
2.5 Admins
318 episodes — Page 3 of 7
2.5 Admins 218: TLS TTL
SSL certificates are likely going to last less time, the latest Windows 11 update leaves a huge chunk of data behind and doesn’t play nicely with some SSDs, picking a modern dhcp server on a homebrew router, and storing encrypted backups on a friend’s NAS with ZFS. Plugs Support us on patreon and get an ad-free RSS feed with early episodes sometimes Klara Halloween Webinar: ZFS Horror Stories. Oct 31st 13:00 EDT, 17:00 UTC News Sysadmins slam Apple’s SSL/TLS cert lifespan cuts Windows 11 24H2 hoards 8.63 GB of junk you can’t delete As Microsoft rolls out its Windows 11 24H2 update, owners of certain Western Digital SSDs have been greeted with constant Blue Screens of Death WD releases new firmware to fix Windows 11 24H2 blue screens of death on some SSD Not just Western Digital – Windows 24H2 BSODs Asus kit Free consulting We were asked about picking a modern dhcp server on a homebrew router, and storing encrypted backups on a friend’s NAS with ZFS. The Ars guide to building a Linux router from scratch Linux Router Part 1: Routing, NAT, and NFTables See our contact page for ways to get in touch.
2.5 Admins 217: Drive Scavenging
The difference between monitoring and metrics analysis, the security pros and cons of cloud vs on-prem, why Jim and Allan don’t use Unraid, and cloud storage and email for a small company. Feedback Netdata Nagios ZFS and Unraid Free consulting We were asked about cloud storage and email for a small company. Automox Check out the brand new Autonomous IT podcast. Listen in as a variety of experts in the IT Operations space discuss the latest Patch Tuesday releases, mitigation tips, and custom automations to help with CVE remediations. Listen now on Spotify, Apple, or wherever you get your podcasts. 1Password Extended Access Management: Secure every sign-in for every app on every device. Support the show and check it out at 1password.com/25a See our contact page for ways to get in touch.
2.5 Admins 216: Pa55w0rd%
NIST has finally proposed some sensible password standards, why server CPUs with high core counts make sense in a lot of deployments, the .io TLD is probably sticking around, and the best options for a Linux-based router. Plugs Support us on patreon and get an ad-free RSS feed with early episodes sometimes Klara Halloween Webinar: ZFS Horror Stories. Oct 31st 13:00 EDT, 17:00 UTC ZBM 101: Introduction to ZFSBootMenu News NIST proposes barring some of the most nonsensical password rules You’re right not to rush into running AMD, Intel’s new manycore monster CPUs The Disappearance of an Internet Domain Free consulting We were asked about setting up a Linux-based router. OpenWrt on TP-Link devices See our contact page for ways to get in touch.
2.5 Admins 215: Still no VLANs
Why cold storage is never as good as keeping your data warm and regularly tested, how the American air traffic control system became so outdated, and isolating your devices from a roommate’s shenanigans. Plug Support us on patreon and get an ad-free RSS feed with early episodes sometimes News/discussion Music industry’s 1990s hard drives, like all HDDs, are dying FAA air traffic control modernization efforts are a mess Free consulting We were asked about isolating your devices from a roommate’s shenanigans. 1Password Extended Access Management: Secure every sign-in for every app on every device. Support the show and check it out at 1password.com/25a See our contact page for ways to get in touch.
2.5 Admins 214: No VLANs
A proposed solution to the WHOIS TLS verification problem gets a surprising amount of pushback. Plus isolating IoT devices, our thoughts on Ubiquiti gear, setting up WiFi in a new house, remote access with WireGuard, and our mini PC recommendations. Plug Support us on patreon and get an ad-free RSS feed with early episodes sometimes News Google calls for halting use of WHOIS for TLS domain verifications Free consulting We were asked about isolating IoT devices, our thoughts on Ubiquiti gear, setting up WiFi in a new house, remote access with WireGuard, and our mini PC recommendations. 1Password Extended Access Management: Secure every sign-in for every app on every device. Support the show and check it out at 1password.com/25a See our contact page for ways to get in touch.
2.5 Admins 213: Photo Philosophy
The Malaysian government’s misguided plan to control its citizens’ DNS, the wrong way to deploy underwater servers, a philosophical question about how long a person’s photos will exist, and how we manage our SSH keys. Plug Support us on patreon and get an ad-free RSS feed with early episodes sometimes News/discussion Malaysia’s plan to block overseas DNS dies after a day Proposed underwater data center surprises regulators who hadn’t heard about it Free consulting We were asked about how we manage our SSH keys. 1Password Extended Access Management: Secure every sign-in for every app on every device. Support the show and check it out at 1password.com/25a Automox Check out the brand new Autonomous IT podcast. Listen in as a variety of experts in the IT Operations space discuss the latest Patch Tuesday releases, mitigation tips, and custom automations to help with CVE remediations. Listen now on Spotify, Apple, or wherever you get your podcasts. See our contact page for ways to get in touch.
