Evolution is the messaging component of GnomeOffice, a full fledged suite running on the Gnome platform. Add-ons are built-in and to me looks to require a new download for new features.
Thunderbird is the Mozilla Foundation's premier email application that can have extended features via add-in's in a framework that makes it possible to even be compatible with Firefox.
Part of work actually requires some monitoring of URLs in spammed emails and I was looking to bridge a gap between office spam and the volume of spam being received in several personal spam honeypots.
Enter IMAP.
Thanks to being able to setup multiple accounts on Microsoft Outlook its possible to just move all received spam into a separate account folder via a rule -- in theory. Right now I've not gotten down to fully doing this as due to the amount of list mails I do receive in my work mail its just easier to monitor the Spam and Junk folder before manually moving to an IMAP shared folder.
Enter Search Filters.
I've been using Thunderbird for some time and have gotten used to its quirks on the Windows platform (ie. storage limitation or errors) so having this run on Kubuntu was not too bad. In fact I noticed some speed increase and stability moving back to the original intended Linux platform. As for Evolution, this is somewhat new to me and I've done some really light tinkering with earlier versions.
The race however is the ability to script and automate as well as how better (how many buttons and clicks) it is to get a filter in place and start to search for "finds" (ie. bot links, phishing, droppers, etc.). Apparently though Thunderbird's extension provides for making quick filters, its message indexing speed is slow. Note I am basically "grepping" more than 30k worth of spam at any one time accumulated over the years. Evolution's performance surprisingly is a bit better in terms of displaying found messages and though limited add-ons makes it a more stable platform to do queries. In short, damn!
More food for thought as I immerse myself more into the Linux world that this Macbook Pro am typing on runs beautifully and expensively...
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Monday, September 15, 2008
PSP Games: Lost Planet - Extreme Condition
"Wayne, promise you'll come back to me", says the hopeful and confused snow pirate damsel who's also got her heart beating for Dr. Yuri.Alas, a good thing that our character ends up having amnesia and starts fresh on a planet that finally gets some green after the son of his father's killer does some good.
This game's controls felt a bit like that of GoW, or at least the part where you have to continuously press on "O" and get the waypoints working.
Even at Easy mode its challenging and I have to agree on that setting decision. The boss stages are a fair amount of fun.
Online gameplay isn't as exciting as UT but not as frustrating as Halo and you at least spawn at base with some form of shielding without having to get sniped right away. Looks to be a very popular game in Japan as most game servers and players were hailing from there at midnight with just a handful of players like myself from North America or the UK.
PSP Games: Lost Planet - Extreme Condition
"Wayne, promise you'll come back to me", says the hopeful and confused snow pirate damsel who's also got her heart beating for Dr. Yuri.Alas, a good thing that our character ends up having amnesia and starts fresh on a planet that finally gets some green after the son of his father's killer does some good.
This game's controls felt a bit like that of GoW, or at least the part where you have to continuously press on "O" and get the waypoints working.
Even at Easy mode its challenging and I have to agree on that setting decision. The boss stages are a fair amount of fun.
Online gameplay isn't as exciting as UT but not as frustrating as Halo and you at least spawn at base with some form of shielding without having to get sniped right away. Looks to be a very popular game in Japan as most game servers and players were hailing from there at midnight with just a handful of players like myself from North America or the UK.
Monday, September 08, 2008
AT&T Uverse - downtime until 4:43PM PST
Service just got restored at 4:43 PM PST after being down just after lunch. By service I mean being able to watch on any of my thee-(3) digital receivers.
Thats the first time for me. I should have checked ClarkConnect if the internet service was down as well. However, since I did configure a bandwidth aggregator didn't feel any pinch thanks to the alternative Comcast line.
Working well it is.
Thats the first time for me. I should have checked ClarkConnect if the internet service was down as well. However, since I did configure a bandwidth aggregator didn't feel any pinch thanks to the alternative Comcast line.
Working well it is.
Getting a grip on the Canon BG-E2N
Its finally here, the accessory that I've been waiting for (since it got shipped from Hong Kong and took as many days from the 2*th of August). This could have been a posting last Saturday but for some reason we didn't hear Mr. Postman ring the doorbell. Odd.
I must say that the packaging and delivery was excellent. Gotta get back on eBay and give the seller some great feedback. Wondering if this is original, he says so, but better to check. Never the less, replica or not, it fits perfect and I can't complain at this point. Both of my batteries fit in the compartment ... but yes, lets try to use those AA size batteries and see how my Canon 40D takes to it.
Interesting that its been labeled as a "toy", which in retrospect it probably is - more toys for this big boy :-)
Am absolutely loving the new grip. The SLR now feels like a real serious camera! The down side here is that my current case has to go -- with about a 4th more of camera added to the breadth its not going to fit. Time to shop for a new case.
