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When it comes to internet security everybody has an opinion. However few really know what is actually happening. That is because there is so much misinformation being put out there on purpose that people just don't know how to filter it. The question here in this blog entry is, "Where do I start?" The primary way the NSA eavesdrops on Internet communications is in the network. That's where their capabilities best scale. They have invested in enormous programs to automatically collect and analyse network traffic. Anything that requires them to attack individual endpoint computers is significantly more costly and risky for them, and they will do those things carefully and sparingly. The NSA gets access to the communications trunks (telecommunications companies that they have agreements with) that move Internet traffic. In cases where it doesn't have that sort of friendly access, it does its best to surreptitiously monitor communications channels: tapping undersea cables, intercepting satellite communications, and so on. "Unfortunately, endpoint security is so terrifically weak that NSA can frequently find ways around it." ~Edward Snowden Endpoint means the software you're using, the computer you're using it on, and the local network you're using it in. If the nsa/fbi can modify the encryption algorithm or drop a trojan on your computer, all the cryptography and protection in the world doesn't matter at all. Google recently announced that it would start including individual users' names and photos in some ads. This means that if you rate some product positively, your friends may see ads for that product with your name and photo attached—without your knowledge or consent. Meanwhile, Facebook is eliminating a feature that allowed people to retain some portions of their anonymity on its website. These changes come on the heels of Google's move to explore replacing tracking cookies with something that users have even less control over. Microsoft is doing something similar by developing its own tracking technology. Lots of companies are evading the "Do Not Track" rules, meant to give users a say in whether companies track them. Turns out the whole "Do Not Track" legislation has been a sham. It shouldn't come as a surprise that big technology companies are tracking us on the Internet even more aggressively than before. If these features don't sound particularly beneficial to you, it's because you're not the customer of any of these companies. You're the product, and you're being improved for their actual customers: their advertisers Lenovo installs an HTTPS "man in the middle" attack on their laptops: Before you click on that link you may want to know what the "Man in the middle" (MITM) attack is. Now that you know what is happening I hope you are disturbed about what is happening as I am. https://filippo.io/Badfish/ links to a Superfish "detector" page, with instructions on how to remove it. However the only way we all can be sure these TROJANS and spyware programs are not hidden on out computers is to NUKE, WIPE our hard drives and reinstall our Operating Systems directly from the disk. You want to use a Microsoft branded OEM Windows disc and use the product key off of the machine. Not a recovery disc. Pre built white box style computers (DELL) which I'll include HP at this point have always been full of bloatware. There have been reports of PUPs being in certain linux installs. Sometimes they hack into downloads and replace what people think they are getting. So when someone downloads a Ubuntu OS that can be run off of an USB key, you still need to run that through some security scans. I'm sure many people here use an anti virus, Firewall and other ad-ware/spy-ware detection programs. A popular program these days is http://www.malwarebytes.org/. It's results are excellent however some of you fine people here would be surprised that even after running a full scan using Malwarbytes and then a secondary malware/spyware program like HitmanPro http://www.surfright.nl/en/downloads and then a boot scan of your anti virus, that some malware/spyware still exists on your hard drive. It's called a PUP aka Potentially Unwanted Program. You may see it after a scan called something like this; PUP.Optional.Conduit.A, PUP.Optional.Default and other PUP.designations. Even if your scans have removed some PUPs they are very sneaky and are able to hide in the registry, windows folder and other Nook N' Crannies. PUPs are not a virus, but it does exhibit plenty of malicious traits, such as rootkit capabilities to hook deep into the operating system, browser hijacking, and in general just interfering with the user experience. This type of infection is used to boost advertising revenue, as in the use of blackhat SEO, to inflate a site’s page ranking in search results. So where do they come from? The general rule of thumb (and why I don't use anything by Google) is that nothing in life is free. The same goes on the internet. PUPs get on your computer after you have installed a freeware software (video recording/streaming, download-managers or PDF creators) that had bundled into their installation this browser hijacker. This Potentially Unwanted Propgram is also bundled within the custom installer on many download sites ( CNET, Brothersoft or Softonic), so if you have downloaded a software from these websites, chances are that PUP.Optional.Conduit.A was installed during the software setup process. Also in the last few months it seems even OPEN SOURCE distributor http://sourceforge.net has been found guilty of adding Potentially Unwanted Programs so be careful. Waterfox and other