2.5 Admins 212: WHODIS
A surprising way to exploit the WHOIS system, Microsoft will force old versions of Windows 11 to update, and the simple way to set up TP-Link Omada gear. Plug Support us on patreon and get an ad-free RSS feed with early episodes sometimes News Rogue WHOIS server gives researcher superpowers no one should ever have Windows 11 users still living in the past face forced update, like it or not Free consulting We were asked about setting up TP-Link Omada gear. See our contact page for ways to get in touch.
2.5 Admins 211: Open Sourceless
Another example of the downsides of abstraction, whether AI can ever be truly “open source”, and the security benefits and drawbacks of different types of VPN. Plug Support us on patreon and get an ad-free RSS feed with early episodes sometimes News/discussion Hackers infect ISPs with malware that steals customers’ credentials Debate over “open source AI” term brings new push to formalize definition Free consulting We were asked about whether VPNs are a security measure. See our contact page for ways to get in touch.
2.5 Admins 210: Ryzen Up
AMD will patch some old Ryzens against SinkClose now, but their benchmarking methods for newer CPUs didn’t live up to everyday reality. Plus Bcachefs devs annoy Linus Torvalds, the US government sues a college over compliance issues, and Jim disappoints a patron. Plug Support us on patreon and get an ad-free RSS feed with early episodes sometimes News AMD’s Ryzen 3000 CPUs to get SinkClose patch after all AMD explains, promises partial fixes for Ryzen 9000 performance problems Linus Torvalds Begins Expressing Regrets Merging Bcachefs After cybersecurity lab wouldn’t use AV software, US accuses Georgia Tech of fraud Free consulting We were asked about monitoring your network for new device connections. See our contact page for ways to get in touch.
2.5 Admins 209: Faulty Defaults
Insecure SSH implementations and a weak key that let a researcher control 200 MW of electrical capacity reignites the debate about versioned protocols vs pluggable protocols, follow-up on sharing files from your LAN with people on the Internet, and the pros and cons of encrypted backups. Plug Support us on patreon and get an ad-free RSS feed with early episodes sometimes News/discussion Researchers find insecure SSH implementations everywhere 512-bit RSA key in home energy system gives control of “virtual power plant” Feedback Syncthing Resilio Send OnionShare Warp Immich Free consulting We were asked about the pros and cons of encrypted backups. 1Password Extended Access Management: Secure every sign-in for every app on every device. Support the show and check it out at 1password.com/25a See our contact page for ways to get in touch.
2.5 Admins 208: All CPUs suck
Forcing Windows to undo updates and a separate IPv6 vulnerability, hardware bugs in AMD and Intel CPUs, and using Samba on Linux with Active Directory. Plug Support us on patreon and get an ad-free RSS feed with early episodes sometimes News Your victim’s Windows PC fully patched? Just force undo its updates and exploit away CVE-2024-38063 – Security Update Guide – Microsoft – Windows TCP/IP Remote Code Execution Vulnerability Almost unfixable “Sinkclose” bug affects hundreds of millions of AMD chips SMM LOCK BYPASS Intel’s crashing 13th and 14th Gen Raptor Lake CPUs: all the news and updates Free Consulting We were asked about using Samba on Linux with Active Directory. map acl inherit = yes acl_xattr:ignore system acls = yes acl_xattr:default acl style = windows Setting up a Share Using Windows ACLs Automox Check out the brand new Autonomous IT podcast. Listen in as a variety of experts in the IT Operations space discuss the latest Patch Tuesday releases, mitigation tips, and custom automations to help with CVE remediations. Listen now on Spotify, Apple, or wherever you get your podcasts. See our contact page for ways to get in touch.
2.5 Admins 207: Insecure Boot
Secure boot is compromised on hundreds of devices, Amazon’s desperate attempt to make money from Alexa, and how to decide which open source software on GitHub to trust. Plug Support us on patreon and get an ad-free RSS feed with early episodes sometimes News/discussion Secure Boot is completely broken on 200+ models from 5 big device makers old and related Amazon’s paid Alexa is coming to fill a $25 billion hole dug by Echo devices Alexa had “no profit timeline,” cost Amazon $25 billion in 4 years Free consulting We were asked about how to decide which open source software on GitHub to trust. 1Password Extended Access Management: Secure every sign-in for every app on every device. Support the show and check it out at 1password.com/25a See our contact page for ways to get in touch.
2.5 Admins 206: CrowdStruck
How and why the recent huge Windows outage was caused by a bad CrowdStrike update and how it could have been avoided, a hilariously dumb ESXi vulnerability, and using SAS drives with a PCIe card. Plug Support us on patreon and get an ad-free RSS feed with early episodes sometimes News A closer look at what caused the CrowdStrike Windows crashes Ransomware gangs are loving this dumb but deadly ESXi flaw Jake Williams on Twitter Free Consulting We were asked about using SAS drives with a PCIe card. See our contact page for ways to get in touch.
2.5 Admins 205: Dogs Hate BTC
How a Bitcoin mine made life in a Texas town absolutely miserable, why paying for extended support for end of life Windows versions is just doubling down on technical debt, and the best way to manage router redundancy. Plug Support us on patreon and get an ad-free RSS feed with early episodes sometimes News/discussion Inside the ‘Nightmare’ Health Crisis of a Texas Bitcoin Town Enterprises urged to think carefully about Windows 10 extended support options Free Consulting We were asked about managing router redundancy. 1Password Extended Access Management: Secure every sign-in for every app on every device. Support the show and check it out at 1password.com/25a See our contact page for ways to get in touch.
