9 May 2024 - Bob's Bytes #321

 "$ & All over the Place!"

A more random than usual day.  Here are notes and links for the Topics of the Day:

• The Commercial Crew Program (CCP) which put Boeing and SpaceX in competition to take crew to and from the International Space Station.  <link>  SpaceX has made 13 manned flights so far; Boeing, none.  Their next try: May 17, 2024
• The Cuckoo's Egg was a great book and also a PBS Special.  See it <here>.
• The ransomware hack of Change Healthcare, a division of UnitedHealth was significant, effecting a third of all US citizens.  But apparently no honor among thieves as AlphV, a ransomware as a service ground, stole the $22M ransom from 'RansomHub' one of their affiliates.  So pay up again!  <link>  And UnitedHealth is saying it will cost them $1.6B (with a B) to recover.  <link>  Guess who pays that bill!
• "Brassed Off" is a great movie on the problems the British faced closing their coal mines.  But the Grimethorpe band played on.  Danny: “For 100 years this band has been going.  Through 2 World Wars, 3 disasters, 7 strikes, one bloody big depression and this band has played on every flaming time.” To hear and watch their struggles, click <here>.
• AT&T Data Breach, a "rolling disclosure" since 2019.  <link> Which led me to:
  
• For instructions and links to freeze your credit records, type this into your browser address line ... https://grc.sc/credit.  (Did you think I'd just give you a link?  No!  This is important enough to make you do it yourself!!  ok, if you insist ...  https://www.investopedia.com/how-to-freeze-and-unfreeze-your-credit-5075527)
• If tracking cookies worry you, use the Firefox browser <link>.  And uBlock Origin is a great extension for it.  <link>
  
• The Ask Woody free newsletter is well worth it.  <link>  To get the paid version which is even better, they accept any donation!
• Don't use Microsoft's Outlook (new).  It's half-baked and doesn't even do what the 20-year old Outlook Express used to do.
• China bans Western encrypted messaging apps <link> 

My presentation for review or download: