How to bypass BitLocker and Hack the Computer

If your computer's security relies on Windows BitLocker Hard Drive Encryption software, then Beware! Because anyone with physical access to your PC can still access your files within few seconds.

All an attacker need to do is hold SHIFT+F10 during Windows 10 update procedure.

Security researcher Sami Laiho discovered this simple method of bypassing BitLocker, wherein an attacker can open a command-line interface with System privileges just by holding SHIFT+F10 while a Windows 10 PC is installing a new OS build.

The command-line interface (CLI) then grants the attacker full access to the computer's hard drive, even when the victim has enabled BitLocker disk encryption feature.

Laiho explains that during the installation of a new build (Windows 10 upgrade), the operating system disables BitLocker while the Windows PE installs a new image of the main Windows 10 OS.

"The installation [Windows 10 upgrade] of a new build is done by reimaging the machine and the image installed by a small version of Windows called Windows PE (Preinstallation Environment)," Laiho says in his blog.

"This has a feature for troubleshooting that allows you to press SHIFT+F10 to get a Command Prompt. This sadly allows for access to the hard disk as during the upgrade Microsoft disables BitLocker."

 

Windows 10 in-place upgrades make this Issue Easy to Exploit

The SHIFT+F10 feature has existed with earlier versions of Windows as well, and could also be used to bypass BitLocker on Windows 7 and 8, but the feature has become a real flaw only with the advent of Windows 10's in-place upgrades.

The attacker needs physical access to the target computer during a relatively short time frame, bypass BitLocker encryption, and then gain administrator access to the device – the issue that may also affect Internet of Things (IoT) devices running Windows 10 as well.

Why is this worrying? Most of you have a bad habit of leaving your PC unattended during the Windows OS update procedure. It's also because Windows updates take very long to get installed.

During this time, any insider or threat actor (known or unknown to you) can open the CLI debugger interface and perform malicious tasks with the user admin privileges, despite BitLocker's presence, and that too without the need of any additional software.

"The real issue here is the Elevation of Privilege that takes a non-admin to SYSTEM (the root of Windows) even on a BitLocker (Microsoft's hard disk encryption) protected machine," Laiho adds. "And of course that this doesn't require any external hardware or additional software."

During his tests, Laiho successfully brought up the CLI troubleshooting interface while performing an update from Windows 10 RTM to version 1511 (November Update) or version 1607 (Anniversary Update), and during updates to any newer Windows 10 Insiders Build, up to the end of October 2016.

You can also watch the video demonstration of this attack on Laiho's blog.

Laiho informed Microsoft of the issue, and the company is working on a fix.

How to Mitigate this Issue?

As some countermeasures, Laiho recommended users not to leave their PCs unattended during the update procedure.

The Windows security expert also advised users to remain on Windows 10 LTSB (Long Time Servicing Branch) versions for the time being, as the LTSB versions of Windows 10 does not automatically do upgrades.

Windows 10 users with System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM) can block access to the command-line interface (CLI) during Windows update procedures by adding a file name DisableCMDRequest.tag to the %windir%\Setup\Scripts\ folder.

San Francisco’s transport agency has been hit by a hack attack which led to customers being able to travel for nothing.

The hackers have made a ransom demand of 100 Bitcoin, which amounts to about $70,000 (£56,000 ; €66,000).

As a precaution, staff shut off all ticketing machines on the network.

Computers across the city’s transport network, including at stations, were disabled with screens displaying a message from the attackers.

The message read: "You Hacked, ALL Data Encrypted. Contact For Key(cryptom27@yandex.com)ID:681 ,Enter”.

Yandex is a Russian internet company that, among other things, provides email and social networking tools.

The trains themselves were not affected - and city officials said a full investigation was underway.

'2,000 machines hacked'

"There has been no impact to the transit service, to our safety systems or to our customer's personal information,” a spokesman told the BBC.

"The incident remains under investigation, so it wouldn't be appropriate to provide any additional details at this point."

The Municipal Transportation Agency - known as Muni - looks after trains, trams and buses around the city, including San Francisco's iconic cable cars.

On Sunday, ticketing machines were back up - but it was not clear if the hack had been contained.

San Francisco news site Hoodline told the BBC the hacker had provided a list of machines he or she claimed to have infected in Muni's network - more than 2,000 in total.

It appeared to include many employee terminals as well as machines that may be used to look after payroll and employees’ personal information.

The hacker told Hoodline on Sunday that Muni had “one more day” to make a deal.

How do I password protect my files and folders in Windows?

Because most versions of Windows do not include a method of password protecting your files and folders, this page provides steps on encrypting files and folders instead. To password protect your files and folders in Windows, you need to use a third-party program.

Tip: Before password protecting any document, you may want to create a backup of the non-password protected files and folder in case you forget the password in the future.

