Social Engineering Wins Again

It goes to show that you can never truly let your guard down. A
consultant used social skills to trick corporate security and successfully accessed confidential corporate data. This is the kind of pentesting I was made for. It still amazes me how trusting people are when faced with a smile and friendly demeanor. I wish more people realized that they can be kind, but still firm, about withholding confidential information until identity is proven. There are far worse things than offending someone where data theft is concerned.

Stop Dishonest Tech Lingo that means you, Apple and Microsoft

Stop Dishonest Tech Lingo that means you, Apple and Microsoft is a great look at how language has changed as technology becomes more prevalent in our daily lives. A friend is no longer a close companion and to follow someone does not imply leadership. And what about Google’s policy on Beta releases? That has boggled my mind for years! How can gmail still be in Beta? If you’re frustrated with misleading lingo as much as I am you will enjoy this closer look at the subject.

Win an Xbox on ITKE

I know times have gotten our spirits down but don’t let that stop you from helping your ITKE friends! Ask and answer questions on IT Knowledge Exchange to earn your very own Xbox!

Between March 18 (yesterday) and April 30th (the end of next month) IT Knowledge Exchange (ITKE) members who rack up the most Knowledge Points and ask five IT related questions can win one of three different Microsoft Xbox 360 gaming rigs (an Elite model goes to the top ranked player, a regular Xbox 360 for second place, and an Xbox 360 Arcade to the third-ranked expert).

So be cheered by the fact that although the economy may be down ITKE is doing its part to keep spirits up. Good luck!

Business Cards for the Job Search

When job hunting one doesn’t want to pass around a business card for their current or past employer. Such attention can cause undue complications. I suggest creating a personal business card that you can use in multiple situations. This technique will maximize your networking potential and make the most of a difficult economy.

Good luck!

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Microsoft Elevate America

Microsoft Elevate America provides free and low cost training to individuals. This is an essential resource for IT professionals and transitioning workers. Thank you to Microsoft for stepping up and helping us all.

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LinkedIn to Job Offers

If you haven’t joined LinkedIn yet, you need to quit stalling. Just by finding Suzanne Wheeler on LinkedIn JD Resources offered me an interview for an 18 month .NET project. Should I mention it includes full benefits? So quit putting it off and post a profile, already! Even if you’re gainfully employed it never hurts to put yourself out there.

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Miscommunication Geek Style

It’s a special occasion and you want to put a photo of a friend on a cake to celebrate. Innocent geek you are, you take your flash drive to the bakery with the photo on it an hand it over to the clerk. Come cake time, you get a flash drive cake by mistake. Classic miscommunication. Next time leave written instructions of how to access the picture on the flash drive. It may seem patronizing, but it will avoid future mishaps and being the butt of jokes for the next few weeks.

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Ice Storm Disaster Recovery

This past week winter storms devastated parts of Arkansas and Missouri. Power is not expected to be fully restored until the end of February. I was out of power, and heat, for a merciful three days. (Oddly enough, we had picked out a wood stove and was just waiting to hire someone to install it.) At the manufacturing plant I work for the office stayed in business but the factory was closed. It reopened Friday and our only issues have been with the power. We’re lucky not to have any facility damage but that’s only because the trees had been cleared for a facility expansion a few years ago.

Our facility was saved further problems by good planning alone. Our backup server power kept everything in order for a clean shutdown. Our workstation UPSs made sure no work was lost. We’re still getting systems back online and working smoothly, but no data was lost and systems went undamaged. Let’s only hope the best for all those affected by this disaster.

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Cheap Science Tricks from MakeUseOf.com

If your entertainment budget is getting low try these 3 Cool Science Experiments You Can Do At Home. How about extracting your own DNA? It’s much easier than you think and you probably have all the materials you need on hand. Want a unique gift for your sweetheart this Valentine’s day? Give them the gift of you – your DNA in a vial pendant and you’ll never be apart! With freezing temperatures across the continental US try making frozen bubbles. This is on my list of to-dos this week. I’ll be sure to post some pictures if it’s a success.

So have some cheap fun and indulge your inner science geek. Did I mention the kids can enjoy this as much as the adults? A true bonus!

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Ethics and Amazon Mechanical Turk

I have been waiting for this to happen. A Belkin exec disavows fake user review offers on Mechanical Turk allegedly posted by an employee. It still amazes me the amount of people who offer work in promoting blogs and making comments. Yes, I understand the concept of keeping up ratings and traffic but not at the expense of integrity. It does not surprise me that someone was caught using this creative marketing technique. Let’s hope word will spread that consumers will not accept this kind of behavior from businesses.

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