Picking up where we left off here The Feelings that come with graduating.
As grad students we sat reminding ourselves that we knew this day would come.
We absolutely knew beyond the shadow of a doubt, at least within five months of receiving the official transcript and degree, that we’d be returning for more.
It’s true. Education is a journey. It’s not a destination. Grad School feels like malware.
Where there’s malware, there’s goons. Cyber-Goons.
And in the words of The Notorious B.I.G,
Currently, malicious software, commonly called malware…
They keep our neighborhoods under ransom, like it’s healthcare.
The most efficient tool used,
To make us fools
Of security when we’re using computers,
Devices too.
When we’re connected to the internet,
Become a menace or a threat
And we owe this to tech,
and rapid progress.
Unless we understand easy encryption,
The data hiding henchmen,
They seek to keep our information prison.
Malware,
Short for malicious software,
Is capable…
Of saying when and where ya papers go,
It don’t care.
Viruses, worms, Trojans, and rootkits…
Adware, spyware…
Whatever makes sure the loots gets…
To where it go.
Hit ya email,
Computer,
Or ya phone….
In fact,
Malware can even hit you in ya home.
In ya microwave, baby…
Garage, or the Mercedes,
That we linked to the Cloud
all because it made us lazy.
Yep.
And that would be Malware in a nutshell.
How is Malware useful?
Well, Malware becomes extremely useful in the hands of some ruthless individual(s) who don’t have access to the funds but want the keys to the kingdom.
The malicious software can send out fake advertising emails about your latest mix tape.
Or, the malware can even pull off some of those big boy stunts like stealing your entire stage persona. Also, including but not limited to… your staff.
Oh, the Cyber-Goons who code this stuff?
Here’s how they put it to work:
- Browsers -> Edge, Firefox, Chrome, Safari, Opera, (in a ton of cases, Internet Explorer). Malware attacks those and checks out and tracks every single website on the internet that you and your crew stopped by.
- That laptop, desktop, or phone that you’re always complaining about is slow? Well, malware alters system performance, making it extremely.
- If that isn’t enough, don’t trip. Malware can completely brick your slow device -> it’s now inoperable.
- Man, all that personal info you have laying around in your accounts on your devices and such…all those contacts…like, “contacts” …. gone. Stolen.
- Malware can do away with important information and even attack additional devices directly from the device that it set up shop on.
Deep. There you have it. Grad School is like malware.
The Cyber-Goons who push it on the web use various techniques to spread malware. Some of the most common of them include Social Engineered Click-jacking, Spearphising Sites, Malvertising, Compromised Legitimate Websites, and Drive-by Downloads.
Social Engineering click-jacking would be when these Cyber-Goons come for your safe and start picking apart people in your circle, they might put some malware into a legit looking site, so legit that all of your friends, family, and fans believe this is your website.
The Cyber-Goons plant malware on the site and con your people into clicking on links that set the malware off.
In a Spearphising site, the Cyber-Goons find out your bank information and get in touch with you or someone major in your crew and act like they are your bank. Nobody wants to hear that their funds have been placed on hold.
Malvertising is something that you’re probably used to on the internet with all these clowns false advertising who they say they are. The Cyber-Goons take advantage of all that capping you do and put out fake ads in your name that have malware embedded in the ads.
Instead of social engineering your people into visiting a fake website that looks like yours, Cyber-Goons may just take control over your actual website and when a friend, family member, or fan comes to your site the malware secretly installs itself on their devices.
If that isn’t enough to put a ransom on your trap, these Cyber-Goons can even download malware on your system just by you merely visiting a web site. That would be a Cyber-Goons definition of a Drive-by Download.
Again. Grad School feels like malware.
And where there’s malware, there’s goons. Cyber-Goons.
That’s all I have. Hopefully if you’ve been enlightened in the least bit.
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