Welcome to the File Integrity Check (Fic) Service!
The system files on your computer and device should be monitored and checked for
integrity from time to time. This Fic application and service can help you effectively.
95% of computer users know about computer file system.
Every file in your computer is like the treasure in your house.
Anything changed in the treasure box, you should be alerted, especially
the Operating System File. Change can be addition, removal or content modification.
Fic application and Fic-Service take advantage of the computer itself and
the Internet (the Cloud) and make everything easy for you to manage your treasure – you
might not realise it was a treasure before though. i.e. Fic
application and Fic-Service will take care of all the technical difficulties and
complexity, let you just have one or two finger clicks to manage everything.
This Fic project and service present various up to date technology in the area below:
Database + Web service development + support + administration,
Internet security and PKI development + support + administration.
Threat management and Anti-Malware development + support.
Multiple Operating System and Network support + administration,
Windows/Mac/Linux/Unix/MobileDevice.
Software Test Automation Tool development, Java/C++/C
Question 1: What is Fic?
Fic stands for File Integrity Check.
This application and service are to offer common computer Operating System
File Integrity Check using a local database and remote database on the
Internet and/or Intranet. The databases contain clean file signatures.
The user can check their OS System File signature against the databases, on-demand
or on-scheduled.
Once a file change found, the Fic GUI application will alert the user, and
effectively guide the user to
approve the change, and store the approval into the local database.
The application can also check those differences against the remote database
on Fic Web-Service Server on the Internet and/or Intranet. This procedure has been
named as PreApprove in the application.
The remote databases store all the signatures of the
specific clean/original file, for every System File, for all common Operating System.
Each System File may have multiple signatures on the remote database.
Fic Service has an effective + automatic way to ensure the database on the Internet
is up to date. i.e. When OS vendors release the new System Files update, we have
automatic facility to ensure the relevant remote database on the Net is updated.
Question 2: What is the difference of Fic from Anti-Malware program?
Anti-Malware program uses a known Malware signature database to check/verify
the file system.
Fic does the opposite, using database containing known clean file signatures to check/verify
the system file, effectively utilising the 2 databases - local database and
remote database on the network.
Any file get changed, the user will get alerted.
So, Fic is able to detect unknown Malware - unexpected file changes.
eg. Fic is able to detect Zero-day attack.
Fic user may need a bit of technical knowledge about computer file system.
Question 3: Is Fic slow?
Fic is very fast! Please refer to the Performance Test Result on Windows
Most of CPU power consumption is to access the local database on the hard drive.
We use a very quick, effective and embedded database engine H2.
Have a try and will feel it is very fast.
The remote database check/approve is very fast too, as we use optimized
Client/Server communication.
Question 4: Is Fic service secured?
Yes. Fic effectively uses the latest security and encryption technology for all Client/Server
communication. It does Mutual Authentication and asymmetric encryption.
Question 5: What is the typical use of Fic application and service?
Stand Alone User can use this program for free, to build a local database and check
their File System's Integrity on a daily base, and get the alert once something changes.
Computer trouble shooter can use Fic client application and databases to check and
verify for their client's computer System File's integrity. Potentially,
once the file changes are detected and identified, file replacement/restoration
can be possible, once the proper backup file server is setup in place.
Click here to see the File Restoration Use Case demonstrated.
Cooperate IT support can install Fic Server onto their Intranet and have their
end user to use Fic client application, utilising the full Fic Service.
Anti-Malware research guys, you know what it is for, right?! When you are dis-assembling
the unknown virus on a daily base, you may like to use Fic to make sure you do not
get infected yourself.
In the Anti-Malware research and development lab environment, large VmWare images and
snapshots would have been used, people sometimes may be reluctant to do Windows update
for every VmWare image and snapshot. That will expose to vulnerability attack to all the
PC within whole lab Intranet. Also people tent to disable Real Time AV
protection because the nature of the work. So do a daily Fic scan will help to
ensure your file system's integrity, against any
vulnerability attack,
especially the
Zero-day attack.
Question 6: Can Fic be used for Web site protection?
Yes. Fic can protect any file system including files in the Web folder on the HTTP server.
Once any change is detected, Fic can send email alert to the administrator.
Question 7: Is Fic Cloud Aware? and how?
Yes. The Fic administrator issues signed PKI certificate for trust and technical capable entity/user in the Internet Cloud,
so as to allow authorised user to upload the change for the Clean File Database in the Internet Cloud. A few voting
algorithms can be applied to ensure the change request uploaded.
