Akolyte

Hey, man, you need to be careful because it's quite a low-level system software, and you don't have many courses of action should it fail. In general, look at the release notes of the BIOS version. Does it contain anything that you think you need? If not, then probably skip it. If your power cut, or the BIOS introduced more bugs, you'd probably regret it.

I work for a consultancy, and we all have MacBooks. Even though our IT department hates it, the number of Mac converts is growing. They probably don't care about security or how easy it is for you to manage (in fact, they passively want to make it even more difficult), so you can't use security or management arguments to convince them. There will likely be a compromise to develop new standards and procedures regarding how you provision and manage their devices. One of the reasons they like MacOS may be because they have more autonomy; they aren't restricted to a sluggish, latency-bound VDI or forced to have some invasive management software on their work machine. As one of these people who use a Mac, I think the conversation points need to change: The questions you should ask are: What software do you use? Why is it essential for you to use a Mac? What are the barriers to switching to Windows? Once you find these out, develop policies to accommodate them - you want the business to make revenue, after all, and not drive this team away. If they still refuse to switch, then you'll need to get executive sponsorship to perform a complete migration of the business's corporate IT management. That would permit you to say, "Hey, this is a business project; we must migrate you by X date. Can you work with us so we can make it easy for you?" Also, glad you're leaving the software engineers alone - if I got told I was being migrated to an Azure VDI, I'd immediately find a new position.

@Agena_ if it's a work PC it could also be AD Rights Management which sometimes referred to as RMS? If it is a work machine definitely contact your service desk, don't perform any actions we recommend here.

I believe that's remote assistance. (I could be wrong) If you're not remotely connecting to your machine, I'd immediately disconnect from the internet and disable remote assistance (guide here), then reboot. Once you've rebooted, run a scan since I think you have Kaspersky? Or even better, just backup your files (with your PC offline) and fresh install.

I think they're saying, what's the goal with Oracle certs? Study a cert because it's something you want to get into, not because there's not much material out there. Unless you work for a company using MS SQL or Oracle and want you to step into a more database-oriented role, you'll probably never need the certifications, and most employers won't care unless they're looking for someone to maintain existing enterprise systems.

Whitelisting IP addresses generally isn't considered secure, and although many cloud tutorials will show that as a valid option, it's highly discouraged. It's essential to note that tunnelling can be done via SSH, VPN or any service, but it's still the same idea. Even though you use VPN -> RDP, that's quite an outdated mechanism; nowadays, it's preferred to avoid VPNs and opt for a zero-trust model via a web service or something like that, so it's even tighter nowadays. Here is what tunnelling is intended to solve: 1. In-transit security & obfuscation 2. Authentication 3. Centralised access and auditing 1. in-transit security: If you think about a database, your database could contain sensitive information - while restricting its access to a set of IP addresses could be a reasonable security control - it still leaves communication's vulnerable. Even communications via TLS will still reveal the port, hostname, and the packets will be encapsulated with whatever encryption the DBMS provides by default. Web services commonly have vulnerabilities (your RDP, a Windows server). You can't trust accessing even a secure service, if it's private, over the public internet relying on its security mechanisms alone. By using a tunnel, we connect to a server using a more robust and trusted security protocol (e.g. SSH or OpenVPN) over a more generic port to a more generic hostname, and this protocol further encrypts our traffic, providing additional security against vulnerabilities in the web service we're accessing. Lastly, these exposed services are common targets even if they are secure. Many people develop complex exploits for them, many that won't work on more straightforward, more robust security protocols like SSH. For example, there are known tools people use to compromise RDP. Using a VPN provides an extra security layer. 2. Authentication: It's less of an issue for RDP, but many companies will use tunnelling because it encourages a centralised authentication mechanism for their employees to access internal services. For example, maybe you'll have an employee login to your VPN, and they can refer to that login to view your network traffic, apply network policies, and revoke remote access quickly in case of a compromise without impacting your at-the-office credentials. 3. Centralised access & auditing : Companies these days are encouraged to have a good audit trail - they store logs on: - when you connect to what machines, - what IP address and device do you connect from, - what actions you perform, using a tunnel allows them to centralise this logging in one place, like a funnel - they can gather these logs from one place (the VPN or SSH server), and this provides them with reassurance that their audit logs are complete and have better observability so they can detect incidents quicker. -------------------- I know this was a bit long, man, but I hope this has helped you understand why some companies opt for tunnels. VPNs are pretty standard, but RDP over VPN is considered a security risk - there's usually another layer or 2 in there.