Microsoft Windows Vista, 7, 8, and 10 users
Microsoft Windows XP Professional users
Microsoft Windows XP Home users
Other security solutions for protecting your files and folders in Windows
How to password protect an Excel file
Things to remember when encrypting or password protecting files and folders

Microsoft Windows Vista, 7, 8, and 10 users

Unfortunately, Windows Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 8 do not provide any features for password protecting files or folders. You need to use a third-party software program to accomplish this.

If you want to encrypt a file or folder, this can be done by following these steps:

1. Select the file or folder you want to encrypt.


2. Right-click the file or folder and select Properties.


3. On the General tab, click the Advanced button.


4. Check the box for the "Encrypt contents to secure data" option.


5. Click Apply and then OK.

Note: If the "Encrypt contents to secure data" option is not selectable and grayed out or you do not see the option at all, you have a version of Windows that does not support this feature. It is also possible that the hard drive where the files are located is not formatted as NTFS, as this is a requirement for the encryption feature.

Microsoft Windows XP Professional users

The steps below for encrypting the files on Windows XP Professional apply to users who are using a computer that has two or more accounts. If you are using a single account, see the other security solutions section.

1. Select the file or folder you want to encrypt.


2. Right-click the file or folder and click Properties.


3. On the General tab, click the Advanced button.


4. Check "Encrypt contents to secure data" option.


5. Click Apply and then OK.

Note: You will not be prompted to enter a password when encrypting a folder in Windows XP Pro. However, other user accounts on your computer will not have access to files contained in the encrypted folder.

Encrypt contents to secure data is grayed out

If you are using the Home edition of Microsoft Windows XP, see the Windows XP Home steps.

Show "Encrypt" on the context menu

The newest version of TweakUI also enables you to show the Encrypt option in the context menu. To do this, follow the steps below.

1. Open TweakUI.


2. In the TweakUI window, select Explorer.


3. In the right side of the window under Settings, locate Show 'Encrypt' on context menu and check the box. This option should be below Prefix 'shortcut to' on new shortcuts and above Show 'View workgroup computers' in NetPlaces.

• I'm missing Show "Encrypt" on the context menu in TweakUI.

Microsoft Windows XP Home users

1. Select the file or folder you want to encrypt.


2. Right-click the file or folder and click Properties.


3. Click the Sharing tab.


4. Check the box Make this folder private


5. Click Apply and then OK.

Make this folder private is grayed out

For this option to work on Microsoft Windows XP Home edition, you must meet the below requirements.

1. The hard drive must be formatted in NTFS and not FAT32 File System.


2. The folder you are attempting to encrypt is your own personal folder. For example, if your name is Bob, you must be encrypting the following folder or a folder that is contained within the following folder:C:\Documents and Settings\Bob\
   
   You cannot encrypt any folders outside of this folder. If you want to encrypt folders outside of this folder, see the other security solutions section below.

Other security solutions for protecting your files and folders in Windows

File and folders not frequently used - An easy way to password protect files is to create an archive of the files using a compression tool. When the archive is created, you can encrypt the contents by specifying a password.

Windows ME and Windows XP users - Windows ME and Windows XP come with their own compression utility. This utility can also be used to compress and password protect files.

Windows Vista and Windows 7 users - Windows Vista and Windows 7 also include a compression utility. However, password protection for the compressed files is not possible without the use of a third-party software program.

Tip: When a file is compressed, users can still view a listing of the files in the compressed file. If you want both your file names and the contents to be hidden, move all the files into a single folder and password protect that folder.

File and folders frequently used or accessed

If you need to password protect or encrypt data you frequently use, you need to install a third-party program that allows you to protect your files and folders. Below are some free and commercial solutions.

• 7-Zip - A free file and folder zipping utility, which also includes the ability to password protect zipped files and folders.


• AxCrypt - An excellent free encryption utility that enables users to encrypt all files within a folder and not allow those files to be viewed unless a passphrase (password) is known.


• Folder Guard - A commercial version of a password protection software that enables you to password protect files, folders, and other Windows resources.


• Protected Folder- For a small fee, it's an excellent software program that enables you to password protect folders.

Click here to search for more solutions to password protect files and folders in Windows.

Things to remember when encrypting or password protecting files and folders

1. There is no such thing as a 100% protected file. There are numerous tools, utilities, and instructions for how to break encryption and passwords on files. However, the protection methods listed above will protect your files from the majority of users who may encounter them. If you are working with really sensitive data, we suggest a commercial product for protecting your files and data.


2. Even though a file or folder may be password protected, it still can be deleted (unless the program supports the ability to protect files from being deleted). Always remember to backup all your files, even those protected by passwords.


3. If you forget the password, unless you're willing to spend the time attempting to break it or pay someone else to break the password, all the data in the file or folder will be lost. Thus, it is important to backup a copy of the non-password protected files or folders, just in case.