Once we have enough trust entity/user in the Cloud for Fic, we will be utilising the whole Internet Cloud to fight
against the attacks.
With Fic's effective security (PKI) certificates for Fic servers and users, the identity of the trust entities/users
can be ensured.
We have experties in Computer and Network installation and trouble shooting to hire. Experties:
Windows/Linux/Unix/MAC/VMWare/ESX
Dell/Sun/HP servers and clustering disk arrays
Memory coredump (postmortem) analysis/debug/WinDbg/Process Monitor
Anti-malware and security application development, QA and support
We have software developers to hire. Experties:
Java/C++/C, Eclipse/MSVS/gcc/CodeWarrior/Watcom
SVN/CVS/VSS/PVCS, Bugzilla, SDLC/TDD
OO Design Patterns, Mix-language programming/architecture
Multi-Thread/Multi-Processors programming/architecture/test
J2SE/J2EE/JavaCC/JAX-WS/WSIT/JNLP
Swing/SWT/Applet/Servlet/JSP/JNI/JUNIT
HTML/XML/JAXB/XSLT/ANT/LinuxScripts/VbScripts
MySQL/H2/JDBC/EJB/Hibernate, GlassFish/Apache/Tomcat/Spring/IIS
TCP/IP, DNS/DHCP/SLP/NIS, IDM/eDirectory(NDS)/Samba/LDAP, PKI/SSO/Kerberos/SSH
Automatic software test strategy and procedure development, STAF, Selenium, QTP
Mocking Framework and Agile Development Capability
To download Fic.msi for Windows 32bit OS: Fic.msi
MD5:
fde14e8f08af715b4a245e7a76f0ed51
To download Fic64.msi for Windows 64bit OS: Fic64.msi
MD5:
26afa320411a2b227a70960adb69b019
To download Fic.jar: Fic.jar
MD5:
0f648b10880767bddecb2b33dac94d06
To download Fic.jar: Fic64.jar
MD5:
67bf05c6defa85f7c12704f2f38a9cef
Known issue: some Internet like MS IE8 may automatically rename the Fic.jar to Fic.zip while downloading.
Please rename it back to Fic.jar after donwload.
Source Code: Fic-Src.zip
MD5: abcd1234
Steps to run + test:
1. Double Click on the donwloaded file Fic.msi. By default the Fic.jar file
will be installed to C:\Fic folder. And the JRE will be also installed on the way.
2. Double Click on C:\Fic\Fic.jar. You will get the application running.
Or run command: java -Duser.dir=C:\Fic -jar c:\Fic\Fic.jar
3. Click on Verify or Build button, you will see something going on.
Alternatively, you may like to follow the test steps:
UseCase on Windows
4. Please Note:
We have a Web Service Server running at www.fairgo128demo.com host using port 8088.
So, please make sure your firewall NOT to block this port.
The Web Service contains PreApproval service for SystemDrive:\Windows folder.
i.e. you can use my Web Service to PreApprove the SystemDrive:\Windows change.
The Web Service Client/Server communication has been coded with a very secure channel.
Steps to run + test:
0. Install JRE
From:
http://www.java.com/en/download/inc/windows_upgrade_ie.jsp
1. Put the Fic.jar file to C:\Fic folder.
2. Double Click on C:\Fic\Fic.jar. You will get the application running.
Or run command: java -Duser.dir=C:\Fic -jar c:\Fic\Fic.jar
3. Click on Verify or Build button, you will see something going on.
Alternatively, you may like to follow the test steps:
UseCase on Windows
4. Please Note:
We have a Web Service Server running at www.fairgo128demo.com host using port 8088.
So, please make sure your firewall NOT to block this port.
The Web Service contains PreApproval service for SystemDrive:\Windows folder.
i.e. you can use my Web Service to PreApprove the SystemDrive:\Windows change.
The Web Service Client/Server communication has been coded with a very secure channel.
Steps to test and play:
0. Complete all the installation mentioned above. Install on Windows
1. Start the application. Leave the Scanning Path as it is - "C:\WINDOWS\system".
2. Click on the Build button. It will build the Local Database on this folder.
Click here to see the relevant screen.
3. Click on the Verify button. It will do the verification on this folder. You will get a final message "Nothing changed".
Click here to see the relevant screen.