2.5 Admins 204: Maybe Don’t 5
A widely-used login system is still using MD5 which is bad news, miscreants took over some domains when they moved from Google to Squarespace, Linksys’ sloppy app isn’t a huge problem but is a bad sign, and why backing up an Android phone in one go is pretty much impossible without root. Plug Support us on patreon and get an ad-free RSS feed with early episodes sometimes News New Blast-RADIUS attack breaks 30-year-old protocol used in networks everywhere Squarespace migration linked to DNS hijacking, claims report Linksys Velop routers send Wi-Fi passwords in plaintext to US servers Free Consulting We were asked about backing up Android phones. Automox Check out the brand new Autonomous IT podcast. Listen in as a variety of experts in the IT Operations space discuss the latest Patch Tuesday releases, mitigation tips, and custom automations to help with CVE remediations. Listen now on Spotify, Apple, or wherever you get your podcasts. See our contact page for ways to get in touch.
2.5 Admins 203: Yet more free consulting
We didn’t get to all of your questions for our Episode 200 free consulting special so here is another full episode of your questions and our answers. Our thoughts on a new UK smart devices law, backing up 30TB off-site, how to learn ZFS, SMB vs other ways to share files, and backing up secrets. Smart devices: new law helps citizens to choose secure products FreeBSD Mastery: ZFS FreeBSD Mastery: Advanced ZFS 1Password Extended Access Management: Secure every sign-in for every app on every device. Support the show and check it out at 1password.com/25a Support us on patreon and get an ad-free RSS feed with early episodes sometimes See our contact page for ways to get in touch.
2.5 Admins 202: Microsoft’s Underwater Again
Why we didn’t mention pocket fluff when we talked about USB-C charging issues, Microsoft abandons its promising underwater data center experiment and didn’t monitor it’s SSL certs, why you should be careful which WordPress plugins and themes you install,an Australian ISP’s tech debt comes due, and remoting into desktop Linux. Plug Support us on patreon and get an ad-free RSS feed with early episodes sometimes News Microsoft ends Project Natick underwater data center experiment despite success Microsoft declares its underwater data center test was a success Shouting in the Datacenter Backdoor slipped into multiple WordPress plugins in ongoing supply-chain attack Coding error in forgotten API blamed for massive data breach Microsoft hits snooze again on security certificate renewal Free Consulting We were asked about remoting into desktop Linux. NoMachine See our contact page for ways to get in touch.
2.5 Admins 201: CVEs everywhere
Vulnerabilities in Asus hardware make us think there should be some regulations about what can be sold as a router, a VPN feature that we hadn’t heard of is removed from Windows, and why we don’t believe that Microsoft will ever take security as seriously as they claim. Plug Support us on patreon and get an ad-free RSS feed with early episodes sometimes News/discussion High-severity vulnerabilities affect a wide range of Asus router models Dear Asus router user: You’ve been pwned, thanks to easily exploited flaw Microsoft to remove DirectAccess from Windows, recommends switching to Always On VPN Microsoft fixes hack-me-via-Wi-Fi Windows security hole CVE-2024-30078 Microsoft in damage-control mode, says it will prioritize security over AI Pluralistic: Microsoft pinky swears that THIS TIME they’ll make security a priority Tailscale Tailscale is an easy to deploy, zero-config, no-fuss VPN that allows you to build simple networks across complex infrastructure. Go to tailscale.com/25a and try Tailscale out for free for up to 100 devices and 3 users, with no credit card required. Automox Check out the brand new Autonomous IT podcast. Listen in as a variety of experts in the IT Operations space discuss the latest Patch Tuesday releases, mitigation tips, and custom automations to help with CVE remediations. Listen now on Spotify, Apple, or wherever you get your podcasts. See our contact page for ways to get in touch.
2.5 Admins 200: Even more free consulting
It’s our episode 200 free consulting special. Jim and Allan answer your questions about hard drive availability, USB-C robustness, ZFS performance on a VPS, cold storage with a 2.5″ form factor, how we gained our level of knowledge, disk enclosure issues, and monitoring Windows servers. Tailscale Tailscale is an easy to deploy, zero-config, no-fuss VPN that allows you to build simple networks across complex infrastructure. Go to tailscale.com/25a and try Tailscale out for free for up to 100 devices and 3 users, with no credit card required. 1Password Extended Access Management: Secure every sign-in for every app on every device. Support the show and check it out at 1password.com/25a See our contact page for ways to get in touch.
2.5 Admins 199: Rest In Parity
How to prepare for your loved ones to have the access they need if the worst unexpectedly happens, Joe’s weird issues with wireless access points, and dealing with email accounts that shouldn’t exist. Plug Support us on patreon and get an ad-free RSS feed with early episodes sometimes News/discussion After you die, your Steam games will be stuck in legal limbo EAP225 AC1350 wireless access point Free Consulting We were asked about dealing with email accounts that shouldn’t exist. Tailscale Tailscale is an easy to deploy, zero-config, no-fuss VPN that allows you to build simple networks across complex infrastructure. Go to tailscale.com/25a and try Tailscale out for free for up to 100 devices and 3 users, with no credit card required. 1Password Extended Access Management: Secure every sign-in for every app on every device. Support the show and check it out at 1password.com/25a See our contact page for ways to get in touch.
