Jamaican Hackers attack JDF, JCF as Science, Energy and Technology Ministry predicts more Ransomware

“Yes, the country security entities, the JDF and the JCF, were affected by a malware threat earlier last week. Luckily we were monitoring our systems, as is usually done, but now with much more vigilance since the recent worldwide ransomware attacks which affected over 100 countries and which crippled so many important systems”

Ministry of National Security statement on reports of hacking of the JDF (Jamaica Defense Force) and the JCF (Jamaica Constabulary Force)

Hackers are now attacking JDF (Jamaica Defense Force) and the JCF (Jamaica Constabulary Force).

What's interesting here is that these hackers are Jamaicans or at least reside in Jamaica as noted in the article “Attack on police, army”, published Sunday, May 28, 2017 by Karl Angell, The Jamaica Observer.

Luckily Jamaica's IT Task force was able to spot the hacking attempts as noted by the Ministry of National Security in their statement, quote: “As a result of this vigilance and our usual checks, we were able to minimise the effects of our malware attack. At this point, I can fairly accurately reveal that our systems, which come with many different and varied software protection, especially firewalls, held up well. Plus, we were able to quickly take action, which assisted greatly in countering the offending malware. Further, I can say that the systems at the Ministry of National Security were not affected by this attack”.

We're also lucky; apparently those local Jamaican hackers were just playing around and aren't into the business of extortion, quote:  “We did think about that aspect when we became aware of the malware attack on our security systems, so we made exhaustive checks, and right now the answer to the question is no, we have not received any ransom requests, but we are still in the process of checking; so right now, the answer is no, no ransom request.”

So is this something Jamaica should worry about?

Ransomware and Jamaica - Expect more in the Summer of 2017

It definitely is as it could have been much worse.

Jamaica's Minister of Science, Energy and Technology Dr Andrew Wheatley gave an accurate description of ransomeware, quote: “Ransomware is a type of malicious software that carries out an extortion attack on computer files by blocking access to data until a 'ransom' is paid. If users do not pay in time they are threatened with the deletion of their files. The ransomware is usually spread through various means, including e-mail attachments or malicious links within an e-mail”.

According to Computer Incident Response Team Dr Moniphia Hewling during a presentation to the NSC (National Security Council) on Friday May 26th 2017, Jamaica has lost some US$100 million to cyber-criminal activity. The incidence of cybercrime has been on the rise in Jamaica, prompting chair of the NSC, Prime Minister Andrew Holness, to raise this issue to the level of Cabinet.

His aim is to allocate resources to increase Jamaica's ability to deal with the rising tide of cybercrime. Worse, there are now free Wi-fi hotspots spreading across Jamaica as part of our smart City initiative as noted in my blog article entitled “How Free Wi-Fi and Smart City upgrade coming to New Kingston in Q3 2017”.

Perhaps a rethink of security measures needs to be put in place. Dr Andrew Wheatley has warned Jamaicans to secure their computer systems. He's predicting more ransomware WannaCry-esque attacks in a few weeks time.

So my fellow Jamaicans, be prepared as a storm is brewing on the internet this summer of 2017!!

How Juno, NASA’s Jupiter satellite, show Poles have turbulent Ammonia and Water Storms

“What we’re finding is anything but that is the truth. It’s very different, very complex,”

Juno’s chief scientist Scott Bolton of the Southwest Research Institute

Juno, NASA’s Jupiter orbiting satellite, has returned some very stunning images of the planet.

They show storms at the poles of the planet that are just a turbulent a those around the equatorial regions as reported in the article “Amazing pictures show cyclones swirling above Jupiter’s poles Jupiter”, published 26 May 2017 By Timothy Revell, New Scientist. 

You can check out the latest on the NASA Juno mission on their Twitter page @NASAJuno.  Also check out NASA Tumblr blog on the Juno Mission entitled “Incoming! We’ve Got Science from Jupiter!”

New science from Jupiter! Need a quick recap on the swirling clouds, huge magnetic field and more? Check this out: https://t.co/NDd7k3y3Z6 pic.twitter.com/S2gNl1ihrQ

— NASA (@NASA) May 25, 2017

Scientists now have to rethink Jupiter, as the poles were seen as being too calm to have cyclones, being as they are not pointed at the Sun. Thus they should be cooler and have no weather activity similar to other planets and out Earth.

Juno has spotted white ice caps on Jupiter made of ammonia and water and a surprisingly strong magnetic field. Not a nice place to light a match, as the resulting explosion would not go upwards but would smoulder and spread in a blast wave ripple across the surface.

Already some forty new papers have been published using the analysis of these images which reveal that the Gas giant is far from boring and uniform.

