Off-line except for this and work e-mail for a bit

[jjmaccrimmon]

Last night I got a bit of a surprise. As I finished chatting with a new friend and was shutting down for the night, I noticed my CD-r tray was broken. It's been failing for a while so I already had a replacement waiting to be installed. Open the case, remove four screws, change the connections and replace the drive and restart. Simple eh?...

Nope..

When I restarted, Windows XP crashed. The config file for new hardware had been corrupted. Someone using my daughter's account downloaded the sasser worm to the computer. Why do I know this? Because certain youngsters using that account seem to shut off the anti-virus protection to play certain on-line games or download pictures. My registry and install files crashed. I was up till 11:45pm working on checking the system last night, then on the phone to Microsoft support at 6am today. I left Trish talking to the technician when I left for work at 7:25 in order to effect a reload and system save.

On top of that, I probably left my sunglasses BJ's in Burbank yesterday evening following shitty service there. This following stepping on a sharp metal bar while exploring the old LA zoo site for a possible shoot (it went through the shoe and into the foot). Yes, can you tell JJ's not having a good time right now. JJ's not even close to happy at all in fact.

Yes, the next time someone in my immediate family tells me to hook up the wireless LAN so my kids can get on-line (fuck up) with their computer, I'm going to rip them a new arse hole.

Comments

[landverhuizer.livejournal.com]

Ouch! will miss your posts for the while
hope your luck, and week, turn around!

[jj-maccrimmon.livejournal.com]

Give me a day or two and I should have the home computer working again. In the mean time it means lot's of work reloading files and programs.

[omcintyre.livejournal.com]

Sorry to hear about the sucky weekend. I hope you've had a recent tetenus shot. And I completely understand about the computer issues. My father is a computer killer.. constantly downloading all sorts of crap that kills the OS. I've wiped his current hard drive more than 5 times now. *Grrrr*

I hope things improve.. and fast.

[jj-maccrimmon.livejournal.com]

I'm 99% sure it was from one of the many videos, games, somethings, that Brenna has downloaded. She doesn't have a comcept of just how much damage her lack of discipline may have caused.

[cakmpls.livejournal.com]

Our 16-year-old tends to download stuff she shouldn't, too, though she is much better than when she was younger.

I hope life improves rapidly!

[jj-maccrimmon.livejournal.com]

Thanks...

[jj-maccrimmon.livejournal.com]

Thanks. It's been frustrating to me beyond words today. This is probably good, because if I used the words I spoke last night after the crash, they'd fire me.

[jj-maccrimmon.livejournal.com]

BTW, I've lost all the photos you sent me in this crash. They were all loaded in a screened and passworded file in "My Documents."

[jj-maccrimmon.livejournal.com]

If you wouldn't mind resend ing them, I'd appreciate it. I'll set up a protected file elsewhere on a different drive for such things later.

[trixiewabbit.livejournal.com]

haha. that sucks. dont be too rough on the kids ;)

[jj-maccrimmon.livejournal.com]

95% of my correspondence and photos were on my external drive and safe. I'm very happy about that situation. The bad thing is the 5% of the lost documents and photos were all personal. They were kept in a couple locations in "my documents" of my profile because I wanted to keep them segregated from the general stuff and more easily accessible stuff. It also means I've lost receipts, codes and warranty info on some items.

My daughter knows I'm pissed and has been very contrite given the misadventures over the past few days. Trish spent an hour or so on the phone to Microsoft finishing a partial reload of windows (to save some data), so maybe she appreciates the nature of what was lost. I have to go home early today to get on the phone with Microsoft to backdoor my e-mail address book and try to save some of those missing documents.

I'm frustrated, but not yelling at them. It's done and now I'm trying to get things restarted and better secured.

[monicap69.livejournal.com]

I can relate! Evan screwed my old PC up so bad I had to get the new one the (DEll) Sorry life is a suck right now. Hope things get better for you soon.

Breathe~ and try not to kill the kids. LOL

[jj-maccrimmon.livejournal.com]

I thought I replied to this earlier.. I'm fortunate that I have software for most of the programs. The annoying part of it all is the reloading and rebuilding that will need to go on. Oh well, such is life.

Sorry that Evan cooked your old PC. Does he understand how bad that situation is/was?

BTW, I'd misplaced the e-mail you sent me about the concert. Given the current computer situation, could you reply here with the date and venue you were mentioning (without saying the artist name)? Given schedules and current mayhem, I couldn't get up north for a show.

re:

[monicap69.livejournal.com]

Sure thing. The date is May 13th, and the venue is Marine Auditorium. I did not officially invite you as I know you are very busy with your photography and all the new people you have in your life. I just wanted to share it with you as I know you like her music and I feel so blessed to have been able to get the tickets and such great ones at that. Even if I go alone I won't feel alone as her music is so ethereal and mesmorizing.

Now that I have weekends off this is going to be so perfect and I am looking forward to it so much!

Your friend,
Moni.

Re:

[jj-maccrimmon.livejournal.com]

No worries or assumptions made. I was curious in terms of the timing of her shows because I hadn't seen any show announced on her site for a central California show. I'm seriously considering the Greek Theater show, but I've got to buy tickets to Louisville for a summer trip. Funds will be a bit tight.

