Questions tagged [security]
The protection of computer systems and information from threats such as theft or data destruction.
555
questions
15
votes
1
answer
12k
views
How to report a malicious site to Google, Microsoft, Mozilla, etc. so that they will warn users [closed]
I completed a project a year ago. Now a few modification were needed.
While trying to test the site, there was an index.html file with a malicious script which had an iframe to another site's jar ...
- 925
14
votes
4
answers
1k
views
What software should I use to encrypt my hard drive? [closed]
I am currently running Windows 7 RC x64 on my home system, and am interested in encrypting my hard drive. I've heard good things about TrueCrypt, but am curious what other folks might suggest. I ...
- 363
12
votes
2
answers
40k
views
Grant permanent UAC permission to one program? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Selectively disabling UAC for specific programs on Windows 7
Is there a way to grant permanent UAC permission in Windows 7 to a single program? I have an old program that's ...
- 1,234
9
votes
2
answers
163k
views
Lack of permission to open user folder
I've experienced some error with my windows vista installation for reasons unknown (just a DELL from late 2008).
Whenever I try to start up, the computer immediately reboots without letting me in.
I ...
- 443
5
votes
3
answers
2k
views
I think someone else has access to my wireless network. What next?
I kust realized that some other PC is also getting assigned a IP address (DHCP Lease) from my modem. I am sure this is not one of the PCs in my home.
My modem was using WEP security. I know WEP is ...
- 657
5
votes
9
answers
2k
views
Virus protection for flash drives
At school, there is a large network with lots of non-technical minded people and lots of viruses. How can I protect my flash drive from these worms and viruses so I don't bring them home and infect my ...
- 952
5
votes
5
answers
10k
views
How can I limit other (administrator) users access to my profile?
We in our club have a computer with Windows 7 Professional that every club member may use. And everyone has their own separate account.
Those accounts have to have administrator priveleges since I ...
- 221
4
votes
3
answers
4k
views
Is it feasible to crack ZIP passwords?
I have a piece of software I have to install on company laptops. The installer needs a serial to work properly, but I don't have it (my manager isn't here so I can't ask him). The installer tells me ...
- 1,825
3
votes
1
answer
11k
views
Is there anyway to remove denied permissions from a group for a folder if I dont have access?
I'm hoping the answer is yes.
Due to my ignorance, I denied the 'Everyone' group all read access from one of my folders containing needed information because I did not want people on my network being ...
- 1,089
3
votes
6
answers
2k
views
Securely format a hard drive [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Erasing data before selling a computer
I have just taken 8 old 250gb drives out of one of our servers.
I need to securely wipe all the data on these drives, before they are ...
- 493
1
vote
1
answer
869
views
forgot wireless password
If you have a laptop running XP that is able to connect to a wireless network fine, but you don't know the password it's using, is there any way to find it out so that a second laptop can also connect?...
- 3,872
0
votes
3
answers
6k
views
Prevent admin users from reading my files [duplicate]
My surface tablet is shared with a friend. She uses a separate account, with admin rights.
Being an admin, she is able to gain access to all my files. Even my OneDrive files.
I guess I could follow ...
- 152
686
votes
18
answers
83k
views
How are pseudorandom and truly random numbers different and why does it matter?
I've never quite got this. Just say you write a small program in any language at all which rolls some dice (just using dice as an example). After 600,000 rolls, each number would have been rolled ...
388
votes
23
answers
737k
views
How do I list the SSL/TLS cipher suites a particular website offers?
How can I retrieve a list of the SSL/TLS cipher suites a particular website offers?
I've tried openssl, but if you examine the output:
$ echo -n | openssl s_client -connect www.google.com:443
...
- 6,969
133
votes
9
answers
12k
views
What is the danger of inserting and browsing an untrusted USB drive?
Suppose someone wants me to copy some files to their USB stick. I'm running fully-patched Windows 7 x64 with AutoRun disabled (via Group Policy). I insert the USB drive, open it in Windows Explorer ...
- 1,842
127
votes
3
answers
301k
views
What is 1e100.net and why do I have TCP ports open to it?
I see my PC has TCP connections open to 1e100.net. Then I checked the whois record and find it is registered to Google. Weird.
A quick search seems to indicate that 1e100.net is pretty popular - ...
