Is It Possible To Track A Package With The USPS Online?

Just like you can track packages with UPS and FedEx, you can track packages with the USPS. It is very simple. All you do is use the tracking number. When you go to the USPS website, the tracking icon is in the lefthand corner, one of the first options you see. You click on tracking, and then you copy and paste the tracking # that you have. It will show you the expected delivery date, and it will give you the status and last scan.

Stop By The Post Office To Get Packages Tracked

I have a PO Box, and I get packages quite often. When I input the tracking #, I have noticed many times that it can give me one of two updates when it has been delivered to my PO Box. One of the updates is that the package has been delivered to a parcel locker. That means I can pick it up after hours if I can’t make it by the post office during normal business hours. The other update is that it has just been delivered, and that means that there might be a yellow slip inside my PO Box that I have to take into the office to get the package.

In that last instance, I would have to stop by the post office to get the package during business hours. They do that sometimes because the parcel lockers are full already. Of course, if you are just trying to track a package that is being delivered to your home, you just want updates while it is on its way. Once it has been delivered, you will know, unless you aren’t home at the time. But still, it is only one update that will be given in that case, that the package has indeed been delivered.

Scan The Updates Given For Packages

There aren’t always a ton of scan updates given for packages. Sometimes I see more than others. Yet packages delivered from TX to SC sometimes only come with three scan updates. The scan updates are one at the original destination, one on the way, and one when it gets to SC. That’s enough scans and tracking information, and what’s provided is helpful. Yet I wanted to give you an idea of what you might expect.

Deliveries from farther away would have more tracking updates, and sometimes deliveries from TX to SC do, too. That is a pretty lengthy delivery route for sure, a drive time of 21 hours. Of course, packages arent just driven to their locations. They are flown, too. Are you expecting an overnight delivery? If so, you aren’t going to get an mid-air tracking scan. That package is going to be on its way to you in a flash.

Are you ready to get the tracking update?

You do need the #, and once you submit it, the official usps address change website will save it for you. That means every time you go back to the USPS website and select tracking, it will pull up that package automatically to show you whether or not it has been delivered.

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source http://www.antirootkit.com/is-it-possible-to-track-a-package-with-the-usps-online/

A History of Cyber Security Attacks

Nowadays it seems barely a few weeks can go by without another big cybercrime or cyber security story hitting the headlines. The latest has been the discovery of the Spectre and Meltdown flaws inherent in processors going back decades; a revelation that’s rocked the cyber security world.

Of course, cyber security, cyberwarfare and cybercrime aren’t new or recent phenomena. In fact the history of computing also contains its own history of breaches and hacks. We’ve compiled a list of some of the most significant over the last 30 years. We’ll start way back in the 1980’s, in the days before mobile phones and the internet as we know it today.

The first computer worm (1988)

The first known computer worm was released in 1988 by Cornell University student Robert Tappan Morris, who claimed he had wanted to know how many computers were connected to the internet. The problem occurred when the code encountered a critical error and began replicating itself and began infecting other computers causing them to slow down as it demanded processor time in order to spread itself to other machines. The effect was one of the first denial of service attacks affecting around 6000 UNIX computers. Estimates of the damage range from $10,000 to $10 million dollars in damages.

Morris always maintained that he never intended the code to be malicious but the event nonetheless inspired what have become known today as distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks.

Hack on the US Defence Department (1999)

Jonathon James hacked the US Defence Department in 1999 after infiltrating the a division of the US Defence department, James had installed a backdoor on a server allowing him to intercept thousands of emails across a number of government departments, some of which contained usernames and passwords. Using this information he then accessed a NASA computer and stole software that controlled the International Space Station’s internal temperature and humidity, costing the agency $41,000 in computer downtime.

James became the first juvenile to be convicted and jailed for cybercrime (he was 15 years old when the attack took place but 16 years old when sentenced). In 2007 he was implicated of hacking to steal credit card information. He denied the accusations but in 2008 took his own life.

The ILOVEYOU worm (2000)

Released in 2000, the ILOVEYOU virus was the most virulent virus ever seen at the time. Unlike the Melissa virus of the previous year, the virus sent copies of itself to every contact on the user’s Windows address book (by comparison, Melissa only contacted the first 500), helping it propagate at an alarming rate.

The worm sent an email with the subject line “ILOVEYOU” and a vbs attachment that looked like an ordinary text file. Once opened this file would activate visual basic script and overwrite various file types including JPG, CSS, DOC, MP2 and MP3 (although the latter file was only hidden). The file originated in the Philippines, which at the time had no laws against writing malware meaning the two perpetrators, Reonel Ramones and Onel de Guzman, were never convicted. The country later passed the E-Commerce law to address this.

By 2002, the ILOVEYOU worm had become the most virulent computer virus of all time.

