Chudworth Technology Solutions
62 Pippy Place A1B 4H7 St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, NL, Canada

Good morning and happy new year! To all our Chinese friends and neighbors, we wish you all the best in the Year of the Ox!

The festive season continues with the start of Kwanzaa today. To everyone celebrating, we wish you umoja, kujichagulia, ujima, ujamaa, nia, kuumba, and imani today and every day to follow. Happy Kwanzaa from Chudworth!

To all our friends celebrating today, the management and staff of Chudworth wish you the very merriest of Christmases!

Please be advised that Chudworth has no SolarWinds installations at its client sites. If your site is using SolarWinds products, please read the attached security advisory and take action as required. This is a high priority, high risk issue. https://www.solarwinds.com/securityadvisory

Good morning friends, FYI, it's not just you. https://www.cbc.ca/amp/1.5840080

This year has been strange and dark in many ways, but at sundown today Hanukkah begins nonetheless. The management and staff of Chudworth extend our warmest thoughts to our Jewish friends as they celebrate the festival of lights!

Good afternoon all, Please be advised that our locations in St. John's and Marystown will be closed on Wednesday 11th November in observance of Remembrance Day. We thank everyone who has served and who continues to serve in defence of human rights and against all forms of oppression.

Hi friends, we're looking for some feedback on possible add-ons for our upcoming internet service packages. We'd love to hear from you! https://survey.app.do//internet-access-and-additional-serv

Now I wonder what we'll do with something like this... Anyone else feeling a bit tired of the price of internet service in Newfoundland and Labrador?

Retail Hours at 62 Pippy Place: Please contact us for any service requirements; as part of our ongoing efforts to curb the spread of COVID-19 we are providing service by appointment. Be safe! 24/7 Service via Phone, Email, or Messenger!... We're here when you need us!

What a beautiful place! #ExploreNL

Newfoundland and Labrador has become the second province in Canada to activate the Canadian COVID-19 exposure tracing app[1], and there's an avalanche of misinformation being spread about what the app tracks and how. Rather than repeating the verified and sound science about how the app cannot be used to track your physical location / habits / etc[2], we're going to take a look at the devices on which it runs: your cell. Cell phones are, at their core, two-way (full-duplex) r...adio transceivers. They use one frequency to talk and one to listen (which is why you and your friend can talk at the same time rather than taking turns like you would on a short-wave radio). When your friend decides to call you, they dial your number, which is tied to the SIM (subscriber identity module) card in your phone. Their phone sends a signal request to their nearest cell tower. The signal is then sent to a backhaul (a (usually) wired connection between cell towers and the providers' processing centres). The processing centre links your number to your SIM card, so the processor knows where the signal needs to go. So what then? How does the signal actually reach you? Having cellular coverage means your SIM card is in communication with one or more cell towers, reporting its location. The processing centre looks up where your SIM card is reporting and routes the data (the call) to the nearest tower. The tower then initiates a full-duplex radio connection to your phone and the call is connected. It's brilliant! But here's the thing people seem to be missing when they wonder about the COVID-19 app tracking their location - your cell phone has to report your physical location _at all times_ in order to function. The COVID-19 tracing app does nothing other than communicate anonymous data via Bluetooth (a much shorter-range communication protocol) with other active phones. Even if every single contact in the app were somehow compromised, and even if the persons responsible for compromising it had some way to de-anonymize the information, it still wouldn't contain a log of where you had been - only what other active phones you had been within a couple of metres of. In summary: the COVID-19 app cannot be used to track your location and, if you are for some reason deeply opposed to having your physical location tracked by any means, you shouldn't have a cell phone at all (and woah golly you should take a look at the permissions your social media apps use). Please download the app. It's a sensible and convenient tool that may help us head off future outbreaks of COVID-19. . . . [1] https://www.canada.ca//coronavirus-diseas/covid-alert.html [2] https://www.canada.ca//covi/privacy-policy/assessment.html , https://www.michaelgeist.ca//why-i-installed-the-covid-al/ , https://www.intelligencer.ca//big-brother-not-tracking-you See more

