Episode: 95
Title: HPR0095: Security Wow!
Source: https://hub.hackerpublicradio.org/ccdn.php?filename=/eps/hpr0095/hpr0095.mp3
Transcribed: 2025-10-07 11:26:54

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These are the ones we have here…
We would like to point out that the follow-on podcast is work of fiction.
Similarity to any real person, situation, company or product, is entirely coincidental.
Netcasts you love.
From people you trust.
This is Trade.
This is Security Now with Steve Gibson.
Episode 217 for December 9, 2008.
The title of this episode, we love our sponsors.
Security Now is brought to you by Donations from listeners like you. Thanks.
Your Donations do help us keep our advertising to a minimum.
It's time for Security Now. I'm Leo Laporte, the tech guy.
And I'm joined today by Steve Gibson.
Hi Leo, great to be with you again. Isn't this cool?
You all know Steve, we couldn't do the show without him. He's great.
Steve coined the term spyware in 1942 when he invented a wee application called Spinrite to crack the enigma machine used by those Nazis in World War II.
Spinrite is still used today.
Thanks Leo.
Steve's a security guru. He wrote the world's finest spyware before he was out of knappers.
He put his route in Sony's route kit. He found the back door into windows, the meta file.
He's the man behind DeaconBobUBobUBobUulator, shoot the messenger, shoot the president, and windshields up the pokemobile.
Steve, you're one busy man, he did all that coding in machine code, too. Isn't that right Steve?
One. I mean, two, correct, affirmative.
OK, so a big warm welcome for the man from Irvine, the last man on the planet running Windows 95 from his fortress of security,
Mr. Logical, Mr. Steve Gibson.
Uh, thanks Leo, that's a nice introduction.
But as you've mentioned my OS of choice, I have some news for you there.
I think I may be taking the plunge into Windows 98.
No.
Well, maybe.
I guess the nasty hackers out there, and perhaps even our listeners,
along since it's given up on Windows 95.
So, if I'm going to stay relevant, perhaps, so should I.
I guess it's like time to move on, to upgrade, as it were, although I don't like that term.
Well, good for you, Steve.
You may want to consider millennium addition though, that's much more secure.
Well, you know, me Leo, what step at a time?
So, Steve, did you notice our new intro music?
Uh, yes, it was vaguely familiar.
It's from our exciting new sponsor.
These guys are great, so professional and they love you, Steve.
I'm going to test you.
Let me play it again to see if you can catch who I'm talking about.
So, Steve, any ideas?
I definitely recognize that music from an advert, I think.
I forget where from.
Is it the Starbucks ad?
No, and you promised not to mention Starbucks again, you little type.
They've never given me a dime for all the bandwidth you've wasted on them.
No, our new sponsor is those great folks at Pearl and Dean.
They're great, and apparently fans of the show, as I say.
I think they fit right in with our motives here, Steve.
We've signed a two-year deal with them, so they're in for the long haul.
Such good folks.
Um, okay.
So, security now, episode 217.
I'm so excited about reaching that landmark, Leo.
Steve's joining us today on Skype.
We love those guys at Skype, they're so smart.
Wait a minute.
What's that collect?
Oh, or apparently we don't have a deal with Skype.
So, turns out we're looking for a better VoIP provider.
Skype's blow way, I just don't like their attitude.
Still, I guess we'll try and make the best of what we have here.
God, that's so annoying.
Skype really are taking the piss there.
So, how are you, Steve?
Here we are, episode 217.
Why is that a landmark?
Well, it's because.
I know.
It's because you've overtaken my twat podcast.
We don't record that when I'm on vacation, so I think we're up to episode 150 of that.
Well, yes, okay.
Actually, no, I'm happy because 217 is such a special number.
Oh, how so?
Well, my grandfather lived to 103.
Wow.
And 103 expressed as binary bits is 1-1-0-0-1-1.
Now, if you take those bits as a string and put them through an MD5 hash, you get F7B9-DB683-A2-B-D-9-A7-A-D-9-6-0-A-D-E-E-O-7-DBF-D-9.
Well, I know that.
Yeah, that's hex, of course.
Of course.
And, and you will note.
And so will our listeners.
But the last two characters in that hash would be a nine.
Yes.
Well, D9.
Assuming little Indian notation is 217 indesimal.
Of course, so cool.
So, there you go.
