Month: February 2011

Office For Mac 2011 -Cannot Save Spreadsheet in Excel Problem

Ran into an issue on an install of Office for Mac 2011 recently. When the user attempted to save an excel spreadsheet, they would get an error as follows:
– file name or path name does not exist
– file is being used by another program
– name is the same as another file

Unfortunately these error messages were not the case- it was a new file with a unique name, and only Excel was trying to use the document.

The solution was simple to understand once the issue was fixed by verifying disc permissions. The user did not have the correct permissions to write files. Apparently saving an Excel document writes first to a temporary location which they had no rights.

Flexible Single Master of Operator Roles and How to tell Which Domain Controller Owns Them

The Operations Master roles ( AKA FSMO pronounced FIZZMOE) are, by default, assigned to the first DC installed in an Active Directory environment.

Schema Master The Schema is the field structure of the AD Database in this context – The Schema master maintains that schema, in the case of Schema modifications – such as intalling Exchange, running adprep.exe/forestprep or a third party app that hooks itself into Active Directory (Cognos for example.) This role is unique to the forest. To view the Schema Master, you need to register the schmmgmt.dll file, and then add Schema Management to a mmc console. You can now right click and view the owner of this role (and change it if so desired.)

Continue reading “Flexible Single Master of Operator Roles and How to tell Which Domain Controller Owns Them”

Common Computer Attack Types

Common computer attack types defined

Access Attacks– the attacker’s goal is to gain unauthorized access to information or services.
Dumpster Diving Literally picking the corporate dumpster for information. Also called Information Diving
Eavesdropping Simply listening in in an effort to gain knowledge.
Snooping Peeking around for information.
Interception The attacker positions himself covertly, either physically or in a digital sense, in the middle of a transaction or conversation.
Modification Attacks The attacker’s goal is to alter information for gain.
Repudiation Attacks Modifying with the purpose of discrediting or invalidating information.
Back Doors by design or surreptiously inserted, allows the attacker a ‘back door’ into a system or application for purposes of control Continue reading “Common Computer Attack Types”