Definitions, Security

What is authentication?

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Authentication is the process of verifying the identity of a user or system attempting to access a particular resource, service, or application. It is the first line of defense against unauthorized access to information and resources.

Authentication typically involves presenting credentials, such as a username and password, to a system, which then verifies that the credentials match an authorized user or system. Other authentication methods can include biometric authentication, such as fingerprint or facial recognition, or the use of security tokens or smart cards.

Once a user or system has been successfully authenticated, they are granted access to the resource or service they are trying to access. Authentication is a critical component of security in any system, as it ensures that only authorized users are able to access sensitive information and resources.

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

Definitions, Internet, Malware, Privacy, Security, Things that are bad

What is spyware?

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Spyware is a type of malicious software designed to gather sensitive information from a computer system without the user’s knowledge or consent. This information can include personal information such as passwords, credit card numbers, and online browsing habits, as well as system information such as installed software and hardware specifications. Spyware can be installed on a computer through a variety of means, such as email attachments, infected websites, and bundled software. Some spyware is designed to monitor a user’s activities for advertising purposes, while others are used for more malicious purposes such as identity theft and financial fraud. Spyware can cause a number of problems for a computer user, including decreased system performance, slow internet speeds, and a loss of privacy. It is important to protect your computer from spyware by using anti-virus software and avoiding downloading suspicious files from the internet.

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

Definitions, Internet

What is a proxy?

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A proxy is a server or computer that acts as an intermediary between a user and the internet. Proxies can be used for a variety of purposes, such as to improve network performance, to access blocked websites, or to protect a user’s identity and location. For example, a user can connect to a proxy server, which will then make requests on the user’s behalf and return the results to the user. This can help to hide the user’s IP address and location from the websites they are accessing.

(Ed: written by ChatGPT; verified and posted by jrivett)

Definitions, JavaScript

What is Javascript?

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JavaScript is a programming language that is primarily used to create interactive and dynamic websites. It is a client-side scripting language, which means that the code is executed on the user’s computer rather than on the server. JavaScript can be used to create things like drop-down menus, pop-ups, and interactive forms. It can also be used to create complex web applications and can be used in conjunction with other technologies such as HTML and CSS.

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

Boot13, Tools

ChatGPT: experiments in writing

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As I’m sure you’ve noticed by now, I’m using ChatGPT to generate some posts defining computing terms. I’m labeling them all clearly as generated text, but I’m also checking them carefully before posting.

Checking ChatGPT’s output is extremely important, because one can be lulled into believing that the program knows what it’s talking about. The text it generates always sounds authoritative, even when it’s horribly wrong. And it’s wrong more often that you might imagine.

Note: I’m not going to call ChatGPT an Artificial Intelligence (AI), because it’s nothing of the kind. It’s just a program that is able to generate believable-sounding text, regardless of its accuracy, based on analysis of a crapload of content written by humans. True AI will include this particular skill, just as it will include the ability to play chess, to generate art, to drive cars, to make quick decisions based on unpredictable circumstances, and many thousands more specific skills that humans possess.

A recent post at Futurism does a nice job of providing real-world examples of a mainstream news site (CNET) using ChatGPT to generate articles that sound fine, but include serious errors. In this case, the publisher did not initially identify the generated articles as being from ChatGPT, and while I can understand their reluctance, I think that was a bad call.

The risks of depending on ChatGPT are enumerated in this post from KnowBe4:

  • A big downside to ChatGPT is that its sources are unknown, meaning the creators themselves may not even know where the answers it produces come from. This often leads to incorrect information being given.
  • The concerning thing about this flaw is that the inaccuracies are tough to notice, especially because it sounds confident but can really be utter nonsense.
  • You cannot use ChatGPT to find out if text has been written by ChatGPT. There is no antidote.
  • It cannot detect scams. ChatGpt is a natural language processing tool that can answer questions and generate text based on the input it receives, but it does not have the ability to detect scams or other fraudulent activities.