large profile projects such as GIMP have also moved away from SourceForge recently. The reason being to shady adverts and that SF force their own installer onto users, prompting them to install other software and then finally the software the user actually wants. Waterfox will now use CodePlex for file hosting.The new location for Waterfox files will be at; https://waterfox.codeplex.com/ So please be careful even if you have trusted a download site in the past. You should always pay attention when installing software because often, a software installer includes optional installs, such as this PUP.Optional.Conduit.A browser hijacker. Be very careful what you agree to install. Always opt for the custom installation and deselect anything that is not familiar, especially optional software that you never wanted to download and install in the first place. It goes without saying that you should not install software that you don’t trust. So here's how to get rid of the PUP browser hijack. Make a restore point and back up your files and do the following in order. 1) AdwCleaner; The AdwCleaner utility will scan your computer for PUP.Optional.Conduit.A malicious files and registry keys, that may have been installed on your computer without your knowledge. http://www.bleepingc...oad/adwcleaner/ 2) Junkware Removal Tool; this utility can take a while to complete (like 10-30 minutes) depending on your system’s specifications and will display a log with the malicious files and registry keys that were removed from your computer. So grab a coffee http://www.bleepingc...e-removal-tool/ 3) Malwarebytes Anti-Malware; It will remove worms, trojans, rootkits, rogues, dialers, spyware. A quick scan will do or if your having problems with your computer like choppy video or laggyness then do a full scan. Linked above. 4) Run a secondary spyware/malware removal tool like spybot http://www.safer-networking.org/ or HitmanPro 5) Malwarebytes Anti-Rootkit BETA; Go here and run this http://www.malwareby.../products/mbar/ 6) Lastly update your anti virus and run a "BOOT TIME SCAN" I have been a beta tester for the Firefox browser since before it was called Firebird and Pheonix. I still run the beta Nightly 64bit browser for kicks and I have been a http://www.waterfoxproject.org/ user since that project first kicked off. I use Palemoon on my laptop and I also use the Tor browser https://www.torproject.org/. However recently I switched from Waterfox as my main browser to Cyberfox [EDIT: but this whole browser turned out to be a privacy sham filled with exploits so stay away. I am back to Waterfox full time.] I use Chrome too when I search the Asian gaming forums because they have the best translation feature built right in the browser making it super easy to search for mods and ENB presets. Version 16.0.1 of Waterfox is the last confirmed release to work with Windows XP 64bit; get it here; http://www.neowin.net/news/download-waterfox-1601-without-avg-toolbar EDIT: As of Sept. 2015, I only recommend Waterfox and Firefox browsers Obviously I use different browsers for different activities. I suggest you do the same. I have one browser I use for Music and Video, another for Gmail, Facebook, Twitter and other Social Media, blogs and media in general. I use over 15 security add-ons installed on my Cyberfox browser. Most of them you will have not heard of and are for more advanced browser comprehension; ad block plus ad blocker for gmail all in one side bar avast web rep better privacy certificate patrol cipher fox cookie controller dnssec validator download statusbar dr web anti virus link checker ghostery https finder https everywhere java console java quick starter microsoft net framework assistant no script nosquint perspectives requestpolicy wot x-notifier foxtab lastpass This list is incomplete and I'll update it shortly and add links. I will also gather my list of add-ons for my other browser set ups. EDIT: If you want to see my updated Mozzilla add-on security collection then just click on the link. The Nexusmods website and forum: I dislike the owner and administration of Nexusmods. I find the moderators, especially TheVampireDante, to be bullies, rude and childish. I don't like them or their tactics. I am praying that another website could replace them however nothing I have seen has been able to duplicate their service. Their forums suck ass. There is no real community any more like there used to be 5 years ago. That is because of the bullying that they practice. Many top notch modders left the Nexus before it they changed names to Nexusmods. The Chat use to have 2-50 people in it at all times and now you may find 4. it is sad because at one time they used to be leaders and now they are solely responsible for the outbreak of hundreds of private smaller forums that have fragmented the modding community. As far as I am concerned the Nexusmods is a cancer that needs to be eradicated. So have you guys noticed the recent change in policy over at the Nexus and other websites regarding Add blocking software like AddBlock and AddBlock Plus? If you use that add on then you will have noticed that the Nexus now recognizes that you are blocking their advertisements. They actually place an advertisement of their own that asks you to turn the add blocker off with some sappy story that they need the money. Regardless they are interfering with the space on your screen and in truth it is an advertisement to buy a membership. For this reason I will tell you how to get rid of it and enjoy a full screen without annoying advertisements. You need to have add block plus http://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/adblock-plus/ install