Security – Page 4 – Scriptingthewhy.com

Discover Why Crypto Could Save You Money Today

Key Takeaways

Cryptocurrency leverages cryptography: Secure transactions are enabled through complex mathematical algorithms that encrypt and decrypt data.
Blockchain technology:
- A decentralized, immutable ledger shared across a network of computers.
- Records transactions as “blocks” in a chronological chain.
Key cryptographic concepts:
- Public-key cryptography: Utilizes public and private key pairs for secure communication.
- Hashing: Creates unique digital fingerprints for transactions, ensuring data integrity.
Security Risks:
- Cryptographic weaknesses: Exploitable vulnerabilities in the algorithms or their implementation.
- Smart contract vulnerabilities: Bugs in self-executing contracts can be exploited.
- Phishing and social engineering: Attacks targeting users to steal private keys.
Potential of Cryptocurrencies:
- Decentralized Finance (DeFi): Disintermediating financial services.
- Faster and cheaper transactions: Enabling efficient global transactions.
- Increased financial inclusion: Providing access to financial services for the unbanked.
Challenges:
- Volatility: Significant price fluctuations.
- Regulation: Evolving regulatory landscape.
- Scalability: Limitations in processing high transaction volumes.

AI-generated image. “I BOUGHT THIS COIN LIKE YOU SAID, AND NOW IT’S WORTH NOTHING! YOU SAID I WAS GOING TO MAKE MILLIONS!”

Diving Deep into Crypto: A Techie’s Perspective

Come one, come all. Welcome back, come have a seat. Or have a stand if you’re reading this in an elevator. I don’t know what my tech interest readers are doing at the time of reading this. Welcome to another exciting topic that has taken the internet and my new feed by storm.

This something that every “finance professional bro” is talking about on popular platforms like YouTube, Instagram, and TicTok. These are all popular platforms to obtain solid, insightful, life-changing information. That was sarcasm. YouTube, you might get solid information, and that’s a strong might. However, the others are pretty much taking life advice from children.

Social soap-box aside, moving right along. Today’s topic is Cryptocurrency. What is it? It’s a buzzword that’s been dominating headlines for years, but what exactly is it, and how does it work from a technical standpoint?

At its core, cryptocurrency is a form of digital currency that leverages cryptography – the art of secure communication – to enable secure transactions. Cryptography uses complex mathematical algorithms to encrypt and decrypt data, meaning only authorized parties can access and utilize it. This is crucial for crypto, as it ensures:

Security: Your funds are protected from unauthorized access.
Transparency: Every transaction is recorded on a public, immutable ledger called a blockchain.

AI-generated image. “I’m just checking for missing parts. There’s no way I’m going use this as a bot to inflate prices.”

How does it work under the hood?

Imagine a digital ledger – a giant spreadsheet – shared across a vast network of computers. This is the blockchain. Each transaction is recorded as a “block” on this ledger, creating a chronological chain of events. In layman terms; it’s a giant notebook that everyone can see and write in. Whenever buying or selling something, it’s documented in the notebook. Each new note is a new page to the notebook.

Cryptography plays a starring role:
Public-key cryptography: Each user has a unique pair of keys: a public key (shared with others) and a private key (kept secret).
Hashing: Transactions are hashed, creating unique digital fingerprints that are difficult to alter.

This system ensures:

Decentralization: No single entity controls the network.
Immutability: Once a transaction is recorded, it cannot be altered.

The Techie’s Take on Security Risks

While cryptography is the backbone of crypto’s security, it’s not without its vulnerabilities:

Cryptographic weaknesses: Flaws in the algorithms or their implementation can be exploited by hackers.
Smart contract vulnerabilities: These self-executing contracts, while powerful, can contain bugs that can be exploited to drain funds.
Phishing and social engineering: Hackers often target users with phishing emails or scams to trick them into revealing their private keys.

The Future of Finance: A Crypto-Powered Vision

The future of finance with crypto is brimming with potential…that is until the government gets involved but until we have:

Decentralized Finance (DeFi): Imagine a world where financial services like lending and borrowing operate without intermediaries. DeFi platforms leverage blockchain technology to enable this.
Faster and cheaper transactions: Crypto offers the potential for near-instantaneous and low-cost transactions across borders.
Increased financial inclusion: Crypto can provide access to financial services for the unbanked and underbanked populations globally.

However, challenges remain:

Volatility: The price of cryptocurrencies can fluctuate wildly.
Regulation: The regulatory landscape for crypto is still evolving.
Scalability: Many blockchain networks face limitations in processing a high volume of transactions.

AI-generated image. “Not all crypto is made equal, the same goes for the risk.”

In Conclusion

Cryptocurrency is a rapidly evolving technology with the potential to revolutionize the financial landscape. While challenges and risks exist, the underlying technology of cryptography and blockchain holds immense promise for the future. And with all of that being said, crypto can be a hit or miss. Some people get into crypto and win big but that margin is a small few. All in all, do your own research and be careful with your money, and who you follow for crypto advice. The pursuit of money blinds reality, and that’s dangerous.

