Corrine Administrator, Microsoft MVP, Security Analyst Staff member Joined Feb 22, 2012 Posts 12,064 Location Upstate, NY Jul 3, 2016 #1 Congratulations to Aura for completing malware removal training at Bleeping Computer!
Tekno Venus Senior Administrator, Developer Staff member Joined Jul 21, 2012 Posts 7,203 Location UK Jul 3, 2016 #2 Well done Aura
Digerati ModeratorHardware ExpertMicrosoft MVP (Ret.) Staff member Joined Aug 28, 2012 Posts 4,915 Location Nebraska, USA Jul 3, 2016 #3 WTG! I don't have the patience for these type repairs done via forum posts. I am too much of a hands-on person (who does not like to analyze logs - did it too much in the military) so I stick to malware removal with the systems that physically come across my bench. So for sure, I appreciate those who take the time to go through the training and certification process, and are so willing to help those users with compromised systems. :thumbsup2: :thumbsup2:
WTG! I don't have the patience for these type repairs done via forum posts. I am too much of a hands-on person (who does not like to analyze logs - did it too much in the military) so I stick to malware removal with the systems that physically come across my bench. So for sure, I appreciate those who take the time to go through the training and certification process, and are so willing to help those users with compromised systems. :thumbsup2: :thumbsup2:
Aura Sysnative Staff, Security Analyst Staff member Joined Mar 16, 2015 Posts 8,061 Jul 3, 2016 #4 Thank you everyone! :) I am too much of a hands-on person Click to expand... It's funny because me and dave (an Instructor on BleepingComputer and GeeksToGo) always says that in our IRC, since he's a tech that mostly worked in shops, while I'm a tier 2 technical support doing internal support for a big company, and we're both used to have direct access to the machines we work on haha! I really am more of a hands-on person as well when it comes to that, and you can see it in the way I handle malware removal as well, so you're not alone! :)
Thank you everyone! :) I am too much of a hands-on person Click to expand... It's funny because me and dave (an Instructor on BleepingComputer and GeeksToGo) always says that in our IRC, since he's a tech that mostly worked in shops, while I'm a tier 2 technical support doing internal support for a big company, and we're both used to have direct access to the machines we work on haha! I really am more of a hands-on person as well when it comes to that, and you can see it in the way I handle malware removal as well, so you're not alone! :)
Digerati ModeratorHardware ExpertMicrosoft MVP (Ret.) Staff member Joined Aug 28, 2012 Posts 4,915 Location Nebraska, USA Jul 3, 2016 #5 Yeah, my roots go back to when I was an electronics technician for Air Force air traffic control radio facilities so I'm used to having a meter probe in one hand and a soldering iron in the other. I got into computers in the early 70s when I had to interface one our LF (low frequency) radio systems for the US Navy to a NORAD mainframe. Mainframes (and their keepers) are a different breed altogether but I still got the bug and stayed interested in computers. I only learned operating systems as necessary to operate the computers. I picked up malware removal out of necessity simply because clients kept brining in infected systems. It was then I decided I needed to teach "practicing safe computing" just so users didn't need malware removal services. I found it is a very rare case where an infection could not have been prevented had the user been "security aware" and a bit more disciplined at keeping systems updated and avoiding risky behavior. For sure, the vast majority of infections are more or less self-inflicted. The one and only time any system I was personally responsible for got infected was via the "sneakernet". A co-worker brought in an infected floppy disk from his home. He forgot he had left it in the floppy drive overnight and the next morning, booted the system. It was a derivative of the Stoned virus. I was not happy. Bringing in floppies from home was not authorized and "boot from floppy" should have been disabled on that system already. In fact, it was that same person who was tasked to disable that feature in a bunch of new systems we got in and reported it was done. He did not work for me much longer. :shame2: Oh well. A good lesson learned early. Anyway, thanks again for all that you do. Sadly, with users being the weakest link in security (always have been and always will be), I think you will not have to worry about job security.
Yeah, my roots go back to when I was an electronics technician for Air Force air traffic control radio facilities so I'm used to having a meter probe in one hand and a soldering iron in the other. I got into computers in the early 70s when I had to interface one our LF (low frequency) radio systems for the US Navy to a NORAD mainframe. Mainframes (and their keepers) are a different breed altogether but I still got the bug and stayed interested in computers. I only learned operating systems as necessary to operate the computers. I picked up malware removal out of necessity simply because clients kept brining in infected systems. It was then I decided I needed to teach "practicing safe computing" just so users didn't need malware removal services. I found it is a very rare case where an infection could not have been prevented had the user been "security aware" and a bit more disciplined at keeping systems updated and avoiding risky behavior. For sure, the vast majority of infections are more or less self-inflicted. The one and only time any system I was personally responsible for got infected was via the "sneakernet". A co-worker brought in an infected floppy disk from his home. He forgot he had left it in the floppy drive overnight and the next morning, booted the system. It was a derivative of the Stoned virus. I was not happy. Bringing in floppies from home was not authorized and "boot from floppy" should have been disabled on that system already. In fact, it was that same person who was tasked to disable that feature in a bunch of new systems we got in and reported it was done. He did not work for me much longer. :shame2: Oh well. A good lesson learned early. Anyway, thanks again for all that you do. Sadly, with users being the weakest link in security (always have been and always will be), I think you will not have to worry about job security.
Go The Power Senior Administrator, Windows Update Expert, Contributor Staff member Joined Mar 5, 2012 Posts 6,292 Location Adelaide, South Australia Jul 4, 2016 #6 Congratulations Aura, all the hard work has finally paid off :)
Aura Sysnative Staff, Security Analyst Staff member Joined Mar 16, 2015 Posts 8,061 Jul 4, 2016 #7 Anyway, thanks again for all that you do. Sadly, with users being the weakest link in security (always have been and always will be), I think you will not have to worry about job security. Click to expand... Thanks :) Like I say at work "If the software isn't the problem, and the device isn't, the only thing we didn't try changing yet is the user" Thanks Alex! Yes it did :)
Anyway, thanks again for all that you do. Sadly, with users being the weakest link in security (always have been and always will be), I think you will not have to worry about job security. Click to expand... Thanks :) Like I say at work "If the software isn't the problem, and the device isn't, the only thing we didn't try changing yet is the user" Thanks Alex! Yes it did :)
A Guy Righteous Dude Joined Jun 2, 2012 Posts 1,077 Location Bay Area Peninsula Jul 4, 2016 #8 Congratulations! A notable achievement A Guy
Aura Sysnative Staff, Security Analyst Staff member Joined Mar 16, 2015 Posts 8,061 Jul 6, 2016 #9 Thank you A Guy :)
jcgriff2 Co-Founder / AdminBSOD Instructor/ExpertMicrosoft MVP (Ret.) Staff member Joined Feb 19, 2012 Posts 21,541 Location New Jersey Shore Jul 7, 2016 #10 Congratulations, Aura - well done!!
Aura Sysnative Staff, Security Analyst Staff member Joined Mar 16, 2015 Posts 8,061 Jul 8, 2016 #11 Thank you John :)
C CKing123 Sysnative Staff, Windows Update Senior Analyst Staff member Joined Aug 17, 2015 Posts 1,138 Location British Columbia, Canada Jul 12, 2016 #12 Congratulations Aura :)
Aura Sysnative Staff, Security Analyst Staff member Joined Mar 16, 2015 Posts 8,061 Jul 12, 2016 #13 Thanks CKing :)
xilolee Moderator Staff member Joined Dec 31, 2013 Posts 3,670 Location World, Europe, Italy Jul 12, 2016 #14 :beerchug2: