Posts by Rui Ribeiro

Virus? Spyware? malware served from banners?

What is that by god´s sake? I fail to understand how people still put up with that nonsense...it is not that you cannot find alternatives anymore. I ditched windows after 98se, and never looked back.

Tried to use linux for a couple of years, and after I learned what a Mac could do maintaining my boss computer, I had just do get one for myself. Been using one for a couple of years now, and I couldn´t be more happier.

It is just enough pain to open the XP emulation once every two months...

Regards,

Rui

Brazilian black hat community

I am a manager of an ISP in a Portuguese speaking country that has the misfortune to have the same name as a Brazilian location.

So, up to the point: it is unbelievable the amount of crap that comes from brazil IP addresses. Loads of spam, and fake e-mails with custom-made trojans are the order of the day. And even tough most of them are blocked by our measures, some manage to pass. yahoo.com.br also seems not to care much about our spam complaints, unfortunately.

In my opinion, in terms of this activity, Brazil comes right next after china and russia. Or perhaps due to our peculiar case, even manages to surpass russia.

Cheers,

Rui

A Spectrum user here too

I was a Spectrum user back in the days, however I mainly used the machine for programming. For gaming, I went to a friend's house where he had a wonderful C64 with a floppy drive, and afterward an Amiga...

Those were the times you could know a computer inside in and out, it's hardware and the "operating system" and it´s calls... and even be mad enough to do it all in assembly language.

Truth is I feel fortunate that the entry level for mastering a machine was no nearly as complex as it is today, and I am deeply grateful to all the Sinclairs, Tramiels, wozniaks and all the geniuses that spurned all that wonderful hacks that allowed us poor guys to learn the trade and be where we are today.

"spyware" mom?

IMO you guys are mixing people head´s up, as if there is not too much disinformation on this subjects.

Spyware is software that is installed in the computer by some malicious means, most of the time without any user of that computer knowing that or doing that knowingly. The application or application the mother in question installed were installed with intent, and I doubt very much they qualify as such.

Calling this applications security tools, snooping tools, cracker tools, or even the also incorrect hacker tools, would be a far much instructive posture.

Regards,

Rui Ribeiro