Category Archives: Cloud

Cloud, Definitions, Internet

What is the cloud?

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The term “cloud” typically refers to cloud computing or cloud services. In the context of technology, the cloud refers to a network of remote servers that are hosted on the internet and used to store, manage, and process data. These servers are usually owned and maintained by a third-party provider, such as Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, or Google Cloud.

Cloud computing allows users to access computing resources and services over the internet on-demand, without the need for local infrastructure or hardware. It provides a convenient way to store and access data, run applications, and perform various computational tasks without relying heavily on physical devices.

One of the key advantages of cloud computing is scalability. Users can easily scale up or scale down their computing resources based on their needs, without having to invest in expensive hardware upgrades or worry about infrastructure maintenance. The cloud also offers flexibility, as users can access their data and applications from any device with an internet connection.

Cloud services are typically offered in different models, including Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), and Software as a Service (SaaS). These models provide varying levels of control and management over the underlying infrastructure, allowing users to choose the level of abstraction that best suits their requirements.

Overall, the cloud has revolutionized the way businesses and individuals store, access, and utilize data and computing resources, offering increased efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and flexibility compared to traditional on-premises solutions.

(Ed: written by ChatGPT; verified by jrivett.)

Adobe, Cloud, Patches and updates, Security

Adobe Acrobat Reader updates

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Adobe logoFirst, a few words about nomenclature…

Acrobat Reader is the name of Adobe’s free PDF viewer software. It was formerly referred to as Adobe Reader, but its full official name is now Adobe Acrobat Reader. It’s basically a stripped-down version of Acrobat, Adobe’s commercial PDF authoring tool, with most of Acrobat’s authoring capabilities removed. Acrobat Reader is free software, while Acrobat is not. If you need to author new PDF files, you need Acrobat. If you merely wish to view existing PDF files, all you need is Acrobat Reader, although Acrobat also does that.

At one point, there was only one version of Acrobat and one corresponding version of Reader. Sadly, those simpler days ended in 2015 when Adobe introduced ‘Document Cloud’ (DC) variations: Acrobat DC and Acrobat Reader DC. These new variants include cloud storage capabilities, making PDF viewing and editing more convenient for folks who work on multiple computers and platforms.

Confusing things further was a new split in the Acrobat/Reader catalog, between Continuous and Classic release tracks. They differ mainly in release priorities and update schedules. Classic variants are updated quarterly, and occasionally at other times; updates are limited to bug and security fixes. Continuous variants are updated more frequently, and besides bug and security fixes, updates include new features and enhancements.

On October 15, 2017, Adobe stopped producing the original Acrobat/Reader software in favour of the new Acrobat/Reader DC. The old software’s last version was 11.0.23. Adobe now officially recommends the DC variants over anything else. This should have simplified things, and it did, to some extent.

Adobe is also still making desktop-only versions of Acrobat and Acrobat Reader, which they refer to as Acrobat 2017 and Acrobat Reader 2017.

There’s more headache-inducing details on the Document Cloud Product Tracks page on the Adobe web site.

Which one?

Okay, so which version of Acrobat Reader do I install if I just want to view PDF files? For regular folks, it’s easiest to just stick with what Adobe wants you to use, which in most cases is Acrobat Reader DC (Continuous). The desktop-only version and the DC Classic versions exist mostly for IT staff who have very specific reasons for not wanting to run DC Continuous. For them, it comes down to a choice between having access to the latest features, and being somewhat less likely to encounter problems. For example, if ‘stable and secure’ is the goal, Acrobat Reader DC Classic Track is the right choice.

February 2018 updates

With that out of the way, let’s talk about the new versions of Acrobat Reader that were released earlier this week.

A February 13 security bulletin from Adobe lists forty-one vulnerabilities, affecting earlier versions of all Acrobat Reader variants, including Acrobat Reader DC (Continuous Track) 2018.009.20050, Acrobat Reader 2017 2017.011.30070, and Acrobat Reader DC (Classic Track) 2015.006.30394.

New Acrobat Reader versions addressing those vulnerabilities are:

Acrobat Reader DC (Continuous Track) 2018.011.20035
Acrobat Reader DC (Classic Track) 2015.006.30413
Acrobat Reader 2017 2017.011.30078

There are additional details on the main release notes page for Acrobat and Acrobat Reader.

You can install Acrobat Reader by visiting the official download page at get.adobe.com/reader. That page will offer the version it thinks is best suited to your device, which for my Windows 8.1 PC is Acrobat Reader DC (Continuous Track) version 2018.011.20035. That’s also the version Adobe wants us all to use.

If you want a variant other than the one offered in the Download Center, you’ll have to navigate Adobe’s labyrinthine FTP site.

To install Acrobat Reader 2017 for Windows, go to the Acrobat2017 folder on the Adobe FTP site. Click the topmost folder, then click the installer EXE file in that folder to download it. Once installed, Acrobat Reader 2017 will keep itself updated, and you can check for any pending updates by selecting Help > Check for updates on its menu.

To install Acrobat Reader DC Classic for Windows, go to the Acrobat2015 folder on the Adobe FTP site. Click the topmost folder, then click the installer EXE file in that folder to download it. Once installed, Acrobat Reader DC Classic will keep itself updated, and you can check for any pending updates by selecting Help > Check for updates on its menu.

Android, Apple, Cloud, Google, Hardware, Internet crime, Linux, Mac, Malware, Microsoft, Mobile, Privacy, Security

Security and privacy roundup for January 2016

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Your devices are talking about you

You already know that your web browser is tracking your activity. You are probably also aware of ‘The Internet of Things‘ – the increasing prevalence of devices that are connected to the Internet – and you recognize that any such device can also track your activities. Bruce Schneier reveals the next step in this evolution: enabling devices to share information about you. Of course, since the goal of all this surveillance is merely better-targeted advertising, most people are unlikely to care. Still, if privacy and control are important to you, this will not be welcome news.

Brian Krebs reminded us that ransomware can affect files in your cloud storage space as well as on your physical computer and network-connected devices.

A summary of software vulnerabilities over at VentureBeat shows Mac OS X topping the list for 2015. Microsoft’s security efforts seem to be paying off, as the highest-ranked version of Windows on the 2015 list is Windows 8.1 at number 10, and fewer than half the vulnerabilities as OS X.

Serious vulnerabilities were discovered in OpenSSH (a very commonly-used secure terminal client), OpenSSL (the ubiquitous security library), and Trend Micro antivirus software.

Vulnerabilities in the Linux kernel (affecting Android phones and Linux PCs) remain unpatched on many affected devices.

Google produced more patches for vulnerabilities affecting Android devices, but as always, the patches are finding their way to devices very slowly.

The very weak hashing functions MD5 and SHA1 are still being used in HTTPS encryption in some contexts.

It’s official: your smart TV can become infected with malware.

Network devices made by Juniper and Fortinet were found to contain serious vulnerabilities, including an NSA-developed back-door function and a hard-coded back-door password (more).

The free-to-use deep search tool Shodan made the news when researchers showed that it can be used to find household cameras, including baby-cams. Note that the problem here is not Shodan, which is just a useful search tool. The problem is the failure to properly secure Internet-connected devices.

There were more serious corporate security breaches in January, at Time Warner and Linode. As usual in these cases, the login credentials of subscribers were obtained by the attackers.

Amazon’s security practices were (unwillingly) tested by a customer, and found seriously deficient.

More malicious apps were found in the Google Play store. Google removed those apps, but not until they were downloaded millions of times by unsuspecting Android device users.

LG fixed a critical security hole affecting as many as ten million of its mobile devices.