William W. Chuang's Blog

Ten Alleged Russian Spies Arrested In US

2010-06-28T17:37:00.000-04:00

After a multi-year investigation, American authorities arrested ten suspected Russian spies, days after President Obama met Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and called him a "solid and reliable partner."

Bank Failures On Pace To Double 2009 Rate

2010-06-19T01:55:00.000-04:00

A Nevada bank was shut down by federal regulators on Friday, the 83rd bank to fail in 2009. This time last year, only 40 banks had failed. Defaults on bank loans for commercial property and development are responsible for the increase rate of bank failures. The FDIC is now $20.7 billion in the red due to all of the failures.

WordPress 3.0 Released

2010-06-19T01:08:00.000-04:00

I upgraded my test blog to WordPress 3.0. It was a seamless one-click operation. All of the plugins I use and recommend for safety reasons have been compatible with the new version of WordPress. From a practical standpoint, I can't tell what is new to this version aside from bulk updates to plugs, even though WordPress.org claims that there are 1,217 bug fixes and feature enhancements as seen in the video below. However, I believe that the features will be more obvious as theme developers take advantage of the upgrades.

I don't think there is a reason to upgrade yet on your production website. It's usually a good idea to wait a point release or two (to WordPress 3.0.1 or 3.0.2) before upgrading.

BP Well Leaking 35,000-60,000 Barrels Per Day

2010-06-19T00:57:00.000-04:00

Government scientists estimate that the blown BP well in the Gulf of Mexico is leaking 35,000 to 60,000 barrels of oil per day. The good news is that BP is capturing 25,000 barrels of oil everyday. That means only 10,000-35,000 barrels of oil are flowing every day into the Gulf! Hurray.

The Real Ending To Lost

2010-06-09T00:08:00.000-04:00

Great, huh?

Failed Terrorist Arrested

2010-05-04T11:43:00.000-04:00

"Faisal Shahzad, U.S. citizen from Pakistan, arrested in Times Square bomb case." Shahzad was arrested late Monday night at Kennedy International Airport waiting for a flight to Pakistan. The interesting bit was that he had used a disposable cellphone to buy the car but somehow investigators were able to determine his identity from that phone number.

WordPress Sites Being Hacked; Are You Safe?

2010-04-29T02:22:00.000-04:00

Over the last few months, hundreds of Wordpress-powered websites were hacked so that they redirected readers to malware sites. This was not the result of a vulnerability with Wordpress per se. Rather, the culprit seems to be a lax file-access setting that allowed any visitor to access a file that contained database configurations, which were used to hack the website.

I have a written a brief guide on securing WordPress. Item 8 is spot on here: set your permission properly. I use WP Security Scan to make sure that all the key files are set to the strictest settings that allow WordPress to function normally. You can make the necessary changes using the File Manager on CPanel. However, take this chance to make sure that all of these security settings have been instituted on your WordPress blog.

The only additional plugin I have used since writing the previous guide is the Antivirus plugin. Unfortunately, this plugin is useful only when your blog is working perfectly. Make sure your blog is clean before installing Antivirus. Then run a manual scan. It will likely find many suspicious sections of code in your theme files, which you should designate as not a virus so they won't be flagged on a later scan. Then set the plugin to email you when it finds new suspicious code. Apparently, Antivirus would have warned infected WordPress bloggers of this new hack.

Attorneys Targeted by Scammers

2010-03-21T12:47:00.000-04:00

Attorneys are being targeted by scammers passing bad settlement checks, or by hackers trying to infiltrate their computer systems to get confidential information such as the result of litigations or customer data. Interestingly, foreign governments may be behind the attacks. A law firm that filed a lawsuit against the Chinese government had its Gmail account hacked along with those of Chinese activists.

