IT Technology: TRIM on Mac Solid State Drive ( SSD )

The inability of SSDs to directly overwrite anything makes it more complicated for them to manage data.

Without knowing when old file data becomes invalid, SSDs expend a lot of write cycles ferrying useless data around. This not only causes normal file operations to slow down, it also means more reading and writing to the flash cells, diminishing their lifespan unnecessarily.

Tip: You may have noticed that even though you buy SSDs of a certain capacity, you have much less space actually available to use. A typical 256GB SSD will have only about 240GB available for use, for instance.

The reason is that SSD manufacturers set aside a percentage of the drive’s space for the firmware to use as a buffer for Garbage Collection and other maintenance tasks. This is called Over-Provisioning and it’s necessary for making sure that the drive’s performance doesn’t degrade significantly as it fills up.

As a general rule, the more free space there is on an SSD, the better it will perform.

By default, SSDs have no way of knowing when files become invalid, and this is where TRIM comes to the rescue.

TRIM is a command that the operating system sends to the SSD telling it which data has become invalid. Using this information, the SSD can perform its Garbage Collection more efficiently, and reduce the strain on the hardware.

Using my example from before, this is an illustration of the same file management scenario, except with TRIM enabled this time around.

VMware: Determining Which Drives and Volumes Match Which Disks in a Windows Virtual Machine

If you have multiple disks attached to a virtual machine, it can be difficult to determine how they correspond to the drives in the guest operating system. This can be useful if you need to remove a particular drive (C:, D:, etc) from a virtual machine.

To identify which drives/volumes correspond to which disks:
1.  Open the console of the virtual machine.
2.  Click Start > Run.
3.  Type compmgmt.msc
4,  Press Enter.
5.  Click Device Manager.
6.  Expand Disk drives.
7.  Right-click a disk and click Properties.
8.  Click the Volumes tab, then click the Populate button.
9.  Make note of the Disk ID (eg. Disk 2), Location and Volume (eg. C:).
Note: Within Windows, the Bus ID will always be displayed as zero. The only way to differentiate between different SCSI controllers is to use the 'Location' value. This will be unique for each SCSI controller.

10.  Repeat steps 5 to 7 for each disk.
11.  In vCenter Server, right-click the virtual machine and click Edit Settings.
12.  Click a disk, and look at SCSI (X:Y) Hard Disk under Virtual Device Node. The X:Y values are:
X = Location ID
Y = Disk ID
Match the Disk ID with the Disk ID found in Step 7 to determine the disk and the corresponding to drive.

IT Security: Superfish Security Vulnerability

Superfish is basically your run-of-the-mill adware software, but with some big security holes. Lenovo pre-installed it on some computers sold between October 2014 and December 2014, but any Windows computer can be infected. At its core, Superfish is meant to place advertisements in your web browser. The problem is that the software also intercepts encrypted traffic, which opens up your computer to man-in-the-middle attacks (which work similar to the Heartbleed security bug from last year).

Not only that, but Superfish also intercepts HTTPS connections. A post over at Errata Security shows that that the HTTPS certificate is incredibly easy to crack, which makes you even more vulnerable. For example, security research Chris Palmer found that when he visited Bank of America's web site on a computer with Superfish installed, the bank's certificate was signed by Superfish rather than VeriSign. This means attackers could use the certificate to create fake HTTPS web sites that grab your passwords, or even create viruses that are "signed" to look legitimate. Lenovo's released a list of affected machines here, but it's still worth following the instructions below just to double-check.

Uninstalling and removing Superfish:
1.  Head to this link (LastPass has a tool as well, if you'd like a second look) in Internet Explorer or Chrome to test if your computer has Superfish installed (it won't work on Firefox). If you get a No, you're good, if you get a Yes, continue onto step 2.1
2.  Open the Windows Start menu or Start screen and search for "Uninstall a program". Launch it.
3.  Right-click on "Superfish Inc VisualDiscovery" and select "Uninstall," then enter your administrator password.
4.  Next, you need to uninstall the certificates. Head back to the Start menu and search for certmgr.msc. Launch it.
5.  Click on "Trusted Root Certification Authorities" and open Certificates.
6.  Look for any certificates that include Superfish Inc, and right-click to delete them
7.  Restart your browser then head back to the link in step 1 to test your computer.

Besides, Comodo is also apparently bundling an HTTPS-breaking program called PrivDog with its Comodo Browser, and Lavasoft is including similar malware with its Ad-Aware program, according to Ars Technica.

If you see any of these installed on your computer or in your Trusted Root Certification Authorities folder, delete them, and uninstall their corresponding programs. You should also clear the certificate caches in your browser after doing so. You can see the full instructions for doing so, along with an explainer on how these programs work, at the link below.

IT Technology: Samsung Solid State Drive ( SSD ) Slowdown

Samsung's wiping egg off its face after a patch for an under performing solid state disk didn't work, necessitating the issue of a second patch.

The drive in question is the 840 EVO, a device we last year mentioned, screams along at impressive speeds and packs a handy and workstation-worthy 1TB.