Disclaimer: This script is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, investment, or legal advice.

Disclaimer: Cryptocurrencies are highly volatile investments and may result in significant losses.

Disclaimer: The use of cryptography in cryptocurrencies does not guarantee absolute security.

Disclaimer: It is crucial to conduct thorough research and due diligence before investing in any cryptocurrency.

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Cloud Talk, Programming, Security, Tech

The RedClouds Are Coming!

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I TOLD YOU ALL TO READ THESE SCRIPTS AND ONW THE REDS ARE COMING! WHY DIDN’T YOU SUBSCRIBE LIKE YESTERDAY!?
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Here we go again, with a well-known product and manufacturer comes the threat of great risk. This one is especially true if you part take in the use of Dells’ computers.

Information stealing malware isn’t anything new but with the current economy and threat actors wanting your information, the use of them has been on the rise.

We’re going to look at what kind of attack this is, who is using it, the functionality and effects upon release, and what are some ways you can at least try to keep your information safeguarded from this erection of threats.

Guys, we’re just serving up malware and trojans today. I hope you’re cool with that.
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The Attack

The newest and hottest malware on the market looking to capture the heart of your data and forward it to the hands of someone else is called RDStealer. RDStealer does this by infecting the RDP server and watching the connections taking place.

For those unfamiliar with RDP, which is Remote Desktop Protocol, this is the network connection protocol that was offered by Microsoft, its purpose is to allow users to perform remote operations on other computers.

There has been some confusion about RDP vs VPN (Virtual Private Network) but in an effort to clear things up the difference is this, VPNs offer access to all resources on the network, these are items like file servers, printers, and company/organization websites meanwhile RDP offers only access to the resources on the given computer it’s connected to. In short, VPN access the network, and RDP access the computer.

There’s trouble on the horizon…or on the curve depending on how you view the Earth.
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Who Can It Be Now

At the moment of its “RedClouds” campaign, there is no one individual or group named for making use of RDStealer. However, while it’s campaigning its RedClouds, the malware will run a check to see if it detects a remote machine connected to a server and CDM (Client Drive Mapping). If “Enabled client drive mapping” is not enabled, then the client will deny the connection to the client’s file system. Meaning no check, no go.

RDStealer can collect keystrokes, and copy information from the clipboard data, and another dangerous thing to note is that it can target regardless of being client or server-side. When a network is infected, files in both “%WinDir%\System32%” and %PROGRAM-FILES% are filled in and could be filled with files and folders that could be excluded in a full-system scan.

This means these malicious files could hide under the radar during a scan. Afterward, there are a number of attack vectors, aside from the CDM, RDStealer can begin from web advertisements, email attachments, and social engineering methods. Moreover, like your hair, if you have any, don’t let your guard down as there will likely be more variety in the days to come.

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Geez, I could never be a hacker. There’s so many things to choose from.
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The Sinking Feeling

Speaking on variety, it has been noted that threat actors use a custom version of this malware which utilizes the redirection feature which is done by watching the RDP connection and auto stealing from the local drives once a connection is made.

There are five modules that make up RDStealer which are a keylogger, persistence establisher, data theft, and exfiltration staging model, a clipboard content capturing tool, and one controlling encryption/decryption functions, logging, and file manipulation utilities.

Out of all this just know that it’s recording every move made and can possibly deny access to certain information via encryption. Once activated the malware enters an infinite loop calling the “diskMounted” function, this checks the availability of the drives on the tsclient network shares.

If the malware finds any connection, it then notifies the command-and-control (C2) server and begins pulling data from the connection with the RDP client. This is that “having a roommate who is a few months behind on rent move out and take a couple of your belongings before they go” kind of situation.

Just be aware, things may be a tad bit different the next time you turn your computer on.

If the Reds are coming, then it’s time for some Blue team action. All about the Blues baby.
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The Prevention

It is safe to assume that if you have used a remote desktop via RDP that at some junction your system has been exposed to the RedClouds campaign.

It is hard to catch RDStealer manually, but you can better protect your system by using tighter security protocols and performing full-system scans often. While it has been noted this malware particularly goes after Dell computers given that it is coded to run in the Dell directories it is best practice to exercise caution while on the web. Using a 2MFA (Multi-factor Authentication) when abled as this will make it less appealing for threat actors because they have more to try to work around. And finally, encryption of your information is a must as this also helps ward off threats like RDStealer. Your information may be in the cloud but that doesn’t mean RedClouds should have unauthorized access to it.

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Do you feel like there is something I may have missed on RDStealer? Script a comment below.

Security, Tech

Experience the James Wood method

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Someone walking on a beach — What trying to find a job that needs my skillset in 2022 looks like.
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Let’s say you’re on a beach, you’re taking a lovely stroll by yourself, watching the sun setting on the horizon as you walk by. The birds are flying high in the air, weaving up and down, some gliding to the ground and landing ahead of you.

You enjoy the smell of fresh ocean air with every step you take. As you’re walking taking in all that’s ahead, you notice some funny activity behind you like someone is following. You say to yourself, “Nah, this is a public beach, so it could be people just walking up to the water line.”