4. Create a file "New Text Document.txt" in "C:\WINDOWS\system" folder.
5. Click on the Verify button. You will get an alert on the change - a new file added.
Click on the new file name on the FIC Alert Windows. You can see some detail of the file.
Click here to see the relevant screen.
6. Since it is not a problematic file, you can just Click on the check box of the new file, and Approve it into the Local Database.
7. Click on the Verify button. You will get message "Nothing changed".
8. Remove the folder "C:\Fic\Fic.WorkSpace", this will clean up all information created by Fic including the Local Database.
9. Click on the Verify button. It will do the verification on this folder. Because the Local DB has been remove,
there will be a lots of differences alerted.
So you will get a screen like below:
Click on on any of file name on the FIC Alert Windows. You can see some detail of the file. eg. "C:\WINDOWS\System\COMMDLG.DLL".
Since the Remote Database contain the relevant clean file signature, all the check boxes are checked automatically, so you can just
approve it into the Local Database.
10. You may also get an Alert screen like below:
If the change is suspicious, then you have got what the Fic application is for now.
If you think the change is expected, then you can approve it into the Local Database.
Steps to test and play:
0. Complete all the installation mentioned above. Install on Windows.
And put the 3 test files onto C:\WINDOWS\system\FairGo128.FicDemo folder. The 3 test files' content are
just the file names. The test files can be downloaded from
here.
1. Start the application. Leave the Scanning Path as it is - "C:\WINDOWS\system".
2. Click on the Build button. It will build the Local Database on this folder.
Click here to see the relevant screen.
3. Change the TestingFile2.txt, and delete the TestingFile3.txt.
Click here to see the relevant screen.
4. Click on the Verify button. You will get an alert on the 2 changes.
Click here to see the relevant screen.
5. Click on the Cancel button. You will see the ApprovePending button becomes available.
Click here to see the relevant screen.
6. Click on the ApprovePending button. You see the warning of the 2 changes.
Click here to see the relevant screen.
7. Click on the Cancel button, as the 2 changes are unexpected.
Click here to see the relevant screen.
8. Now you will get the Restoration dialog. Because the 2 files are host on the Restoration File Server.
So you will see 2 restore-able files.
9. Select the 2 files to restore by clicking the check boxes, or click the "Select All" button.
Click here to see the relevant screen.
10. Click on the Restore button, and click "YES" at the confirmation dialog. You should notice the 2 files
will have been restored.
11. Click on the Verify button. You will get a final message - "Nothing changed".
That means everything has been restored.
Click here to see the relevant screen.
Some Fic performance data FYI:
Computer used: HP mini laptop, WinXp32 SP3, 1.66GHz CPU, 1.99GB RAMS
Folders list involved:
"C:\WINDOWS"
"C:\Program Files"
Fic takes 15 minutes to build the Local DB, 11 minutes to do verify,
50 seconds to PreApprove 170 difference with the Remote DB.
Log records:
Total inserted in number: 48,172
Total calculated in size (byte): 7,888,572,829
TotalTime-Build: 15 minutes - 945 seconds
Build done for paths:
C:\WINDOWS
C:\Program Files
Number of difference found: 170
TotalTime-Verify: 11 minutes - 682 seconds
Verify done for path:
C:\WINDOWS
C:\Program Files
Start to get remote DB approval, it may take a while...
Number of differences have been processed: 30
...
Number of differences have been processed: 150
Total remote approval attempted, 170; numApproved, 0
TotalTime-PreApprove: 50 seconds
Please note: A few conditions + configuration can affect Fic's performance:
1. If you have Anti-Virus program installed and the RealTime protection
is enabled, Fic may take more time to build and verify.
2. The total file size in the specified folder can affect Fic's performance too,
because Fic may take more time to calculate the file signature.
Steps to run + test:
0. Install JRE
Quick note for installing and running JRE on Linux/ubuntu:
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Java#Choosing the default Java to use
1. Put the Fic.jar file to /home/tester/Fic folder.
2. Click to run /home/tester/Fic.jar. You will get the application running.
Or run command: java -Duser.dir=/home/tester/Fic -jar /home/tester/Fic.jar
3. Click on Verify or Build button, you will see something going on.
4. Please Note:
We have a Web Service running at www.fairgo128demo.com host using port 8088.
So, please make sure your firewall NOT to block this port.
My Web Service contains PreApproval service for /bin folder.
i.e. you can use my Web Service to PreApprove the /bin folder change.
