 in two separate August updates.

http://www.networkworld.com/news/2009/111009-apple-delivers-mammoth-update-patches.html

Nov. 10, 1983: Computer ‘Virus’ Is Born

1983: Fred Cohen, a University of Southern California graduate student, gives a prescient peek at the digital future when he demonstrates a computer virus during a security seminar at Lehigh University in Pennsylvania. A quarter-century later, computer viruses have become a pandemic for which there’s no inoculation.

Cohen inserted his proof-of-concept code into a Unix command, and within five minutes of launching it onto a mainframe computer, had gained control of the system. In four other demonstrations, the code managed to seize control within half an hour on average, bypassing all of the security mechanisms current at the time. It was Cohen’s academic adviser, Len Adleman (the A in RSA Security), who likened the self-replicating program to a virus, thus coining the term.

But Cohen’s malware wasn’t the first of its kind.

http://www.wired.com/thisdayintech/2009/11/1110fred-cohen-first-computer-virus

Rogue Anti-Spyware Targets Sesame Street's Big Bird

The idea of malware distributors abusing Google Trends is not new. The bad guys have once again demonstrated that they, too, can take advantage of Google Trends. This time their target is Big Bird's birthday.

It's not new that the Google logo includes Big Bird; it does so on special occasions. The Google logo clearly shows Today's Hot Trends, and that's a target for malware writers.

This year is the fortieth anniversary of Sesame Street, and the bad guys have begun their attack. Searching for keywords such as Big Bird's birthday and Big Bird on Google displays pages with compromised sites.

More with video clip in http://www.avertlabs.com/research/blog/index.php/2009/11/09/rogue-anti-spyware-targets-sesame-streets-big-bird/

Certificação Microsoft: 248 Exames

Fazendo uma pesquisa rápida no site da Prometric eu resolvi criar uma lista com todas as atuais certificações que a Microsoft oferece, no total temos 248 exames de certificação para as mais diversas tecnologias. São 12 certificações (em azul) para o profissional que deseja comprovar conhecimento em Gerenciamento, Operações e Deploy. Veja:

Agora é só fazer sua lista e começar a estudar J

Obrigado pela leitura e até a próxima publicação,

Abraços.

Cleber Marques

Microsoft MVP & MCT | Charter Member: SCVMM & MDOP
Projeto MOF Brasil: Simplificando o Gerenciamento de Serviços de TI
Meu Blog | MOF.com.br | CleberMarques.com | CanalSystemCenter.com.br

Embedded Object treated as an image

Embedded Object treated as an image

I just wanted to share a little personal experience with Microsoft Word. I have my personal word document which contains an embedded zip object containing my Todolist files. I keep it as a single capsule for portabiity reasons. I just have one observation that when the object is copied using Word's clipboard operations and pasted to Explorer and even after that closing the Word document you would be getting a message like 'You placed a large image in the clipboard'.

I admit that binary objects are images from the DEV perspective but just thought Word should be more explanatory in the nature of the message when it comes to addressing and clearing the doubts of a non-tech-savvy person.

This applies to Microsoft Word 2003.

[KB] Hay puntos de restauración están disponibles cuando utiliza Windows Vista, Windows 7 o sistemas operativos basados en Windows Server 2008 en una configuración de arranque dual junto con un sistema operativo de Windows anterior

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/926185/es

[KB] No puede ver ni quitar los atributos de sólo lectura o de sistema de las carpetas en Windows Server 2003, Windows XP ni en Windows Vista

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/326549/es

[KB] Descripción de la herramienta System Update Readiness Tool para Windows Vista, para Windows Server 2008 y para Windows 7

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/947821/es

[KB] Cómo solucionar problemas de actualización de definiciones para Windows Defender

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/918355/es

Download Exchange Server 2010 RTM

As it was announced yesterday at Tech•Ed Europe 2009, Exchange Server 2010 is now available worldwide and can be downloaded from the Microsoft Volume Licensing site.

Microsoft Exchange Server 2010 helps IT Professionals achieve new levels of reliability with greater flexibility, enhanced user experiences, and increased protection for business communications.