Greasemonkey (for firefox) or tampermonkey (chrome) http://addons.mozilla.org/en-Us/firefox/addon/greasemonkey/ Then go to http://github.com/reek/anti-adblock-killer Go to step 3... and install the the 5 scripts in greasemonkey / tampermonkey They should auto install but if they don't you can even copy and paste them in. it is pretty simple to get it to work. That's it! No more annoying adds by the nexus to buy their memberships. And it also blocks other websites from doing the same. Consider this a present for allowing me to join the community but remember that this is not 100%. The five scripts that Greasemonkey is running use the most common methods that websites use to see who is using an add blocker. Most of these administrators really don't know how to do this correctly so they never change their operations. This is the reason why Greasemonkey works. There are some webmasters who change their scripts often (monthly/weekly) so to as avoid what Greasemonkey is doing. The Nexusmods is not one of those websites. Besides, new scripts can and are always being written. I don't suggest you use this on every website and forum. For example this one I turn these options off. However Java Script remains the biggest security risk on the internet (FBI report) and malicious code can easily be hidden is video and audio advertisements. End of Part 1

The history of community forums, the birth internet poker and the future of modding. I have a few unfinished blog entries; Security part 2, Wookies VS Bigfoot, Dianogas' Vegetarian resto-compactor investor prospectus,... Ok so some of those are not true but I am seriously thinking about them now! So keeping those unfinished blog entries hidden for now, I have decided to write about something else that has been on my mind for a few years now. Lucky you... I really wanted to write about my vision regarding the future of modding. I am hoping that some people will read it, maybe disagree and call me an idiot in the comment section. I don't moderate the comment section. Go nuts However now that I think of it, since I have written comments and threads over the years I think my thesis would benefit from another history to compare it to. Basically I believe that the future of modding will parallel history of community forums and internet poker. How'bout dem apples? The history and future of community forums. That was then, this is now. In order to glimpse into the future, you have to understand the past and know where you are in the present. Some people don't believe in the past or the future but only the present repeating itself over and over again now. So lets look at how it all started The modern forum originated from bulletin boards, and so-called computer conferencing systems, and are a technological evolution of the dialup bulletin board system. Bulletin board system; is a computer server running custom software that allows users to connect to the system using a terminal program. Once logged in, the user can perform functions such as uploading and downloading software and data, reading news and bulletins, and exchanging messages with other users through email, public message boards, and sometimes via direct chatting. The introduction of inexpensive dial-up internet service and the Mosaic web browser offered ease-of use and global access that BBS and online systems did not provide, and led to a rapid crash in the market starting in 1994. Online bulletin boards are sometimes referred to as message boards. Since 1994 and the introduction of inexpensive dial-up internet service and the Mosaic web browser many of the leading BBS software providers went bankrupt and tens of thousands of BBSs disappeared. Today, BBSing survives largely as a nostalgic hobby in most parts of the world, but it is still an extremely popular form of communication for Taiwanese youth and in China. If you click on the link above and scroll down to the bottom, there is a section called, "Shareware and freeware." Shareware and Freeware; Much of the shareware movement was started via user distribution of software through Bulletin board systems. The 1993 classic video game DOOM was distributed as shareware. When I think of the early days of the internet I also think of the wild west. It was a wide open space and everything was up for grabs. The early bulletin board forums were not only giving away freeware and shareware but they were also a place to speak to people about and share mods. From a technological standpoint, forums or boards are web applications managing user-generated content. They always has been and they always will continue to be. The earliest mods were shared the same way as they are today , except for the actual distribution which back then was through the mail. Just like the early days of Apple computers, people ordered parts from a black and white leaflet mail order catalogue. And you got the catalogue by sharing your address on a bulletin board. That is all the internet was back then. And if you made friends with the right person they would send you a floppy disk with a mod on it. That mod could be anything. It could be a that added new pictures of naked women or add new levels to text based computer games from the 1970's. Internet Poker In 2003 an unknown with the perfect marketing named Chris Moneymaker went and played a game of poker on an internet poker gaming website and won his paid entry into the 2003 World Series of Poker. Up until then, unless you were a degenerate gambler no one even knew that the WSOP even existed. He went on to win the main event, causing shock in the poker world, and beginning the poker boom. Within 10 years of that fateful day, young women and men from around