Technology and You - Security

Should Youbuntu?

nospam@example.com (Rohan Dayal) — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 00:01:52 +0100

As a follow up to my post on Ubuntu, I'd like neo Linux-enthusiasts to read this wonderful article (titled - Linux is Not Windows) I found through StumbleUpon. The article describes the hardships that Windows users feel while transferring to Linux. Here's an extract:

You'd be amazed how many people complain that Linux is not exactly like Windows. They come to Linux, expecting to find essentially a free, open-source version of Windows. Quite often, this is what they've been told to expect by over-zealous Linux users. However, it's a paradoxical hope.

If you really just want Windows without the malware and security issues: Read up on good security practices; install a good firewall, malware-detector, and anti-virus; replace IE with a more secure browser; and keep yourself up-to-date with security updates. There are people out there who've used Windows since 3.1 days right through to XP without ever being infected with a virus or malware: you can do it too. Don't get Linux: It will fail miserably at being what you want it to be.

If you really want the security and performance of a Unix-based OS but with a customer-focussed attitude and an world-renowned interface: Buy an Apple Mac. OS X is great. But don't get Linux: It will not do what you want it to do.

If you want an OS that doesn't chauffeur you around, but hands you the keys, puts you in the driver's seat, and expects you to know what to do: Get Linux. You'll have to devote some time to learning how to use it, but once you've done so, you'll have an OS that you can make sit up and dance.

I couldn't have summarized it better. If you do decide to stay with Windows, read my previous post on securing Windows.

Easy Steps to Windows Security

nospam@example.com (Rohan Dayal) — Mon, 28 Aug 2006 00:29:10 +0200

I have seen so many spyware/malware/virus infested PC's that its finally time that I let the cat out of the bag. There are two steps you can take to ensure that your PC remains healthy and fast.

The first, of course, is to stay away from untrusted sites and NOT to open email attachments unless you're sure who they're from. No one is going to give you even a single dollar (let alone thousands) for free - so don't believe that mail. Similarly, do not download and install any program until you read its review on a trusted site such as Download.com (which gaurantees all downloads are spyware free).<

The second (drum roll please - big secret being unvieled) is to use a limited account in Windows XP or 2000 for casual surfing, gaming, document processing etc. Any program executed from a limited account cannot affect your Windows or Program Files directory. So the chances of an infection while you surf get reduced drastically. To create a limited account, go to the Control Panel and click on 'User Accounts'. Select 'Create a New Account' from the tasks list, enter the name of your new account (something like 'Everybody' or 'General' or 'Limited' will do), and select the 'Limited' radio button on the next screen. Click on 'Create Account' and you're done. Remember to logon using this account from now on.

To install a new program, to change settings, or to run a program with administrator priveliges, right click the installation/program and select 'Rus As..' from the context menu. Select your full priveliges profile (usually the one you create with your name during installation) in the dialog box that appears and enter your password (remember that this will not work if your password is blank). To start an Explorer window with administrator priveliges, right-click on the Internet Explorer icon on your quick launch menu, select 'Run As..', and enter the password. Activate the address bar of the window that launches and enter 'c:'. You should have an administrator priveliges explorer window. Any program executed through this window will run with full priveliges - so be careful. You can even uninstall programs, make changes to the registry, stop services - anything that you could do earlier.

There, now you have no reason to have a slow and buggy computer. I have been using a computer without an antivirus or spyware remover (highly unadvisable - unless you know what you are doing) without having any problems whatsoever just by following these simple steps.

RSA Challenge

nospam@example.com (Rohan Dayal) — Mon, 27 Mar 2006 14:11:00 +0200

Want to make lots of money? Here's the key (pun intended). RSA is pretty much the de-facto standard for encryption used extensively in online secure transactions. It's what ensures that the credit card number that you enter while buying an airline ticket cannot be captured by fraudulent people (well, even if they do capture it, they will not be able to make any sense out of it).

RSA primarily uses large semi-prime numbers (you can read more in this Wikipedia article). A semi-prime number is a multiple of two prime numbers.

RSA Labs is running a challenge for finding the factors of some identified semi-prime numbers. The prize for factorizing the largest of them is, hold your breath, USD 200,000. Before you bring out your calculators however, here's a quote from factorizers of a semi-prime number from the list: The effort took approximately 30 2.2GHz-Opteron-CPU years according to the submitters, over five months of calendar time.

The next semi-prime that is to be factorized is (officially referred to as RSA-704):

740375634795617128280467960974295731
425931888892312890849362326389727650
340282662768919964196251178439958943
305021275853701189680982867331732731
089309005525051168770632990723963807
86710086096962537934650563796359 (212 digits)