- This has farce has gone on long enough.
When Microsoft received their 34 MILLION dollar grant (~2001) from Homeland
Security (like hundred-billion dollar Microsoft really cares about 34 million
dollars) hardly anyone noticed. And not one word was spoken about WHAT
that the grant was for. Shhh - that's a state secret. Perhaps it was a
grant to help spread FEAR and not related to security. What evidence do
we have this could be true? The administration has already been caught
by the GAO for handing more than 100 million dollars to the media to promote
their lies - so why wouldn't they do the same to computer users?
-
- Since 2001, network system administrators
for businesses and educational institutions almost WEEKLY have been warning
network users about endless "security holes." They merely repeat
the same warnings passed on to them. These warnings almost always read
something like "Exploit Unleashed for Internet Explorer" [1]
or "Security hole found in Internet Explorer" or "Hole in
Explorer allows remote code execution." Say it isn't so! This propaganda
crap is right up there with the other fecal material that "Bin Laden
is going to attack us at any minute." These endless warnings of doom
and gloom are not the admin's fault - they are just doing what their job
requires them to do. This has happened now more times than one can count
since 2001. There are thousands of system admins around who have unwillingly
become "the boy who cried wolf" too many times.
-
- All these endless warnings are very much
like your friendly family doctor that wants to inoculate you with a "flu
shot." They absolutely CANNOT tell you what's in that shot - although
most readers already know it's a syringe full of mercury and other biologicals
that will only shorten your life.
-
- And you'll still get sick AFTER you pay
for the privilege to do so.
-
- Microsoft has become the new self-appointed
boy in Holland, with their fingers stuffed into the proverbial dike to
plug these "security holes." Yes, Microsoft is claiming they
are looking out for you to prevent hacker access into your computer. Are
there people dumb enough or so naive they believe this is true? Yes, there
are. Remember the words of PT Barnum - "there's a sucker born every
minute."
-
- Let's take a closer look at "Internet
Explorer." Is there some magic required to create a web browser that
only the Gate's monopoly has? NO. Firefox, Mozilla and countless other
browsers are all out there with millions of users. This proves beyond any
doubt that Microsoft doesn't rule the world on browser software. Microsoft
has ALL the source code to Internet Explorer, as well as all the operating
system code which includes DLL files and all the others. Who can believe
it would have not just one or two, but DOZENS of UNFIXED security holes
that are perpetuated for more than a decade?
-
- Without question, over the past 4 1/2
YEARS since Sept. 2001 Microsoft has long been finished reviewing the Internet
Explorer browser software. And many users do not realize that MS Internet
Explorer - dates back FIFTEEN+ YEARS to the early 1990's!
-
- So what are all these warnings about?
-
- This is the easy part. It can be summed
up in one sentence: Spreading fear, creating new back doors into your computer
and most likely, tampering with your mind. We will look at each of these
later. The fear factor is all about MAKING YOU WORRY that your computer
isn't safe from hackers, and forcing you to take action.
-
- HACKERS - WHERE ARE THEY?
-
- But just how many hackers are out there?
Apparently very few of them bother doing this anymore as a hobby. Unlike
the dial-up days of networking, tracking and tracing has long been built
into the internet. Despite endless warnings about "security holes,"
there are rarely any mass attacks into people's computers. Consider this:
anti-virus software development today functions just like calling the cops
after a crime. The software updates come along long AFTER the damage is
done. Sometimes a week goes by before and update comes out.
-
- With networks today, a malevolent virus
will spread so fast that it will damage millions of computers before anyone
realized it. But we don't see this happening. All we hear are endless warnings,
as though no hacker exists that could not have found these holes before!
Today's college kids no longer have the free time to write worms and viruses
as they did years ago. They are very busy studying and just trying to pass
their classes, and earn extra money to stay in college.
-
- And what about others not in college?
They are obsessed with having the latest 3D video and network games, and
over-clocking their computers to increase graphics speed. Today's video
games make hacking appear downright boring, compared to the digital adrenaline
rush they get from thinking they beat a digital villain. Don't believe
that's true? Go visit a COMP-USA store and look at the hundreds of products
dedicated to gamers just inside the store's entrance. If the market wasn't
there for those products, you can be certain they wouldn't be on the shelves
- nor would these items be up front.
-
- So this leaves the question - WHO is
creating all the viruses and worms that we keep hearing about that cause
endless software updates? And to what end? WHO out there is taking the
time to create the endless fictitious Paypal and Ebay emails that are stuffing
everyone's in-boxes ad-nauseum? This is pointless for a hacker, too. There
will always be someone stupid enough to type their username and password
into a bogus website and have their bank account hit. But they can fight
this as wire fraud and usually get their money back at the bank or have
the credit card debit reversed. This would defeat the hacker's purpose
in the first place.
-
- Earlier we talked about spreading fear
and creating new back doors into your computer. But what else could be
going on by allowing undocumented software to load into your computer?
Mind control software is one very distinct possibility. A Google search
on that subject results in 112 MILLION hits. Did you know your PC's speakers
can put out sound that you may not consciously hear? Or that your video
card could be triggered by malicious hidden software to flash something
you won't notice, but your subconcious mind will? Your computer's sound
system is COMPLETELY under CPU control. Any program whether visible or
hidden can access your computer's sound system. Think about the implications
- both infrasound and very high frequencies can have negative physical
and psychological effects on human beings. Any program whether visible
or hidden can access your microphone, too.
-
- FEAR THAT MICROPHONE IN FRONT OF YOU
-
- You may already know about silent remote
activation of microphones in speaker-phones and answering machines. But
if you are connected to a broadband ISP (cable or DSL,) then you should
assume that your computer's microphone could be silently activated at any
time. This is just as prudent as handling every firearm as a loaded weapon
until you actually see the chamber is empty.
-
- Think about the ramifications of a hidden,
activated microphone on your life. For example you want to pay a bill.
Using the telephone, you use your credit card because you are afraid to
type it in on-line. If someone is listening to your microphone, they can
get your full name, billing address, card number, expiration date AND the
ID code on the back of the card. PRESTO. Now the eavesdropper can buy ANYTHING
you can, right over the phone. And they never once touched one piece of
plastic.
-
- Suppose the listener is a government
employee with no honor (after all, they are listening in on your home.)
If the theft of your credit or bank account is traced back to them neither
you nor the bank would never be told. And you may never get your money
back. Writing software to monitor a computer's microphone and send digital
audio over the Internet is almost child's play. This is yet another reason
to always keep your firewall on the highest setting all the time, and your
browser's security setting for Active X controls set to "prompt."
-
- Remember this: whenever you are online,
like it or not your computer is silently having intercourse without countless
other computers - and many of them have worms and viruses, too.
-
-
-
- Finally, what about that fear of a hacker
attack discussed earlier? What purpose does it serve? It's highly effective
in coercing the fearful slave to download all the latest security patches.
It's just another form of psyc. warfare.
-
- The next time you hear about another
"patch" for your browser, just ask yourself these two questions:
-
- 1. Why haven't all the other browser
companies announced a patches? 2. After 15 YEARS - why wasn't this IE problem
found long ago?
-
- Question everything and be alert!
-
- Don't make uncle's job easy to steal
your remaining freedoms and privacy.
-
- Ted Twietmeyer www.data4science.net
-
-
- [1] Hole
- http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1895,1941507,00.asp
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