Checks are a big problem for law firms because of the chances of a bounced check. Companies such as Law Charge provide the service of depositing checks electronically, which takes a day or so out of the float period so you will know sooner if a check is fake. However, the best preventative measure is to know how to identify a fake check. Always ask clients for photo ID, make a copy, and compare the signatures. Make sure the check number on the bottom matches up with the check number printed on top, and that the routing number is nine digits. If it is a large amount, have the client wire the money to you. I had a prospective client who insisted on writing me a big check to hold in escrow for another party. I asked to have the money wired into the account instead of taking a certified check. Never heard from her again.

As far as computer security, all systems should be running fully-patched version of the software, and a anti-virus security suite. Users should not be running any programs that are not crucial to business functionality on their work systems, such as iTunes and the like. A file server should be secured against hackers by using non-standard ports, strong passwords, and setting them to reject IPs with a certain number of bad login attempts. Mail should be hosted with trustworthy companies.

Chilean Earthquake Shortened Day

2010-03-01T23:49:00.000-05:00

A NASA scientist said that the Chilean earthquake, which registered an 8.8 on the Richter scale, likely shifted the Earth's axis and shortened the day by 1.26 microseconds. An island near Chile was moved six feet as a result of the earthquake. That is an awesome demonstration of how powerful the earthquake was, and how lucky that casualties there have not been more severe.

US Wins Four-Man Bobsled Gold

2010-02-27T23:56:00.000-05:00

After a sixty-two year drought, the United States won the gold medal in the four-man bobsled at the Vancouver Winter Olympics. A big reason for the success of the bobsled team has to do with the sled itself. The American team had been using second-hand sleds until NASCAR engineers started to design the US sleds.

Obama Shocks McCain By Agreeing With Him

2010-02-26T23:04:00.000-05:00

From The Daily Show With Jon Stewart, a clip from the bipartisan health care summit held yesterday where President Obama shocks John McCain by agreeing with his point about the deals made to secure the passage of the health care reform bill.

Scientist Finds Godless, Sexless Liberals Smarter

2010-02-26T21:45:00.000-05:00

An evolutionary psychologist at the London School of Economics correlated liberalism, atheism, and monogamy in men with higher intelligence. Satoshi Kanazawa notes that the difference in IQ score, while statistically significant, was not stunning. The scientists behind the study identified themselves as a conservative and a libertarian.

Al Qaeda Terrorist Najibullah Zazi Pleads Guilty In Civilian Court

2010-02-23T16:23:00.000-05:00

From Reuters:

Zazi's guilty plea on Monday provided a much-needed political victory for U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder and U.S. President Barack Obama, who have come under criticism from conservatives calling them soft on terrorism.

Zazi, 25, admitted to receiving al Qaeda training and plotting a suicide bomb attack on the New York subway system, pleading guilty to three felony counts that could put him in prison for life -- all after being read his rights and given a defense lawyer in civilian proceedings.

"It does show that it's possible to get suspected terrorists to talk without inflicting brutal abuses on them," said Jameel Jaffer, director of the National Security Project for the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).

"Family Guy" Actress With Down's Syndrome PWNS Sarah Palin

2010-02-18T23:56:00.001-05:00

Last week, Sarah Palin criticized the TV show Family Guy for making fun of her daughter Trig, who has Down's Syndrome. Andrea Fay Friedman, the actress who voiced the retarded character on Family Guy, responded to Palin's charges with devastating wit.

In my family we think laughing is good. My parents raised me to have a sense of humor and to live a normal life. My mother did not carry me around under her arm like a loaf of French bread the way former Governor Palin carries her son Trig around looking for sympathy and votes.

Vicious pwning. Wow.

Hormone Spray May Help Autism Patients

2010-02-16T03:00:00.001-05:00

Researchers have very preliminary evidence that a nasal spray containing the hormone oxytocin helps autism patients interact with others. The study included thirteen patients with autism or Asperger's syndrome, which is related to autism. The treatment helped the patients make eye contact and play toss with others. More research is necessary but the study is provocative because it provides a lead for drug companies to develop compounds that may be even more effective. Early use of the nasal spray may help ameliorate the impact of the disease.

