Microsoft is addressing a DNS misconfiguration that has disrupted the delivery of one-time passcodes for Exchange Online users. The issue, deemed a critical service problem, affects users receiving encrypted emails via Gmail and Yahoo. Microsoft has corrected the DNS records and is testing the solution with affected users.
Full Story: BleepingComputer (7/2)
Microsoft will end support for password management in its Authenticator app at the end of July as part of a broader move toward passwordless authentication methods such as passkeys and FIDO2. Microsoft suggests users who continue to use passwords to use dedicated password managers such as Microsoft Edge or Google Password Manager.
Full Story: The Hacker News (India) (7/1)
What They’re Not Telling You About SolarWinds: It Wasn’t a Breach — It Was the Backdoor
In December 2020, the world was told a Russian “Hack” hit U.S. federal networks through SolarWinds.
Wrong.
It wasn’t a foreign op.
It was a white hat takeover of the digital command grid.
Let me show you.
1. What Was SolarWinds?
A Texas-based IT company that pushed software updates to:
What they called a vulnerability…
…was actually a legal foothold.
2. EO 13848 Was Already Active
Trump had already signed Executive Order 13848 in 2018:
Declaring election interference a national emergency.
By 2020, SolarWinds gave federal intel teams lawful access to:
Under 13848, they didn’t need permission.
They needed access.
SolarWinds was access.
3. What Came Next?
You’re watching a multi-year digital sting operation unfold in quarters.
4. SolarWinds + EO 13961 = Continuity Killbox
EO 13961 (Mission Continuity Strategy, Dec 2020):
Federalizes critical mission systems across all agencies.
Now link the pieces:
This isn’t cleanup. It’s activation.
5. The Real Operation
SolarWinds wasn’t a failure.
It was the launchpad for:
Total ops handoff to Continuity teams (Guard/Marines/Coast Guard)
The Great Reset isn’t theirs.
It’s ours.
Bottom Line:
The classic MS-DOS Editor is now cross-platform
If you remember Bill Gates as CEO of Microsoft, you might remember the MS-DOS Editor, which, when introduced in 1991, was revolutionary in the early days of GUI-based computing. Microsoft recently modernized it in an open-source tool called Edit, built with Rust, and which works on macOS and Linux systems as well as Windows.
Full Story: Ars Technica (6/23)
| Want to quickly open Windows Terminal? |
| If you need to use the command line, you can type wt into search or right click Start and select Terminal in the menu. Holding Shift + CTRL when you press enter will launch Windows Terminal as admin. |
| Learn what you can do with Windows Terminal ❯ |
Windows Terminal is a modern host application for the command-line shells you already love, like Command Prompt, PowerShell, and bash (via Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL)). Its main features include multiple tabs, panes, Unicode and UTF-8 character support, a GPU accelerated text rendering engine, and the ability to create your own themes and customize text, colors, backgrounds, and shortcuts.
House bans WhatsApp citing security concerns
The House has banned WhatsApp from all devices, citing security concerns regarding data protection and encryption. The Office of Cybersecurity has recommended alternatives such as Microsoft Teams, Amazon Wickr, Signal and Apple iMessage. Meta has disagreed with the ban, asserting that WhatsApp offers superior security.
Full Story: U.S. News & World Report (6/24)
FileFix can make Windows File Explorer an attack vector
A cybersecurity researcher known as mr.d0x has built FileFix, a variant of the ClickFix social engineering attack that uses the Windows File Explorer address bar to execute malicious commands. The researcher explains that the method could be used by threat actors due to its simplicity and familiarity to users and serves as an example of how phishing attacks can evolve to exploit more user-friendly environments.
Full Story: BleepingComputer (6/24)
Microsoft shares workaround for Outlook crash issue
Microsoft has released a temporary fix for an issue that crashes the classic Outlook client when opening or starting emails, which affects users in the Monthly Enterprise Channel who updated to Version 2504. While a permanent fix is being developed, Microsoft has a workaround that involves creating a missing “FORMS2” folder.
Full Story: BleepingComputer
Baseline set for USB-C features on Windows 11 laptops
Microsoft has updated the Windows Hardware Compatibility Program to ensure that manufacturers install USB-C ports on Windows 11 laptops that have baseline support in regards to data transfer, power delivery and display connectivity. This change aims to end the variability and potential lack of these features due to cost-cutting by manufacturers.
Full Story: TechRadar (6/2)
Recovering a WIFI password.
You need to be logged in to get to the password information.
To access the control panel network connections use the ncpa.cpl tool by selecting the Windows +r keys, type in the “ncpa.cpl” and select run.
Ncpa.cpl is a file associated with the Network Connections control panel in Windows, which allows users to manage network adapters and settings.468 It can be accessed by typing “ncpa.cpl” in the Run dialog box (Windows + R) or by navigating to the Control Panel and opening Network Connections.46 The file is safe and should not be considered a threat to your computer.2
The acronym “NCPA” stands for Network Connections Properties and Adapters.3 This tool is particularly useful for network administrators and users who frequently need to adjust network settings.
Right Click the desired Wireless Network connection from the list.
Select Status from the dropdown list.
Select Wireless Properties
On the “Wireless Network Properties” open the Security tab
On the Security tab, select “Show characters”.
Have fun!