Juno - A mission four years in the making

Juno reached Jupiter on 4^th July 2016.

It orbits the Jupiter once every 53 days, taking 2 hours to complete a pass from North to South Pole and back again. 33 planned pole-to-pole circuits in all in a spacecraft built with 1/2 inch thick titanium vault to withstand the high radiation levels expected from the planet.

Juno’s aim of creating a comprehensive 3D map of the planet with the Great Red Spot, which is scheduled for July 2017.

I'm expecting more exciting thing from Juno by July 2017....so stay tuned to my blog!!

How to reset and change your FLOW Jamaica Arris Modem Wireless Network Name and Password

If you have cable service from FLOW Jamaica, chances are you have one of these modems.

However, you may eventually need to change the login and password, especially if you live in a neighborhood where everybody has FLOW as their Internet provider.

This is because during installation, the FLOW Contractors use the same exact SSID (Server Set Identifier) or default Network name and password, especially when they have a lot of them to install.

Good to note here the default login and password for a FLOW modem is as follows:

1.      Login: admin

2.      Password: password

Free Internet, man!!!

Armed with this knowledge, the kids in your neighborhoods will begin using your Wi-Fi. Thus you may be wondering why they would sit or stand in one spot for so long!!!! They’re using your free Wi-Fi Internet!

So you may need to change your default password and get the freeloaders who may be slowing down your FLOW...get it....FLOW?!

Why Reset your Arris Wireless modem Password - Lasco Ice Dream Ice Cream helps

Resetting the password back to the default is a very useful technique for accessing the modem to change the password to a more secure one, especially if you have forgotten the password in the first place....but the whole neighborhood of freeloading children remembers!!!

Before you do this procedure, I’d suggest that you make some Lasco Ice Dream Ice Cream  as described in my MICO Wars blog article entitled “How to make soft-serve Lasco Ice Dream Ice Cream in 15 minutes” while you do this procedure!!

How to reset the Arris modem to default password - Paper Clip required

The procedure is literally mindless really, requiring only a laptop, an ethernet cable and a paperclip:

On the back of the modem, there is a hole located near the left side

Press and hold the button for approximately 15 seconds using a paperclip or toothpick (who rally has a toothpick anyway?) to perform a factory reset of the Arris Wireless Modem.

You can then locate your modem by searching for a Wi-Fi router that has “C” followed by a string of numbers as it's SSID.

But you need to change the password, as “admin” as your login and “password” as your password is a little too easy to guess. So at this point some Cinnamon Excelsior Water Crackers may be required!!!

How to change the SSID and password - Wireless Arris Modem made almost unhackable

Changing the SSID Name to something no one could imagine is your Wireless Network Name and adding in an alphanumeric password is an excellent way to keep those pesky children from freeloading from your Wi-Fi

The procedure is fairly simple to master. First connect your Laptop directly to the Wireless Arris Modem via an Ethernet Cable.

Then enter the URL 192.168.0.1 in the address bar.

Enter admin in the User Name field; Enter password in the Password field. Then click Apply to enter the console, which should look like as shown below:

Choose Basic Setup and enter the Wireless Network Name or SSID of your choice. If you see Wireless 2.4 GHz and Wireless  5 GHz frequencies, for each enter the SSID and passwords of your choice, preferably a very long 15 digit alphanumeric password i.e. letters and number!

Click Apply and then disconnect the modem and restart the modem by powering it off and powering it on again. Your laptop should now pick up the new SSID and your password should be unbreakable!!!

Sharing is caring so share this bit of information with as many of your FLOW Internet friends as possible.

How Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia premature lambs research means Humans can be grown

“We’ve developed a system that, as closely as possible, reproduces the environment of the womb and replace the function of the placenta,”

Alan Flake, an Attending Pediatric and Fetal Surgeon in the Division of Pediatric General, Thoracic and Fetal Surgery at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia

Artificial wombs are around the corner!

Extremely premature lambs have been kept alive in a fluid-filled plastic bags as reported in the article “Artificial womb helps premature lamb fetuses grow for 4 weeks”, published 25 April 2017 By Jessica Hamzelou, New Scientist.

The researchers led by Dr Alan Flake, who published their research in the journal Nature Communications, are now working with the US Food and Drug Administration to develope a version for extremely premature human infants at 24 weeks, providing support until they reach 28 weeks.   

The artificial uterus that was tested on extremely premature lambs for four weeks could potentially be used for premature babies within the next three years. the study was led by Dr. Alan Flake at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia in Pennsylvania.