Sasser

[renegade233.livejournal.com]

Sorry you got your machine infected by a worm.

But I dont think its quite fair to put the entire blame on you daughter (or whoever used her account)

The sasser worm exploits a security vulnerability that was reported by microsoft back in 2004 and was subsiquently patched by them in a security update. See link

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/MS04-011.mspx

It seems to me that your system is very out of date with regards to security patches. Perhaps putting on the M$ auto update might help in the future as it will auto patch any critical patches and this should avoid the situation you find yourself in.

Another thing that you could do is top install the firefox browser on your system and use that instead of IE. There are a lot less viruses /exploits written for firefox and therefore you are less likely to be infected.

We have a Pc that Brenna uses when she is here which is up to date with patches and has zone alarm and avg virus guard on it (which dont need to be disabled to play any games anywhere) and never had any problems while she uses it.

Unfortunately if you dont keep the systems up to date these days there are things that scan the networks and attempt to exploit vulnerable systems. And if you arnt patching critical updates from m$ your system is vulnerable .. it doesnt mater what anti virus or firewall you have you will get caught eventually.

Hope this helps for the future.

Re: Sasser

[jj-maccrimmon.livejournal.com]

The comment was made about Brenna's account for several very simple reasons (each of which I've talked with her about).

I'd been keeping Norton Anti-Virus updated regularly. Norton only works really well to the point that it's left "enabled." Peter, there were more than a few ocassions that I'd find Brenna's account logged in on the computer and both the Anti-Virus and Firewall protections disabled. Whether it was done it knowingly or because of on-line activities (by her or Trish), it was left on-line and vunerable. Norton also was set for regular scans.

I've also been keeping Windows XP fully patched and updated. I'd had ALL the automatic updates loaded and patched according to the Microsoft homepage even as of the first of Febuary (when I performed a routine system check). I looked up the Sasser worm and it's variants yesterday here at work and was surprised that it exploits a security failure in the system that according to all my updating shouldn't have existed. Perhaps that's one reason I'm more than a bit frustrated by this situation (and the suggestion that I was lax).

I will probably load Firefox on the system once I get the computer back to normal and have everything updated (again).

I do appreciate your thoughtful suggestions, but I have been obsessively thorough about system updates and security. The system was up to date. This situation leads me to believe its something that was downloaded inadvertently through poor web discipline.

Re: Sasser

[renegade233.livejournal.com]

I don't see how precluding the kids from having their pc on the internet will have any benefit to the security onyour pc. Which is a good tool and a very valuable skill to learn both for social interaction and for homework research as well as entertainment.

As denying access to the next from their pc leaves only your PC with brennas account on it for her to be able to do school work or look up things she wants etc. meaning you leave your pc open to the same things again.

If you put their PC on to the network and make sure its not in the trusted zone for your PC then they will be able to do what ever they like and if the OS goes down then a) they will have to learn to fix it b) just reformat it and start over. Leaving your PC still pristine and unaffected. Obviously John (yes i can say names too :)), if no one else uses your PC you wont ever have to reload anything or get worms etc on it again.

That way they can learn good web discipline. Without experience of these things how are they going to learn whats safe and whats not ?
Web discipline is a skill acquired over time not something magically granted.

Maybe you look at it as more problems but I think it could be turned into a solution for you.

Just my thoughts :) Take them or leave them.

Firefox really is a good browser in case you were interested.

Re: Sasser

[jj-maccrimmon.livejournal.com]

Denying them internet access on their pc versus limiting them to one is the most elementary form of system security. Two systems on-line means maintaining two sets of security software and system profiles. It means that files can be transfered across the (wireless) LAN and potentially allows for multiple infections / issues.

I'll consider the wireless net for them with firewalls between the two computers. My only concern is if they crash their system whether or not I'm going to catch grief about not adequately protecting their PC or what they are exposed to.

I'm going to set up trusted zones and websites for them on the main site and if I set up the LAN, on their PC as well.

Believe it or not, I'm not mad at them or the situation. I don't even mind the suggestions. My biggest problem is that I only have just so much time to do all the required set-up and system mx. I've heard nothing but good things about Firefox. Norton I get free due to the government/employer. Spysweeper was has a tremendous rep and I now have an Install CD for. I've considered Zone Alarm and other security software, but C/Net and PC World haven't been as fond of them.

Re: Sasser

[renegade233.livejournal.com]

Thats good to hear.

I think wireless encryption WEP / WPA is pretty easy to set up and should stop all but the most determined hacker (lets face it nothing is 100%).

And a firewall on each PC should be fine to protect one from the other specially if they are not part of each others trusted network

Just got a bit concerned at the arseholes comment at the bottom of your original posyt .. but i guess youw ere just letting of steam.

Re: Sasser

[jj-maccrimmon.livejournal.com]

My journal is about the only place I can vent now. I can't help that so many people read it. :: Shrug :: This has been a frustrating situation on top of a really bad weekend.

Re: Sasser

[monicap69.livejournal.com]

May this upcoming weekend be good for you!

[purelikeketchup.livejournal.com]

This (http://www.apple.com/getamac/) could solve all of your problems. Hehe :P

My question for you is, why is Brenna's account allowed to change firewall and anti-virus settings? Seems like it would make more sense to place some minor restrictions on the kid's account if they're going to be using the same computer as you.