Cyberattacks on Estonia (2007) (10)

Stuxnet (2010)

First uncovered in 2010 by Kaspersky Labs, the STUXNET worm was said to have been in development since 2005 and was different from previous worms in that it targeted SCADA control systems which are responsible for the supervisory management of power plants and machinery. Specifically the virus attacked programmable logical controllers (PLCs) which, amongst other things, are responsible for the automation of nuclear centrifuges.

It soon became clear that the virus was a direct cyberattack on Iran’s nuclear programme, thought to have been developed by Israel in conjunction with the Americans. In total, Stuxnet was reported to have ruined close to 20 percent of Iran’s nuclear centrifuges, infecting over 200,000 computers.

Sony Hack (2014) (11)

Another example of the use of cyberattacks being deployed by nation states, the Sony hack saw a huge tranche of confidential data from the Sony Film Studio released by a group calling itself Guardians of Peace. Amongst the files were confidential emails between employees and their families, scripts from unreleased films and details of executive salaries. The US intelligence community quickly concluded that the attack originated in North Korea, a claim vehemently denied by the regime.

One of the reasons suspicion had fallen on the North Korean regime was centred around the release of ‘The Interview’, a comedy produced by Sony and based on an attempted assassination attempt on Kim Jong-un. At the time, North Korean sponsored hackers were said to have made several threats on Sony and US cinemas screening the film.

Ashley Madison breach (2015)

The now infamous Ashley Madison hack was conducted by a group called ‘The Impact Team’. The controversy surrounding the case was as much centred on the target (a dating site for extramarital affairs) as it was the perpetrators. After several threats to release user information was ignored by the company, the hackers released more than 25 gig of information including the names and details of the website’s users.

The site’s policy of not deleting user’s information without taking payment, along with the lack of any email authentication for setting up an account, meant that the data dumps may have included individuals who had never used or even heard of the site. Many internet vigilantes went onto expose individuals, some of whom were nationals of countries like Saudi Arabia, where adultery is punishable by death.

Resources and Further Reading

The UK Government’s Department for Culture, Media and Sport produce an annual Cyber Security Breaches Survey, which gives an up to date summary of the state of cyber security in the UK and is great further reading material.

Wikipedia has one of the best chronologies of computer hacks, viruses and cyberattacks going back to 1903 and is constantly being updated.

The post A History of Cyber Security Attacks appeared first on Rootkit Trends & Prevention Blog.

source http://www.antirootkit.com/history-of-cyber-security-attacks/

Where Are The Best Costa Rica Birding Hotspots

If you would like to go on a successful birding trip this year, Costa Rica is a place that you need to visit. Although you could head to Africa, Costa Rica is certainly at the top of the list for those that are in North and South America. It is perfectly positioned close to the equator, presenting incredible rain forests that you can see from many different vantage points. Some of them are very close to the beaches, making them even more unique. Here are some of the best birding hotspots in Costa Rica that you should visit if you have time this year.

Cano Negro National Wildlife Refuge

This is a place that many people visit if they are interested in seeing a wildlife refuge that has herons, egrets, storks, and roseate spoonbills. They offer a detour where you can see a substantial amount of wildlife, some of which will be very close for you to photograph.

Osa Peninsula

This location has some of the most remote, as well as undisturbed, rain forests that can be found in the world. It has a substantial amount of wildlife including 350 different species of birds that can be found throughout this Peninsula. If you are staying at one of the eco-lodges, you can get up in the morning, allowing you to go on hikes and see some of the unique birds that are currently flying around.

La Paz Waterfall Gardens

This has many different and unique locations that you can visit. They have a hummingbird garden, a migration corridor or, and an aviary where you can see birds flying. It also has the Peace Lodge, considered to be one of the top destinations for ecological related visits in Central America.

Monteverde Cloud Forest

There are many places that you can go but few are as beautiful as this destination. It has a very unique location, multiple ecological zones, and most of the rain forest has never been visited by mankind. There are not only beautiful birds, but a multitude of plants and animals that are unique to this area of the world. It has over 400 different species of birds, and when you take the morning tours, you will see quite a few of them whenever you go.

Carara National Park

Finally, if you visit this national Park, you are going to visit one of the most popular birdwatching locations in the world. There are some that are indigenous only to this region of Costa Rica, and it happens to be a much drier location. This is important to people that are trying to avoid the rainy season, and if they are cutting it close, they will likely not see any rainstorms. There are fewer evergreens which can often block your view of certain birds, but that will not be a problem at this national Park which people that do birding prefer.

Traveling to Costa Rica could become one of your favorite vacation destinations. For those that do birding regularly, this is a place that you need to visit. Once you have spent some time there, you will understand why so many people recommend this location for all that it has to offer. Click here for details on birds.

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source http://www.antirootkit.com/where-are-the-best-costa-rica-birding-hotspots/