Hey mate, I know you've got an excellent marked answer there - I want to expand on this and add some extra info. Avoid third-party antivirus if you can - it usually installs very deep modules in your system to analyse your files, giving them a lot of access to your personal data, even if Windows encrypt it. These modules can also make your system more vulnerable or even unstable as they usually aren't maintained as well as Microsoft's code, and so, for a bit more. malicious code detection capabilities, you're losing your privacy and confidence in your system's robustness. People will tell you otherwise, but don't trust third-party antivirus - stick with Defender. Just make sure you: - Install Windows Updates - Keep your browser up-to-date, check for updates every morning or afternoon if you can, - If anyone sends you any files, especially a document or an exe you don't trust - ask someone you know to review it or upload it to virustotal.com.

Hey mate, Same answers as above, check your CPU temperatures and see if you can get into your BIOS. If you google your motherboard brand, you should be able to see what keys you need to press to get in. Once in, see if you also crash after a couple of minutes. If it's a CPU temperature issue, you must resolve it yourself by re-applying the cooler and some thermal compound or taking it to another repair store.

10 years and I'm still holding onto it.

I understand why Linus doesn't expect a significant ROI from Linux content. It's not what most of his audience wants to see and might duplicate what's already out there. If Linus did release a Linux/Unix channel, it would make sense to theme it around SME (Small/Medium Enterprise) to cover more business-oriented solutions. I think it would still get a decent audience and might make a bit more ROI since enterprise vendors could sponsor him, and Linus has built significant trust in the tech community. Even then, though Linux would be a tool you use instead of the show's star, it could still cover some of the big news surrounding it. In addition, you also have the Anthony issue, it would be hard to find people who are familiar enough with the kinds of technology a channel like that would cover.

I agree with you the idea sounds terrible. Why not keep building deep underground data centres? You could also store a storage array significantly cheaper than sending it to the moon. If they could build some highly resilient filesystem and protocol that could ensure data resiliency, even then, it still doesn't make sense. If your entire business depends on Earth being in a stable condition, then why store it on the moon? If the earth is gone, then no disaster recovery will help you.

I contract for various clients and work with many languages - sometimes, I have to pick up an enterprise application, it could be in Java, GoLang or .NET, and need to refactor it and make it cloud native. I will tell you that most roles rely on your knowledge of frameworks as opposed to the language ins and outs. You don't need to be an expert, you just need to know what they are, and how they impact your application. My suggestion of things to do before you go looking for jobs: You should be able to build a basic REST API in Java, and should be able to implement all the basic features into it (JWT, ODB, Serialisation, Error Handling, etc). There are frameworks and libraries out there that will make it easy, but this means that you at least know how to build an API. Be able to test your API using Postman and be able to build a programmatic test suite of your API (an app that tests every possible combination of inputs of your API, so you can verify it works). Research Spring Boot, and the basics of enterprise apps (CQRS, Event-Sourcing, Microservices Architecture) Have used Java with at least one SQL database, and at least one NoSQL database, you don't need to build a full app, just connect to it, add and retrieve data. Build a free CI/CD Pipeline with GitHub Actions (free), to build your Java App, as well as to containerise it and upload it to Docker Hub (free to use). All this stuff will be free, and I hope it shouldn't be too complex, but I think it will demonstrate that you know the basics of application development and should be able to decipher some Java platform code.