Being born extremely prematurely is the most common cause of death in infants born at 22 to 24 weeks. Because they did not stay in the womb for the full 40 weeks, they have only a 10% chance of survival.

If they survive, they'll develope a host of birth defects and disorders such as poor vision or hearing or cerebral palsy as pointed out by Dr. Blake quote: “They have very immature organs. They’re simply not ready to be born yet.”.

Fist lambs; next human babies born in-vitro free of birth defects thanks to CRISPR-Cas9 as predicted in my blog article entitled “Why Dr. Kathy Niakan of Francis Crick Institute Gene Editing means Automated Human Birth”  

So how does their system work?

Plastic Bag acts as artificial Womb - Humans in the future may be grown not born

The plastic bag provides protection from bacterial infection from the outside world. This is a huge improvement over incubators, which are prone to infection and the gas ventilation can leave preemies with lung damage.

The team fill their bags with fluid comprising water and salts to mimic the environment of the uterus. In place of placenta they used oxygenator device connected to the umbilical cords of the premature lambs. These lambs were 15 and 17 weeks into the full 21-week gestational period had been removed from their mother via Caesarean section.

Then then use a heart monitor device to detect the heartbeats of the extremely premature lambs to control the oxygenator devices to increase and decrease oxygen supply to the lambs. hey were kept in the bags for up to four weeks. After that period of time, some of them were killed and an autopsy done to determine their level of brain and organ development.

Some of them were allowed to be "born" and were bottle fed after they were born. All the animals, both the ones examined via autopsy as well as the one that were allowed to be "born" showed no abnormalities in the lambs’ brains and lungs, quote: “These animals are, by any parameter we’ve measured, normal”.

Humans being grown instead of being born the normal way is therefore not such a far-fetched idea after all!

Technical University of Madrid and the University of Florence drone fish to patrol the seas

Need to monitor the ocean waters? Try using a robotic drone shaped like a fish!

This certainly seems to be the thinking of the Technical University of Madrid and the University of Florence when they designed their robotic fish as noted in the article “This robotic fish patrols the ocean, gathering water quality info as it swims”, published May 16, 2017 By Luke Dormehl, Digitaltrends.

Their proposal, published in Science Direct Journal is entitled “Bio-inspired fish robot based on chemical sensors”. The polycarbonate and latex robotic drone is designed with special pH sensors allowing the drone to detect areas of acidity or pollutant concentration.

It can even be programmed to sniff out certain chemical pollutants and like a bloodhound stay on that trail and swim in to take a better sampling. It can potentially even be use in aquaculture to maintain living conditions in the fish farm at optimal levels.

But why a fish shape for their design?

Fish Design for the robotic drone - Future Fish Behavioural studies on the horizon

Giovanna Marrazza, an associate professor of Microbiology and Molecular Biology who worked on the project, gives the answer simply; evolution knows best. The fish shape is well designed from swimming under water.

It ability to swim and follow chemicals and pollutants is possible thanks to a built-in electrochemical multi-sensor platform, quote: “We designed a bio-inspired fish robot that is able to swim according to the directives sent in form of chemical messengers. The concentration of hydrogen ions in the environment is detected by an electrochemical multi-sensor platform. The acquired signal is then transformed into an electronic signal to be used in robot electronics control.”

It also looks like a fish, allowing it to easily blend in with other fish and potentially be used to study fish behaviors up-close, something that has rarely ever been done. Alas, this is just a POC (Proof of concept), as Giovanna Marrazza is on the hunt for an investor to fund her project, quote: “It is necessary to continue the research, and we are looking for a source of funding or an entrepreneur who wants to invest in this exciting project”.

A truly inspiring story of how drones can be put to good use.

How to set up a Wi-Fi hotspot on an Apple iPhone or Apple iPad

Creating a Wi-Fi Hotspot is as great way Jamaicans can share that 3G Data Plan that they purchased from FLOW Jamaica as noted in my Geezam blog article entitled “FLOW Lyf Data Plans wins over Whatsapp, Deezer and FLOW Sports Fans”.

It’s incredibly easy to set up a Wi-Fi hotspot for an android smartphone such as the Alcatel Pixi 4 as described in my blog article entitled “How to set up a Wi-Fi hotspot on an Android Alcatel Pixi 4 smartphone”.

But how do you create a Wi-Fi Hotspot for a Apple iPhone and other Apple Products?

