See if your firewall is working

February 29, 2024

Even if a hacker knows your computer’s location and IP address, a firewall keeps them from accessing your system and network.

Newer Windows and Mac systems have built-in software firewalls — but one wrong setting can leave your computer vulnerable. I know it sounds complicated, but there’s a simple way to check if yours is working.

Gibson Research Corporation’s (GRC) ShieldsUP!! scans your firewall to make sure your ports aren’t exposed. If ShieldsUP!! can see your ports over the internet, so can someone else with the right port-scanning tools.

Click Proceed on the home page and then the GRC’s Instant UPnP Exposure Test button on the following page.
If your computer doesn’t respond to the test, your firewall is working. Yay!
If there are issues, GRC links to how-tos and articles to check for common problems.

🌨️ If girls are made of sugar, spice and everything nice and boys are made of slime, snails, and puppy-dog tails, what’s the cloud made from? Linux servers, mostly.

Tags: internet, network

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YouTubers are creating memorial videos for people they’ve never met

Earlier this year, a very dear friend of mine — and a talented 47-year-old cancer doctor and researcher — fell to the ground after delivering a presentation to hundreds of colleagues. All those doctors were in the room, and he passed away. So heartbreaking.

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Folks can’t get their meds: Blame it on notorious cyber-gang Blackcat. Their ransomware attack on Chain Healthcare forced a system shutdown. Processing prescription claims is currently a nightmare. The FBI says hospitals should be on alert. It’s a scary time to need medical attention.

$30,000 right to a scammer

How much an 80-year-old man “invested.” The Michigan resident sent the moolah to someone he met on Words With Friends claiming to be an LA investment banker. The money and “advisor” are gone — along with his win streak, I’m guessing.

Time to clean house: This is scary stuff. Facebook, Telegram, Instagram, X and TikTok are hotbeds for scoring everything from date-rape drugs to Xanax and shrooms. (I checked and found those for sale.) You can’t tell me these companies have no way to stop this.

It’s the company behind Fortnite: Hackers say they stole 200GB of user data from Epic Games. The data includes emails, passwords and more, all up for grabs. They gave Epic a March 4 deadline to pay a ransom. If you or the kids have an Epic account, now’s a good time to change your password and enable two-factor authorization.

Don’t get played! A scam plaguing Los Angeles and other cities unfolds like a heist movie — thieves rent cars, sell them to unsuspecting buyers, then swipe them back with cloned keys. The LA Sheriff’s Department has nabbed three suspects. If a deal screams “steal of a century,” it might just be actual theft.

Data blockade: President Biden signed an executive order to stop countries like Russia and China from buying Americans’ personal data — think whereabouts and DNA. Given the free-for-all in data sales, how the heck will the Justice Department enforce this? Then again, these countries already have it all anyway.

$5 to $20 for a selfie

The fee owners of the viral pink Stanley cup are charging. No kidding, the sold-out travel mugs are in that high of demand. I’m not usually a fan of altered photos, but to anyone considering this offer, Photoshop (and freebie versions) exist.

This is disgusting: Google’s Gemini won’t admit pedophilia is wrong. When asked, the AI chatbot referred to these perverts as “minor-attracted persons.” It refused to classify the act of pedophilia as morally wrong or illegal. Someone at Google is writing and programming these absurd, evil algorithms — and Google apparently supports them.

44 miles of electric driving 

For the Toyota Prius Prime SE before switching to hybrid mode. It’s the “greenest” car in America. Its weight, tech and build make it more efficient than fully electric cars. The real shocker: The Prime SE is available in six colors, and none of them are green.

YouTubers are creating memorial videos for people they’ve never met

$30,000 right to a scammer

$5 to $20 for a selfie

44 miles of electric driving&nbsp;

44 miles of electric driving