• Flexible and reliable - Exchange Server 2010 gives you the flexibility to tailor your deployment based on your company's unique needs and a simplified way to keep e-mail continuously available for your users.
• Anywhere access - Exchange Server 2010 helps your users get more done by giving them the freedom to securely access all their communications - e-mail, voice mail, instant messaging, and more - from virtually any platform, Web browser, or device.
• Protection and compliance - Exchange Server 2010 delivers integrated information loss prevention, and compliance tools aimed at helping you simplify the process of protecting your company's communications and meeting regulatory requirements.

You can also download a trial version from here or from here.

Related Links:

• Exchange Server 2010 Release Notes
• Microsoft Announces Exchange Server 2010 Availability and Wave of Innovations at Tech•Ed Europe 2009
• Exchange Server 2010 is now available worldwide!

CodeCamp 2009: Sessies en OpenSpace

Als eerste: de sessies voor de CodeCamp 2009 zijn bekend en staan online op http://www.codecamp.nl We denken dat het een erg interessante mix van sessies is, met genoeg sessies voor iedereen om een aantal interessante onderwerpen voor iedereen. De agenda ziet er nu als volgt uit:

09:30 - 10:45
Around .net framework 4.0 in an hour (Ronald Guijt)
ASP.Net - MVC 2.0 (Sander Gerz)
Windows Mobile en het werken met data (Arjan van Huizen)

11:00 - 12:15
ADO.NET EF 4.0 (Kurt Claeys)
SharePoint Nightmares (Marianne van Wanrooij)
iPhone development met jQTouch (Maurice de Beijer)

13:15 - 14.30
VSTO 2010 met Office 2010 (Hassan Fadili)
Modulaire Silverlight apps met Prism (Timmy Kokke)
Microsoft Surface Development (Freena Eijffinger & Dennis Vroegop)

14:45 - 16:00
VSTS 2010 (Pieter de Bruijn)
Windows Identity Foundation (Michiel van Otegem)
SQL Azure (Marcel Meijer)

Naast deze sessies hebben we ook nog de OpenSpace sessies. Daar hebben we geen agenda voor maar dat ligt nu eenmaal in de aard van een OpenSpace gebeuren. In het kort komt het neer op het volgende: als je iets hebt waar je graag met een aantal mensen over wilt discussieren, schrijf je dat 's ochtends op een flip-over. Mochten mensen dat interessant vinden, dan kunnen ze een stem uitbrengen op dat onderwerp. In de lunchtijd (van 12:15 - 13:15) is dan de keuze aan de mensen waar ze heen gaan en aan welke discussie ze mee willen gaan doen. Heeft jouw sessie genoeg stemmen dan komen de mensen vanzelf wel naar je toe, zo niet: dan is je sessie blijkbaar niet interessant voor een grote groep. Het idee is dat we een aantal van deze sessies tegelijkertijd hebben zodat mensen kunnen kiezen wat ze doen. De inhoud van de lunch sessies laten we dus volledig aan de bezoekers over!

Denk eens na over sessies of onderwerpen en discussieer mee met je mede-ontwikkelaars over jouw favoriete onderwerp!

Ik kan haast niet wachten tot het 21 november is..

About that activation

About now you've figured out that my three day grace period has come and gone.  The one where when you move the server from the hardware to another hardware that it demands activation within three days. 

In order to do this test run I've obviously reactivated the moved box by now.  And since I'm still blogging and the firm is still chugging along on the existing SBS 2003 I'm obviously still able to run the existing (soon to be old) server with it's activated SBS 2003.  Microsoft doesn't move the activation from one box to the other.  They don't suck away the license from one box to the other.  The reactivation of the temporary box does not impact the running box.  Would it be legal to run like this indefinitely?  Heck no.  Am I only doing it to do a dry run of the migration?  Yes. 

If I reactivated the same product key code over and over again would at some point in the reactivation would it finally say enough is enough and require me to call in, talk to a human being, explain what I was doing?  Yes.  But there is a grace period built into server activations.

