12Jan 2016 by nathan

January 2016 News and Updates

Monthly Newsletters, Uncategorized
   What's New Hacker Playdate - The Q1 2016 Hacker Playdate is right around the corner and we're starting to get excited.  We're doing this one a little different and are specifically targeting the presentations and the villages toward business owners, managers and IT professionals.  One of the new things that we're trying this time is a CTF village with multiple vulnerable machines and several 'attack' laptops setup to give attendees an opportunity to try the tools and tactics that attackers are using in the wild (and we'll have solutions available for those who just want to get to the end).  As always, it's free and open to anyone.  We will be in the meeting room at Primo's Mexican Cocina from 12:00pm EST to 5:00pm EST on Saturday, 23 January…
Read More
15Dec 2015 by nathan

Q1 2016 Hacker Playdate Scheduled for 23 January 2016 – Real World Security for the SMB

Uncategorized
.:23 January 2016 Hacker Playdate:. Real-World Information Security for the Small to Medium Business    The first Hacker Playdate of 2016 has been scheduled for 23 January.  While the event is free and open to anyone, we are targeting business owners, leaders and IT professionals with presentations and demonstrations on real-world threats and countermeasures in the small to medium business.    Where, When and How Much? When - Saturday, 23 January 2016 from 12:00pm to 5:00pm EST Where - Cyber Tech Cafe & Primo's Cantina, 148 West Main Street, right across from Findley's Butcher Shop on Main Street.  We will be using the meeting room at Primo's. How Much - FREE Who should attend: Business owners, leaders and managers.  Do you own a business or are you responsible for managing…
Read More
09Dec 2015 by nathan

December 2015 News and Updates

Monthly Newsletters, Uncategorized
   What's New Hacker Playdate - We're still ironing out a few details but the next Hacker Playdate is scheduled for 23 January 2016.  Expect additional details soon. Windows 10 -  We are seeing a LOT of folks who are installing Windows 10 'accidentally'.  Two very important things to note on this are that you have 30 days from the time you do the upgrade to revert back to the previous version of Windows and that Windows 7 will still be supported until 14 January 2020.  That said, unless you *need* to upgrade to Windows 10 (your software / hardware vendors require it), we recommend sticking with Windows 7 until a specific need to upgrade arises for production environments. Updates Executive Summary -  An appropriate theme for this month would…
Read More
12Nov 2015 by nathan

November 2015 News and Updates

Monthly Newsletters, Uncategorized
   What's New Hacker Playdate - It's a little early but, with the upcoming holidays, the next Hacker Playdate will be on us before you know it.  We will be announcing more details in the December newsletter but the next Hacker Playdate is scheduled for 23 January 2016.  Windows 10 -  Most of you have heard about, many have signed up for and some have installed Microsoft's new version of Windows, Windows 10.  We have been testing Windows 10 for several months now in preparation for the release and can support it but our position has not changed regarding new Windows releases.  If you have a business or other *requirement* pushing you to upgrade, do so in a planned / controlled fashion and test, test, test before installing into a…
Read More
13Oct 2015 by nathan

October 2015 News and Updates

Monthly Newsletters, Uncategorized
   What's New October is National Security Awareness Month -   We should always observe security best practices, but October is National Security Awareness Month and is a good time to take a look at what we're doing right, what we're doing wrong and what we can do better from an InfoSec / NetSec / OpSec standpoint.  Additional information is available here. Windows 10 -  Most of you have heard about, many have signed up for and some have installed Microsoft's new version of Windows, Windows 10.  We have been testing Windows 10 for several months now in preparation for the release and can support it but our position has not changed regarding new Windows releases.  If you have a business or other *requirement* pushing you to upgrade, do so…
Read More
10Sep 2015 by nathan

September 2015 News and Updates

Monthly Newsletters, Uncategorized
   What's New Hacker Play Date v2.0 -  The first Hacker PlayDate (HPD) ended up being a much bigger success than we expected and, as a result, we will be hosting the second Hacker PlayDate (HPDv2.0) on 12 September 2015.  HPDv2.0 will be held in the meeting room at Primo's Mexican Cocina (next door to Cyber Tech Cafe) so we won't be quite as cramped.  The format will be similar but we plan to have some additional booths (tables) setup for things like the lock-picking, Raspberry Pi, etc. (the lock picking table seemed to be a big hit at HPDv1.0).   If you are interested or if you know someone else that would be interested in a demo (anything from lock picking to physical security to hacking a Raspberry Pi to setting…
Read More
04Sep 2015 by nathan

Closed Monday, 7 September 2015 for Labor Day

Uncategorized
  Cyber Tech Cafe will be closed on Monday, 7 September 2015 in observance of Labor Day.  We will reopen during normal business hours on Tuesday, 8 September 2015 and will respond to all support requests submitted over the holiday weekend at that time.  If you need emergency support before Tuesday, 8 September 2015 please call the office and choose the emergency support option, submit an emergency support request via our helpdesk website or send an email to the helpdesk with the word 'emergency' in the subject.
Read More
11Aug 2015 by nathan

August 2015 News and Updates

Monthly Newsletters, Uncategorized
   What's New Welcome BlitzComputing - We are excited to announce the recent acquisition of Blitz Computing and welcome the Blitz Computing family into the Cyber Tech Cafe family.  We've worked extensively with the leadership at Blitz Computing to make certain that the transition is transparent.  We look forward to working with you as your new tech support company! Hacker Play Date v2.0 -  The first Hacker PlayDate (HPD) ended up being a much bigger success than we expected and, as a result, we will be hosting the second Hacker PlayDate (HPDv2.0) on 12 September 2015.  HPDv2.0 will be held in the meeting room at Primo's Mexican Cocina (next door to Cyber Tech Cafe) so we won't be quite as cramped.  The format will be similar but we plan to have some…
Read More
20Jul 2015 by nathan

Microsoft releases critical, out-of-band patch, users encouraged to update *now*

Uncategorized
According to this article on ThreatPost, Microsoft has released an out-of-band patch to resolve an issue that could allow a remote attacker to gain full access to a vulnerable system by tricking the user into opening a malicious document or visit an infected website.  I do not (yet) have confirmation, but no additional user interaction seems to be required (i.e., if you visit an infected site, it won't prompt you).  Some important notes: Allows a remote attacker to consistently exploit the vulnerable system. Affects all support versions of Windows. Windows Server 2003 is not being updated.  Support for Windows Server 2003 died last Tuesday and Microsoft is making it clear that there will be no more support. For those keeping score at home, this is not CVE-2015-2387 (a vulnerability in the…
Read More
16Jul 2015 by nathan

Fake Support Call – An Example Example of What TO DO

Uncategorized
The fake tech support calls have been making the rounds again and we have seen countless cases where the victims realize that they're being scammed only after it's too late.  Today though, that wasn't the case.  Today, there was no victim.  I wanted to briefly share what happened in hopes that others may benefit from this fast-thinking would-be victim. I received an email from a long time client with the subject 'Windows Emergency'.  My heart sank for a moment, fearing the worst, until I read the message.  It was very short but the client had received a telephone call from 'tech support' warning that they [the 'tech support'] had identified a Windows Emergency.  The client's response was perfect.  Rather than letting the 'tech support' onto their computers or discussing the matter further with the fake…
Read More