Ever since Mozilla came into the picture, I have not been using Internet Explorer. I am sure that I am not alone in this – I have heard so many IE to Mozilla stories in the past years. With the release of Internet Explorer 8, however, some people might start to reconsider. Indeed, Microsoft is touting IE 8 to be its most secure web browser ever. (That’s not saying much, is it?)

Anyway, why should anyone want to use IE8? PC World has a write up on it and this is what they have to say about the security features:

Microsoft touts IE 8 as its most secure browser to date, and Microsoft has indeed added a good number of security features to the mix, ranging from phishing detection to private browsing, plus a new feature to prevent clickjacking, an emerging data theft threat.

IE 8 RC1 includes two security features under the ‘InPrivate’ label: InPrivate Browsing and InPrivate Filtering. Both existed in earlier prerelease versions of IE 8, but IE 8 RC1 lets you use the two features separately, whereas before each relied on the other.

That’s sounding good to me but is that all there is? Apparently not. Another feature that looks interesting is the Private Browsing feature, which is already being enjoyed by Safari users. IE8 also has InPrivate Filtering, which will prevent web sites from gathering data about other web sites that you got to. There seems to be more to it, though. Maybe we should give it a try and see what Microsoft has to offer this time?

Categories: News, Web browsers

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It used to be that when one was using a Mac, there was absolutely no fear of being invaded by viruses and other malware. Indeed, this was one of the things that Mac users were most proud of. Aside from being cool, Mac products were basically impenetrable in this respect.

Well, those days are gone as early in this year, someone was able to create malware AND dupe people into downloading it into their Macs. I am sure that you heard or read about this – the news was splashed all over countless web sites. Just how many people have been affected? The Apple Blog has the details:

According to Intego’s numbers, more than 20,000 people have downloaded the affected file, a number which also says something about Apple’s ability (or desire?) to curb piracy of its proprietary software. Instructions on how to rid your computer of the virus in case you are among that unlucky 20,000 can be found here, but they can’t take away your shame.

This was only the beginning though – here’s more:

This week, another round of infections has appeared, this time targeting a different, but similar group of pirates. The victims are users who downloaded a pirated copy of Adobe’s popular photo editing program, Photoshop CS4. Again, the people responsible for finding and broadcasting the existence of the trojan are Intego. This one is aptly dubbed “OSX.Trojan.iServices.B”, and actually comes from the serial generator that packages with the Photoshop installer, and not the installer itself. The CS4 trojan presents the same risks as the iWork ‘09 version. Intego reports 5,000 downloads to date.

They just wouldn’t learn, would they? I am sorry but I can’t help but chuckle. No one would have this problem if only they didn’t try to download the ILLEGAL copy of iWork. I am not going to say anything more.

Categories: Malware, News, Real-World Issues

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Hackers in the modern day can really be a problem. But if you talk about money being involved (which is usually the case) breaching a supposedly secure IT infrastructure is bound to get a lot of attention.

It is in these cases where you have to wonder, do you credit the intelligence of these people or curse them for being able to breach such confidential systems. The $50,000 dollars that they got was no joke and these days, that money can go a long way. A recourse stemming from the hard times perhaps?

Police said a hacker, possibly with international connections, succeeded in planting a keystroke logger onto the computer of Sandwich, Mass., Treasurer Craig Mayen, and was able to watch while he entered his security password, The Boston Globe reported Wednesday.

You have to hand it to these people. In times where money is hard to come by, hitting a town treasury is certainly an accomplishment for them. However, it also means that you are liable for crime and lawsuits especially if you get caught. At the moment, the only lead to it all is a Florida man who said he was wired money to open the accounts reportedly from Russia. A Russian hacker? It can make sense.

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Tags: hacker, russia, sandwich, treasury

Categories: Network Security, News, Real-World Issues

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What drives a potential developer to come up with their own anti-spyware software? Well for sure, it is the part where he would experience such a inconvenience and apparently for Blue Penguin Software founder Carl Haugen, this lead to the development of SpyZooka.

SpyZooka guarantees 100% removal of spyware, adware, Trojan horses, hijackers, botnets and other malware threatening the security of your computer. SpyZooka will accomplish this in an astoundingly fast 24 hours! Blue Penguin backs up this guarantee with solid results, round the clock technical support and a string of satisfied customers.

The success of SpyZooka has been quiet since 2004. In fact, SpyZooka was not even among the top anti-spyware software that we would come across the web. But regardless, SpyZooka is not a hoax or pushover. It has even gotten a number of prestigious awards including Wugnet’s Shareware Hall of Fame and Tucows five cows.

So how is this new software reliable? Well for one, it covers most of the hazards of the web today including Trojans, spyware, adware hijackers and botnets. Much of these malicious things reside on the web and on some websites that we rarely notice. So if that were the case, we need protection especially now that people are at fever-pitch attachment towards using the web for various purposes such as browsing or sending a simple email.

If you are in the market and want a reliable software to help you out, check SpyZooka out. It can make a difference and perhaps resolve problems faster than other spyware annihilators available today.

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Tags: Malware, spyzooka, trojans

Categories: Malware, Network Security, News, Spyware

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All companies today are becoming wiser, some are practically afraid to invest. But if there is an industry that is far from slowing down in acquiring companies with promise, it has to be the IT security companies.

They are similar companies for sure but the fact remains that their losses are not based on client only. They make use of cyberspace methods, online marketing and transactions that can be done through the use of technology. While they may operate in the same way that the standard company would, it is a fact that they have other means of getting over the financial humps we have today.