Should you for disaster recovery purposes need to reactivate, it does not impact the existing system.  Do be aware that OEM builds are not legal to do this.   Do be aware that some OEM builds are bios bound and thus check to ensure that they are on certain brands of hardware.  And do be aware that the only reason that I did this is that I can't blog, do a dry run migration of the server. wash my Mini Cooper, reglaze windows to prepare for a house painter coming tomorrow, as well as help out on the Center for Internet Security Windows 2008 benchmarks and do normal work all in three days grace time that the reactivation window allowed me.

OpsMgr: Pack d'administration ForeFront Protection 2010 for Exchange

Le pack d'adminitration ForeFront Protection 2010 pour Exchange est disponible.

Téléchargement : Forefront Protection 2010 for Exchange Server Management Pack for System Center Operations Manager 2007 v11.0.0324.00.

Ce pack d'administration est compatible avec Operations Manager SP1 et R2.

OpsMgr: Pack d'administration pour Exchange 2010

Le pack d'adminitration pour Exchange 2010 est disponible.

Téléchargement : Microsoft Exchange Server 2010 Management Pack for System Center Operations Manager 2007 v14.0.650.7. 

Ce pack d'administration est compatible avec Operations Manager SP1 et R2.

Populating a TreeView Control from a List

This post details first how to build a list containing the data to display in a WinForms TreeView control. Then it demonstrates how to use recursion to populate the TreeView control from the list.

[For information on populating a TreeView control from XML, see this link.]

First, create a class that will store the data for the TreeView.

In C#:

public class TreeViewItem
{
    public int ID { get; set; }
    public int ParentID { get; set; }
    public string Text { get; set; }
}

In VB:

Public Class TreeViewItem
    Public Id As Integer
    Public ParentId As Integer
    Public Text As String
End Class

The C# code uses auto-implemented properties to short-cut the code. The VB code is just me being lazy tonight. It is using Public fields instead of Public Properties as it should. (In VS 2010, VB will have auto—implemented properties as well.)

The class defines an Id associated with the item and a ParentId defining the Id of the parent item (that is the item under which this item will appear in the TreeView). It also has a Text property that contains the text of the TreeView node.

In the WinForm containing the TreeView control, add the code to build the list as shown below.

In C#:

List<TreeViewItem> treeViewList = new List<TreeViewItem>();

treeViewList.Add(new TreeViewItem() { 
          ParentID = 0, ID = 1, Text = "Parent node" });
treeViewList.Add(new TreeViewItem() { 
          ParentID = 1, ID = 2, Text = "First child node" });
treeViewList.Add(new TreeViewItem() { 
         ParentID = 1, ID = 3, Text = "Second child node" });
treeViewList.Add(new TreeViewItem() { 
         ParentID = 3, ID = 4, Text = "Child of second child node" });
treeViewList.Add(new TreeViewItem() { 
         ParentID = 3, ID = 5, Text = "Child of second child node" });

PopulateTreeView(0, null);

In VB:

Private treeViewList As New List(Of TreeViewItem)

treeViewList.Add(New TreeViewItem() With { _
        .ParentId = 0, .Id = 1, .Text = "Parent node"})
treeViewList.Add(New TreeViewItem() With { _
        .ParentId = 1, .Id = 2, .Text = "First child node"})
treeViewList.Add(New TreeViewItem() With { _
        .ParentId = 1, .Id = 3, .Text = "Second child node"})
treeViewList.Add(New TreeViewItem() With { _
        .ParentId = 3, .Id = 4, .Text = "Child of second child node"})
treeViewList.Add(New TreeViewItem() With { _
        .ParentId = 3, .Id = 5, .Text = "Child of second child node"})

PopulateTreeView(0, Nothing)

This code defines a generic List that contains the set of TreeViewItem instances. The Add method of the list sets the data into the list. It then calls the PopulateTreeView method (shown below).

The PopulateTreeView method uses recursion to populate the TreeView from the list.