the world now make their living playing poker. Once only a few could go to Vegas and play poker for hundreds of thousands of dollars and the best of the best would play for millions. Today it is happening all over the world. Kids are turning away from MIT and other university degrees and playing poker and there is even a World Poker Tour that these people play in. It is like a golf and tennis tour. It has become a legitimate profession. Who would of thought in 1980 that people would be able to make a living playing poker? Yet today it is as normal as any other sport or hobby. The Future of Modding. Six years ago I posted a theory in a gaming forum where I stated that some time in the future modders would soon be paid for their mods. I was rudely laughed at and made fun of. Now I am not some sort of futurist like Ray Kurzweil, I was already surfing the Asian forums for Neverwinter Nights mods while I was waiting for Team Gizka to finish their KOTOR II mod I was already a witness to what was and is going to be the future of modding. Private modding communities were selling mods. And it really exploded with The Sims and Oblivion. Oh they were already doing it for other popular Asian games but these two games were popular cross culturally and forums such as the Nexus and Loverslab were showcasing some of the mods that people purchased at these forums. Back then you didn't have to pay but earn points. You could purchase points and earn points. The modders at these Asian forums would make new hairs models, clothing, armours and even new races to play. Mostly different looking human females and other kemonomimi type races. That is humanoids with animal earls, like bunny ears, raccoons, cats... Today there are many small communities popping up where you join and if you want a certain mod then you have to sponsor the author who created. Sponsorships are I guess determined by the mod author. You are basically buying their work. I am proposing that some day in the future young women and men will be able to make a living creating mods. Just like the poker boom, where young people are today able to make a living play a game, like before them young people playing a sport, tomorrow young people will make money creating mods. And just like sports, poker not everyone will make it. Not everybody will be financially successfully. Right now there are teenagers making a six figure salary playing video games. They are like rock stars to nerds and geeks around the globe where kids sit and pay for tickets to watch them play a video game. This is just the beginning. I don't claim to know how exactly all this will turn out but it is a sure bet that your children will be buying mods like they buy music/songs from iTunes. Six years ago my vision was that large gaming communities like STEAM, VALVE, Moddb, Nexus would each have their own modding communities and the website itself would sponsor the popular and talented mod authors. They would get paid a small percentage for each download and maybe a percentage of the advertising on their member page. That was just my own idea of how it could be organized. To me it still makes sense that a large community forum like Steam could offer advertising space on a top mod authors member page and share the revenue with them. These are just the details, who cares really but the idea is there. Proof... here is one community where you have to sponsor authors to get access to hidden mods. The people who sponser them are called "patrons." They do offer public mods too but their good stuff are for their paying fans, here is another forum community for Fallout where you can only get the good mods if you earn enough points. These are just a couple of examples. It hasn't caught on here yet like out east but give it time, it will. I grew up learning about computers by watching my older brother and sister play with them. I have two older brother, one older sister and one younger sister. My eldest brother is 15 years older than me. My parents were married very young My older brother and I work together and we are very close. He has seen it all. He was an Apple geek when he was a kid and now spends his free time messing around with various Linux OS builds including some that I will write about in my Security blog entries. Few people could have predicted how the internet would change the world but some did. Who really knows the future of gaming but some do and there is no question in my mind that modding will play an important role in the future viability of the gaming industry. It may not play out exactly like I have written. These things rarely unfold so neatly, yet I can see the children of tomorrow spending there time creating a mod and making some extra spending money from it. Most of them will make a few bucks. Hey not everybody becomes a world champion sports player. Only the best of the best even make it to the big leagues. The same holds true for poker players today and video game professionals today. Sounds funny eh? Video game professionals LoL Like this forum asked for people members to buy a membership to help offset the cost of running the community, it only makes sense to me that ten years from now the costs will be much, much greater and people will have to purchase some sort of membership even just to enter the forum. people will be able to browse the forum freely by if they want to try old the gold plated TSLRCM 2.3.1 Directors Cut version they will have to buy a membership or possibly even purchase the mod itself in some way, shape or form. Who wudda thunk it eh? PS. This entry has not been edited yet and may never be. Any complaints regarding spelling and grammar should be sent to the .