Episode D9.
Grand Annie.
This one's for you.
Nice.
You see, that's why this show is so popular.
You use to take a complicated subject like cryptographic hashing and show its relevance in such a clear and simple way.
Let me mention our best and original sponsor.
Nerds on-site.
Such great guys.
So smart.
What's that collect?
Oh.
Apparently, we haven't heard from those guys for over a year.
I guess that means they're just cowboys.
It's clear of nerds on-site.
I hope you rod in hell, guys.
But I must mention those great folks at Astaro.
Have I mentioned these guys before?
They are so smart.
Now, how can I describe their product?
Astaro made boxes.
Not cardboard boxes.
But metal boxes.
Best of breed, open metal boxes.
I've got two.
We love these guys.
Check them out at www.astaro.com.
Great folks.
Yeah.
They're nice guys.
I've read them, you know.
Oh.
Have you seen one of these Astaro boxes, too, Steve?
Yep.
Very cool.
Aren't they just?
I've got two sitting right in front of me on my desk.
And I feel so much better that I do.
You're an expert, Steve.
Should I plug these in?
Well, I guess you probably should.
Why haven't we done an episode about Astaro, Steve?
Well, that's a good question.
Okay, so on with the show.
Have you got any Arata or feedback from last week's podcast, Steve?
Well, of course not, Leo.
It hasn't gone out yet.
This is the fourth episode of four.
We are recording in a block to fit in with your traveling commitments.
And I bet there will be a whole other stuff back up in the pipe somewhere.
Apparently, Microsoft has sneaked out a whole new operating system or two in the last seven years.
There are bound to be problems.
Cool.
Speaking of traveling, have I mentioned those great folks at Expedia?
They've done me a deal.
This is business.
It's work.
I'm taking the entire TWAT production team off on a geeky inside business class cruise to the Alta Mongolia.
We're going to eat twigs with the Bedouin people for three weeks or so.
We're taking those good folks in the Bedouin.
Some ASUS mini PCs, so they can download my podcast while they crap in the woods.
Those guys at ASUS did a good deal.
Visitors on the web at www.twatt.com
forward slash redirect underscore to underscore ASUS underscore for a nominal fee dot HTML.
Did you say you're flying business class Leo?
Oh boy!
Yeah, apparently first class is too expensive for Expedia, the penny-pinching bastards.
So I'm going to have to slum it with the riffraff.
Although I think we're flying American airways.
They're great folks.
My favorite airline.
Perhaps if you're listening AA.
Okay Leo.
So, no erratic again, but I do have an interesting and different spin-write story for you though.
Uh huh.
You know, I always look for a different slant on my product.
Okay.
I guess without spin-write, you wouldn't be able to drink at that coffee house we're not going to mention.
Starbucks!
Tell me about it.
I have to sell four copies of spin-write to get a quatt short latte and a celebrate swell.
But I guess that's a price you pay for ethically sourced coffee beans these days.
Hey, Steve, Starbucks are not ethical.
You mentioned them every episode and we've never had a dime from them.
Come to think of it, I find that odd because they're from Seattle.
I love Seattle.
Such great folks there.
Except those Starbucks bastards.
Erm, anyways.
I have had an email from a Michael Hunt of Adelaide Australia.
I've been to Australia.
Are you sure that's a real email, Steve?
Something about that name makes me think it may just be a spoof.
Michael Hunt?
No, no.
I think it's genuine.
Really?
Has he signed his email?
I signed all my emails.
Have I ever mentioned that?
Well, no he has.
And yes you have.
Frequently.
Wait till you hear when he's written.
It's going to kill you, Leo.
Okay, Pipsqueak, I'll play along but don't say I didn't warn you about that name.
So, here we go.
You've had an email from Mike.
Yes, Mike Hunt.
That's a good name.
Why would you think it's a spoof for email?
Oh, no reason.
I know.
You've met him on one of your trips to Australia.
Oh, yes, Steve, that's it.
You know, I may have done.
I've met so many great folks over there and one of them was called Mike, I think.
Oh, actually, Leo, I was being sarcastic.
Leo, Australia is so huge and you've only been there 37 times.
So the chances you saw right-cut over there are so infinitesimal as to be laughable.
Well, against the odds, but...
No!
Against the odds is an understatement.
You humans really can't tell the difference between low probability and zero probability.