I must say that the packaging and delivery was excellent. Gotta get back on eBay and give the seller some great feedback. Wondering if this is original, he says so, but better to check. Never the less, replica or not, it fits perfect and I can't complain at this point. Both of my batteries fit in the compartment ... but yes, lets try to use those AA size batteries and see how my Canon 40D takes to it.
Interesting that its been labeled as a "toy", which in retrospect it probably is - more toys for this big boy :-)
Am absolutely loving the new grip. The SLR now feels like a real serious camera! The down side here is that my current case has to go -- with about a 4th more of camera added to the breadth its not going to fit. Time to shop for a new case.
Saturday, September 06, 2008
Layman's WiFi Security
I've often been asked on my thoughts on wireless access. An incomplete history from the top of my head follows plus some useful tips as a result of my personal experience in managing my own SOHO network.
Back Then
The biggest problems to the use of wifi is improper usage safeguards. When the topic of wireless access came up years ago, it was an expensive and yet useful technology available only to companies that had the budget. Even then the problem was how to proper place the access point within the company network where it would be of benefit business in terms of people moving around the office with laptops in places where no cabling was in place or where doing any cabling would result in the loss of needed meeting spaces or just plain unsightly. Back then the best lockdown features only included WEP (wireless equivalence protocol) and in the best possible combination include MAC address filtering. That still works today for the most part, and in fact I use it as a first level defense. However, due to the technology being new and as prices eventually came down to a level available to small businesses everyone was grabbing off-the-shelf products and just plugging them into their networks. That being said, everything was left on default even to the administrator log-in and password -- very unfortunate and very bad. The result of that would be all the data breaches and war-driving tutorials and attacks published in the public domain and hacker conferences. Loss of brand confidence, data theft, remote break-ins, the lot of it .... you betcha. Around this time, my Netgear wifi hub was some $250 and it only supported 802.11 b/g.
After That
Apparently someone discovered a flaw in WEP and the possibility to spoof even MAC addresses. Now this situation connotes a targeted attack was possible, when in fact it is in reality difficult to sustain a defense against a motivated hacker - wifi or otherwise. A solution came in WPA (wireless prevalence access) and some time after that improvements as WPA2. It also became possible to use digital certificates and all the regular connective security already possible in regular VPN (virtual private network) connections. ISPs have started to roll-out home wi-fi to its subscribers, unfortunately depending in what location some have fallen into the same default installation trap in their zeal to get service to customers*.
Just Recently
Today the cost of wifi hardware has gone down that its possible for consumers to grab them off any shelf. In fact it would appear that even as the cost of wireless access devices have gone down, their speed has gone up to 802.11 N and have become routing switches. Even better, consumer hardware stateful inspection firewalling has likewise been added to most including NAT (network address translation) and DHCP (dynamic IP addressing) capability. Thats wonderful given that my D-Link cost something like $150.
Perhaps I can't stress this enough and more important perhaps in a home network or office place is to know that if you don't know at which point you place your access point that you could be setting-up yourself for a breach. The best place for this device is of course is in a DMZ (de-militarized zone), meaning outside your main network if your purpose is to provide just basic surfing capability. Unfortunately the reality is that people who want wifi today is to get about the same transparent services as if you were directly wired to the network. In that case, be sure to make it more difficult for an attack to happen!
Summary
No matter how old or new your wireless access hardware is, demand the following configurations done or read the manuals so you can do it yourself:
1. change the default SSID name - avoid confusion to which default access point to connect to and avoid connecting to fake sites and having your traffic inspected in a man-in-the-middle attack.
2. disable SSID name broadcast - cloaking your access point makes it difficult for war-drivers to attack you; note that some gadgets and devices won't like this unless you hard wire the connection details
3. use WEP/WPA/WPA2 with a 128-bit key - elementary since its harder to guess a 128 key versus a default 64-bit key
4. use MAC filtering - essentially this limits the set of rogue devices that can get on your network even if they were able to discover your SSID or password phrase key
5. location, location, location - know where you're connecting your access point and assume that devices connected to it will inherit the same network paths, unless you specifically limit them by configuring inbound/outbound filter rules
Back Then
The biggest problems to the use of wifi is improper usage safeguards. When the topic of wireless access came up years ago, it was an expensive and yet useful technology available only to companies that had the budget. Even then the problem was how to proper place the access point within the company network where it would be of benefit business in terms of people moving around the office with laptops in places where no cabling was in place or where doing any cabling would result in the loss of needed meeting spaces or just plain unsightly. Back then the best lockdown features only included WEP (wireless equivalence protocol) and in the best possible combination include MAC address filtering. That still works today for the most part, and in fact I use it as a first level defense. However, due to the technology being new and as prices eventually came down to a level available to small businesses everyone was grabbing off-the-shelf products and just plugging them into their networks. That being said, everything was left on default even to the administrator log-in and password -- very unfortunate and very bad. The result of that would be all the data breaches and war-driving tutorials and attacks published in the public domain and hacker conferences. Loss of brand confidence, data theft, remote break-ins, the lot of it .... you betcha. Around this time, my Netgear wifi hub was some $250 and it only supported 802.11 b/g.