You turn around wide-eyed to find someone has been following you and not only has that person been pursuing you, but others have been trailing you as well. You see, while you’ve been taking this lovely soul-searching, deep thought-provoking stroll, those majestic footprints you have been leaving behind have turned into what are called “breadcrumbs” for anyone to track you.

If you didn’t know, the internet has always seen you with the ability to leave your mark in the digital sand. However, a perk to real sand is water washes your record in time. With digital, not so much.

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Digital Horror Ahead

What is this madness that lets people track you like you’re in a horror movie? They’re called digital footprints, or digital shadows as some would call them. Digital footprints are traceable activities, actions, or pretty much anything you do on the internet.

This could range from visiting websites (any sites, not just the ones with scantily clothed individuals you’re thinking about, ya freak…again, I am judging you) sending personal or professional emails, or even searching for your favorite Christmas dinner recipe that Nana posted so many years back.

And trust me, Gen-Z is finding out all about these footprints. There are several types of digital footprint which are passive, active, personally identifiable, anonymous, user input, and sensor data. In a nutshell, they range from “oh I didn’t know I was going to be redirected” to, “hey, my phone auto-suggested something I like”.

Having access to a lot of things is great but also being followed unknowingly and it being legal kinda sucks. I mean, where is the consent…I know I glossed over the privacy policy, but it was too long, and I wanted to see what the “baddies” on Instagram were all about.

man with cold stare — Helping shoppers around every corner.
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Every Step You Take

So…this is about to get uncomfortable. Who tracks you like the sweet slow jam from the 80s? Well, one of them is ironically named the Police and just so happens to be one group that would turn to use digital footprints.

Police or law enforcement would use footprints to track cybercriminals and possibly keep track of online behavior. Do you remember that “Here, have a seat” guy? Digital footprints aid in situations like that. Do you like cookies? You do, that’s great!

Advertisers and people seeking your business like them too, cookies are used to customize ads for targeting you. Like, in my situation, you purchase one electric bike and now all you see in the ad space of every site you go to are electric bikes. It’s very haunting.

But while there are some creepy effects, digital footprint does have its benefits, ranging from detecting and preventing fraud, making shopping a breeze because, well everything is tailored to your interests, and even just the simple act of being able to recall a previously visited site.

Despite the fact you may click “no” in your preferences or settings when visiting a site, they still track you anyway. It’s like going to a store and one of the employees on the floor ask, “Do you need help finding anything?” and you reply with a “No, thank you, just browsing.” Followed by an awkward moment of silence and a brief stare.

You turn to walk, and they start following you anyway. Like good god, I just said no, go away.

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woman with gen z cake — Fun fact: if you bring a cake to your job interview…your chances of getting the job are still the same.
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Safe Space Results 404

Do you recall when I mentioned that Gen-Z is finding out about the horrors of digital footprints? No, then go back up and read this like a decent human being. If yes, then here goes the “oh no” moment, potential employers incorporate this in their decision to hire you.

This means every time you upload or like a twerk video, try to viral a cringe TikTok, post about how great America is compared to other countries on Facebook, or even tell your previous employer to go screw themselves on LinkedIn (sidenote; never air out your previous employer on social media), all of this runs the risk of you not landing that sought after position or promotion you’re seeking to claim.

However, there are ways to keep your footprint as small as possible, most of which are going to require you to do some work and by some, meaning a lot. This pretty much parallels fixing your credit score, your options are contacting data collectors, and telling them to forget your information (some of which may not play ball). Make your social media private.

If you wanted to take an easier route, you can sign up for third-party services that will handle things for you (keep in mind this is not a one-time buy, so as long as you’re on the internet and care about the effect of your online interactions, you’ll have to pay).

You can hide your browsing habits by using a good virtual private network or VPN, but like I always tell people, “Using a VPN is the same as using a condom, you can still get pregnant.”

You should panic a little bit if you worry about trying to land that dream job.
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Digital History Unclear

Now you’re probably paranoid about your browser history and everything you’ve ever said on the internet. Should you be though? This is the year 2022 and we are in the age of “acceptance” and “fairness”.

Honestly, what you said years back when you were young should not come back to haunt you. Social media should be a place where you can connect with like-minded people and share ideas.

However, it seems like the internet is the best place for someone to pick up dirt and fling it at you. The internet has always been the wild wild west but for employers to add a digital footprint to your background check is madness because one or a few posts don’t display the whole picture.

Just hope one day people learn how to differentiate the before and after when making a judgment call.

Me chances of getting a job is ruined, me should’ve stay off the hub blood. I’m ruined.
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Made it this far and found this to be entertaining? Then a big thanks to you and please show your support by cracking a like, sharing this with whomever, scripting a comment, or plug-in to follow.

Would like to give sincere thanks to current followers and subscribers, your support and actions mean a lot and has a play in the creation of each script.

Think someone has been watching your online habits?

Script a comment about how safe you think your digital footprint are.