Ultrasonic Beacons: How Your Phone Hears Ads You Can’t

An ultrasonic beacon is a short audio signal. It lives above normal hearing, often above 18 kHz. Speakers in TVs, kiosks, or stores can play it. To you, it sounds like silence. To a phone microphone, it sounds like data. The beacon often carries a simple ID. That ID links to an action, such as logging a visit or triggering an ad.

Ransomware resources if you have been hacked

FBI The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) has websites about cybersecurity and ransomware specifically.  The FBI ransomware site is located here: https://www.fbi.gov/how-we-can-help-you/safety-resources/scams-and-safety/common-scams-and-crimes/ransomware(opens in a new tab)  NIST The National Institute of Science and Technologies is a U.S. Government agency that maintains a web portal on cybersecurity standards, guidelines, best practices, and other resources. NIST’s cybersecurity … Read more

The Advantages of WPA3: The Next Level of Wi-Fi Security

As the demand for secure and reliable wireless networks grows, so does the need for advanced encryption standards. Enter Wi-Fi Protected Access 3 (WPA3)—the latest and most secure Wi-Fi encryption protocol. Introduced in 2018, WPA3 is designed to address vulnerabilities in previous standards, including WPA2, and to provide enhanced protection for modern wireless networks. In … Read more

Data Center physical security

Physical security in a data center is critical as it serves as the first line of defense against unauthorized access, vandalism, theft, and environmental threats. Here’s a deeper dive into the various layers and strategies involved in ensuring comprehensive physical security for a data center. 1. Strategic Location Selection A. Risk Assessment for LocationChoosing the … Read more

Two-Factor authentication trends for modern security

In the ever-evolving landscape of cybersecurity, authentication is one of the most fundamental aspects of protecting digital identities. While traditional password-based authentication has been the norm for decades, it’s increasingly proving insufficient against sophisticated cyber threats. This is where Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) steps in as a powerful tool to bolster security. Let’s delve into the … Read more

Problems with Borger Gateway Protocol (BGP)

Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) is the Internet’s dominant inter-domain routing protocol, and as such, it is a critical component of the Internet’s infrastructure. However, BGP, like any other technology, has flaws. The following are some of the most common BGP issues: Some of the above issues are being addressed with RPKI, Routing Registries, and MANRS, … Read more

Denial of Service and the xISP Part 1

Most service providers have been the victim of a Denial of Service (DoS) attack at one point or another. Sometimes you may not realize you are under an attack. A few months ago, I posted a simple screenshot at https://blog.j2sw.com/networking/anatomy-of-a-ddos/ of what an active DDoS looks like. Types of AttacksIn order to know what to look for … Read more

Garmin gets hit with Ransomware

https://www.forbes.com/sites/barrycollins/2020/07/25/will-garmin-pay-10m-ransom-to-end-two-day-outage/#2e6983423164 Garmin is reportedly being asked to pay a $10 million ransom to free its systems from a cyberattack that has taken down many of its services for two days. The navigation company was hit by a ransomware attack on Thursday, leaving customers unable to log fitness sessions in Garmin apps and pilots unable to download … Read more

Mikrotik BGP firewall rules for security

This content is for Patreon subscribers of the j2 blog. Please consider becoming a Patreon subscriber for as little as $1 a month. This helps to provide higher quality content, more podcasts, and other goodies on this blog.To view this content, you must be a member of Justin’s Patreon Unlock with PatreonAlready a qualifying Patreon … Read more