conficker worm infection detection

There is a simple check that can be done to see if any computer in the office is infected with the conficker / downadup worm / virus. When a computer is infected it is blocked from accessing certain security related sites. The following 3 sites I've heard are among those blocked.

http://www.symantec.com/

http://www.sans.org/

http://update.microsoft.com/ - this one won't work unless you use Internet Explorer.

This is just another level of checking. Your antivirus should keep the infection out and you can also use nmap 4.85 beta 6 or newer to detect the presence of the virus / worm in a LAN using this specific scan:

nmap -sC -p 445 -d -n -oA conficker_scan -PN --script smb-check-vulns --script-args unsafe=1 192.168.1.1-254 (use your ip range here)

or

nmap -sC -p 445 -d -n -oA conficker_scan -PN --script smb-check-vulns --script-args smbdomain={your domain},smbuser={domain admin},smbpass={password},unsafe=1 192.168.1.1-254 (use your ip range here)

nmap is a great free tool as it can very quickly scan a whole subnet for a variety issues. The biggest hurdle is learning the many options for scanning on the command line. You can also use zenmap the windows GUI interface to the tool.

Julie's Latest Creation

This is Julie's latest work of art. She has created several mosaics both in and on the house. To see more of her work check out her flickr photo site at http://www.flickr.com/photos/picksnoz/. I've also posted the video on youtube.

Just tried this outstanding Oatmeal Stout!

I’ve always liked Guinness better then any other stout I’ve had and stout is the only bear I really like.  Well, tonight I opened a bottle of Barney Flats Oatmeal Stout from Anderson Valley Brewing Co.in Boonville, CA.  (My neighbor gave me the bottle last night after I gave him some free computer support.)  This beer has got to be far and away the best stout I’ve ever had.  If you like a beer described as “Slippery, creamy, dark, and sweet as a Pacific May morning,”. 

Gold Lame' Duck Hunter... "No Daddy, I Don't Want to Wear Camo."

E-Ink Reader that beats the Kindle

Coming later this year is a product by Plastic Logic that is prettier and more versatile than the Amazon Kindle. Here is an article on their e-Reader from cnet news. It is really thin, light weight, about 8.5x11, and supports many more file types than the Kindle currently does, including MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, & PDF. They indicate that it has wireless connectivity and a large and growing list of content companies signed up to provide their content on this device.

Check it out!

Happy Birthday Sarah!

View at youTube

Stick Fetching Day at the River

For those of us who didn’t stay home and watch the super bowl, we found it to be a great day to take the dogs to the river.  We all had lots of fun!  Check out the slide show by clicking the photo below!

Tooth Number 6!

Anna just lost her 6th tooth!  This was the easiest one.  It just came right out when she pulled on it.

Here is Anna first thing this morning, showing us what the tooth fairy brought in exchange for the tooth.

Snow Day 2009

Recently we went to Nyack for our annual snow play day.

The Traveler

I found this great little book one day while at Starbucks.  It is a simple book that even my 6 y.o. daughter Anna could read.  It has a simple yet important message.  If you have the opportunity I’d recommend picking up a copy.  It’s a quick read, just a few minutes.

 

 

Simple and to the point, this story will wake you back up before you sleep through the best days of your life. Read it, pass it on to your children, and put a copy into the hands of your friends.