I think it's amazing that a hormone can have such profound effects on our social skills and psyche.

Demetri Martin: Sames & Opposites

2010-02-14T22:21:00.000-05:00

Demetri Martin sings about Sames & Opposites. For instance, a musical is the same as a burlap sack; he doesn't want to be in either. I'm happy he finally got his own show on Comedy Central.

NAS As Remote File Server

2010-02-14T21:51:00.001-05:00

We have had a Synology 210j file server at work for a few months now. Having a central store of all of our files has been very useful. We don't have to worry about different version of files when collaborating. Also, the documents are securely and remotely backed up every night using Cobian and RSYNC.

However, security was an issue. The file server shipped with a firewall that blocks access after a certain number of unsuccessful log in attempts. Almost immediately after being set up, the file server started to report blocked IPs. The fix was to disable FTP and set up SFTP instead. Also, and this is the most important step, set the external ports to a random, non-standard port. FTP typically uses port 21 and SSH uses port 22. Hackers will normally scan only the standard ports unless they are specifically targeting your server. If you set your system to use non-standard ports, then you will be left out of their attacks. After changing the ports, I had no more blocked access attempts. To change the external ports, go to your router's port forwarding page. Leave the internal ports the same for FTP, SSH, and SFTP but change the external ports to a random number that you remember.

The Synology 210j has had great uptime. We don't use very advanced features aside from the remote access via FTP. For those small businesses that use Google Apps for mail, calendaring, and contacts, setting up a Synology file server may be a great alternative to a full Microsoft Exchange Server.

Preying Mantis Hunts Mouse Cursor In Vain

2010-02-14T01:10:00.000-05:00

A preying mantis sits on a man's Macbook, patiently trying to hunt the mouse cursor while a dog barks in the background.

Google Buzz: Death Of Privacy?

2010-02-13T21:24:00.000-05:00

Recently, Google decided to use its Gmail service as the basis for Google Buzz, a new social networking platform meant to compete with Facebook and Myspace. (Well, not so much Myspace.) Effectively, a Gmail user's contact list became their friend list. Unfortunately, Google made this change without advance notice and without adequate consideration of its users' privacy interests.

Google Buzz probably caused many people to realize the ugly truth: that Google knows a lot about them. Google Dashboard allows the curious to get a glimpse of their Google dossier, but Buzz finally forced them to confront the fact that their real lives is hopelessly interconnected with their online lives, and that Google has a lot of data on both.

I don't see the Google genie going back into the bottle. The database is there and won't go away. The upside to Buzz might be to remind us that we are responsible for everything that we write or do online unless we take measures to keep them private. At the very least, it means not blogging using a Google-run service, or using Google for your mail and calendaring at work.

Uh, oh.

Google Chrome Now Has Ad-Block!

2010-01-25T23:53:00.000-05:00

Google updated its Chrome Browser with support for extensions, APIs, and syncing your Chrome bookmarks to Google Docs. The best extension, of course, is Ad Block. Kiss your ads goodbye! Another nifty extension is the Google Voice extension. It puts a little Google Voice icon on the minimalist Chrome menu that signals when you have a voice mail. Click on it to place a call, send a text message, or go to your inbox.

I think Chrome is now finally ready for the prime time.

2008 Olympics: Jason Lezac Wins the Relay for the US

2010-01-22T10:51:00.001-05:00

Jimmy Kimmel Slays Jay on His Own Show

2010-01-15T11:45:00.000-05:00

Jay Leno had Jimmy Kimmel over on the 10 at 10 bit. Some of the punchlines: "Listen, Jay, Conan and I have children—all you have to take care of is cars. I mean, we have lives to lead here. You've got $800 million, for God's sakes—leave our shows alone."