In C#:

private void PopulateTreeView(int parentId, TreeNode parentNode)
{
    var filteredItems = treeViewList.Where(item => 
                                item.ParentID == parentId);

    TreeNode childNode;
    foreach (var i in filteredItems.ToList())
    {
        if (parentNode == null)
            childNode = treeView1.Nodes.Add(i.Text);
        else
            childNode = parentNode.Nodes.Add(i.Text);

        PopulateTreeView(i.ID, childNode);
    }
}

In VB:

Private Sub PopulateTreeView(ByVal parentId As Integer, _
                             ByVal parentNode As TreeNode)
    Dim filteredItems = treeViewList.Where(Function(item) _
                                     item.ParentId = parentId)

    Dim childNode As TreeNode
    For Each i In filteredItems.ToList()
        If parentNode Is Nothing Then
            childNode = TreeView1.Nodes.Add(i.Text)
        Else
            childNode = parentNode.Nodes.Add(i.Text)
        End If
        PopulateTreeView(i.Id, childNode)
    Next
End Sub

The PopulateTreeView method has two parameters: parentId and parentNode. The parentId is the Id value associated with the parent node. The code will find all items in the list with the defined parent Id. The parentNode is the TreeView node under  which the items are added.

The filteredItems variable contains the results of a lambda expression finding all of the items in the list with the passed in parentId.

The code then loops through those items and adds the nodes to the parent node.

It then calls itself, making the method recursive. The method call passes in the node's Id and the node itself. This will cause the method to load all of its child nodes.

When you run the code, the TreeView should appear as follows:

Enjoy!

Migration step twenty: Moving Public Folders

Now that we've moved the mailboxes, they all say "user mailbox" and not legacy mailbox.

So now onto public folders.  Go back to the SBS 2003 box, under administrative groups, under first administrative groups, under public folder store, right mouse click and "move all replicas".

Choose the new SBS 2008 (it's kinda hard not to as you only have that option) and click okay.  It will say that it will now move the replicas over.

Ooopsy I hit something here...

Googling that ... and I got
Exchange 2003 and The token supplied to the function is invalid ID: 80090308 « Smiling Geeks.com:
http://mlbtech.wordpress.com/2008/03/29/exchange-2003-and-the-token-supplied-to-the-function-is-invalid-id-80090308/

I unchecked the box in IIS, Exchadmin, clicked okay

Exchange 2003 and The token supplied to the function is invalid ID: 80090308 « Smiling Geeks.com:
http://mlbtech.wordpress.com/2008/03/29/exchange-2003-and-the-token-supplied-to-the-function-is-invalid-id-80090308/

Then went into adsiedit.msc and did the following:

1. In the properties of the virtual root Exadmin in IIS, go to the “Directory Security” tab.
2. In the “Secure Communications” section select “Edit”.
3. Make sure to deselect “Require secure channel (SSL)” and “Require 128-bit encryption.”
4. If the “Require 128-bit encryption.” is selected and greyed out, make sure to select “Require secure channel (SSL)” and deselect “Require 128-bit encryption.” then deselect “Require secure channel (SSL)” again.
5. Goto Windows 2000/2003 Support Tools and launch ADSI Edit.
6. In the left side pane expand the Configuration container.
7. Expand the following:
CN=Configuration
CN=Services
CN=Microsoft Exchange
CN=
CN=Administrative Groups
CN=First Administrative Group
CN=Servers
CN=Protocols
CN=HTTP
CN=1
CN=Exadmin
8. Right Click on CN=Exadmin and choose Properties.

Scroll down to “msExchSecureBindings” in the list of attributes.
10. Mark it and click “Edit”.
11. Mark the :443: entry, click “Remove” and then “Ok”.
12. Click “Apply” and then “Ok”.
13. Close out of ADSI Edit, close and reopen Exchange System Manager and test Public Folder access again

And bingo it then replicated the public folders.

The Official SBS Blog : Messaging Hygiene in SBS 2008:

The Official SBS Blog : Messaging Hygiene in SBS 2008:
http://blogs.technet.com/sbs/archive/2009/11/09/messaging-hygiene-in-sbs-2008.aspx