We are just thrilled to have been selected as the Platinum winner in the 2020 St. John's CommunityVotes Computer Repair and Service category! Congratulations to everyone who was nominated, thank you to everyone who voted, and our sincere thanks for this honour. We will continue our efforts to support our community in every way we can. Cheers! https://stjohns.communityvotes.com//computer-repair-and-se

Wow, how odd that all these people of whom we have no record suddenly left one-star reviews for Chudworth Technology Solutions and Bannerman Brewing Co. on Goog...le on the same day. Almost like they were all members of some kind of "private" group in which doing just that was suggested as a way to harm the businesses. How very odd indeed. See more

Hey, did you know that some services that advertise themselves as VPNs actually just redirect your data, thus making it possible to find the original source even after the data has been passed through the VPN? No? Well, don't feel bad, neither did the guy who tried to compromise one of our servers today. Figure 1 shows how a VPN works; your data leaves the source, goes to the VPN, and is then transmitted from the VPN to the destination. Using this method it's extremely diffic...ult (and in some cases impossible) to locate the original source from the destination. Figure 2 shows a service commonly sold as a "VPN". The VPN is not actually processing and retransmitting your data, it's just redirecting it. Capturing the data at the destination makes finding the original source trivial. While this method is faster and fine for, say, watching a streaming service from another country, it is not a secure way to disguise the originating point of your data. So, to the guy: -- The Smart: It was smart of you to run your bot off a Raspberry Pi on a separate subnet from the other computers in your house. Even if someone intruded on it, they wouldn't see any of the other machines on your network. It was also smart of you to automate a force-reload of the external IP address of your internet connection, as the regular changes in IP can make traffic harder to track. -- The Less Smart: Having ports open through your external connection that lead to computers on your main network means that someone trying to find out where this traffic is coming from finds a direct conduit to your home network. Them being on a different subnet than the Pi doesn't help if they're accessible from the outside. Refreshing your IP is great, but if someone notices your traffic as it's coming in the trail leads directly back to your currently assigned address. -- You'll find a file on your desktop called HI-MARK.jpg. It's an image of a very disappointed Bea Arthur. There's an email address steganographically encoded in the image (the passphrase is your router password). Drop me a line some time! I'd love to know what kind of flower that is outside the basement window, it looks beautiful. What's the growing season like in Lansing? See more

One of the great things about providing service to the entirety of Newfoundland and Labrador is getting to see new places. If you're considering a staycation this year, St. Anthony is a great choice - beautiful scenery, kind and friendly people, and all the fresh air you'd care to breathe. Our thanks to the good people at Foodland - St. Anthony for being so much fun to work with!

Yesterday someone asked why Chudworth had yet to make a statement regarding our stance on the Black Lives Matter movement (and systemic racism in general). The reason is simple: the world doesn't need another statement from another white owned company. We have been and will continue to be vocal in our support for equal rights for the oppressed, but the only "statement" we'll be making at this time is our ongoing financial support of the BLM movement. As people who have never suffered racism, it falls on us to listen to and amplify the voices of those who have. We are proud to support the voices integral to the development of change. https://secure.actblue.com/donate/ms_blm_homepage_2019

https://www.cbc.ca/shortdocs/m/shorts/merbys

A few months ago it came to my attention that the Canadian Nationalist Party is using GoDaddy to host its website (some of their greatest hits of racism picture...d below). Since GoDaddy has been our company's go-to for registrar services for the last five years, I wanted to see what their position was on open Neo-Nazis using their platform to recruit and spread hatred. I used their online chat and, while polite and as helpful as they could be, the person indicated it was well beyond their capacity to offer any guidance. They provided me an address to which I could send my concerns. I emailed them that day, and twice more over the next three weeks, before receiving the pictured reply. Now, is it GoDaddy's right to choose to host neo-Nazi content - including their fundraising efforts - as "freedom of expression"? Yes, it absolutely is. Is it my right to choose where our company money goes? Also yes. So, as of Monday, I have transferred 46 registered domains to a new registrar. The revenue lost by GoDaddy in this instance is beyond insignificant to their bottom line, but that isn't the point. The point is that we all have the ability to choose. Don't just not be racist, be anti-racist. Support businesses that support equality. See more