2.5 Admins 198: SMB Pulse
Microsoft is tightening up SMB security in Windows which might break access to your old NAS, a Cogent root-server mysteriously goes out of sync without them spotting it, and protecting hard drives from electromagnetic pulses. Plug Support us on patreon and get an ad-free RSS feed with early episodes sometimes News Installing Windows 11 24H2 might mean binning that old NAS A root-server at the Internet’s core lost touch with its peers. We still don’t know why Free Consulting We were asked about protecting hard drives from electromagnetic pulses. Tailscale Tailscale is an easy to deploy, zero-config, no-fuss VPN that allows you to build simple networks across complex infrastructure. Go to tailscale.com/25a and try Tailscale out for free for up to 100 devices and 3 users, with no credit card required. See our contact page for ways to get in touch.
2.5 Admins 197: Exchange Money
Linux kernel developers were infected with malware for 2 years, another nail in the coffin of proper federated email as Exchange Server moves to a subscription model, followup on zfsbootmenu and IPv6, and learning unfamiliar topics. Plug Support us on patreon and get an ad-free RSS feed with early episodes sometimes News/discussion Linux maintainers were infected for 2 years by SSH-dwelling backdoor with huge reach Exchange Server SE to debut just before 2019 support ends Newbie struggling with zfsbootmenu Free Consulting We were asked about learning unfamiliar topics. Tailscale Tailscale is an easy to deploy, zero-config, no-fuss VPN that allows you to build simple networks across complex infrastructure. Go to tailscale.com/25a and try Tailscale out for free for up to 100 devices and 3 users, with no credit card required. See our contact page for ways to get in touch.
2.5 Admins 196: Won’tel
Microsoft’s new Copilot+ feature will record everything you are doing on your computer for some reason, but it will only work on new Arm hardware for now. Plus Apple’s weird iOS bug that restored deleted files and photos, and sharing files over the Internet from a NAS on your LAN. Plugs Support us on patreon and get an ad-free RSS feed with early episodes sometimes Allan was on Linux Dev Time News New Windows AI feature records everything you’ve done on your PC Microsoft’s “Copilot+” AI PC requirements are embarrassing for Intel and AMD Apple needs to explain that bug that resurfaced deleted photos Free Consulting We were asked about sharing files over the Internet from a NAS on your LAN. Tailscale Tailscale is an easy to deploy, zero-config, no-fuss VPN that allows you to build simple networks across complex infrastructure. Go to tailscale.com/25a and try Tailscale out for free for up to 100 devices and 3 users, with no credit card required. Automox Check out the brand new Autonomous IT podcast. Listen in as a variety of experts in the IT Operations space discuss the latest Patch Tuesday releases, mitigation tips, and custom automations to help with CVE remediations. Listen now on Spotify, Apple, or wherever you get your podcasts. See our contact page for ways to get in touch.
2.5 Admins 195: Execute Option 121
Why Windows 10 might be gaining users at Windows 11’s expense, an old DHCP option is a potential risk for VPN users, we should probably say “renting” rather than “buying”domains, and avoiding tracking when using IPv6. Plugs Support us on patreon and get an ad-free RSS feed with early episodes sometimes Jim was on Late Night Linux again News Has Windows 11 really lost marketshare to Windows 10? Novel attack against virtually all VPN apps neuters their entire purpose Free Consulting We were asked about avoiding tracking when using IPv6. Tailscale Tailscale is an easy to deploy, zero-config, no-fuss VPN that allows you to build simple networks across complex infrastructure. Go to tailscale.com/25a and try Tailscale out for free for up to 100 devices and 3 users, with no credit card required. Kolide Kolide ensures that if a device isn’t secure it can’t access your apps. It’s Device Trust for Okta. Visit kolide.com/25a to learn more. See our contact page for ways to get in touch.
2.5 Admins 194: Thundering Mastodon
Mastodon’s link previews are causing downtime for web servers without properly configured caching, locking down DNS inside Windows networks, why using write-once backup media is a bad idea, and increasing the performance of a Microsoft SQL Server with SSDs and ZFS. Plugs Support us on patreon and get an ad-free RSS feed with early episodes sometimes Jim was on Late Night Linux News Mastodon delays firm fix to solve link preview DDoS Mastodon Is DDoSing Me Microsoft plans to lock down Windows DNS like never before Free Consulting We were asked about write-once backup media, and increasing the performance of a Microsoft SQL Server with SSDs and ZFS. Tailscale Tailscale is an easy to deploy, zero-config, no-fuss VPN that allows you to build simple networks across complex infrastructure. Go to tailscale.com/25a and try Tailscale out for free for up to 100 devices and 3 users, with no credit card required. See our contact page for ways to get in touch.
