The Samantha Johnson Tech Blog

Category: Security

  • Data recovery from a dead MicroSD card

    This is very interesting. Data recovery from a dead MicroSD card. Not much more to say other than if he can do it so can the FBI! 😉 So maybe encrypt? Or ensure there is nothing of value on your MicroSD cards. Burner Phone anyone? Of course this is nothing new the 3000 Flash Spider…

  • What is a Zero Day? (SOLVED)

    You may have heard this word before. A Zero Day is a vulnerability found in software often used for malicious intent. The value of this can be as little as a few thousand to say track a loved one without their knowledge to a nation state paying hundreds of millions destroying infrastructure. I Covered that…

  • Sam Altman on AI Privacy and how it could testify against you in court!

    This is an interesting issue. AI will become your ultimate personal assistant. It will know everything you have posted, every email you have sent and be able to examine and recall every video and photo you have ever taken. It will have a perfect memory even when yours is failing. Jump forward… AI will be…

  • How do you find Hidden Cameras? (SOLVED)

    Hotels, toilets, changing rooms, and bedrooms? Nowhere is safe! The rise in convictions for voyeurism demonstrates just how often this happens. In one case an entire Hotel was fitted with them and the content streamed to paying viewers. The guests at the Hotel had no idea this was happening. We all know about the risk…

  • Stuxnet: The super virus that neutralized Iran’s Nuclear Weapon Program!

    Its an amazing tale of almost James Bond Zero Day virus creation! If you think for a moment your utilities are safe? Forget it! Then add today’s AI abilities? Its very worrying! Have fun and Happy days Surfwidow

  • Mo Gawdat says AI is an Emergency! And Mustafa Suleyman agrees!

    Has AI reached the singularity yet? (SOLVED) Has Artificial Intelligence got feelings? (SOLVED) Is it too late for humanity to stop AI? Is AI alive? Is AI capable of destroying humanity?! The ‘singularity’ is the point where Artificial Intelligence surpasses Human intelligence. From there on the speed of AI advancement will leave humanity behind faster…

  • Can Phones track your Moods and spy on your face without you knowing?

    This is a very interesting topic. And one I have always been cautious of. Anyone remember the infamous Mark Zuckerberg electrical tape blocking his Laptop Camera? (See above). Well, most people seeing this thought, “well if he has one of the best software teams on the planet and he is worried?!” Well you can see…

  • Are VPNs a waste of money? Where do I get a free VPN?

    Free reliable VPN? Or just a waste of time and money? OK so VPNs come in two packages. Paid for and Free. Free often has extreme limitations. Not only on Bandwidth but also locations or (Exit Nodes). In other words where your VPN comes out and appears to the world where you are. In many…

  • Tracking a phone and reading you messages Malware you might not know you have!

    How do I find malware on my phone? OK so you install an app but without realising you have also installed hidden code that will read your entire phone, every keystroke every message you contacts, messages, photos and more! How do you know? How do you fix this? Check Play Protect is on – settings…

  • Are my cctv cameras safe Can my CCTV cameras be hacked?

    Short answer is yes but there are some things you can do about it. Have fun and Happy Days. They are watching you! 😉 Surfwidow  

  • The History of the Dark Web

    History of the Dark web! What is the Deep Web? And what is the Dark Web? For many the Dark Web is a distant and confusing concept. But for the rest it is a Bitcoin fueled free market or criminal underworld depending on your POV! Enjoy Have fun and VPN days Surfwidow

  • How to track anyone’s phone location without them knowing!

    How to protect yourself from this risk. Remember knowing your IP will only get them to the area exchange no further. What is far more worrying is fake cellphone towers called Stingrays or IMSI catchers. As they can triangulate your exact location but thats another story…. feel free to look it up though here. Interesting…

  • How to surf the net safely in 2023!

    A regular contributor to This Week in Tech  Larry Magid runs ‘Connect Safely’. Online Safety advice has come a long way since the ‘groomer in the basement’ warnings we put on websites 20 years ago. Today, vulnerable internet users cross all age\groups. From scams, to fake Microsoft Engineer phone calls (usually from hot house call…

  • What is the most secure operating system?

    What is the safest Operating system? What is the most private operating system? Interesting topic and one that due to the way the world is going especially in Russia and China something the world at least needs to know.

  • Microsoft sinking their data centers to the bottom of the sea!

    Underwater Data Centers We all know by now thats servers genrate heat and a lot of servers generate a LOT of heat! Then there is dust, maintenance, and the corrosive oxygen in the atmosphere. What if you put a Data Center in a sealed tank remove the air or replace it with say Nitrogen. Sink…

  • How do you turn off Google Safesearch? (SOLVED)

    How do I turn off Google Safe Search? This is interesting and something surprisingly people do not even notice on their browser! If you look at the top right of your Google Chrome Browser you will often see Safesearch is on! Google is filtering your searches. And for some people this is annoying.

  • What is Project Blue Beam? (SOLVED)

    What is Project Blue Beam (SOLVED) I love a conspiracy theory me. And the big one after Flat earth and ‘Plandemics’ is ‘Project Blue Beam’. The simple answer is it is a false flag event created to fool humanity into believing there is an alien invasion. This then forces humanity under one controlling ‘entity’ to…

  • WINDOWS DEFENDER SettingsModifier:Win32/HostsFileHijack HOSTS WARNING (SOLVED)

    WINDOWS DEFENDER SettingsModifier:Win32/HostsFileHijack HOSTS WARNING Since the end of July 2020, Windows 10 users have had alerts from Windows Defender =detecting modified HOSTS files as a ‘SettingsModifier:Win32/HostsFileHijack’ threat.

  • Not Registered on Network Error (Solved) Smarty Network

    OK so you have Smarty and go to use your phone and get Not Registered on Network Error Then you panic now there are a series of issues you can go through not least log into your Smarty account and make sure your phone has not reset any network issues take out the sim rebed…

  • Lloyds Bank Log in Error message (SOLVED).

    Lloyds Bank Sorry, we’ve had to log you off Error Problem Fix OK so you log into your bank Lloyds (Bank of Scotland Group) and you get a blank page with a message on it saying this… Sorry, we’ve had to log you off [Error: 1007 ID: 18.bfce7a5c.1594211465.xxxxxxx additional numbers] or similar. You try again…

  • Most important security and plugins for Google Chrome

    BROWSER SECURITY! HI Its me again! Well I have some views on what you should do in regard to plugins for Google Chrome Browser and Privacy.

  • The Joy of Lockpicking! The Locksport Hobby!

    (Image Monstrum XXL kit I use by Sparrows). So I am back to lockpicking again (KEEP IT LEGAL!). It is a fun hobby and great for older fingers to stay nimble! If you like puzzles then this is exactly that. And its cheap too as no doubt you have locks on your home or padlocks…

  • What is Microsoft Tay?

    TAY.AI Tay is a chat bot developed by Microsoft to interact with users in such a way it may well fool them in beliving it is human. Joke abound on it ‘catfishing’ (see and search this blog for ‘Catfish’) individuals, made easier by the teenage girl persona. You can test and try it out for…

  • How do I remove the Windows 10 pop-up message on Windows 7

    How do you remove the Windows 10 nagging message? On Windows 7 and 8 people are sick of the pop-up that says that it is time for you to upgrade to Windows 10! Now if like me you use some PCs with Media Center for TV (with tuners) or you have a stable rig you…