Tag: hacking

Cloud Talk, Security, Tech

Paying with Options All Around

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I will not turn around until someone explains the cloud to me.
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Heading Onward

The cloud, for most people, is a mystery, for others, it’s a place for people to brag about where they house their data, and for the growing population of others, it’s a place where all the payment plans come from.

Since Cloud has stepped or more likely floated on the scene, depending on who you ask, there has been a slew of payment plans being offered that weren’t thought of before. And the people who benefit most from it aren’t big-name companies, they’re cybercriminals.

Payment plans in cloud computing are different methods that customers can pay for the services and resources they use from cloud providers.

There are different types of payment plans, such as pay-as-you-go, subscription, reserved instances, spot instances, and free tier. Each payment plan has its own advantages and disadvantages, depending on the customer’s needs and preferences.

Pay-as-you-go is the most flexible and common payment plan, where customers only pay for what they use, without any upfront or long-term commitment. A subscription is a payment plan where customers pay a fixed amount per month or year for a certain level of service or resource allocation.

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We’re cloud providers and you can pay-as-you-go, we promise.
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Reserved instances are a payment plan where customers pay upfront for a specific number of resources for a certain period of time, usually at a discounted rate.

Spot instances are a payment plan where customers bid for unused resources at a variable price, which can be lower or higher than the regular price. The free tier is a payment plan where customers can use a limited number of resources for free, usually for a trial period or for testing purposes.

What’s that? These are all great things; they’re offering different ways for people to be able to make payments on their bills. We can you hear say, and we say to you; Remember this is the internet we’re talking about here. Nothing here stays pure.

However, with this same concept for payment options in the cloud comes similar payment options on hacking forums and other seedy places to trade data. A few of the payment plans (feel free to look them up as we’ll be sure that you’ll find them and more) are phishing-as-a-service, scam-as-service, malware-as-a-service, ransomware-as-a-service, and many more.

We’re not too sure how some of these services actually work, the idea could be similar to cloud payment plans, but the fact that they’re out there and growing in numbers seems promising for the cyber problems to come.

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.

Do you feel like there is something I may have missed on various as-a-service payment plans? Script a comment below.

Programming, Tech

Why You Should Get Yourself a Job with Legacy Programming Languages

Key Takeaways

  • “Old” languages are still relevant: FORTRAN, COBOL, and Pascal continue to play crucial roles in specific domains.
  • FORTRAN: Excels in scientific computing and high-performance computing.
  • COBOL: Remains essential in financial systems for handling large datasets and transactions.
  • Pascal: Influenced modern languages and continues to be used in education.
  • Career opportunities exist: Skilled programmers in these languages are in demand and can command competitive salaries.
  • Learning value: Studying these languages provides valuable insights into the history and foundations of computer science.
  • Evolving landscape: While newer languages are dominant, maintaining legacy systems built on older languages creates ongoing demand for programmers.
AI-generated image. “PEOPLE, PLEASE REMAIN CALM! AI CAN’T TAKE OUR JOBS IF WE LEARN HOW TO PROGRAM BETTER!”

Come one, come all! Welcome back to yet another exciting reason why you should get ahead of the AI threat. We all know AI is on the brink of taking everyone’s job. Everywhere you look you can find someone shouting out loud and not-so-proud; “THEY TOOK OUR JOBS!” Well, in today’s read (which may not help you since AI can program as well) we’re going to over the programming languages of old. Yes, that’s right, in an effort to protect our future, we first must learn about their past. What languages did they speak? Are they still being used today? Could you get a job today using these languages? Are all questions we seek to answer. Let us begin.

Are “Old” Programming Languages Still Relevant?

You might be surprised to learn that some of the oldest programming languages are still very much alive and kicking! While the tech world is constantly buzzing about the latest shiny new languages like Python and JavaScript, languages like FORTRAN, COBOL, and Pascal have a rich history and continue to play crucial roles in various industries.