Haitians Protest Aid Delays By Building Corpse Roadblocks

2010-01-14T23:46:00.000-05:00

Does this sound stupid to anyone else? "Reports are coming in of Haitians using corpses as roadblocks to protest the lack of assistance they’re receiving. Looting is also being reported." I hope this is a hoax or bad reporting. The international community better hurry the hell up and send aid in there. High temperatures would dehydrate survivors quickly, and disease will be rampant unless controlled.

Setting Up A Small Office File Server

2009-12-26T00:11:00.007-05:00

A file server allows for more efficient collaboration by making the latest versions of documents available to users, even remotely over the Internet. Furthermore, a centralized storage device simplifies backups. At work, we have the Synology DS210j network-attached storage (NAS) device. This post will briefly describe the setup process and features of the DS210j.

The Synology 210j ships without any hard drives. We chose the Western Digital 1 TB Green Drives. Assembly is very simple and requires only a Phillips screwdriver. The Synology has two drive bays. If you stick in two of the same drives, you can configure it to use RAID 1, which mirrors the data across both drives. If you set this up, your data will be safe in case one hard drive fails. Once you install the hard drives, plug the Synology into the network router or switch.

The next step is to download the latest setup software and firmware from the Synology website. (The software on the included CD did not work.) Again, the setup is very simple and run by software wizards. The Synology can be mapped to a drive that logs in when you start Windows. In my case, it shows up as the Z: drive.

The trickiest part is setting up the router properly for remote access. My router uses the Tomato firmware, so that’s what my instructions are geared towards. In fact, it might be worthwhile for you to buy a router that supports Tomato firmware and set it up. First, have the router assign the Synology an IP address via static DHCP. This guarantees that the Synology will always have the same IP on your network. Second, forward only the necessary ports to the Synology, which should have the same internal IP if you set up the static DHCP. The specific ports to open can be found on your Synology instructions, but you should at least forward ports 21, 22, 23, and 5000. The only ports that should be forwarded by your router should be those necessary for remote Internet access by SFTP, and SSH. Do not use the router’s DMZ feature, which directs all ports to your Synology. Even though it makes set up easier, it is also very insecure. Lastly, you need to set up a free account at DynDNS, and put the proper settings into your router. This provides you with an URL that will always be pointed at your router. You will use this URL to access your Synology by SFTP, or SSH. (For more security, you should set the Synology to disable the Telnet service, and to force the FTP protocol to use TLS/SSL encryption.)

The Synology 210j also includes a built-in firewall, which you should configure to reject all ports other than the bare minimum needed to provide the services you need. Keep in mind that not all the ports open on the Synology firewall should be forwarded by the router. Some ports need to be open only on the local network, such as those necessary for Windows file sharing. These ports should not be open to the Internet.

The last thing to set up is automatic backup of your Synology device to a remote server. I used rsync to have the Synology automatically backup to DreamHost servers over an encrypted SSH line every night. RSYNC minimizes the amount of data transferred by only sending the changes in the files, and has a compression function built-in. The only problem is that if you mess up a file, it will be changed on the server that night. In other words, regular backups are still necessary. The remote backup was very difficult to set up and required a lot of typing away at a command line. Most of the difficulty was on DreamHost’s end. Another webhost with a more robust rsync or SSH may make things easier.

The Synology DS210j cost $230, and the hard drives cost $85 each. Newegg did not charge tax in NY, and shipped it to us overnight by standard shipping, which cost $10. For about $400, we have a file server that has built-in redundancy. We can access the files securely from the Internet so we can work from home or other offices without fear that we need someone in the office to send the latest files to us. The automated backup feature provides disaster recovery. Furthermore, if our office’s Internet access fails when we’re away, we can still access the files on DreamHost’s servers. Hopefully, this will be similarly helpful to readers.

New Layout For Firm's Website

2009-12-23T00:42:00.000-05:00

I use Google Analytics to keep track of my firm's website. It showed that there hasn't been sufficient click-through on the articles posted on our website. I decided to rearrange the navigation bar of the website in a bid to change it. Take a look and tell me if it works.