Posted at 8:35 a.m. - Monday, November 17

Geek to Me readers may remember a previous post when I told you about the Forbes Boost Your Business Contest and the participation of local business Targeted Technology Solutions, LLC.  Now it appears that TTS and their computer keyboard designed for young children have made the final round of the contest!

One of the great things about being a geek or a nerd is seeing your brethren succeed, especially if they're using their geekiness to help kids.

So now's the time when we show our support for a local business and vote!

In a previous post, IT Security expert Don Donzal shared his Top 5 Non-Technical Tips for keeping your computer safe.  In today's Geek To Me feature, I spoke with Don about the term 'ethical hacker' and his Information Technology conference dubbed ChicagoCon.

I asked Don for some more details about ChicagoCon and this is what he had to share:

Microsoft Hackers Headline ChicagoCon on Oct 31 – Nov 1, 2008

Microsoft pen testers AKA ethical hackers, Billy Rios and John Walton, headline an impressive list of presentations by security researchers, practitioners and executives on Oct 31 & Nov 1, 2008 for the fall edition of ChicagoCon. For only $100 including food and swag, it's a steal. And without an exhibit hall full of sales pitches, you're free to learn from the pros, network with peers and advance your career. Register Now!

The Ethical Hacking Conference will have as it's opening keynote presentation, Billy Rios and John Walton, members of Microsoft's own pen testing team AKA Blue Hats:

Mischievous Eyes and Malicious Mindsets

The browser is our window to your secrets... and we've got mischievous eyes. As organizations push to increase the "richness" of online user experiences, they are also unwittingly increasing attack surface for organizations and their users. Join two of the best looking security researchers in the world as we dissect the current state of client side and web application security. We'll dive into the gory details and demonstrate the impact of client side vulnerabilities, blended threats, and targeted attacks. We'll cover everything from benign application vulnerabilities that gave college hopefuls a sneak peak on their admissions status, all the way to vulnerabilities used to steal your data and compromise your machine.

Other speakers during this conference dedicated to the legitimate profession of hacking include:

    * Karsten Abata (Halock Security Labs) on "Nailing the Insider"
    * Michael A. Davis (CEO of Savid Technologies) sheds light on the new focus of organized crime in "Modernization of Malware Factories"
    * Donald C. Donzal (Founder of ChicagoCon) brings you "DIY Career in Ethical Hacking"
    * Michael Gregg (Author, Superior Solutions, Inc.) on "Malware - The Continuing Evolving Threat"
    * Daniel V. Hoffman (SMobile Systems) enlightens with "Smartphones Aren't Currently Being Exploited - And the Titantic is Unsinkable"
    * Ryan Linn (SAS) helps you get the most from your security investment with "Pen Testing ROI"
    * Brian Wilson (Cisco) offer up his mastery of network security in "Layer 2 Tai Sigung"
    * Arlene Yetnikoff (DePaul) ponders “What Are We *Really* Supposed to be Worrying About?”
    * and many others.

Registration is still open and the ethical hacking conference alone sounds worth the price of admission.  So check it out and tell them you read about it on Geek To Me!

Posted at 9:35 a.m. - Monday, October 20

October 27th will see the start of ChicagoCon, the Windy City's ONLY Ethical Hacking Conference for Computer and IT Professionals, and in advance of the event, organizer Donald Donzal is sharing some tips and tidbits with Geek To Me readers.  Our first nugget of cyber-wisdom comes in the form of a Top 5 list for non-nerds:

Top 5 Non-Technical Ways to Improve Online Security by Donald C. Donzal

The Big 4 technical solutions are still needed: Automatic Updates, Anti-Virus, Anti-Malware and Firewalls, and there are many Suites of products that combine them all and more. But the bad guys are no dummies. They realize that the weakest link in the security chain was, is and will remain people. With that in mind, here are 5 simple ideas to prevent the hacking of wetware… your brain:

1. Don’t Get Click Happy – It is human nature to just shoo away pop-ups like annoying gnats. Take the time to actually read what is being displayed before clicking anything. Or better yet, just close the window. Don’t click anywhere inside the window as it may just be a picture of a cancel button and take you elsewhere.

2. Use Real-World Common Sense – The exiled African Diplomat scam we have all seen plastered in our Inboxes actually predates the Internet, computers and for that matter telephones. Email is simply a new, cheap way to get more of you to fall for this scam. If this or any other hoax hit your real mailbox at your home, you’d throw it in the garbage without a second glance. Use that same real-world common sense in the electronic world.

3. Don’t Open Attachments – Currently, the number one way for a criminal to take control of your computer is through email attachments. Even if it’s from your Mother, question it. Especially if it ends with .exe!

4. REMEMBER: Everything Online Can be Captured – It’s not just your favorite search engine recording your buying habits. There are numerous ways that numerous groups (good and bad) can record everything you do online. If you keep this in the ‘front’ of your mind at all times, it may just change your habits.

5. Be Password Savvy – Passwords are not perfect, but they secure the vast majority of systems today. Try using pass-phrases instead of passwords. Don’t use the same password for MySpace as you would for online banking. And finally, learn the fine art of lying. When asked a special question for those password reminder forms – LIE!! Especially if you are a government official whose secret question may be answered with a simple Google search… Gov. Palin!

LOL!  Good one, Don!

You can learn more about the ChicagoCon - Ethical Hacking Conference by visiting their web site.  Also, read more of Don's security tips on The Ethical Hacker Network web magazine.

And keep checking back here on the Geek To Me blog!