juhuslikud mõtted

This week kicked off with a bang. A worm had been unleashed into the ‘net, targeting the users of Skype for Windows. You can check out Villu Arak’s post in Skype’s Heartbeat blog to read more about the worm and how to protect yourself from similar attacks in future.

Phil Wolff posted a nice, but oversimplified graphic explanation in Skype Journal:

Why is this oversimplified? Because this explanation fails to address probably the most important point given in Villu’s post:

Please note that Skype users ONLY become infected after they have downloaded the link and run the malicious software.

Step 2 (clicking on the link) would probably not happen if the user would think twice, considering the language (and style) of the message. How likely is a serious business associate to send you a message like “hey i’ve found ur pix on the net”?

Step 3 (opening MS Internet Explorer) would probably not happen if the user would have had chosen a better browser (e.g. Firefox) as default.

Step 4 (seeing evil website, or actually a prompt to download a .scr (Windows screen saver) instead of a .jpg image) would probably not happen if the user would take a second look at what he’s being offered.

Step 5 (installing the worm) would definitely not happen if the user had at least half a brain and basic elements of common sense. Or if s/he would have used Skype on Mac or Linux, because Windows screensavers don’t work on these platforms.

Running a freshly updated antivirus product would probably have helped a bit as well. But even the best antivirus does not replace your missing common sense. Or do you really think wearing a condom keeps you 100% safe when having sex with strangers?

It was not a Skype worm, because Skype didn’t get infected. It was a Windows worm. Or rather, a Windows dumbuser worm.

NOTE: The opinions expressed in this post are my own, and must not be interpreted as those of my present, past, or future employers.

I just finished a 27-minute Skype call from my hotel room in Boston to my loved ones at home in Estonia.

Depending on the method of calculation, the call cost me $9.99 (the price of 24 hours of internet access), $0.19 (previous amount times 27 by 1440), or nothing (as I needed internet access anyway, making this call had no effect on what I had to pay).

Alternatively, I could’ve used my cell phone. In this case, my mobile provider would’ve billed me for EEK 1066, or roughly $92.

Finally, there’s a phone in my room. The friendly hotel puts a surcharge of $7/min and $4.50/connection on top of whatever AT&T would charge for an international call. So the surcharge alone would have amounted to $193.50.

Comments, I think, are unnecessary.

Meil korraldati töötajate küsitlus. Valdav enamus personalist sai suu puhtaks kirjutada. Anonüümselt ja puha. Peen. Michael Wade aga pakkus välja hoopis lihtsama küsitluse, kus on vaid üks “täida-lüngad” küsimus, mille iga küsitletav saab esitada firma juhtkonnale:

“Millal te kavatsete midagi _____________ osas ette võtta?”

Huvitav, milline oleks selle küsitluse tulemus olnud?

21. mail kella 1430-1600 räägib Skype’i desktop-toodete disainipealik Duncan Lamb IT Kolledžis sellest, kuidas Skype kukkus välja nii lihtne, et isegi Steni vanaisa sellega hakkama saab. Kõrvalettekande pealkirjaga “Kõvad kasutajaliidesed” teeb Artec Group OÜ tööstusdisainer Tiit Liiv.

Loeng on tasuta, kuid kohtade arv piiratud. Lisainfo ja registreerumisjuhised.

Kui sa helistad Skype’iga mobiilile, ei pea kõne vastuvõtja enam nägema teadet “Varjatud number”. Nimelt on nüüdsest võimalik seada SkypeOut’i kõnede helistaja numbrinäiduks oma SkypeIn number.

Ehk siis — kui sulle helistab +3727121331, võta toru ja ütle “tere wolli!”

Numbrinäidu aktiveerimiseks logi sisse oma Skype konto lehele, vali sealt “Sissehelistaja numbrinäit” ning järgi juhiseid. Teenuse kasutamiseks peab Sul olema ka SkypeIn number, mida näidata, ning tegemist peab olema Eesti või mõne muu piisavalt arenenud riigi numbriga