Good day everyone! On June 8th we will be reopening our location at the Marystown Mall. As a part of our new safety measures to reduce the spread of covid 19, a...ll machines will be cleaned before and after each service and staff will be wearing a mask. In keeping with social distancing guidelines, we will be serving one customer in the store at a time. Looking forward to helping you with all your computing needs! See more

Abuses like this are why we insist on providing our customers with complete training and control of any systems they purchase, including having master administrative access and how to use it. If your supplier doesn't provide you with full documentation and control of your system, or if they add their own credentials for "testing" and don't subsequently remove them with you present to verify, something is very wrong. https://iapp.org//class-action-suit-adt-vulnerabilities-a/

Celebrated by over 132 countries, the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia is observed on May 17. The day hopes to coordinate internat...ional events that raise awareness of LGBT rights violations and stimulate interest in LGBT rights work worldwide. List of LGBT Programs and Services in NL: https://violencepreventionae.ca/lgbt/ Violence Prevention Avalon East in NL has created a list of LGBT resources to understand and prevent LGBT- related abuse.: https://violencepreventionae.ca//online-resources-lgbtq2s/

UPDATE: Clearly the gentleman had mistaken the shipment for something for him. Our thanks for its prompt return. And don't forget to renew those tags! . To the gentleman who just came into our porch, took three objects which don't belong to him, and left ... you realize our primary industry is surveillance, right? Please put them back where you got them by noon tomorrow and the whole thing will be considered a misunderstanding. (Also you touched your face just before you picked them up - please try to remember not to do that unless you have just scrubbed your hands with soap and hot water for at least 20 seconds. Be careful out there!)

I'd like to take a moment to thank Trina Noseworthy: Owner/Insurance/Financial Advisor for the support we're receiving from the Co-Operators during the pandemic. We're committed to ensuring our staff continue to receive the best possible benefits during this difficult time and this reduction in premiums is an immense help. Thank you so much for everything you do.

Two years ago today, Humboldt Broncos defenseman Logan Boulet saved 6 lives and inspired Canadians to register as Organ Donors. Today, WEAR GREEN & let's Inspir...e one another by registering and telling our family, because we are all in this together! #GreenShirtDay #LoganBouletEffect Register-Tell Your Family-Be Inspired-Visit https://greenshirtday.ca/ See more

We're so proud to have been able to be a part of this amazing journey!

Good morning friends, As an update to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic: Both of our locations will be closed to walk-in traffic until further notice, with an update on 26th March. Service continues, with a focus on remote support for break fix calls. No technicians have been outside the province in at least six months.... We're all maintaining distance from others and following an increased sanitization routine. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to call 709-722-2483 or send us a message here. Please remember that, despite the isolation and worry, you absolutely are not alone. Check in on your community members and be well. See more

Good morning everyone, In light of the ongoing pandemic, the management and staff of Chudworth are instituting some changes to #FlattenTheCurve: - Walk-in service at our Pippy Place location is suspended. - Non-emergency service calls to residences will be rescheduled. - All hardware accepted at our Marystown location for service will be cleaned with disinfectant upon receipt and before being returned to you.... We are happy to say our robust remote support software is not susceptible to any infection - there's a good chance we can solve your PC issues remotely. For remote service, contact us at 709-722-2483 or via Facebook Messenger for a support key and head to https://chudworth.technology/support to enter it. Our support client is available for Windows, Mac OSX, Linux, and even mobile devices. We thank you for your understanding, and look forward to doing our part to slow the infection rate. Please remember to check on vulnerable members of our community; together (but at a distance) we're always better. See more

Today is International Women's Day! Today and every day, we all have a part to play in deconstructing harmful gender stereotypes and ensuring equality for all. On #IWD2020, Chudworth joins the world in calling for #EachForEqual! For an interesting look at the ways gender bias sneaks into even "neutral" things like AI (despite the number of women involved in advancing computer science every day), take a look at this article: https://www.internationalwomensday.com//Gender-and-AI-Addr

Thank you to the beautiful Town of Bonavista for a great stay. Another surveillance upgrade complete at the local Foodland. If you ever find yourself here, be sure to stop by PK's Restaurant for a bowl of what may be the best pea soup in the entire world!