After That
Apparently someone discovered a flaw in WEP and the possibility to spoof even MAC addresses. Now this situation connotes a targeted attack was possible, when in fact it is in reality difficult to sustain a defense against a motivated hacker - wifi or otherwise. A solution came in WPA (wireless prevalence access) and some time after that improvements as WPA2. It also became possible to use digital certificates and all the regular connective security already possible in regular VPN (virtual private network) connections. ISPs have started to roll-out home wi-fi to its subscribers, unfortunately depending in what location some have fallen into the same default installation trap in their zeal to get service to customers*.
Just Recently
Today the cost of wifi hardware has gone down that its possible for consumers to grab them off any shelf. In fact it would appear that even as the cost of wireless access devices have gone down, their speed has gone up to 802.11 N and have become routing switches. Even better, consumer hardware stateful inspection firewalling has likewise been added to most including NAT (network address translation) and DHCP (dynamic IP addressing) capability. Thats wonderful given that my D-Link cost something like $150.
Perhaps I can't stress this enough and more important perhaps in a home network or office place is to know that if you don't know at which point you place your access point that you could be setting-up yourself for a breach. The best place for this device is of course is in a DMZ (de-militarized zone), meaning outside your main network if your purpose is to provide just basic surfing capability. Unfortunately the reality is that people who want wifi today is to get about the same transparent services as if you were directly wired to the network. In that case, be sure to make it more difficult for an attack to happen!
Summary
No matter how old or new your wireless access hardware is, demand the following configurations done or read the manuals so you can do it yourself:
1. change the default SSID name - avoid confusion to which default access point to connect to and avoid connecting to fake sites and having your traffic inspected in a man-in-the-middle attack.
2. disable SSID name broadcast - cloaking your access point makes it difficult for war-drivers to attack you; note that some gadgets and devices won't like this unless you hard wire the connection details
3. use WEP/WPA/WPA2 with a 128-bit key - elementary since its harder to guess a 128 key versus a default 64-bit key
4. use MAC filtering - essentially this limits the set of rogue devices that can get on your network even if they were able to discover your SSID or password phrase key
5. location, location, location - know where you're connecting your access point and assume that devices connected to it will inherit the same network paths, unless you specifically limit them by configuring inbound/outbound filter rules
Tuesday, September 02, 2008
PSP Games: BlackSite - Area 51
Just as the title suggests, this game's ending should fall into a blackhole in space. It took me about a week or so before I went back to finish it but was really disappointed that it was just the final few shots and nothing :-(The game starts well enough with you being stationed in Iraq as part of a mission. As usual the government doesn't tell you what it really is about. You find an alien base deep within some structures. Your war ends, but some time passes and your team get's called back into active duty. You path crosses with the tight bunned Doctor, and you get double crossed by Summers.
There'll be lots of weird looking aliens and one where the idea of the boss looks like something stolen right out of War of the Worlds.
I take issue in your nemesis being too corny compared to R:FoM
Some furious firefights with pro-E.T. henchmen that look really pale compared to the sleek suits in Haze. Have I told you about the un-cool weapons that are new but less effective that shotguns?
And much more, so much more that I won't even mention.
Good story plot. I think varous levels and getting up the mountains to the base was good. Sniper mode rocks when felling them darn pesky pro-alien morons.
Need something more original here guys.
PSP Games: BlackSite - Area 51
Just as the title suggests, this game's ending should fall into a blackhole in space. It took me about a week or so before I went back to finish it but was really disappointed that it was just the final few shots and nothing :-(The game starts well enough with you being stationed in Iraq as part of a mission. As usual the government doesn't tell you what it really is about. You find an alien base deep within some structures. Your war ends, but some time passes and your team get's called back into active duty. You path crosses with the tight bunned Doctor, and you get double crossed by Summers.
There'll be lots of weird looking aliens and one where the idea of the boss looks like something stolen right out of War of the Worlds.
I take issue in your nemesis being too corny compared to R:FoM
Some furious firefights with pro-E.T. henchmen that look really pale compared to the sleek suits in Haze. Have I told you about the un-cool weapons that are new but less effective that shotguns?
And much more, so much more that I won't even mention.
Good story plot. I think varous levels and getting up the mountains to the base was good. Sniper mode rocks when felling them darn pesky pro-alien morons.
Need something more original here guys.
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