Meanwhile, when I asked ChatGPT “Can ChatGPT’s writing be relied upon as accurate?” it responded as follows:

ChatGPT is a machine learning model and its accuracy is based on the data it was trained on. It can provide accurate information and responses to a wide range of questions and prompts, but it may not always be completely accurate or up-to-date. It’s always a good idea to verify any information provided by ChatGPT with additional sources.

Update 2024Jul01: We should think of ChatGPT as a bullshit machine. To find out why, read the detailed analysis over at Springer.com (Michael Townsen Hicks, James Humphries & Joe Slater). Excerpt:

Calling their mistakes ‘hallucinations’ isn’t harmless: it lends itself to the confusion that the machines are in some way misperceiving but are nonetheless trying to convey something that they believe or have perceived. This, as we’ve argued, is the wrong metaphor. The machines are not trying to communicate something they believe or perceive. Their inaccuracy is not due to misperception or hallucination. As we have pointed out, they are not trying to convey information at all. They are bullshitting.

Definitions, Security, Things that are bad

What is a vulnerability?

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A vulnerability is a weakness or gap in a system’s security that can be exploited by an attacker to gain unauthorized access or perform malicious actions. It can refer to a flaw in software, hardware, or a combination of both, that can be exploited to compromise the confidentiality, integrity, or availability of a system or its data. Vulnerabilities can be discovered through various means such as penetration testing, code reviews, or by being reported by external parties.

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

Definitions, Internet crime, Things that are bad

What is a DoS attack?

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A Denial of Service (DoS) attack is a type of cyber attack in which the attacker attempts to make a network resource or website unavailable to users by overwhelming it with a flood of traffic or requests. This can be accomplished by using multiple computers or devices to send a large amount of traffic to the targeted resource, or by exploiting vulnerabilities in the software or hardware running the resource. The goal of a DoS attack is to disrupt normal traffic and make the targeted resource unavailable to legitimate users.

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

Definitions, Internet crime, Malware, Security, Things that are bad

What is a computer trojan?

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A Trojan, or Trojan horse, is a type of malware that is disguised as legitimate software. It is called a Trojan because it typically presents itself as something harmless, like a game or utility program, but once executed, it can perform malicious actions on the infected computer. These actions can include stealing sensitive information, downloading and installing other malware, or allowing unauthorized remote access to the computer. Trojans are often distributed through email attachments, instant messaging, and social media, and they can be very difficult to detect and remove.

(Editor’s note: I’m going to keep posting these definitions as long as ChatGPT is able to generate accurate and useful text. I have no plans to allow ChatGPT to take over all of my writing duties.)

Definitions, Malware, Security, Things that are bad

What is malware?

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Malware, short for malicious software, is any software designed to harm or exploit a computer system. There are many different types of malware, including viruses, worms, Trojans, ransomware, adware, and spyware. Malware can be spread through email attachments, malicious links, infected websites, and other means. It can be used to steal sensitive information, such as login credentials and financial data, disrupt or damage computer systems, and perform other malicious activities. Protecting against malware involves keeping your operating system and antivirus software up to date, being cautious about the emails and links that you open, and avoiding downloading software from untrusted sources.

(Editor’s note: this post was written by ChatGPT, and its veracity checked by me, the human person who runs this site.)

Definitions, Internet crime, Security, Spam and scams, Things that are bad

What is ransomware?

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Ransomware is a type of malicious software designed to block access to a computer system until a sum of money is paid. When the ransomware is installed on a device, it encrypts the files on the device and displays a message that demands payment in exchange for the decryption key that is needed to unlock the files. Ransomware attacks can be particularly damaging to individuals and businesses because they can disrupt access to important data and systems, and they can be costly to remedy. It is important to protect your devices and systems from ransomware by keeping your software and antivirus programs up to date and being careful about the emails and links that you open.

(Editor’s note: in case you hadn’t noticed, this is another guest post from ChatGPT. I’m going to keep posting these, but they will always be clearly labeled as ChatGPT’s work. You can play around with the chatbot yourself, but you’ll need to create an OpenAI account first.)

Rants and musings on topics of interest. Sometimes about Windows, Linux, security and cool software.

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