Press "Enter" to skip to content

Posts published by “FOSS Force”

Galaxy Backdoor, RIT Offers Open Source Minor & More…

By FOSS Force on March 15, 2014 |

Business, Internet, Mobile, News, Politics and Security

FOSS Week in Review

Java is the target for half of all exploits

We’ve been saying for a couple of years now that Java isn’t safe and have been urging everyone who will listen to disable Java in the browser. As we’ve been saying this, comments to our articles on Java security have filled with folks wagging a finger and “reminding” us that Java is only a threat in the browser, that otherwise Java is safe.

That is wrong. The only time Java is safe is when it’s in a cup. According to an article published on IT World, researchers say that Java is now responsible for fully half of the exploits discovered in December.

Continue readingGalaxy Backdoor, RIT Offers Open Source Minor & More…

Ubuntu Keeps MySQL, Why XP Won’t Go Away & More…

By FOSS Force on March 7, 2014 |

Distros, Internet, Media, News, Politics, Security and Software

FOSS Week in Review

Cops tracking phones sans warrants

Tallahassee PoliceIt appears that the police in Tallahassee, Florida have been busy tracking folks by their cell phones without bothering to show up before a judge and ask for a warrant. Why would they violate the constitutional rights of their citizens this way? Evidently because they were using technology on loan and had signed a non-disclosure agreement.

According to Wired, this information came to light in an appeal of a sexual battery case dating back to 2008 in which a suspect was tracked using the technology to locate a phone that had been stolen from the victim. The police have admitted using the device 200 times, with no judge or warrant involved, since 2010. In a blog post made Monday, the ACLU said the device is “likely a Stingray made by the Florida-based Harris Corporation.” Evidently, the ACLU has long suspected that Harris has been loaning the devices to Florida police departments.

Continue readingUbuntu Keeps MySQL, Why XP Won’t Go Away & More…
Redmond FUDs FOSS While Forking Android & More…

Redmond FUDs FOSS While Forking Android & More…

By FOSS Force on March 1, 2014 |

Distros, Internet, Mobile, News, Politics and Security

FOSS Week in Review

Botnet steals bitcoins

We figure that any currency that can’t be safely tucked into a mattress isn’t secure, so we haven’t been too quick to jump on the bitcoin bandwagon. Needless to say, we weren’t surprised on Monday when Reuters reported that there’s a botnet on the loose with the aim of stealing the virtual currency.

According to the Chicago based security firm Trustwave, hundreds of thousands of computers have been infected with “Pony” malware to form a botnet going after bitcoin and other virtual currencies. So far, at least 85 virtual wallets have been stolen.

Continue readingRedmond FUDs FOSS While Forking Android & More…

February’s Top Ten

By FOSS Force on March 1, 2014 |

Site News

These are the ten most read articles on FOSS Force for the month of February, 2014.

1. Recommending Linux to a Friend by Ken Starks. Published February 21, 2014. Our Mr. Starks explains how he got one nothing-but-Windows user to try and like Linux.

2. Maintenance–The Achilles Heel of Linux by Ken Starks. Published January 30, 2014. Should Linux users fight back again “broken” aspects of their favorite distro because “that’s just the way it is?”

3. KDE Tops Desktop Poll by Christine Hall. February 12, 2014. Visitors to FOSS Force choose KDE as their favorite desktop.

Continue readingFebruary’s Top Ten

We’re Back! Did You Miss Us?

By FOSS Force on February 20, 2014 |

Site News

Yesterday afternoon about one o’clock eastern time, we began a migration to a new server. You weren’t supposed to notice the change. Or, if you did, it’d be like, “Wow! Look at how much better this site performs now!” We had it planned so visitors would just connect to our old server until the DNS change propagated the Internet and — voila! — they’d suddenly be visiting us on our new and improved server, without even knowing.

It sounds like a plan, eh? That’s what we thought, until it didn’t work out.

Continue readingWe’re Back! Did You Miss Us?
Russia’s Olympic Spying, Comcast Weds Time Warner & More…Boris and Natasha

Russia’s Olympic Spying, Comcast Weds Time Warner & More…

By FOSS Force on February 15, 2014 |

Business, Internet, News, Politics and Security

FOSS Week in Review

The day we fought back

Tuesday, February 11th, The Day We Fight Back, has come and gone. Whether the event was a success, failure or fell somewhere in between depends on whom you read.

Surprisingly, the biggest naysayer was probably the New York Times, which started an article. “The Day the Internet Didn’t Fight Back,” with the line, “So much for mass protest.” It appears as if the Times’ metric for this judgement was the lack of participation by some sites which took part in the online SOPA protest a couple of years back.

Continue readingRussia’s Olympic Spying, Comcast Weds Time Warner & More…
Torvald’s Thumbs Up, Gates’ Computer Skills & More…Wozniak

Torvald’s Thumbs Up, Gates’ Computer Skills & More…

By FOSS Force on February 8, 2014 |

Hardware, Internet, Mobile, News, Politics and Security

FOSS Week in Review

Canadians spy at airports

The more we see of the Snowden revelations the more we wonder, when did the English speaking world become a police state?

The latest news was reported January 30th by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), from which we learned that all the electronics eavesdropping hasn’t been being conducted solely by the U.S. and the Brits. The Canadians have had their hand in it too.

It seems that Communications Security Establishment Canada (CSEC), a Canadian spy agency, has been using the free Wi-Fi at “a major Canadian airport” to track wireless devices, which presumably would include laptops as well as phones and tablets. The surveillance would continue for days after visitors passed through the airport.

Continue readingTorvald’s Thumbs Up, Gates’ Computer Skills & More…
Google Beats Troll, Ellison’s Oracle ‘Unbreakable’ & More…Michael Copps

Google Beats Troll, Ellison’s Oracle ‘Unbreakable’ & More…

By FOSS Force on February 1, 2014 |

Business, Internet, Mobile, News, Patents and Politics

FOSS Week in Review

NSA involved in industrial espionage

Another big non-surprise this week in the continuing saga of the NSA. It appears that our beloved spy agency has been using their secret powers for the purpose of uncovering industrial secrets from foreign companies. So much for the separation of business and state. Reuters reported that in a television interview with a German TV network, Edward Snowden said the agency doesn’t confine its intelligence gathering to items of national security.

“‘If there’s information at Siemens that’s beneficial to U.S. national interests – even if it doesn’t have anything to do with national security – then they’ll take that information nevertheless,’ Snowden said…”

Even the Republicans are jumping on the stop-the-NSA bandwagon, which is rather surprising.

Continue readingGoogle Beats Troll, Ellison’s Oracle ‘Unbreakable’ & More…
Latest Articles