betaylored wrote:

Thanks for the suggestion cGrant. I've downloaded the Weather Network app. Rogers owns chatr, so I have no idea why they don't support the alerts on all types of cellphones.

chatr doesn't provide LTE access, which is required to push the alerts. 

 

markow202 wrote:

when there is going to be something like a severe thunderstorm warning for Toronto or any other town, will my phone be going off alarming or will it be for something very serious such as Tornadoes

betaylored wrote:

So this is a win/win then, no marble-mouthed alerts

Well, Sir, LTE-enabled phones that are compatible with the ReadyAlert system don't actually get any audio beyond the familiar siren tone. I'm not really certain this is a "win-win" as you won't be (pardon the pun) alerted to incoming ICBMs that will be inevitably on their way when that Orange Oompa-Loompa activates WWIII.
 

My favourite part, if you can call it that, of the bogus CRA guy's spiel came when I got one of those calls a few months ago.

After threatening every conceivable disaster - arresting you, taking your house, ruining your credit, destroying your reputation, leaving your children destitute etc. -if I didn't comply immediately, the recording ended with the guy saying, "Thank you and have a nice day!"

That was one of the funniest codas I've ever heard. 

Irvine wrote:

betaylored wrote:

When the fraudsters are going as far as calling individual R.C.M.P. officers and threatening them, as Newstalk 1010 has reported this afternoon, we need all the info we can get.

The technical term for this is "vishing".  The reason the audio is clear is the setup's are actually pretty simple. A little VPN tunneling, recordings & a war dialer that simply reads numbers out of a database.  It's very likely they don't know they're calling RCMP officers. Further, it's not like the RCMP officers about it unless they're going to call in a bunch of digital forensics guys like me & we go on an expensive manhunt that circles the planet. 


 

In the Newstalk 1010 report, the RCMP officer said he had been called because they knew was an RCMP officer, and that he had been told to back off. I was in a rush when I typed the above.

This thread has provided a lot of useful info. I also now understand why cGrant and I'm sure others were delighted at your return to the big yellow board Irvine, that info on how these scammers tech their way into our homes has me concluding that any further hopes we might have about stopping them is vishful thinking.

Last edited by betaylored (May 16, 2018 7:39 am)

Irvine wrote:

cGrant wrote:

betaylored wrote:

Congrats to media outlets for getting out word out about the CRA scams to those less savvy people. When the fraudsters are going as far as calling individual R.C.M.P. officers and threatening them, as Newstalk 1010 has reported this afternoon, we need all the info we can get.

C'mon! Do people REALLY need Grandpappy Media to "warn" them about this stuff? Seriously? My God, let's spoon feed all these dence snowflakes some more. Let Darwin cull these fools naturally. If, in the year 2018, you really need to be warned of all these obvious scams, then you're far too precious to have internet and/or mobile access.
 

Honestly, yeah, we need it.  I make a living as a cyber security analyst or as you might call it a hacker.  Professionally I advise clients to harden their networks & protect their data. My advice is often ignored because of cost, etc.  I have been a trainer & offered seminars in personal online security.  I tell a lot of people "that's the wrong thing to do" and they don't listen to me because "no one is going to come at them". Then when it happens they email me hoping I can help. 
 

 
The DVD I was watching today had a trailer for the tv show "Mr. Robot" and it looks like it will be either amazing, or pure crap in that it could take too much license with the real life hacker and tech world. Have you seen it Irvine, is it realistic, and plausible? If you haven't seen it, providing it's a good show, you might get a kick out of it. It's on my list of shows to try out.

Re: security online, there's a new company advertising their app on Twitter, click on their offer, and a screen comes up telling you to give them your phone number and then they'll give you the link to download the app. I took a pass, because it didn't seem like a smart move, and because I hear guys like Carmi Levy on Newstalk 1010, giving us updates on tech, the good, and not so good stories. And while I understand cGrant's p.o.v. talking about scams etc on radio and television is above all else, content, and content is king.

Irvine wrote:

betaylored wrote:

I was going to do a 'Quote, but thought a quote of a quote of a quote was one quote too far.

Thanks Irvine, for the 'Mr.Robot' intel. I was hoping it was intelligently written, but after seeing what 'Suits' does with the notion of lawyers being officers of the court, I had serious doubts. 'Fringe' is one of my all-time top shows, the episode "The No-Brainer" is a gooey good fav, and I keep looking for another show as exceptional. I'll be hunting down 'Mr. Robot' to cure my 'House of Cards' withdrawal.

The technology presented on the show is very accurate though I think that's what gives the show appeal to hackers in general. The characters in the show were well researched for personality & Christian Slater is good in the role of Mr Robot.  This is a show you have to pay very close attention too and think about to understand. This is especially important in Season 2 which is really baffling. 

It really does touch on what's happening out in the world with regards to cyber security.  Hacking, as viewed by the public, is mostly associated with hacktivism.  That's a very dated concept.  The hacking world is much less about groups like Anonymous and more about state sponsored actors & organized crime. Season 3 of the show really delves into that.  There is some nasty players out there and more than one guy has suffered from PTSD from the gig. 

And the general public is so out of touch about it.  I think there is some guy on here who uses an alias and then his signature is that "the less the internet knows about me".  I get a chuckle because he's logging into a site without TLS, one that's managed by a guy with limited cyber security expertise & ...well it's a data base on the internet.  Easily rooted in less than a day if someone was inclined.  The only secure place is my cabin on Galiango Island which is internet free.  Rates start at 20 bucks a day.  You have to pump your own water.
 

If you ever decide to write a thriller about a hacker who hides out on an island, and "gets pulled back in for one last job" I'd buy a copy and read it (pretty sure cGrant would too) Just think Irvine, you could be to hackers what Harlan Coben is to sports agents/lawyers/basketball.

Also wanted to mention that GNR am640 has had a regular tech expert on who was very good at explaining things, his name escapes me right now.

ps. Harlan Coben is a great laugh outloud at times read, he loves pop culture as much as Robert Turner loves Star Wars.