It sounds like you know what you're talking about, but I wonder if anyone would be willing to implement that. You have the problem of technical issues, false positives, and funding. I'm sure if someone created a business case for this, if it was an e-sports company it would make sense, but for many companies, it would get rejected as there wouldn't be enough incentive for the business (better anti-cheat doesn't necessarily equate to more profit). Unless you built a company dedicated to building anti-cheat software and selling it maybe? But even then, you have the added complexity of potentially causing technical issues in multiplayer and the fact most development teams will find it too difficult to implement. Besides, people will bypass it eventually, regardless of how complex it is - so eventually this cutting-edge solution will become like the other anti-cheats, attempting to keep up with the cheat developers. In my opinion, the best anti-cheat is a combination of the best software currently out there (that you can afford) combined with hiring a lot of really great staff to review reports and create an open community around your game that has a good rapport with the moderators. The reason I hold that belief is that spending a huge amount of time on the best anti-cheat could destroy game-play, exclude people and take money out of the game's budget, thus defeating the whole purpose of anti-cheat - to make your game fun and safe. Foster a good community, and hire enough staff so every report can be actioned in a timely manner.

As some people have pointed out, this is most likely for security reasons. Public wifi is a bit of a hot bed for malicious activity, whether it be attempting to sniff network traffic and gather what data you can from it, or piracy, etc via VPNs. Also keep in mind that cafes and small businesses in general might buy more specialised network equipment that allows them to perform security scanning on the network traffic - to prevent things like ARP cache poisoning, etc that someone might do to perform a man in the middle attack. They can't analyse that traffic if it's being routed through a VPN. Even though a lot of VPNs claim to not log your data and be secure, there are still ways someone's connection can be traced back to their computer, beyond that. Cafes are businesses, and they don't want their ISP or any businesses to have any issues with them because suspected pirates are using VPNs on their network to do sussy things. Their wifi is simply meant to allow their customers to browse the web, do some work, etc while at their cafe. Yes, there are security risks using public wifi, they aren't nearly as hyped up as VPN providers want you to believe. In, fact, in some instances, using a VPN can be more insecure (probably not than public wifi, but definitely home network). Just make sure you're using HTTPS and if you want to, use an encrypted DNS using a free service like Quad9. I know you're not wanting to bypass it, but often businesses will have terms and conditions you'll need to accept before being able to connect to anything on their wifi. Have a read of it if you have time, see what they say about using VPNs, Proxies or Tunnels.

Hey, so for context - here's how it works: You setup a mysql database or whatever database you're using. This needs to be set-up as a server, and then you log into it and create a database. You can create a user to access MySQL on the server you set up. The MySQL connector allows the Python application to access your MySQL database server and send queries to retrieve or post data. This makes the beginning of a 3-tier architecture to allow for scalability, it's quite old and probably won't be used outside of development but it's great to learn for sure as it leads onto more complex system decoupling. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multitier_architecture if you want to learn about it. Now, if you want to set-up the database - you have a couple of options: Set up one yourself, this could be in a virtual-machine or a docker container. https://www.digitalocean.com/community/tutorials/how-to-install-mysql-on-ubuntu-20-04. You will need to set up a virtual machine using virtual box or something and connect to that btw, I wouldn't do this on your own machine unless it's in a container. Rely on a Cloud Provider like AWS and set-up an RDS Database using the free-tier. Remember that you'll have to make sure it falls within the free tier before you deploy it (I'm not responsible for any incurred costs of course), but if you're just creating your AWS account you should get 1 year of an RDS database running on a small EC2 instance for free. https://aws.amazon.com/premiumsupport/knowledge-center/free-tier-rds-launch/ Finally, make sure if you do opt to use the cloud option you secure your database by using strong credentials and setting your security group to only allow connections from your IP address (make sure /32 bit netmask). If this sounds complex to you, I'd take a course or follow a tutorial on setting up and using MySQL first so you can know what you're doing. Taking a course on a cloud platform like AWS or GCP will be helpful as well so you can spin up development resources such as databases quickly. This site looks like a great starting point for the basics: https://www.tutorialspoint.com/mysql/index.htm if this does sound complex.

The Razer Dock almost looks like a re-brand of the modern Dell docks (not sure though). I've always had good luck with them so you could see how much they cost in your area. Avoid display link - but personally, if it was me, I'd buy the Razer Dock because as someone who has used many docks, I know the pain of using a dock with poor compatibility an it's horrific.

