You are not limited to looking at the Windows Update log file to determine what patches have been applied. The data is also available programatically. WindowsUpdateHistory.vbs allows you to query a local or remote system for its update history, displaying the results in an IE window. Note that this will also pickup SCCM patching. I left…
Author: Alan
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User Database Cleanup
For security purposes I deleted nearly all the accounts that were created before I began using the Bad Behavior plugin which blocks automated user creation. If I deleted your user account, please accept my apology and re-register.
FDCC Desktop Core Configuration XP File Permissions
The FDCC Desktop Core configuration mandates the change of file permissions on a large number of OS utilities, so that ordinary users may not execute them. They are: arp.exe at.exe attrib.exe cacls.exe debug.exe edlin.exe eventcreate.exe eventtriggers.exe mshta.exe net.exe net1.exe netsh.exe rcp.exe reg.exe regedit.exe regedt32.exe regini.exe regsvr32.exe rexec.exe route.exe rsh.exe sc.exe secedit.exe subst.exe systeminfo.exe tftp.exe tlntsvr.exe …
Microsoft Security Essentials — Free Anti-Virus
Microsoft has a free anti-virus program for computers called Microsoft Security Essentials. You can download it here: http://www.microsoft.com/security_essentials/.
When is the last time you used a floppy disk?
Sony, the last manufacturer of floppy disks will quit making them next year. http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/news/2010/04/the-once-ubiquitous-floppy-finally-being-axed-by-sony.ars. I’d say stock up, but I have a box of them that I never use. My soon took a look at a 3.5 inch and asked why they were called “floppy”, when they come in a hard plastic case. I cracked…
USB Monitor for Removable Drives
Having users plug USB drives into their systems can be a portal for malware into your network and data exiting from your network. There are sophisticated programs that allow you to block and monitor endpoint security, such as Lumension’s Sanctuary. If you don’t have that in your budget, you can still monitor and detect insertion of…
Secunia Personal Software Inspector (PSI)
The biggest challenge in keeping a home computer patched — even if you are computer security specialist — is knowing what needs to be patched on your computer. I am not just talking about Windows patches — I am also talking about Java, Flash, and Acrobat, and FireFox, and WinAmp. The best tool for this is…
Why Signature Based Anti-Virus is doomed to fail
In an interesting article, Thomas Dullien argues that anti-virus based on signatures (your AV “definitions” file” ) is doomed to failure. His premise is simple. The attacker always has access to the anti-virus definition files, and can therefore generate permutations for new attacks until it succeeds. I have not been impressed by any heuristic AV…
Sandra Lite: Detailed Hardware Information
I was looking for a way to figure out what motherboard slots were on a home PC and to figure out what was plugged into those slots. I found Sandra Lite, which gave me the data I needed. Very nice for detailed hardware information. Tags: Hardware+Information
Get Model and BIOS information using WMI
Sometimes you need to get a computer’s model and BIOS information. ModelAndBIOS.vbs does just that. If you run it interactively, you will get a message box. You can also run it with the computer name as an argument, and the log will be written to your desktop. I use the FOR command to do this — an…