Lockbit Ransomware targets VMWare ESXi hosts
An article on duo.com describes a ransomware vector of great concern – exploit a vulnerability in an ESXi host, encrypt the data storage for dozens, possibly hundreds of hosts simultaneously. The LockBit ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS) group has over the past year targeted various organizations globally, including ones in Chile, Italy and the UK. Researchers with Trend Micro in […]
Installing OpenWRT and Wireguard VPN
Most home routers sold today are running Linux under the hood with a proprietary web GUI intended for home users. There’s been a movement over the past several years to create a more featureful environment for these routers by creating third-party firmware. I installed OpenWRT on a Linksys WRT1900ACS router acting as my internet gateway. […]
State of the Home Office, 2022
I upgraded my workspace for 2022. I used to have a dual monitor setup with a 23″ 16:9 monitor and a 19″ 4:3 monitor. This worked adequately for several years, but the mixed geometry made moving windows from one screen to another difficult. I replaced two monitors with a single LG 34″ ultrawide flat screen […]
Kasm – Docker containers in your browser!
I just discovered Kasm, an amazing little tool that lets you run Docker containers on a remote server in a client browser. From their web site: Streaming containerized apps and desktops to end-users. The Workspaces platform provides enterprise-class orchestration, data loss prevention, and web streaming technology to enable the delivery of containerized workloads to your […]
Why I went back to using a 2012 ThinkPad
I’ve sworn by IBM and Lenovo Thinkpads for their reliability, build quality – and my users loved them. My daily-use laptop is a 12 year-old Thinkpad T410. While it’s heavier than a modern ultrabook, it’s got a traditional keyboard remimiscent of older desktop keyboards, and both a trackpoint and trackpad. With a simple set of […]
Staying Productive
We’re living in interesting times, with those who are lucky able to perform some semblance of their work responsibilities from home. Working from home presents its own challenges, many of which I faced when working as a freelance consultant earlier in my career. I thought I’d summarize some of the things I’d learned here: 1. […]
Back to Outlook
One the benefits of working for a company with a volume license agreement with Microsoft is Microsoft’s Home Use Program. My current employer is a rather large Microsoft 365 customer, and Microsoft offers a generous package – $69.99/year for up to 5 users with Microsoft 365 apps and 6 TB of OneDrive cloud storage. It’s […]
In the beginning, there was Bare Metal
As a technology consultant, I need a network environment to evaluate, test and deploy a myriad of applications. In the Beginning, there was Bare Metal. I ran a stable of obsolete desktop PCs in a garage lab, each running an operating system I was working on. That meant running enterprise applications on marginal hardware and […]
Outlook and Getting Things Done
Why Outlook? The key to an effective task management system is having a system that’s easy to use and available wherever and whenever you need it. Microsoft 365 and Outlook are used by many companies for communication and collaboration. and with a little tweaking, can replace separate project and task management apps and be available […]
Amazfit Bip – First Impressions
Professionally, I work with teams supporting technology in fast-moving organizations. Personally, I’m focused on productivity and organization, regardless of platform. Over the years, I’ve used paper journals, Palm Pilots, standalone desktop programs and collaboration tools for group organization. The tool is just a tool, it’s the habits and disciplines that ensure productivity. I’ve resisted wearing […]