I know this is probably a little bit different than what others are telling you, but I'd suggest just picking one language and building some demo applications with it. You can find good courses online that guide you through building real-world applications. Any framework, any language - just pick one. Whether it be javascript/node, C#/.NET, or Python/Flask/Django. You need to stick to one thing, build some demo applications. Being a developer these days, languages and frameworks change so much that you need to continuously learn on the go anyway, and you'll use multiple languages on the job anyhow. Make sure to learn the fundamentals of object oriented programming, and actually build something. If you're interested in becoming a developer, then you'll want to learn about event-driven architectures as well. You'll be expected to learn many different databases and how to optimise them, you'll be expected to learn how to integrate different authentication providers, design and build REST APIs, and completely decouple your services, making use of intermediary queues. Not to mention, many services utilise different languages and each need their own datastore. I'm not saying this to intimidate you, but to emphasise the fact that you should just pick a language and build some stuff, persist - no matter how lost you feel, keep persisting and you'll make it. Pick a language, because in the end you'll be expected to learn multiple languages, databases, frameworks, and once you learn one it will get easier and easier. Good luck and hope you achieve it.

If you're still using the same domain name and you've updated the DNS record, and you also haven't changed any of your configuration and ensured the same port-forwarding settings you used before still stand - and it works across your LAN network, then it must be an issue with your ISP as @LIGISTXhas suggested. Keep in mind even if the ISP is the same it doesn't mean you don't go through a NAT further upstream. - What if you run a traceroute? Are there any devices upstream that might be blocking your connectivity? Lastly, I'd suggest using a VPN for NextCloud anyway if you can since having it accessible on the public internet just seems a bit insecure. You can use something like ZeroTier to bypass NATs, so it might help your security and give you access to your NextCloud away from home if you still can't get it to work.

Do you know anyone else who uses this RAID card with a mac pro? Apple is known to have a restricted UEFI and is only compatible with particular hardware. Unfortunately, I'm not capable of answering your query. Still, I hope someone here is, or maybe you can track down someone good with Apple devices, mac forums might be handy, or you could ask Apple support (if you can get onto them) whether the Mac Pro is only compatible with specific RAID cards.

My personal recommendation would be to look up blocklists for Microsoft's telemetry servers. You could use something like pi-hole, and also blacklisting certain IP addresses in your firewall(s). It's probably not a sure fire way, but in my opinion it's your safest and most effective bet. The issue with trying to block Microsoft spyware is that especially in newer versions of Windows, these features are integrated into the Operating Systems itself. More and more, removing or changing these features requires configurations outside of Control Panel \ Settings, and can lead to potential risks. This doesn't even include certain Microsoft features so deeply ingrained in the operating system they can't be disabled. I know this isn't the answer you want - but personally if you care this much about Microsoft's spyware, Windows probably isn't the operating system for you. Perhaps in the next year or two you might manage, but you're just trying to patch a boat with a bunch of holes. Blogs are probably your best source of knowledge, as unless someone is an expert on how Windows is configured, built or has extensively researched this topic (probably on blogs) - they will probably recommend standard-type mitigations that are found within most blogs anyway. When it comes to things like this, fixes are usually only temporary and need to be applied on a regular basis - you're modifying the operating system configuration to something non-standard and as you know by now, Microsoft is pushing for more telemetry and data collection. In my opinion, Linux might be an option worthwhile exploring.

I would like to acknowledge the advice given here and say it all sounds excellent. Just something to add - I'd definitely suggest using consumer gear over 2nd hand enterprise equipment because otherwise the noise might be a bit too loud. If you can build a bit of a rig with some spare parts, excellent. As some have already mentioned - a server can do a NAS's job. The question to ask yourself is how you want to backup your files: Do you have any particular backup program in-mind? Any particular strategy or technology (e.g: SMB, S3, SFTP, etc) As far as game servers and web servers (firstly, beware of hosting publicly on the internet nowadays, especially with the ongoing geo-political situation) as long as you have a decent processor and a relatively alright amount of memory you should be fine (which it sounds like you have). If you want to host these private servers and avoid exposing them to the public internet, I'd suggest using a service like ZeroTier - and just letting your friends download it and connect to your network. The only reason I advocate avoiding the public internet is to improve security, servers can be hacked if not managed properly, and even if managed properly just via a vulnerability - with the current global situation, there are many more attackers scouring the internet for servers they can try to hack and add to their botnets to DDoS their opponent.

