from the net: Newly Patched Critical Microsoft WSUS Flaw Comes Under Active Exploitation

 

Microsoft on Thursday released out-of-band security updates to patch a critical-severity Windows Server Update Service (WSUS) vulnerability with a proof-of-concept (Poc) exploit publicly available and has come under active exploitation in the wild.

https://thehackernews.com/2025/10/microsoft-issues-emergency-patch-for.html

From the net: SMB over QUIC ?

Server Message Block (SMB) has been around for decades, powering Windows file shares and becoming a staple of enterprise networks. But in the last few years, it’s started riding on top of Quick UDP Internet Connections (QUIC), a transport protocol that promises lower latency, greater reliability, and built-in security. SMB over QUIC offers so many advantages that it feels like a no-brainer for the future of networked storage — yet it’s not simple to adopt, and that’s holding back wider use.

click the image to read the full article

   

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these are pretty handy to have on your keychain or a couple in your toolkit

From the net: How DNS Works (Domain Name System)?

 

From the article:

The Domain Name System (DNS) translates human-readable domain names (like example.com) into IP addresses that computers use to communicate. It’s often described as the “phone book” or “directory” of the internet. 

At a high level, a DNS lookup involves your device asking a resolver to find the IP address for a domain, the resolver querying a hierarchy of DNS servers (root, TLD, authoritative), and then returning the answer, which is cached for performance.

click on the image to read the full article

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Packet Guru is your Profitap equipment headquarters in the U.S.

From the toolbox: What is HFS ?

I get quite a few emails asking which tools I use for specific issues, what software based tools would I recommend, etc, etc. Since I am teaching a class this week, this handy little guys popped up on my radar since I've been using it for years..

If you’re looking for a powerful yet lightweight solution to share files directly from your computer, check out HFS (HTTP File Server). This open-source tool allows you to instantly turn your machine into a web file server — whether you’re sharing entire folders or even just a single file — thanks to its built-in virtual file system. With support for major platforms (Windows, Linux, macOS, FreeBSD, and even Android) and robust features like resumable uploads/downloads, zipped folder downloads, and HTTPS support, HFS makes file sharing easy and accessible. 

One of the cool things about HFS is how quickly you can get started. After launching the program, the administration panel opens in your browser and from there you simply pick the folders you’d like to share. On the client side, anyone with a link can browse (or download) the contents — no need to manually upload to a third-party server. The real-time connection monitoring, customizable throttling, plugin ecosystem (themes, LDAP support, geofirewalls) and mobile-friendly UI make it a highly versatile solution whether you’re a casual user or power-user.  

Because HFS is free (under the GPL-3.0 license) and actively maintained, it’s a smart choice for individuals and teams looking to keep control of their file sharing without relying on cloud services. Whether you want to set up a personal file server for backups, distribute large files to colleagues, or simply provide a custom link to someone for a one-off transfer — HFS gives you the freedom and flexibility to do that with minimal fuss.

click on the image and go try it out

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How $3 saved the day

Have you ever spent an embarrassing amount of time troubleshooting your troubleshooting tools? 

Because that’s where I found myself: standing over my friends 'free tester', pushing buttons, wiggling leads, staring at it like it had personally betrayed me. No lights, nothing..—like the thing was ghosting me after just meeting it. Naturally, I assumed the worst: it’s broken, fried, cooked, done for. Time to start googling replacements and maybe explaining to my fried "you get what you pay for".

Of course, being the responsible tech I am, I did what anyone would do first—I blamed the manufacturer. Clearly, they sold me a lemon. Or maybe the universe was just out to get me. I even gave it a good “tap” (the ancient art of percussive maintenance) as if smacking it would jolt its tiny electronic soul back into existence. Spoiler: it didn’t.

Finally, after an hour of “diagnostics” (read: cursing, pacing, and flipping the power button harder), I decided to check the most advanced and complicated component of all—the battery. That’s when the truth hit me like a ton of Duracells: the tester wasn’t dead, it was just starving. A fresh 9-volt later, and suddenly it was back working. Flashing its LEDs happily, mocking me for my lack of basic common sense.

So yes, I spent a solid hour troubleshooting a tester that wasn’t broken. I had, in fact, been defeated by a battery. Lesson learned: before questioning the mysteries of the universe or condemning your tools to the scrap heap, maybe—just maybe—check if it’s power hungry. 

Because nothing says “professional technician” like forgetting to check the battery. In my defense, it wouldn't take much to include a battery status indicator ;)

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This is the kit my friend bought, I got one as well since it was less than $40 Cdn and actually pretty handy.  I literally leave in my tool box - with an extra battery  ;) Click on the image to get more info

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Check out this free guide from our friends at Netscout