- 5,551
98
votes
3
answers
294k
views
Give write permissions to multiple users on a folder in Ubuntu
There is a folder that is owned by user tomcat6:
drwxr-xr-x 2 tomcat6 tomcat6 69632 2011-05-06 03:43 document
I want to allow another user (ruser) write permissions on document folder. The two users ...
- 1,377
91
votes
8
answers
46k
views
My colleague often shuts down my machine through the LAN - how do I prevent it?
This might sound weird. My colleague and I were working on a Windows machine. He frequently shuts it down through the LAN.
He usually follows these steps:
Access command prompt, enter shutdown -i.
...
- 8,175
67
votes
3
answers
90k
views
Simple built-in way to encrypt and decrypt a file on a Mac via command-line?
Are there any built in command-line tools that I can encrypt and decrypt a text file (and provide it some sort of password).
- 1,359
63
votes
6
answers
48k
views
What is better for GPG keys - RSA or DSA?
ssh-keygen defaults to creating RSA keys, but gpg --gen-key prefers DSA/ElGamal.
Which one - RSA or DSA - is better for GPG?
- 454k
52
votes
5
answers
4k
views
What are the potential security issues when I keep using Windows XP? [closed]
Microsoft stopped updating Windows XP and the media warns us of security leaks. I actually just read that continuing to use Windows XP is "extremely" dangerous. Why exactly is this such a danger? I ...
- 890
42
votes
6
answers
6k
views
Can I permanently prevent Java security updates from installing Yahoo Toolbar?
Each time I get a Java security update, I have to remember to untick the box to install the yahoo toolbar browser plugin that they've decided, for some mad reason, is an important security feature of ...
- 514
37
votes
3
answers
95k
views
In Windows 10 how do you ensure all traffic goes through VPN?
What is the easiest way to ensure all traffic goes through the VPN in Windows 10? Are there any built in ways? I'm basically looking for an internet kill switch in the case the VPN fails.
I read that ...
- 8,229
36
votes
3
answers
8k
views
How is uniqueness of MAC addresses enforced?
Again and again I read that devices are uniquely identified by their MAC addresses. But how are MAC addresses determined? (And do they tell us anything about the device which they represent?)
- 2,254
36
votes
3
answers
27k
views
Can other people on an encrypted Wi-Fi AP see what you're doing?
If you connect to an open, unencrypted Wi-Fi access point, everything you do can be captured by other people within range.
If you connect to an encrypted point, then people nearby can intercept what ...
- 7,607
31
votes
6
answers
15k
views
How to put fear of God (law) into Wi-Fi hacking neighbors [closed]
I live in an apartment and some new guys have apparently moved into one of the apartments.
They have been shamelessly hacking into my WiFi.
Mine was initially a WEP encrypted network and out of ...
- 5,069
27
votes
5
answers
50k
views
How does a hacker in a public WIFI actually view your computer?
I've read that they can see what sites your viewing or even access your computer if you're connected on the same WIFI connection but how exactly?
- 5,503
25
votes
2
answers
21k
views
Is zip's encryption really bad?
The standard advice for many years regarding compression and encryption has been that the encryption strength of zip is bad.
Is this really the case in this day and age?
I read this article about ...
- 34.5k
24
votes
4
answers
77k
views
How to check if a specific Windows security update is installed?
Given that the WannaCry ransomware exploit is going around I wanted to check if my computer has the specific security update that should stop the vulnerability - apparently, MS17-010, assuming I'm ...
- 365
24
votes
3
answers
45k
views
What is the difference between a proxy and a VPN?
There are several service providers out there that allow a user to circumvent firewalls or anonymize their web access.
Some of them use proxies, some use VPNs. Most people say that VPNs usually work ...
- 3,872
23
votes
7
answers
27k
views
Wipe RAM on shut down to prevent Cold Boot Attack
My system is encrypted using Full Disk Encryption, i.e. everything except /boot is encrypted using dmcrypt/luks. I am concerned about Cold Boot Attacks, where researchers demonstrated, that content ...
- 476
17
votes
2
answers
99k
views
Lock your computer after 5 minutes of inactivity
I know you can automatically Sleep and Hibernate your computer with a timer. But these affect running programs and stop downloads ... so I was wondering if there is a way to automatically Lock your ...
- 2,472
17
votes
6
answers
21k
views
Can a virus on a flash drive run itself without autorun?
Someone told me that it's possible for a virus to run itself from Flash memories even if autorun.inf is not present or this feature is disabled using gpedit.msc. He said a virus can run itself as ...