The Web Service Client/Server communication has been coded with a very secure channel.
July 22 2014: Fic version 0.4.38 release.
Major development for RMIT trial deployment.
MSI builds do not contain JVM any more.
MSI installation will set up 3 scheduled daily scan tasks as: 7am, 12pm and 7pm.
Centralized event/alert logging.
Centralized messaging.
FIC Jar file auto update.
FIC WS API refine.
March 28 2014: Fic version 0.4.28 release.
fairgo128ficws.com port 80 FIC KB WS server has been established:
FicCfg.xml now use fairgo128ficws.com port 80 for FIC KB WS, by default.
Bug fixes.
November 09 2013: Fic version 0.4.15 release.
Major changes through a Full User trial:
A few bug fixes,
More command line options added,
Refine screen display for -vs option, progressive messages for GUI will go to -vs too.
September 30 2013: Fic version 0.4.5 release.
Bug fix + enhancement for Linux CentOS 64bit.
Not to create any alert message in alert.txt file, if the new diff is AutoApproved.
September 24 2013: Fic version 0.4.1 release.
Refined database schema.
Auguest 28 2013: Fic version 0.3.5 release.
Add a few more command line options.
July 25 2013: Fic version 0.3.4 release.
have mechanisms to support all variants of Linux.
minor bug fix to correct Fic version number display.
June 18 2013: Fic version 0.3.3 release.
Sync the command line option functionality to Fic Client GUI. A few Fic Client GUI enhancements.
Tidy up the log file facility.
June 06 2013: Fic version 0.3.2 release.
Major implementation for command line options (silence mode), for Full User to
run Fic processes as scheduled tasks on both Linux (crontab) and
Windows (Task Scheduler), being integrated with the Linux syslog and Windows event log.
Add more Fic Web Service API, with the role authorization, eg. committer role.
April 23 2013: Fic version 0.1.2 release.
Existing user should download + reinstall.
Major database schema restructure - both client and server components change + reload are required.
DownloadChecker error handling enhancement: "Not able to comparing - IOException.".
Further installation bug fix - DownloadChecker Registry setup incorecctly, for 64 bit OS only (Fic64.msi).
April 08 2013: Fic version 0.0.11 release.
Bug fix for supporting Win7 64 bits platform.
Now, Fic distribution include 4 files: Fic.msi, Fic64.msi, Fic.jar and Fic64.jar.
March 18 2013: Achieving in a Spring Security + MVC application to access the Fic database, with the protections of JSP and DB Access Methods:
http://www.fairgo128demo.com:8080/springmvc-security-hi-formlogin-h2
March 8 2013: Achieving in a Spring REST Web Service API to access the Fic database:
http://www.fairgo128demo.com:8080/springmvcjson/restapi/v1/os/win7/md5/testing12345
February 28 2013: Tidy up this Web site using CSS.
February 18 2013: Achieving in a Spring MVC REST application, with the spring-test Web Context Mock + Selenium test facility:
http://www.fairgo128demo.com:8080/fic-mvc-rest-test
Maven Spring POM bug alter:
Spring 3.2.1 POM missing certain compile time dependencies
January 18 2013: Achieving in a SpringMvc/XML/XSLT/XSL-FO Web application with the capability to generate PDF file dynamically:
http://www.fairgo128demo.com:8080/springmvcfop
November 28 2012: Achieving in an Ajax Json Web application with the capability of Auto Complete JQuery UI:
http://www.fairgo128demo.com:8080/springmvcjson
November 18 2012: Achieving in the Fic Web application - for users to upload their own clean file onto the Fic database, using Ajax, SpringMVC, Hibernate and H2:
http://www.fairgo128demo.com:8080/ficfileupload
November 08 2012: Achieving in the Linux Mail Server installation + configuration in my lab, using my fairgo128demo.com domain.
October 28 2012: Hands on Linux installation and configuration - my lab now has been geared with the high availability clustering
technology -
Pacemaker
September 18 2012 (LMA):
Major enhancement for the QT/C++ code for ATMS messaging protocol parsing/decoding tool, supporting both Linux and Windows.
November 28 2011 (LMA):
Major team work for the design, implementation and integration of a Database Transform + Validation ToolSet for ATMS Track Database. Java/Hibernate/PostgreSQL/JAXB/XSL/AutomationTool.
Thanks for visiting!