2.5 Admins 193: TV DoS
How a smart TV broke a Windows machine on the same network by pretending to be hundreds of different TVs, Jim’s alarming theory about AI malware, and encrypting offsite backups. Plug Support us on patreon and get an ad-free RSS feed with early episodes sometimes News/discussion Is your PC having trouble? Your smart TV might be to blame Free Consulting We were asked about encrypting offsite backups. Tailscale Tailscale is an easy to deploy, zero-config, no-fuss VPN that allows you to build simple networks across complex infrastructure. Go to tailscale.com/25a and try Tailscale out for free for up to 100 devices and 3 users, with no credit card required. Kolide Kolide ensures that if a device isn’t secure it can’t access your apps. It’s Device Trust for Okta. Visit kolide.com/25a to learn more. See our contact page for ways to get in touch.
2.5 Admins 192: ZFS Week
ZFS on root is back in the Ubuntu installer but there’s a better way to do it, next-generation hard drives are proving to be reliable but prices are going up thanks to storage-hungry AI, why getting started with ZFS is really easy, and the best filesystem for a single SSD (take a guess). Plugs Support us on patreon and get an ad-free RSS feed with early episodes sometimes How to upstream code to open source projects News Ubuntu 24.04 Supports Easy Installation Of OpenZFS Root File-System With Encryption After years of testing, Seagate claims its heat-assisted HAMR drives are as reliable as traditional PMR storage Seagate makes HDD price hikes, says AI caused demand spike Free Consulting We were asked about learning ZFS, and which filesystem to use for a single SSD. Tailscale Tailscale is an easy to deploy, zero-config, no-fuss VPN that allows you to build simple networks across complex infrastructure. Go to tailscale.com/25a and try Tailscale out for free for up to 100 devices and 3 users, with no credit card required. See our contact page for ways to get in touch.
2.5 Admins 191: Mechanical Turk
Why updating iPhones in their sealed boxes might have some downsides, Amazon’s “AI” turned out to just be people, LLMs hallucinating imaginary dependencies is potentially a security risk, Aruba backs up its government data to the Internet Archive, and disk queue schedulers in Linux. Plug Support us on patreon and get an ad-free RSS feed with early episodes sometimes News/discussion Here’s our first look at Apple’s in-the-box iPhone updating machine Amazon Ditches ‘Just Walk Out’ Checkouts at Its Grocery Stores AI bots hallucinate software packages and devs download them Caribbean nation of Aruba backs itself up to Internet Archive Free Consulting We were asked about disk queue schedulers in Linux. Tailscale Tailscale is an easy to deploy, zero-config, no-fuss VPN that allows you to build simple networks across complex infrastructure. Go to tailscale.com/25a and try Tailscale out for free for up to 100 devices and 3 users, with no credit card required. See our contact page for ways to get in touch.
2.5 Admins 190: twitterz
A backdoor has been found in xz-utils, OpenZFS improves ZVOL performance on Linux, Twitter devs fail at regex, and adding SATA ports to a home NAS. Plug Support us on patreon and get an ad-free RSS feed with early episodes sometimes Hybrid Cloud Show is a new show that’s part of the Late Night Linux Family! News backdoor in upstream xz/liblzma leading to ssh server compromise OpenZFS Merges Support For Using Multiple Task Queues To Increase Performance for zvols X fixes URL blunder that could enable social media phishing Free Consulting We were asked about adding SATA ports to a home NAS. Tailscale Tailscale is an easy to deploy, zero-config, no-fuss VPN that allows you to build simple networks across complex infrastructure. Go to tailscale.com/25a and try Tailscale out for free for up to 100 devices and 3 users, with no credit card required. See our contact page for ways to get in touch.
2.5 Admins 189: Too Much Glass
Glassdoor seemingly doesn’t understand its raison d’etre, Telegram wants to cheap out on sending verification codes, law enforcement makes YouTube give them details of everyone who watched certain videos, and tuning a low end VPS to host a blog. Plug Support us on patreon and get an ad-free RSS feed with early episodes sometimes News/discussion Users ditch Glassdoor, stunned by site adding real names without consent Telegram’s Peer-to-Peer Login system is a risky way to save $5 a month Feds Ordered Google To Unmask Certain YouTube Users Free Consulting We were asked about tuning a low end VPS to host a blog. Tailscale Tailscale is an easy to deploy, zero-config, no-fuss VPN that allows you to build simple networks across complex infrastructure. Go to tailscale.com/25a and try Tailscale out for free for up to 100 devices and 3 users, with no credit card required. Kolide Kolide ensures that if a device isn’t secure it can’t access your apps. It’s Device Trust for Okta. Visit kolide.com/25a to learn more. See our contact page for ways to get in touch.
2.5 Admins 188: Farewell to Core
The FreeBSD version of TrueNAS is going away, a major Apple antitrust case begins, encrypted LLM chat responses are relatively easy to read, and scaling a fleet of FreeBSD hosts with jails. Plug Support us on patreon and get an ad-free RSS feed with early episodes sometimes News TrueNAS CORE 13 is the end of the FreeBSD version zVault Apple’s antitrust fight begins US DOJ’s blockbuster lawsuit against Apple is headline grabber but poses limited near-term impact Hackers can read private AI-assistant chats even though they’re encrypted Free Consulting We were asked about scaling a fleet of FreeBSD hosts with jails. Cluster provisioning with Nomad and Pot on FreeBSD See our contact page for ways to get in touch.