- 842
16
votes
4
answers
107k
views
How can I use Event Viewer to confirm login times filtered by User?
I'm required to log my start and finish times at work. Occasionally I forget to do this and had a bright idea that checking the Security events log would allow me to retrospectively ascertain my times....
- 1,786
15
votes
5
answers
18k
views
Is it possible to encrypt home folder on windows 7?
Ubuntu and MaxOS has an ability to encrypt home folder in case laptop is stolen. Is it possible to do same thing on Windows 7? I need to encrypt home folder so it will be encrypted and decrypted ...
- 1,047
14
votes
5
answers
8k
views
Steganography software [closed]
Do you know some good (better if FOSS and cross-platform) steganography software that runs on GNU/Linux?
The features I'm searching are:
steganography software (better if FOSS and cross-platform)
it ...
- 1,934
14
votes
2
answers
28k
views
How to find out when a disc (DVD) has been written/burned?
Is there a way/tool to determine the date and time when a disc has been written/burned with high certainty? This is about data forensics and should be a solid proof. I already tried IsoBuster, but it ...
- 703
14
votes
6
answers
4k
views
How do I detect keystroke loggers in a reliable way?
I've always had a problem typing my passwords in on computers I don't trust (think non-technical friends computers) and although I can usually avoid doing it, there are times when I still need to use ...
- 2,081
13
votes
8
answers
7k
views
Do computer system units actually go up in flames?
There's a strong belief amoung non-technical people that home computers should not ever be left on unattended - since they are electrical devices and can go up in flames and set the room on fire.
Now ...
- 851
12
votes
14
answers
71k
views
How to disable Utility Manager (Windows Key + U)
How do I disable the Windows + U hotkey in Windows XP? Alternatively, how do I stop the utility manager from being active? The two are related. The utilty manager is currently providing a potential ...
- 982
11
votes
4
answers
4k
views
Recommended offline on-demand virus scanners
I have never run full anti-virus on my Windows XP systems. Instead I use various anti-malware tools to manually perform scans every few weeks. This approach, combined with Windows updates and ...
- 2,791
11
votes
6
answers
37k
views
Secure video chat program as an alternative to Skype [closed]
I'm looking for something similar to skype but basically just for me to video chat with my girlfriend. Skype has been kind of buggy lately with its recent iterations and doesn't seem to be progressing ...
10
votes
5
answers
18k
views
Are .docx or .pdf files potentially dangerous?
Just a general question of computer security - if I download a .pdf or .docx from an untrusted source, can it seriously harm my machine/give a malicious user access to my information? Or is it ...
- 1,612
10
votes
3
answers
6k
views
Remote into Linux workstation behind a firewall
Let's say I have a Linux workstation at work, behind a firewall. So even though I may have a remote access server set up on it (such as the most excellent NoMachine NX Server), I can't access it from ...
- 2,325
9
votes
2
answers
3k
views
How can I configure my wireless network for the strongest security?
There seem to be many security features in wireless routers from MAC address filtering to the authentication type and data encryption. WPA or WPA2 PSK? AES or TKIP?
When I set up a new wireless ...
- 1,568
9
votes
8
answers
5k
views
Am I secure from network monitoring software if HTTPS is used?
I will be logging into my bank account and my personal email accounts at work. Its not banned at work, but I just don't want them to save/log a copy of whatever I do with these services. Especially my ...
senthil
8
votes
2
answers
8k
views
How to "flush tor circuit"
On Windows I have used XBBrowser, which provides a custom version of Firefox suited to using Tor.
XBBrowser provides a button, flush tor circuit, which will setup an entirely new connection and exit ...
- 1,961
7
votes
2
answers
15k
views
Encrypting a user's directory in Windows 7
I'm running Windows 7 Professional.
Is there any way to make a user's directory (anything under C:\Users\Foo) encrypted? I'm looking for something like Apple's FileVault feature.
When I login as an ...
- 4,240
6
votes
4
answers
16k
views
Take a webcam photo on login using Windows 7
How do I set up my webcam to capture an image on the sly each time my account (or any account) logs on? Is there some specific software that will do this?
I have a Logitech QuickCam Fusion cam and ...
- 127
5
votes
4
answers
10k
views
Deleting file names from MFT
I want to delete the unused contents of a disk without leaving any traces, e.g. for giving it to a colleague or a customer. The colleague/customer shall receive some files which are already on the ...
- 6,014