Streaming TV, Movies and more with Rabbit TV?

There’s big talk about Rabbit TV, the usb stick that delivers  TV, live streaming, movies and more.   Curious about any technology that is out there, I purchased one for $9.99 at a local drug store with a one year free subscription.   Rabbit TV promises free TV, classic TV, movies, movies on demand and more.

It appears that Rabbit TV has the technology to gather full episodes of TV and consolidate them into their website.  Although many of these sites are free if you want to travel to each one and check links periodically, Rabbit TV finds them for you and puts them in a library on the web.

It requires the USB stick (handles licensing and user registration) for installation and to watch your choice of entertainment.  Compatible with Windows or MAC, Rabbit TV is an excellent way to consolidate these entertainment into one site without search for full episodes on network TV online.   Although many of these may be free,  you don’t have to search for episodes online.   This consolidation makes Rabbit TV the largest library on the web.

Installation requires you to plug the USB stick in and have an internet connection.    Once you plug the device in, a wizard guides you through the installation and web navigation process.

So is it worth it?  Sure.  Now keep an open mind.   If you travel or don’t want the hassle of finding full episodes of TV shows or free movies on the web or even if you want movies on demand then it may be for you.

It rates three stars out of five on most sites but for the convenience and price,  it’s a good gadget if you are on the go, traveling or want to get away to a private place in your own home.

After the one year is over (initial registration), there is a $10 annual subscription.

The above review and opinion is that of the author and not TTC Shelbyville.

Did You Know Windows 8 Has a Built-In Time Machine Backup? – MakeUseOf

This excellent post comes from MakeUseOf.

“Did You Know Windows 8 Has a Built-In Time Machine Backup?” 

“We sometimes forget with all the focus on Windows 8′s new “Modern” interface, but Windows 8 has a variety of great desktop improvements. One of them is File History, a built-in backup feature that functions similarly to Apple’s much-loved Time Machine. Enable the Windows 8 “time machine” File History, and Windows will automatically back up your files to an external or network drive.”  Read More

Unseen, All-Out Cyber War on the U.S. has Begun

“There’s a war going on, and it’s raging here at home — not in the streets or the fields, but on the Internet. You can think of it as a war on the digital homeland. If you work for a power company, bank, defense contractor, transportation provider, or other critical infrastructure type of operation, your organization might be in the direct line of fire. And everyone can become collateral damage”

Unseen, All-Out Cyber War on the U.S. has Begun.

(Shared from CIO)

2013 Middle Tennessee Cyber Summit: Building Partnerships and Understanding the Threat

2013 Middle Tennessee Cyber Summit:

Building Partnerships and Understanding the Threat

 

Middle Tennessee Cyber Summit: Building Partnerships and Understanding the Threat will be held on the MTSU campus May 7 and 8. This event will address criminal, intelligence, disruptive, and information cyber threats and be of particular interest to city/state/federal governments, healthcare, education, transportation, financial, utilities, and business industries.

Presentations from U.S. Department of Homeland Security, TN Department of Safety and Homeland Security, Federal Bureau of Investigation, United States Secret Service and private sector cyber security.

2013 Middle Tennessee Cyber Summit:   Building Partnerships and Understanding the Threat

 When: Tuesday, May 7 – Wednesday, May 8

Where: MTSU campus, Student Union Ballroom

Cost: $30 per attendee

Attendees: state/local/federal govt. agencies, utilities, private sector, education, healthcare, transportation, financial

Credits/Certifications: CEUs available

Middle Tennessee Cyber Summit: Building Partnerships and Understanding the Threat will be held on the MTSU campus May 7-8. This event will address criminal, intelligence, disruptive, and information cyber threats and is scheduled to include presentations from U.S. Department of Homeland Security, TN Department of Safety and Homeland Security, Federal Bureau of Investigation, United States Secret Service, and private sector cyber security organizations.