WHATSAPP VIDEO CALLS ARE NOW AVAILABLE TO EVERYONE

When WhatsApp finally got a voice calling feature last year it left us with just one question: when do we get video? Well, now it's underway. According to the WhatsApp blog, the feature is gradually rolling out for all users across the various platforms in the coming days. Read on for more on how to make WhatsApp video calls.

• WhatsApp tips and tricks


• WhatsApp problems and solutions

How to make WhatsApp video calls

Making a video call is just like making an audio call: open a call chat with the person you want to contact and then select the Video Call option. The other person, for now, will also need to have video calling for it to work otherwise you'll get an error message.

Once the call is launched, you can see and hear your correspondent. It will take us further testing to see the actual video quality but at first glance it looks pretty good. In our test, my colleague Luis used a Xiaomi Redmi 3 and I used a Nexus 6P, so rather good smartphones.

WhatsApp Messenger

Just choose audio or video calls. / © AndroidPIT

With a simple tap on the screen, you can access your messages, for example within the application, or return to the menu and use your smartphone for other purposes while continuing your call. Of course, if you do not keep the display of the call on the screen you can not see the caller but only hear the audio. To see him/her again, simply reopen the window.

You can download the latest version of WhatsApp version 2.16.318 here. But remain patient, the feature is rolling out to all users (not just beta users anymore) in the coming days. Uninstalling and reinstalling the app or clearing the cache won't do you any good. You just have to wait.

• How to send files of any type with WhatsApp


• Check out the WhatsApp blog

Alternatives to WhatsApp video calling

If you don't like WhatsApp video calls (or can't stand the wait) then you can try out one of its many rivals. Alternative apps like Viber are excellent. In fact, it is one of the best instant messenger apps for Android.

In the case of Viber, making a video call means making a voice call first. Select your contact, tap the Free Call button, and wait for the call to connect. Once it connects, you’ll need to tap the Video Call button to move into video calling mode, and the person you’re calling needs to activate it too or you won’t be able to see him, her or them.

You can do the same thing in Skype for Android – there’s a button you can use to turn the video on or off during a call – but unlike Viber you don’t need to initiate a voice call first if you don’t want to. All you need to do is sign in, tap the contact you want to video call and then tap on the video call.

What do you think of WhatsApp video calling? Let us know in the comments.

Best Tricks every Computer User should know.

Get back that tab you accidentally closed.

Windows: Ctrl + Shift + T

Mac : Command + Shift +T

Open a link in a new browser tab with one click.

If you click the "middle" button on your mouse, you will open the link in a new browser tab. And if you middle-click an open tab, it will close it.

Make a copy of a file by just dragging it.

All you have to do to make a copy of a file on a Mac is hold the "Alt" key ("Control" if you are using a PC) and then click and drag the file. This will make a copy that you can drop anywhere you want by un-clicking.

Pause YouTube with one click, or skip backward and forward 10 seconds.

Most people know you can hit the space bar to pause a YouTube video, but sometimes this causes it to scroll down the page if you haven't already clicked on the video. If you press "K," this will play (or pause) the video every time.

Hitting the "J" key will cause you to go backward 10 seconds, while hitting the "L" key will make you go forward 10 seconds.

Move your window to any side of the screen, or to the next monitor.

If you click the "Windows" key, plus one of the arrows (right, left, up, down), your current window will move to that side of the screen.

Similarly, "Windows," plus "Shift," plus one of the arrows will move your window into whatever monitor is that way (right, for example).

Unfortunately, this only works for Windows machines.

Clear you cache in seconds.

Quickly clear your cache by pressing "Control," plus "Shift," plus "R." This will also refresh your page.

Lock your computer in seconds.

On a Windows machine, hit "Windows," plus  "L" to lock your computer. This can be fun for pranks.

On a Mac click "Command," plus "Option," plus "Eject." (Or "Power" if your computer doesn't have an optical drive.)

Freak people out by rotating their screen.

If you press "Control" plus "Alt" plus one of the arrow keys, it will rotate your screen that way. Note: this doesn't work for all computers (and only on Windows), but when it does, it can seriously freak someone out.

Turn your browser window into a simple text editor.

If you want to bring up a basic text editor you can type in, just paste this into the address bar in your browser:

data:text/html, <title>GetRwanda Text Editor</title><body contenteditable style="font-size:2rem;font-family:georgia;line-height:1.4;max-width:60rem;margin:0 auto;padding:4rem;">

Edit what you Chrome browser looks like.

If you want to play a trick on someone, and send them a fake screenshot of something that never existed, there's an easy way in Chrome. First you bring up the console by pressing "F12."

Then you enter: document.designMode = "on"

After this, you can edit any of the text that appears on the screen.

Reset your browser so it's not zoomed in.

Here are three ways to deal with zooming in your web browser:

• "Control" (or "Command" on Mac) plus "0" resets it to default


• "Control" (or "Command" on Mac) plus "+" zooms in


• "Control" (or "Command" on Mac) plus "-" zooms out

 

Please write down in comment for any suggestion or Question