But once the drive hit the market it became apparent its performance tailed off nastily after a few weeks' wear, with some punters reporting substantial increases in read times once the drives landed in their PCs. Samsung acknowledged those issues, blamed them on a driver and issued a new one.

But that fix now appears not to have been very helpful, as complaints have again surfaced of slow performance, leading Samsung to tell Anandtech that a new fix is in the works.

“We understand that some users are experiencing the slowdown again,” the company said. “While we continue to look into the issue, Samsung will release an updated version of the Samsung SSD Magician software in March that will include a performance restoration tool.”

The fix issued last October was also labelled a “performance restoration tool”, but appears not to have restored performance.

Whatever the problem, the EVO 840's heir – the EVO 850 – has not suffered similar issues.

IT Technology: Get 102GB of Free Cloud Storage from Microsoft and Google

There are plenty of cloud offers out there worth checking out, considering that all the major players are using enticing offers to convince buyers to choose their servers for storing precious files. Now, two of the big names out there are currently willing to offer you some free cloud space amounting to a total of 102GB of storage, assuming you’re ready to act fast.

Microsoft’s offer is the most interesting for the time being, as the company is ready to give you no less than 100GB of free OneDrive space for two years. The catch, as RedmondPie explains it, is that you have to sign up for a particular Microsoft service in order to get your free storage.

To take advantage of the deal, you must be a U.S-based Bing Rewards user, which means you have to sign up for the Bing service if you haven’t done so already. Once that’s done, you’ll be able to redeem your free 100GB of OneDrive cloud storage — the blog has a step-by-step guide that’ll get you through the whole process.

More details about Bing Rewards are available here.

Google also has some free storage for you, though it’s offering only a measly 2GB of extra space. The company is doing it to promote Safer Internet Day though, so you won’t have to sign up for any additional promotional offers from Google.

To get it the extra 2GB of Google Drive space, users simply have to perform a simple account security checkup by February 17th. The process involves ticking off several actions, including updating account recovery information and reviewing recent sign-in activity as well as reviewing the apps and devices that are allowed to access your data.

More details about Google’s security initiative are available here.

Google: Sync Multiple Google Calendars to iPhone or iPad

So, you have several different Google Calendars, but have only managed to sync the primary one with your iPhone and iPad. Not to worry. Though it’s not the most intuitive system, by following these instructions you’ll be up and running in no time.

Here’s how to get all of your Google calendars working on your iPhone  or iPad:
1. First, lets make sure your Calendar is properly synced. The process is the same on both devices.
2. Go to Settings, then open Mail/Contacts/Calendars.
3. Next, select Add Account and GMail. However, if you have already added your GMail account, then instead of Add Account, choose GMail from the account list.
4. Toggle the Calendar switch to On.
5. Otherwise, add your Google account information and a description of the calendar, and ensure that the Calendar option is switched on. Syncing will begin when you next open the Calendar app on your iPhone or iPad.

Next, you must choose which calendars to sync to your phone or tablet:
1. To do this, you need to visit the following Google website: www.google.com/calendar/syncselect or www.google.com/calendar/iphoneselect
2. Provided you’re signed into your Google account, on this page you’ll see a list of all your calendars, with a check box against them.
3. Tick the boxes of the calendars you want to sync with the iPhone and iPad.
4. It’s important to note that shared calendars need selecting individually, and the default setting is “Off.” This means when a new calendar is shared, you must repeat these last few steps to ensure it syncs with your iPhone and iPad.
5. Click save.
6. Open the Calendars app on your iPhone or iPad and wait for it to sync.

That’s it, all your calendars should be ready and waiting for you.

IT Security: Android Malware Removed From Google Play Store After Millions of Downloads

Security-software maker Avast called out a trio of malicious Android apps that were, until recently, available in the Google Play app store. The apps would go into sinister mode after 30 days on a device, and begin spamming users with advertisements, Avast said in a company blog post. Google told the Journal that, as of now, the infected apps have been pulled from Google Play.

Avast said that the infected apps—the “Durak” card game, an “IQ Test” and a Russian history app—were distributed widely, with “Durak” being downloaded between 5 and 10 million times. Google removed the apps after Avast made the malware public.

For those who had the apps installed on their phones for more than 30 days, a threatening ad would pop up each time they unlocked their phone, saying the device was out of memory, experiencing a security hole or some other false claim, Avast said. The pop-ups would then route people to websites where more malware could be installed on devices, said the security company. Anyone with either of the known apps installed should delete them immediately.

While the three malicious apps weren’t caught initially by Google, a spokeswoman for the search and mobile giant told the Journal that the company is always working to improve its process of vetting apps submitted to its app store.

“We scan apps as they are uploaded to Google Play, running each app to detect and remove malware, spyware and Trojans from Google Play,” she said in a statement. “As we discover new pieces of malware, our systems are able to go back through all of Google Play and remove any suspicious files from the store.”