Tuesday, May 7

7:30 – 8:00       Registration and Networking

8:00 – 8:30       Welcome and Introduction

MTSU Representative

TN Department of Safety and Homeland Security Commissioner Bill Gibbons and Assistant Commissioner David Purkey

8:30 – 9:15      Emerging Threats in Cyber Security

Speaker TBA, U.S. Department of Homeland Security

 9:15 – 10:45     China, Cyber, and U.S. Energy: Who, What, Why, and What’s Next

Betsy Woudenberg, Chief Cyber Officer, Intelligence Arts

A discussion of China as our cyber adversary, using cyber attacks on U.S. and global energy companies to illustrate how the Communist Party’s domestic objectives drive its cyber espionage campaigns

 

10:45 – 11:30    Vendor tables and break

11:30 – 12:30    Lunch

12:30 – 1:15      Keynote

Scott Augenbaum, Supervisory Special Agent, Cyber Crime Squad, Federal Bureau of Investigation

1:15 – 2:30         TBA

Speaker TBA, Federal Bureau of Investigation

2:30 – 2:45         Break

2:45 – 4:30         Secret Service – Cyber Crime Investigations

Todd Hudson, Special Agent in Charge, United States Secret Service

Wednesday, May 8

8:00 – 9:00           Social Engineering

Sese Bennett, Information Officer, State of Tennessee

 

9:00 – 10:00      SCADA

Speaker TBA, U.S. Department of Homeland Security

10:00 – 11:15      Intrusion Case Studies

Steve Mallard, IT Director, Tennessee Technology Center at Shelbyville

11:15 – 11:30      Break (vendor tables close at 12)

11:30 – 12:30      Lunch

12:30 – 2:00        Keynote:SCADA for Spies

Betsy Woudenberg, Chief Cyber Officer, Intelligence Arts

An introduction to SCADA – the technology that automates critical infrastructure – and how adversaries can penetrate these systems using humans and technology

2:00 – 2:15           Break

2:15 – 4:30           Cloud/Mobility Security

Speaker TBA

Event Sponsored by:

 Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs

Forensic Institute for Research and Education

Middle Tennessee State University

MTSU Information Technology Division

Enterasys Inc.

Mandiant

Registration information:

Date: Tuesday, May 7 – Wednesday May 8

Location: MTSU New Student Union Building

Cost: $30 per attendee (No Federal funds are expended to cover any catering or food)

Attendees: state/local/federal government agencies, utilities, private sector, education, healthcare, transportation, and financial, and law enforcement

Credits/Certifications: CEUs available ($10 MTSU fee)

Register Here

For more information, please contact: Karen Austin at karen.austin@mtsu.edu or 615-494-7971

Test your ISP’s Quality

Almost everyone is familiar with testing their internet for speed.  With sites such as   Testmy.net, a true internet speed test and Speedtest.net, you can see how fast your internet is (download and upload speeds) performing.

But what about quality?   Here’s a site that will test your ping response time and jitter. Pingtest.net

Five Ways To Better Hunt The Zebras In Your Network – Dark Reading

“For the cybercriminal lions out on the Internet, your company is full of zebras. Defenders should not just protect the herd, but pay attention to those who stray, experts argue” 

Five Ways To Better Hunt The Zebras In Your Network – Dark Reading.

Go Hack Yourself – Dark Reading

“Penetration testing is only the first step of self-inspection—
ask internal auditors to scrutinize IT practices beyond compliance to take risk management to the next level – Read More

 

Microsoft Virtual Academy – Free Microsoft Courses

Frequently Asked Questions about Microsoft’s Virtual Academy

• What is Microsoft Virtual Academy?
  It is an online portal for IT professionals that offers a vast amount of information about Microsoft products and technology.  Designed with whitepapers, videos and reference materials, MVA gives the modern IT professional materials on topics that are found in IT today.  The MVA program gives rewards for completing programs.  There is also a points and rating system.   You can track your point progress and you will see ratings as follows – Bronze (0-99), Silver (100-499), Gold (500-2,999), and Platinum (3,000+).
• Do the course count towards certifications?
  No.   But taking the courses familiarizes and helps the IT Professional understand current and evolving technologies.
• Do you receive a transcript that you can use professionally?
  Yes.   You can download your transcript at anytime.   Course completion does not take place until the assessments are complete.
  
• What is the value of Microsoft’s Virtual Academy?
  Not only do you learn some of Microsoft’s technology for free, you can use these type of courses for career advancement.
• Are the assessments easy?
  No.  Microsoft offers challenging questions and a curriculum designed to be informative and educational.   You can retake the assessments as many times as you want.   Remember, with online courses, taking assessments just until you pass does not add value to your education.   Study the material  take notes and take the assessments when you are ready.
• Are the courses really free?
  Yes.