2.5 Admins 187: MDK
Prison officials took away inmate student laptops for no good reason, Warner Bros. ruined gamers’ experiences, Google’s terrible office WiFi, and managing gold images. Plug Support us on patreon and get an ad-free RSS feed with early episodes sometimes News/discussion An engineer bought a prison laptop on eBay. Then 1,200 incarcerated students lost their devices Devs left with tough choices as Warner Bros. ends all Adult Swim Games downloads Google’s self-designed office swallows Wi-Fi “like the Bermuda Triangle” Free Consulting We were asked about managing gold images. See our contact page for ways to get in touch.
2.5 Admins 186: Jim Defends the CFAA
Roku stops its users watching TV until they accept a new ToS, the line between journalism and computer fraud and abuse, and when using jumbo frames on a network makes sense. Plug Support us on patreon and get an ad-free RSS feed with early episodes sometimes News Roku disables players and TVs with attempt to coerce arbitration agreement Over 15,000 hacked Roku accounts sold for 50¢ each to buy hardware Op-ed: Charges against journalist Tim Burke are a hack job Free Consulting We were asked about using jumbo frames on a network. Kolide Kolide ensures that if a device isn’t secure it can’t access your apps. It’s Device Trust for Okta. Visit kolide.com/25a to learn more. See our contact page for ways to get in touch.
2.5 Admins 185: 2.5 Gigabits
The boss of Nvidia says kids don’t need to code because they can just use AI, companies sell their users’ data to train models, and why 2.5Gbps networking probably isn’t worth bothering with. Plug Support us on patreon and get an ad-free RSS feed with early episodes sometimes News/discussion Jensen Huang says kids shouldn’t learn to code — they should leave it up to AI Google cut a deal with Reddit for AI training data Tumblr and WordPress to Sell Users’ Data to Train AI Tools Free Consulting We were asked about adding 2.5Gbps gear to your network. Kolide Kolide ensures that if a device isn’t secure it can’t access your apps. It’s Device Trust for Okta. Visit kolide.com/25a to learn more. See our contact page for ways to get in touch.
2.5 Admins 184: Avast, mateys
More cameras leak footage, Avast is fined for selling user data, a vending machine quietly scans students’ faces, using a small NVMe drive with ZFS, and taking snapshots of VMs. Plug Support us on patreon and get an ad-free RSS feed with early episodes sometimes News “So violated”: Wyze cameras leak footage to strangers for 2nd time in 5 months Avast fined $16.5 million for ‘privacy’ software that actually sold users’ browsing data Vending machine error reveals secret face image database of college students Free Consulting We were asked about using a small NVMe drive with ZFS, and taking snapshots of VMs. Automox Check out the brand new Autonomous IT podcast. Listen in as a variety of experts in the IT Operations space discuss the latest Patch Tuesday releases, mitigation tips, and custom automations to help with CVE remediations. Listen now on Spotify, Apple, or wherever you get your podcasts. See our contact page for ways to get in touch.
2.5 Admins 183: Unbootable Quantum Toothbrushes
Why it’s not a great idea to install Windows 11 on unsupported hardware, quantum computing hype has been replaced by AI, toothbrushes can’t be part of a botnet, Google has killed cached search results, and testing your backups. Plugs Support us on patreon and get an ad-free RSS feed with early episodes sometimes News/discussion Windows 11 24H2 goes from “unsupported” to “unbootable” on some older PCs Investors threw 50% less money at quantum sector last year Viral news story of botnet with 3 million toothbrushes was too good to be true Google has killed cached results in search Free Consulting We were asked about testing your backups. Kolide Kolide ensures that if a device isn’t secure it can’t access your apps. It’s Device Trust for Okta. Visit kolide.com/25a to learn more. Automox Check out the brand new Autonomous IT podcast. Listen in as a variety of experts in the IT Operations space discuss the latest Patch Tuesday releases, mitigation tips, and custom automations to help with CVE remediations. Listen now on Spotify, Apple, or wherever you get your podcasts. See our contact page for ways to get in touch.
2.5 Admins 182: All the Small Things
Nginx is forked, Broadcom/VMware kills ESXi, dedup is finally fixed in ZFS, using multiple network interfaces on a NAS, and more. Plugs Support us on patreon and get an ad-free RSS feed with early episodes sometimes News announcing freenginx.org Broadcom-owned VMware kills the free version of ESXi virtualization software OpenZFS Native Encryption Use Raises Data Corruption Concerns Fast Dedup is a Valentines Gift to the OpenZFS and TrueNAS Communities Free Consulting We were asked about using multiple network interfaces on a NAS. Kolide Kolide ensures that if a device isn’t secure it can’t access your apps. It’s Device Trust for Okta. Visit kolide.com/25a to learn more. See our contact page for ways to get in touch.