How to Create a Wi-Fi hotspot for your Apple iPhone – Any Apple Product can share Internet

Creating a Wi-Fi Hotspot for an Apple iPhone is very easy. In fact, once you master it on the Apple iPhone, it'll work on any Apple Device, namely:

1.      iPhone 4s

2.      iPhone 5

3.      iPhone 5s

4.      iPhone 6

5.      iPhone 6 Plus

6.      iPhone 6s

7.      iPhone 6s Plus

8.      iPhone 7

9.      iPhone 7 Plus

10.  iPad Pro

11.  iPad 2

12.  iPod touch 5^th generation

First go to Settings

Select Mobile/Cellular Data.

Select Mobile/Cellular Data Options.

Select Mobile/Cellular Data Network.

Enter Internet Information under the heading Personal hotspot, specifically:

1.      APN: ppinternet

2.      Username: [enter your chosen username here]

3.      Password: [enter your chosen password here]

Exit back to Settings. Then select Mobile/Cellular Data.

Enable Personal Hotspot.

Change the password to your Wi-Fi Hotspot.

At this point all your friends should be able to see your Wi-Fi Hotspot!!! You have to be careful though.....this is really to be used if you have unlimited Data, as sharing your data Plan via Wi-Fi will easily burn through your data plan.

Still, sharing is caring so share this with as many of your friends as you like!!!  

How to erase personal information from your Android smartphone before selling

Jamaicans and the rest of the world, you may realize that you have a crazy girlfriend if she starts poking around your Browser.

For that, you can erase your browser history on your Laptop and desktop computer by using the instructions as listed in my blog article entitled “How to save your relationship by Deleting Browser History for Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome or Apple’s Safari”.

If you have an Android smartphone, you can erase the browser history of the various browsers as detailed in my blog article entitled “How to clear Google Chrome, Firefox and Opera Browsing history in Google Android”. 

Apple users weren’t left out; I did a browser cleaning guide for them as well as noted in my blog article entitled “How to Delete Safari, Google Chrome, Firefox and Opera browser history on an iPhone”.

 

But it's time to sell your smartphone, which still has some personal pictures, video, sound recording and files. After all, if you delete these files, they can still be recovered using the appropriate Data Recovery software as I'd explained in my MICO Wars blog article entitled “How to recover deleted Data from internal memory of an Android Smartphone or Tablet”. 

So how can you ensure that no-one, not even your girlfriend, can figure out what you've been up to on your smartphone?

Factory Reset Done Right - How to remove Factory Reset Protection for a clean sale

Clearly, the first weapon of choice for an Android user would be a Factory Reset.

You can Factory Reset the Alcatel OneTouch Pop C2 smartphone as described in my blog article entitled “How to Hard Reset the FLOW or Digicel Alcatel OneTouch Pop C2 smartphone” quite easily.

Ditto too the Huawei Y3 Series of smartphones as noted in my blog article entitled

“How to Hard Reset the FLOW or Digicel Huawei Y3 Series smartphones”.

But even these low-level Smartphone come with FRP (Factory Reset Protection). Google introduced FRP in Android 5.0 Lollipop to prevent thieves from Factory resetting stolen smartphones for easy resale.

However, if you are trying to sell a factory reset smartphone that has FRP, it'll prompt your buyer to enter the user name and password for the last Google account that was registered on the device, making it a hard phone to sell. So before you sell your Android 5.0 Lollipop smartphone, you have to disable FRP.

The procedure for Samsung and LG G5 smartphones is similar to almost every other smartphones:

1.      Go to Settings

2.      Select Lock screen and Security or just Security

3.      Select Screen lock type

4.      Choose None.

Then make sure to remove your Google account as follows:

Go to Settings

Select Accounts

Select on Google

Select Account Preferences

Select Delete your Google Account

Make sure you remove all of your Google Accounts if you have multiple Google Accounts on your smartphone. If you have a Samsung Galaxy, then you should remove your Samsung account as follows:

1.      Go to Settings

2.      Go to Lock screen and security

3.      Select Find My Mobile

4.      Enter your password

5.      Tap on your account at the top

6.      Select More

7.      Select Remove account

Once your Google and Samsung accounts have been removed, you can proceed with the factory reset.

Double Factory Reset - Making sure your smartphone data cannot be recovered

However, we still have a problem.

The data on the phone can STILL be recovered by using the appropriate Data Recovery software as I'd explained in my MICO Wars blog article entitled “How to recover deleted Data from internal memory of an Android Smartphone or Tablet”

To make absolutely sure no one can get your data, you need to do the following procedure:

1.      Do the Factory reset first

2.      Load the empty phone with junk data e.g. some old movies and large files

3.      Do a second Factory reset

This will double guarantees that your personal pictures, video, sound recording and files cannot be recovered, as anyone doing a recovery will only find the junk files!!! Sharing is caring so share this with as many of your fellow mates dodging their WAGS (Wives and Girlfriends) as you can!!!