Microsoft Virtual Academy

Backblaze – The best offsite backup solution

Want a backup plan that will backup your data at a price that is reasonable?  How about $50 per year and unlimited?     Backblaze is one of the best cloud based backups available.  With unlimited backup capability, security built in, easy restore capabilities and an easy to use interface,  anyone can use Backblaze.   (Features)

Everyone should worry about privacy and security.  With Backblaze, security is protected by encrypting your files on your computer and securely transferring your files to Backblazes’ servers.   Security is further enhanced by your private key (they do not store this key) so your data remains secure until you decide to restore files.  (Security Q&A Roundup)

What kind of extra security do they provide besides military grade encryption?  They also have a stolen pc feature that helps you to locate a stolen or lost computer.

In the event you lose data or need to restore information, you can simply sign in and instantly pick your data and download the information you want.   You can also order a usb or an external drive (very reasonably priced) and have your data sent to you.

The easy to use Windows or Mac application allows for a continuous backup (it takes time to complete large backups based on your upload speeds and internet usage/bandwidth).

Backblaze also offers a very reasonable business plan allowing businesses to securely backup their critical data.

Backblaze

Some of their secrets -

Petabytes on a Budget v2.0:
Revealing More Secrets

How to audit a folder in Windows

When networking shared resources, you should audit the individual folders you are sharing out.  This allows you to ‘see’ who is using the folders and how files are being manipulated.

How to Audit User Access of Files, Folders, and Printers

The audit log appears in the Security log in Event Viewer. To enable logging:

1. Click Start, go to the Control Panel, click on Performance and Maintenance, and  click Administrative Tools.
2. Open the Local Security Policy.
3. In the left pane, double-click Local Policies.
4. Click Audit Policy to display the individual policy settings.
5. Click Audit object access.
6. Select the Success check box on items you would like to monitor.
7. Select the Failure check box on items you would like to monitor.
8. You can select both check boxes to audit Success and Failures.
9. Click OK.

How to Specify Files, Folders, and Printers to Audit

Once you enable auditing, you can specify the files, folders, or printers that you want audited. :

1. Locate the file or folder you want to audit. To audit a printer, locate it by clicking Start, and  clicking Printers and Faxes.
2. Right-click the file, folder, or printer you want to monitor (audit) , click Properties.
3. Click on the Security tab, and  click the advanced button.
4. Click on the Auditing tab, and  click on add.
5. Clicking Advanced, and  click Find Now -navigate to the person or group you would like to audit.
6. Click OK.
7. Select the Successful or Failed check boxes (select the ones you want)click OK.
8. Click OK,  click OK.

You can now look under the Event Viewer and ‘see’ what users are doing.

Remember when creating a VPN or sharing a folder- you always want to audit a folder or file.

Privacy hackers | Homeland Security News Wire

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has charged two businesses with illegally exposing the sensitive personal information of thousands of consumers by allowing peer to peer file-sharing software to be installed on their corporate computer systems…Privacy hackers | Homeland Security News Wire.

The article goes on to say….”The agency charged that the company did not have an appropriate information security plan, failed to assess risks to the consumer information it stored, did not adequately train employees, did not use reasonable measures to enforce compliance with its security policies, such as scanning its networks to identify any P2P file-sharing applications operating on them, and did not use reasonable methods to prevent, detect, and investigate unauthorized access to personal information on its networks. According to the agency, the failure to implement reasonable and appropriate data security measures was”

Read the full article above.

Thanks Eva!

Mac Botnet Mostly Made Up Of U.S. Machines – Dark Reading

It’s been confirmed by multiple research houses now: there’s a massive, 600,000-strong botnet of mainly Apple Macintoshes out there called Flashfake, and most of the infected machines are in the U.S.

Big Mac Botnet Mostly Made Up Of U.S. Machines – Dark Reading.

 

Free Mac AntiVirus – Mac Security and Protection – Sophos

As Apple products grow in popularity they’re increasingly attractive targets to the bad guys. Just check out the short history of Mac malware 1982-2011 to see what the hackers are up to.
Free Mac AntiVirus – Mac Security and Protection – Sophos.  (Shared with sharing app on Sophos’ website)

Thanks toTech Paul for his link