2.5 Admins 181: Triangle Fraud
Trying to report a security issue lands a consultant in trouble, a new take on the drop shipping scam, setting up your first NAS – including the benefits of RAID, picking a distro, choosing the right disk size, and more. Plug Support us on patreon and get an ad-free RSS feed with early episodes sometimes News/discussion IT consultant in Germany fined for exposing shoddy security Canadian Man Stuck in Triangle of E-Commerce Fraud ICANN proposes creating .INTERNAL domain Free Consulting We were asked about setting up your first NAS – including the benefits of RAID, picking a distro, and choosing the right disk size. Building Your Own FreeBSD-based NAS with ZFS Part 2: Tuning Your FreeBSD Configuration for Your NAS 3.5″ internal drives sorted by price/TB See our contact page for ways to get in touch.
2.5 Admins 180: Email 777
Microsoft’s rudimentary error that allowed an attacker access to its executives’ emails, Pixel phones have another serious storage bug, hidden malware payload found at Ars Technica, and when to upgrade your hardware for Windows 11. Plugs Support us on patreon and get an ad-free RSS feed with early episodes sometimes BSDCan 2024 – Call for papers News In major gaffe, hacked Microsoft test account was assigned admin privileges Pixel phones are broken again with critical storage permission bug Ars Technica used in malware campaign with never-before-seen obfuscation Free Consulting We were asked about when to upgrade your hardware for Windows 11. See our contact page for ways to get in touch.
2.5 Admins 179: Y2K NotOK
Y2K was a pretty serious problem and 2038 is coming soon, work on Arm servers is improving the experience on the desktop, and what to do with an old unsupported Synology NAS. Plugs Support us on patreon and get an ad-free RSS feed with early episodes sometimes OpenZFS Best Practices: Part 2: File Serving and SANs News/discussion The ‘nothing-happened’ Y2K bug – and how IT squashed it What I learned from using a Raspberry Pi 5 as my main computer for two weeks Free Consulting We were asked about what to do with an old unsupported Synology NAS. Xpenology How can I use a PC to recover data when my Synology NAS malfunctions? Automox Check out the brand new Autonomous IT podcast. Listen in as a variety of experts in the IT Operations space discuss the latest Patch Tuesday releases, mitigation tips, and custom automations to help with CVE remediations. Listen now on Spotify, Apple, or wherever you get your podcasts. See our contact page for ways to get in touch.
2.5 Admins 178: LOTS of Storage
Hard drives are pretty much an enterprise product now, GitHub’s malware problem, and spreading services across different machines and VMs to keep downtime to a minimum. Plugs Support us on patreon and get an ad-free RSS feed with early episodes sometimes OpenZFS Storage Best Practices and Use Cases Part 1: Snapshots and Backups News Hard disk drives are next in line to become mostly enterprise hardware — as Nvidia (and AMD) could be planning to focus on AI, leaving consumers as second-class citizens Seagate unveils 30 TB+ Exos HAMR disk drives – Blocks and Files Miscreants absolutely love using GitHub to sling malware Flying Under the Radar: Abusing GitHub for Malicious Infrastructure Free Consulting We were asked about spreading services across different machines and VMs to keep downtime to a minimum. Kolide Kolide ensures that if a device isn’t secure it can’t access your apps. It’s Device Trust for Okta. Visit kolide.com/25a to learn more. Automox Check out the brand new Autonomous IT podcast. Listen in as a variety of experts in the IT Operations space discuss the latest Patch Tuesday releases, mitigation tips, and custom automations to help with CVE remediations. Listen now on Spotify, Apple, or wherever you get your podcasts. See our contact page for ways to get in touch.
2.5 Admins 177: Don’t Pay the Dane
Why the problems with open source licenses aren’t quite as easy to fix as some people think, the reasons you should never pay ransomware gangs, and running a Nagios distro on a Raspberry Pi. Plug Support us on patreon and get an ad-free RSS feed with early episodes sometimes News/discussion What comes after open source? Bruce Perens is working on it A tale of 2 casino ransomware attacks: One paid out, one did not The State of Ransomware in the U.S.: Report and Statistics 2023 Free Consulting We were asked about running a Nagios distro on a Raspberry Pi. NEMS Linux Automox Check out the brand new Autonomous IT podcast. Listen in as a variety of experts in the IT Operations space discuss the latest Patch Tuesday releases, mitigation tips, and custom automations to help with CVE remediations. Listen now on Spotify, Apple, or wherever you get your podcasts. See our contact page for ways to get in touch.
2.5 Admins 176: Sudo Cognito
What does “incognito mode” in Chrome actually mean and whether documenting browser standards in code is a good idea, the serious implications of a fun story about messing with a ChatGPT instance, and maximizing performance when using mixed disk types on ZFS mirrored vdevs. Plug Support us on patreon and get an ad-free RSS feed with early episodes sometimes News Google agrees to settle Chrome incognito mode class action lawsuit I’d Buy That for a Dollar: Chevy Dealership’s AI Chatbot Goes Rogue Free Consulting We were asked about maximizing performance when using mixed disk types on ZFS mirrored vdevs. See our contact page for ways to get in touch.
