K
kubuntu14
Hi all,
I'm out in the backwoods so several months ago, I installed satellite internet. The first hour I was on the net, my machine was hacked. Following some commands I read about on Linux security, the IP address of the hacker resolved to the middle east. I've been using various flavors of Linux for a decade and never encountered anything like this. I immediately engaged a firewall by enabling UFW. I modified the sysctrl.conf for stop ping responses and to engage additional firewall protections.
Still, I'd encounter some weirdness from time to time. For example, I'd find dialog boxes on the desktop with various apps complaining about me entering the wrong password. Only thing is, I had not tried to enter any password. So I made the Linux distro rounds, trying various distros from Mint, Debian, Kubuntu, etc. Online, I experimented with various technologies like the Tor bundle, Whonix, Tails, Privatix, etc.. I never had a problem while using these security technologies. Problem is, they all restrict or prohibit flash and java. While HTML 5 can partially compensate for the lack of flash, it's still only a partial solution. The web is very much a video experience for news, education, etc. Plus I need java for a mission critical internet function.
Unfortunately, I kept experiencing weirdness when not using cumbersome security technologies. Tonight, I was using Kubuntu with a VPN. When I closed my browser, I saw half a dozen windows on my desktop ..... with a few of these dialogs complaining that I had entered incorrect passwords. Sheesh, enough already.
How is this criminal trash managing to get into my system? What can I do to really secure the system while still using flash and java?
Continue reading...
I'm out in the backwoods so several months ago, I installed satellite internet. The first hour I was on the net, my machine was hacked. Following some commands I read about on Linux security, the IP address of the hacker resolved to the middle east. I've been using various flavors of Linux for a decade and never encountered anything like this. I immediately engaged a firewall by enabling UFW. I modified the sysctrl.conf for stop ping responses and to engage additional firewall protections.
Still, I'd encounter some weirdness from time to time. For example, I'd find dialog boxes on the desktop with various apps complaining about me entering the wrong password. Only thing is, I had not tried to enter any password. So I made the Linux distro rounds, trying various distros from Mint, Debian, Kubuntu, etc. Online, I experimented with various technologies like the Tor bundle, Whonix, Tails, Privatix, etc.. I never had a problem while using these security technologies. Problem is, they all restrict or prohibit flash and java. While HTML 5 can partially compensate for the lack of flash, it's still only a partial solution. The web is very much a video experience for news, education, etc. Plus I need java for a mission critical internet function.
Unfortunately, I kept experiencing weirdness when not using cumbersome security technologies. Tonight, I was using Kubuntu with a VPN. When I closed my browser, I saw half a dozen windows on my desktop ..... with a few of these dialogs complaining that I had entered incorrect passwords. Sheesh, enough already.
How is this criminal trash managing to get into my system? What can I do to really secure the system while still using flash and java?
Continue reading...