A Trip Down Memory Lane

  • FORTRAN: Born in the 1950s, FORTRAN (FORmula TRANslation) was a pioneer, designed for scientific and engineering calculations. It excels in number-crunching tasks, making it indispensable in fields like weather forecasting, financial modeling, and high-performance computing. For example, its ability to handle complex mathematical computations with high precision and efficiency is why it’s still used in scientific research and engineering projects.
  • COBOL: This “Common Business Oriented Language” was specifically created for business applications. Think handling massive datasets, managing financial transactions, and powering the back-end systems of many large corporations. You might be surprised to know that millions of lines of COBOL code are still in use today! It’s the backbone of many banking systems, where reliability and extensive processing capabilities are crucial.
  • Pascal: While perhaps less prominent in industry, Pascal played a significant role in computer science education. Its structured approach to programming influenced many modern languages and helped shape how we teach programming concepts. Universities and colleges often used Pascal to introduce students to the fundamentals of programming due to its clear syntax and structured programming principles.
AI-generated image. “We don’t stand a chance if I don’t learn these programming languages. Why do I have to be the chosen one?”

Are They Still Used Today?

Well, the short answer is…yes. Absolutely!

  • FORTRAN: Remains a powerhouse in scientific computing and high-performance computing. Its ongoing relevance is due to its specialized libraries and tools that support extensive mathematical and engineering calculations. This language continues to evolve, with versions like Fortran 90 and Fortran 2008 bringing modern features to the table.
  • COBOL: Continues to underpin critical business systems, especially in finance. COBOL’s strength lies in its ability to process large volumes of transactions with accuracy and reliability. Efforts to modernize COBOL include integrating it with contemporary technologies and updating its syntax to make it more accessible to today’s programmers.
  • Pascal: While its direct use might have declined, its influence on other languages and its role in education remain significant. For instance, Object Pascal (Delphi) carries forward the legacy of Pascal in a modern object-oriented form, used in both desktop and mobile app development.

Can You Still Make Money with Them?

You can make money with any language but apparently companies are willing to pay big bucks. So, the answer is, yet again. Yes, you can!

  • Skilled FORTRAN programmers: are highly sought after in sectors like scientific research and high-performance computing, often commanding competitive salaries. Their expertise is invaluable in maintaining and developing high-precision applications for academia and industry.
  • COBOL programmers: who can maintain and modernize existing systems are in high demand, especially in the financial industry. These programmers ensure the seamless operation of critical financial transactions and data processing tasks, making them indispensable in the banking and insurance sectors.
AI-generated image. “You know the more time I spend programming a computer, the more I realize they’re right. It is time for a change.”

The Evolving Programming Landscape

While newer languages like Python and JavaScript dominate many areas today, the need to maintain and modernize legacy systems built on older languages creates a continuous demand for programmers proficient in these languages. Understanding these foundational languages also provides deeper insights into the development of programming paradigms and practices over the decades.

Should You Learn Them?

Learning older languages can provide valuable insights into the foundations of computer science. If you’re interested in scientific computing, finance, or working with legacy systems, learning FORTRAN or COBOL could open up unique career opportunities. Additionally, the structured thinking and problem-solving skills developed through Pascal can be beneficial across various programming tasks.

In Conclusion

While the tech world is constantly evolving, older programming languages like FORTRAN, COBOL, and Pascal continue to play important roles. They demonstrate the enduring power of robust, well-designed languages and remind us that the history of computing is deeply intertwined with their development and evolution. The knowledge and expertise in these languages remain valuable assets in the ever-changing tech landscape. And with all of that being said, should you learn any of these languages? Or a language in general? Yeah, I mean people should learn something new every day. Learning a programming language, if any, places you above someone who doesn’t know the language. Remember your goal is to standout in the job market, not to blend in.

Disclaimer: This script is for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial or career advice.

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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.

Scriptingthewhy helps keep me in the know, that’s how I knew not to buy you online and from a reputable source.
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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.

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