This kind of incident is becoming more common all the time; malicious actors impersonate a free (or free trial) service to con users into downloading malware. Remember, always confirm from where you're downloading software, and always research how a company makes its money. If it's too good to be true, it just might be. https://securelist.com/azorult-spreads-as-a-fake-protonv//

With Windows 7 now officially past its end of life, we're offering a deal on upgrading from 7 to 10 to ensure your machines remain stable and updated! $49 + HST for most computers running activated copies of Windows 7; please speak to our friendly techs in either our St. John's or Marystown locations for further details.

Clients sometimes ask why we suggest either the built-in Windows 10 Defender or a paid subscription to a Sophos product for antivirus. Why not just install one of the "free" ones from the web? This is why. Like McAfee, like Kaspersky, like Avast - if you don't know exactly how a company makes its money, chances are you're the product. https://www.vice.com//avast-antivirus-sells-user-browsing-

Now that our St. John's office is back to business as usual, we're delighted to have received our new membership plaque from Canadian Security Association (CANASA). We're looking forward to helping with all your security and computing needs in 2020 and beyond!

The State of Emergency in St. John's remains unchanged for tomorrow (Thursday 23rd January). Accordingly, our office on Pippy Place will not be open. Please call if you need anything!

While we hope the State of Emergency in St. John's will be lifted tomorrow, we're currently developing a new type of remote workstation. Stay tuned for information on how to preorder your very own FrostStation(tm). Eat your heart out, Oak Ridge Labs.

Again, our office in St. John's will be closed for the day. We are still available by phone and will do everything possible to assist with any issues that arise. The management and staff of Chudworth hope you're all safe, warm, and well fed. Please check in on any neighbours who may be isolated or vulnerable, and remember to call 311 if you need any information on snow-clearing.

Well folks, Tuesday 21st January will be another day in which we won't be driving in St. John's. Our office on Pippy won't be open, but please call if you need us and we'll do our best to help you!

Good morning everyone, As the City of St. John's is still under a state of emergency, our office will remain closed today. As ever, we're available by phone at 709-722-2483 x 2. If you encounter an issue, please don't hesitate to call - we may be able to assist you remotely. Please stay safe and warm! http://stjohns.ca//state-emergency-update-public-cooperati

Please be advised we will not be travelling for any reason until the driving prohibition is lifted. We will be able to provide remote service only. Also, please get cozy inside; if you or anyone you know requires shelter, please call the NL Housing emergency shelter line: 1-833-724-2444 Our thanks to all the emergency service workers who are out in this today to help keep everyone safe.

Good morning everyone. Like everything else in town, Chudworth's office on Pippy will be closed for the day. Technicians are available for emergencies, but obviously safety demands we stay off the roads as much as is possible. If you don't _absolutely have_ to drive today, please stay home. We hope you have a wonderful snow day!

Hi again, Given the state of the roads, we're going to keep everyone who isn't on emergency calls home. Please give us a shout if you need anything! Be safe out there!

Good morning all, Like darn near everything else, our offices will be delayed opening today. As always, our phones are open and our technicians are on the move for emergency calls. If you do have to drive this morning, stay safe!

Somehow, the last hours of 2019 are here. The management and staff of Chudworth would like to take a moment to thank everyone. Everyone who has joined us as clients, everyone who has joined us as friends, everyone who has supported us, and everyone who worked in 2019 to make the world a better place. The start of 2020 will mark Chudworth's fifth anniversary. As we begin our sixth year of business, we do so with immense gratitude for every moment of this adventure. Thank you to everyone who has made it possible. As ever, our thanks to the NL Beard and Moustache Club for providing us with opportunities to volunteer and sponsor their good works. We wish you all a safe and happy new year, and we hope 2020 will be your best year yet!

And just like that, it's Christmas! The management and staff of Chudworth wishes a merry Christmas to everyone celebrating today. Have a safe and happy day!

Good morning everyone, Our offices in St. John's and Marystown will be closed from Wednesday 25th December to Sunday 29th December to allow our staff to spend some holiday time with their families and friends. We'll return to regular business hours on Monday 30th December. As always, technicians on call are available for emergencies at 709-722-2483 x 2. Thank you and happy holidays!