Last Months Draw Winner

Let me start with how impressed I was with how many people participated, reached out to thank me for the fun draw and provide some suggestions for the next one.

Spoiler alert !! Three times was a charm for Matthew. Heres how the draw went.

The first person I drew was Jeff from youtube, but i couldnt find him in my followers - use your youtube id next time Jeff..

The second person was Elias from Linkedin - I couldnt find him in my Linkedin followers

The third person was Matthew Wyatt from Facebook, that I did find , woo hoo!!

CONGRATS MATTHEW!!

I WILL HAVE THE NEXT DRAW OUT SOON.

https://thetechfirm.com/25000quiz/

Todays Rant: Then Microsoft wonders why people dislike them

I

I don't mind admitting it, I still use a lot of free Microsoft products and utilities, because they work fine and mostly because they are free and convenient. 

A good example is Clipchamp that I use for quick video editing because it does what its supposed to do and works fairly well.

One thing I loathe  about all vendors that do this, is when they do a software update and change my preferences.  

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• Understanding Network Packet Brokers
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Hackers Use Fake CAPTCHA To Infect Windows PCs

Hackers are abusing fake CAPTCHA pages on compromised or malicious websites to trick Windows users into installing malware on their systems. These CAPTCHA pages mimic familiar “prove you’re human” checks, often styled like Cloudflare or other widely used services, but instead of a normal visual challenge they prompt users to manually execute seemingly simple actions—such as pressing Windows + R, pasting a copied command, and hitting Enter—to complete the verification. What victims don’t realize is that these steps execute a hidden PowerShell command that initiates the malware installation process. (GBHackers Security)

The Case For Nmap Ping Only Subnet Scans

Ever wonder which devices are actually alive on your network without calling up IT and asking for a census That’s where a simple Nmap ping scan comes in handy. 

By running a quick `nmap -sn -n 10.99.10.0/24`, I can get a list of all devices, response time and mac addresses that responded to my ping, no name resolution, no frills, just the facts. It’s like taking attendance in your network classroom—except the students don’t spend extra time proving their full name, and you don’t have to worry about someone doodling on the chalkboard.