Oh, Steve, you're not going to mention that twin-tailed scenario are you again?
You upset our main sponsor last time you did that.
We nearly lost all debubble.
I've had to start reading books the hard way.
I upset all debubble?
Good!
And for the last time, listening to all your books is not the same as reading books.
Anyway, back to my cut.
Mike says, hi, Steve, and Leo.
I am a long time listener to security now, and so I was all too aware of spin-write.
But hope I never need to run it as I back things up regularly.
Smart guy.
Yeah, so anyway, he continues.
And wait for this little, you're going to love this.
Oh, I always love these spin-write stories.
I know you've managed to keep coming up with different slants on the same story.
He's incredible.
I know.
Aren't they the best?
Anyway, Mike writes, I have a laptop.
Oh, dear.
I don't like where this is going.
Running Vista.
Oh, crap.
You see, that's where I use a Mac.
It gets worse.
I have a laptop running Vista, and I have used it as my main machine for a year.
Oh, boy.
I have got hundreds of emails, podcasts, photos, and even some videos on it.
Heck, he's pounding that thing.
I know.
He goes on.
Last month, we were rated by kangaroos.
Oh, there are real problem in ours.
And this kangaroo stole my laptop.
And the last thing I saw of it, it was hopping off into the bush, laptop in its pouch.
So I took my shotgun and popped one off.
The shot hit the kangaroo full in its pouch.
Hitting my machine, full on.
Ouch.
That's going to hurt.
Well, no.
It turns out that because of the laptop, the kangaroo was relatively unscathed.
Wow, that's one lucky kangaroo.
Do laptops make good body armor, Steve?
Well, I guess they do.
Because the route discarded it and disappeared oblivious to Mac's murder attempt.
I bet it was a Mac.
They're so well made.
I just say, but he's running, Vista.
Well, you can do that on a Mac.
I guess so.
But we should have Mac as a sponsor, especially if they protect you from bullets.
Collette, can you get jobs on the line, please?
Anyway.
Back to this laptop, a gram by a kangaroo, shot at and dropped.
It turns out the kangaroo had kept this Leo.
This is the part that differs from previous spint-right stories.
The kangaroo dropped the laptop into a pile of ding-o-dong.
Yeah, you're right.
Way back in episode 27, we had a kangaroo shotgun type spint-right story.
But I guess the ding-o-dong rules out a spint-right recovery.
Well, let's see.
Mike goes on.
I used my power washer to get the crap off my laptop.
Then I removed the drive, which thankfully only had two pieces of ledge shot through the spindle.
Only two, boy, that was lucky.
Three, and I guess the drive was toast.
But hang on.
You wouldn't recommend a power washer to clean a computer, would you, Steve?
No.
But it worked here.
There's such good folks at power washer.
Collette.
Collette.
Can you get power washer on the line?
Well, hang on.
Mike continues.
I removed the drive, which thankfully had only two pieces of ledge shot through the spindle.
And I thought to myself.
Spint-right.
Of course, this is one smart guy.
I used.
I used the drive as a slave on my wife's desktop machine.
Rects ran spint-right, and four days later all my data were saved.
Wow.
Mike concludes.
I know you get letters like this all the time, but I was so impressed that I just had to
write.
Thank you, spint-right.
Thank you, Steve.
So, in summary, spin-right works with drives covered in shit and peppered with bullet holes.
I'm impressed.
Oh, Leo.
It's just unique.
It makes my day.
I think letters like that.
Well, I bet it does.
Okay, Steve.
On with the show.
What are we talking about today, Steve?
Well, the listed front of me says, spin-right.
Starrow.
Body bubble.
And Australia.
So, I guess we're done.
Yes, indeedy.
Another fantastic episode.
I guess that's a wrap.
Any chance I could get you to record 2-1-8 as we've finished a couple of minutes ahead of schedule?
I fancy a week in Europe.
Maybe Virgin Atlantic.
So, that's a wrap until next week.
Another episode of Security Cash Cow.
Firmly in the bag.
Thank you, Steve.
Oh, thank you, Leo.
What, I'm gonna start this with a new piece of vinyl.
It's my new piece.
It's my new piece.
It's my new piece.
It's a carry now.
Thank you for listening to After Public Radio.
HPR is sponsored by Carol.NET.
She'll head on over to CARO.ainfee for all of her teams.
Thank you very much.