2.5 Admins 175: Guess Who’s Listening
Twitch pulls out of Korea thanks to the opposite of Net Neutrality, it’s not clear to what extent smart devices are listening to your conversations, more on water usage in data centers, and our thoughts on mandatory access controls. Plug Support us on patreon and get an ad-free RSS feed with early episodes sometimes News Twitch to shut down in Korea over ‘prohibitively expensive’ network fees Marketer sparks panic with claims it uses smart devices to eavesdrop on people Free Consulting We were asked for our thoughts on mandatory access controls. Kolide Kolide ensures that if a device isn’t secure, it can’t access your apps. It’s Device Trust for Okta. Watch the demo today to see how it works at kolide.com/25a See our contact page for ways to get in touch.
2.5 Admins 174: Guess Who’s Watching
What you need to know about the recent SSH vulnerability, yet another privacy issue with cloud-connected security cameras, why it’s difficult to get to the bottom of an obscure ZFS encryption bug, and more. Plug Support us on patreon and get an ad-free RSS feed with early episodes sometimes News SSH protects the world’s most sensitive networks. It just got a lot weaker UniFi devices broadcasted private video to other users’ accounts Free Consulting We were asked about the state of ZFS encryption, and Syncoid snapshots. See our contact page for ways to get in touch.
2.5 Admins 173: Ghost Files
Google Drive client users lost months of files, a feature of UEFI that has left millions of computers potentially vulnerable to persistent malware, and why you probably shouldn’t buy cheap resold volume Windows licenses. Plugs Support us on patreon to get ad-free episodes that are sometimes a day or so early. News/discussion Google Drive users say Google lost their files; Google is investigating How to restore files in Drive for desktop (v84.0.0.0-84.0.4.0) Just about every Windows and Linux device vulnerable to new LogoFAIL firmware attack Free Consulting We were asked about using cheap resold volume Windows licenses. Kolide Kolide ensures that if a device isn’t secure, it can’t access your apps. It’s Device Trust for Okta. Watch the demo today to see how it works at kolide.com/25a See our contact page for ways to get in touch.
2.5 Admins 172: HOLEy ZFS
Jim and Allan break down the details of the recent ZFS data corruption bug, and give their tips for managing a fleet of 40+ servers. Plug Support us on patreon and get an ad-free RSS feed with early episodes sometimes News Two new versions of OpenZFS fix long-hidden corruption bug Free Consulting We were asked about managing 40+ servers. Automox Save time, eliminate risk, and automate the patching, configuration, and control of all your Windows, macOS, and Linux endpoints with Automox. See our contact page for ways to get in touch.
2.5 Admins 171: RSA PSA
Why a small island nation’s top level domain ended up with such a terrible reputation, an ssh vulnerability that’s not as scary as it sounds, whether software can be “finished”, and using powerline or WiFi for security cameras. Plugs Support us on patreon and get an ad-free RSS feed with early episodes sometimes News How a tiny Pacific Island became the global capital of cybercrime Passive SSH server private key compromise is real … for some vulnerable gear Feedback The beauty of finished software Free Consulting We were asked about using powerline or WiFi for security cameras. Kolide Kolide ensures that if a device isn’t secure, it can’t access your apps. It’s Device Trust for Okta. Watch the demo today to see how it works at kolide.com/25a The Traceroute Podcast Check out the new season of the Traceroute Podcast on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Visit the website. See our contact page for ways to get in touch.
2.5 Admins 170: Uninterruptible WiFi
Why and how Allan installed a set of new Power over Ethernet wireless access points, and our hardware recommendations for a media server and NAS in one. Allan’s new WiFi setup Access points Controller Free Consulting We were asked for hardware recommendations for a media server and NAS in one. HelloFresh With HelloFresh, you get farm-fresh, pre-portioned ingredients and seasonal recipes delivered right to your doorstep. Get free breakfast for life at hellofresh.com/25adminsfree with code 25adminsfree. (One breakfast item per box while subscription is active). Kolide Kolide ensures that if a device isn’t secure, it can’t access your apps. It’s Device Trust for Okta. Watch the demo today to see how it works at kolide.com/25a See our contact page for ways to get in touch.
2.5 Admins 169: SDCoF
A Cloudflare outage shines a light on sloppy data center practices, and why you shouldn’t run a mail server at home. Plus followup on the Android multi-user bug, package managers on Windows, and Toshiba hard drives. Plugs Support us on patreon and get an ad-free RSS feed with early episodes sometimes News/discussion Cloudflare claims Flexential data center outage was behind service disruption – DCD Post Mortem on Cloudflare Control Plane and Analytics Outage Android 14’s storage disaster gets patched, but your data might be gone Feedback winget Toshiba Consumer Internal Hard Disk Drives Free Consulting We were asked about running a mail server at home. “Run Your Own Mail Server” chapter 0 HelloFresh With HelloFresh, you get farm-fresh, pre-portioned ingredients and seasonal recipes delivered right to your doorstep. Get free breakfast for life at hellofresh.com/25adminsfree with code 25adminsfree. (One breakfast item per box while subscription is active). Kolide Kolide ensures that if a device isn’t secure, it can’t access your apps. It’s Device Trust for Okta. Watch the demo today to see how it works at kolide.com/25a See our contact page for ways to get in touch.