Imagine this situation: Child: "Mom, I want to become an Architect" Mom: "Oh, that's great!" Child: "I need a new PC to study" Mom: "You already have a PC at home" PC at home: Child: "But I need a better one" Mom: "Well, who's gonna pay for it" Child: "I'll figure out a way"

Reinstall Windows and call your bank and tell them that someone might have stolen your Debit card information. Make sure to tell them you actually purchased Avast, but that you're letting them know just in-case. Get a new debit card and cancel the old one. Login to all your accounts from a secure and uncompromised device - change all your passwords, recovery questions, and ensure 2FA is enabled everywhere. Watch for any activity on your accounts - any account attempted logins from weird places, anything at all. Keep your windows OS up to date, run antivirus on your desktop and phone - I don't say this to most people, but honestly - after this experience I'm gonna suggest it to you. Use a good antivirus like Emsisoft - and purchase a reliable password manager like Dashlane or something with dark-web tracking to track your accounts and notify you if your password has been leaked anywhere. If you have the money, a modern Asus Router with AiProtection+ is good because it brings some commercial features to your home devices. It gives you an extra layer of network protection. AiProtection - although not as robust as enterprise firewalls, would have at least been another layer against something like this. It may have identified the connection as it traversed your router, and cut it. It may have also scanned the files as it downloaded to your machine and blocked it for being a virus. Having multi-layered security is incredibly important these day.s

I'm usually completely objective and play devils advocate when it comes to Microsoft - but honestly, on a personal level I really like where Microsoft is taking Windows 11. I don't mind the cloud-ificiation of Windows honestly, and I like the design and how they're trying to create one ecosystem that actually has an emphasis on the user experience now. It was always about user experience before too for some of their desktop operating system versions, but it never felt like it was about the actual user. They've definitely taken some liberties with Windows 11, prodding some people's way of life - but at the same time, it's easy to see they've really focused a lot on ease-of-use, accessibility, and making things very uniform across their ecosystem. Taking a page from Apple's book will pay off in the long run for them I think. Allowing Android apps is great too. But I can't help feel like MS are conflicted still about what they want their ecosystem to be. They see what Apple is doing, they see what future technology is going to look like. But they aren't committing either way. People like iced coffee, and people like hot coffee - but room-temperature sucks. And I hope Microsoft makes up their mind and commits to a path soon before it's too late. I need to get my work laptop re-imaged to Windows, and I certainly hope to convince the team to allow me to install Windows 11 on it. I'm keen to try it.

I would format both, yes. And they can still use that debit card information for identity theft, as well as social engineering. Many legacy businesses still use 'confirming credit card digits', or 'confirm your address' as ways of authorising yourself. Take for example, calling your cell phone provider to transfer numbers (they'd get your 2FA keys), or calling your bank to authorise a transaction, or calling your ISP to downgrade your plan. Some of these might be useless, but hacking is a means to get what you want - usually that means is information or some kind of leverage, demand. They can do the exact same thing by tormenting you by redirecting your phone number, taking off your car insurance without you knowing, changing your address on your subscriptions, ordering random pizzas to your house you need to pay for, etc. All because you didn't take actions to mitigate that NOW. Besides, they might sign up to some services - use your debit card as proof of identity? Such as Azure, or AWS - and then use those services to perform illegal activity. When that account gets suspended or whatever - the authorities will come to you and ask you why you did it? It's highly insecure, but also very common. Why would a criminal want to spend your money and raise suspicion directly like that? when they could use your information to use your identity as a shield for their illegal endeavours. You can say your debit card got stolen, but usually there's a short period of time you have to actually report it to the bank to avoid any liability that comes from it being stolen. If you wait for example, a few days to call your bank - they might not give you a refund for any bad transactions, and the law might hold you accountable to any misdeeds someone did with it.