Google can also disable developer apps and accounts if they violate the company’s terms and content policies, the spokeswoman said. “Our goal is to provide people with an extra layer of protection while still maintaining Android’s openness and developers’ workflow.” She did not say whether any developer accounts had been disabled as a result of this particular infraction.

Microsoft: Check / Uncheck Display Intranet Sites in Compatibility View with Group Policy ( GPO )

You may enable ( Uncheck ) or disable ( Check ) the following group policy to set the Display Intranet Sites in Compatibility View at the Internet Explorer.
Computer Configuration/Administrative Templates/Windows Components/Internet Explorer/Compatibility View/Turn on Internet Explorer Standards Mode for Local Intranet

IT Security: Hackers Pose as ‘Attractive’ Women in Syrian Sting

Hackers stole Syrian opposition fighters' strategic battle plans by using "attractive" female Skype avatars to target victims, according to a new report.

The attacks, which happened between November 2013 and January 2014, resulted in a slew of strategic information being stolen, according to cybersecurity company FireEye. These included detailed military plans which outlined attack strategies, the political structure of the opposition and even identification cards of refugees who had escaped to Turkey.

The attacks began with a Skype user with a female persona striking up a conversation with a male opposition fighter. The hacker would ask the victim what device they were using so they would be able to send the appropriate malware.

After some conversation, the female avatar would send a "personal" photograph which was malicious. When the victim opened the file, they would unknowingly install malware, giving the hacker access to their device.

This led to the theft of 7.7 gigabytes of data being stolen, 31,107 Skype conversations, 12,356 contacts and nearly a quarter of a million messages, according to the report, called "Behind the Syrian Conflict's Digital Front Lines."

"We are really seeing the convergence of traditional methods of espionage and internet communication tools," Richard Turner, EMEA vice president of FireEye, told CNBC by phone.

"The evidence of that is the use of the attractive lady avatar to generate interest and open up individuals to deliver malware and compromise their communication."

IT Security: Malware uses video and tags to infect 100,000 people on Facebook

Facebook - the world's most active social media website, boasting some 1.4 billion registered users, is no stranger to viral attacks that spread quickly.

Over the weekend, researchers started noticing an uptick in tag spam that was delivering malware to users.

The campaign was first noticed on Saturday by researchers at Bitdefender, an anti-Virus firm in   Bucharest, Romania. Initially, the three-day campaign was said to have infected just over 5,000 users. However, last week, security researcher, Mohammad Reza Faghani, reported that the number had increased to 110,000 users.

The campaign hinges on videos posted on a person's timeline, which tags a number of friends. The videos themselves look as if they are legitimate, and use the goo.gl URL shortening service to mask their true destination. While more experienced, security savvy users would be immediately suspicious; most of the victims followed their gut and trusted the alleged link to Google.

"Users who click the respective video are sent to an external page, where their user-agent (the browser and operating system identifiers) are analyzed so hackers know where to redirect the victim," Bitdefender wrote in a brief summary of the attacks.

"The operating system check is quite thorough and include scenarios for multiple operating systems, ranging from Android mobiles to PlayStation consoles, media players, smart cars (yeah, you had that right), TV sets and even dumb phones. If the user is browsing from any of these “low-interaction terminals” they are redirected to a SMS fraud service that tries to hook you up with an useless premium service for as low as €3.00 / $3.5 (not including tax). This happens through a series of redirects, including one stopover to a mobile traffic monitoring service that provide hackers with insight about how many victims reached the scam and how many of them actually fell for it."

Windows users are directed to a fake Facebook page where they are prompted to install a Flash Player update in order to watch the video.

The malware that's being delivered by the scam comes in two parts. The first is a generic backdoor, which grants the attacker the ability to install additional software on the system. The other is the propagation script, which will post the malicious link to your timeline, and tag no more than twenty friends.

"We tracked three different versions of this scam that all seem to be operated by a Turkish cyber-criminal called "schwarzback." Real-time analytics embedded in the scam page (and its two other clones) shows that more than 5000 people have landed on the scam page in less than one hour. The domain hosting the payload for this tag scam has been registered on Saturday and it’s still up and running," Bitdefender reported.

Fake updates are a common method used by criminals to trick users into installing malicious software.

The warnings and pop-ups are created to mimic the actual software, which can make it hard to determine if the source is legitimate. The best rule of thumb is to avoid installing anything that you're unsure about. It's also wise to remember that Flash updates or other Adobe updates can be (and should be) obtained by visiting Adobe directly.

"First and foremost, install an anti-malware solution on your PC. If you already have one, you still might not want to click every single link you get on your wall. Carefully analyze whether your contacts would actually post this type of content on their wall and always remember that it’s curiosity that killed the cat," Bitdefender's Bogdan Botezatu said, suggesting additional protective measures.

"Last, but not least, adjust your Facebook privacy settings to ask for your permission to display content you’re tagged in to your followers. This way, you could limit the spread of such scams should you fall victim to them. You can do this by setting the Timeline Review option in your Facebook Privacy Settings page."