While many people are looking for security means as far as finances and revenue is concerned, big name companies such as Symantec are still lucrative investments to behold. For one, Symantec corporation has been on the prowl for potential companies that show promise, needing only some tweaks to provide integrated solutions and as a form of branching as far as business security solutions and others are concerned.

“If you look at the things that are going on in the market today, there’s some things that businesses can’t afford to go too light on given the exposure that they have,” said Scott Crawford, an analyst with Enterprise Management Associates (EMA). “Businesses are already taking a pretty solid hit in terms of mismanaged business risk. They can ill-afford additional exposure to security and related IT risks.”

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Tags: acquisitions, economy, mergers, symantec

Categories: News, Real-World Issues

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Viruses may seem to be the tiniest and easiest prey to figure out with the right software but as far as catching them as guinea pigs and advanced study has to be the developer’s nightmare since they are not easy to catch. Further, if they are not properly isolated and understood, one false move may result into something entirely dangerous for the computer and even the network should that certain computer be connected to a local or wide area network.

We tip our hats of to the anti-virus developers. Without a doubt, they work hard and provide updates as often as possible so that these viruses can be easily understood. Also, preventive measures in order to avoid them from creating problems such as becoming gateways for outside hackers or perhaps even becoming a threat towards system resources are just a few of the mischief that they cause.

Apparently such is the story of such people who have long and toiled to help protect us from potential risks by these viruses. But if you could understand in full on how they deal with these things, then perhaps you may find it harder than the standard animal hunting that we all know of.

Anti-virus companies play a losing game. Casting their nets wide, they catch common, malicious viruses and worms (known to the industry as “malware”), but it may take days before their software updates can prepare your computer for the next attack. By then it could be too late. And some insidious programs prove immune to anti-virus software, residing inside your computer for months or even years, collecting personal information and business secrets.

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Tags: anti-virus, Malware, protection, research

Categories: Malware, Network Security, News, Real-World Issues, Spyware

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Here is another loophole for all iPhone enthusiasts and it has something to do with a security hole that has been categorized as a minor glitch by apple. Apparently the immediate resolution for this security hole is to reset the settings but the real issue has to do with potential openings given to attackers that can exploit the security holes and get access to files or maybe even do some mischief as most hackers are known to do.

Apple spokesperson Jennifer Bowcock said, “The minor iPhone security issue which surfaced this week is fixed in a software update which will be released in September.”

There is a simple workaround, Bowcock said: iPhone owners can simply change the settings so double-clicking the emergency button returns a user to the home screen, which will present a password login field if password protection is turned on.

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So a patch will be released by September and hopefully this issue will die down. But expect new problems to crop up once this has been settled. Being in the limelight and open for criticism is bound to result in a lot of things that should be considered and apparently iPhone has to be ready for them.

For a gadget that costs a lot, the iPhone is in for a lot of rougher sailing from the users and the critics. But before we advance a bit, it would be best to see first if this security glitch will be resolved with their so-called patch software due for release.

Tags: access, Apple, iphone, passcode, security

Categories: IT Security Basics, Network Security, News, Operating Systems, Real-World Issues

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If you think a website has problems as far as security issues is concerned then better check out the domain names as well. Why these domain name service providers are the least things that can create problems to network security issues, apparently there are flaws that many would find interesting to hear about.

A large number of network security professionals have been gathered in Las Vegas for the annual Black Hat computer security conference and among the main topics to be discussed include the most anticipated presentation of IO’s Dan Kaminsky regarding flaws in the Domain Name Service software.

The flaw was reportedly discovered quite some time ago but was kept under wraps. So now, the participants over at the Black Hat computer security conference will learn first hand about the details of this flaw.

As a professional, you would think that these issues didn’t even cover domain name handling. But apparently in the world of technology, nothing is excluded. You just never know what to expect and if you value computer and network security, it would be best to cover all aspects starting from your software all the way down to the least expected components of your IT infrastructure. You just never know what could possibly be contracted and it may become a big issue in the long run.

The most anticipated presentation at the show, however, will be IOActive’s Dan Kaminsky when he unveils details of the flaw he discovered in Domain Name Service software. The flaw had been kept under wraps in an attempt to proactively convince major network suppliers and operators to patch the flaw before information about it was made public. Unfortunately, the flaw was leaked to the public on a blog site, and the race was on to patch servers before hackers could exploit the vulnerability.

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Tags: domain names service, domains, internet, network

Categories: Network Security, News, Operating Systems

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Facebook and other popular social networking sites today have another thing to consider and this is concerned with the security risks that they may become susceptible with. Bear in mind, one thing that hackers and malicious-minded geeks want to do is to test the mettle of successful sites and Facebook happens to be one of them today.

Such a task is something that has to be addressed by successful developing companies such as Facebook. With a growing network and rising popularity, hackers and scammers pry on their success to be popular as well. But knowing how much developers have invested in these sites, you can almost be assured that they have thought of that. But considering the level of security is another thing since it only takes one minor flaw to make life a living hell for online and social networking sites.

We have seen sites in the past encounter such problems. While it would be best to avoid waiting to be another victim, Facebook and other social networking sites would do well to make sure they don’t limit their investment in this aspect. After earning millions from successful sponsorships and adsense earnings, the least they can do is put a portion of these earnings into site security.

Social networking sites such as Facebook, MySpace and LinkedIn are fast emerging as some of the most fertile grounds for malicious software, identity thieves and online mischief-makers. And while some of the talks given here at Black Hat, one of the larger hacker conferences in the country, would probably make most people want to avoid the sites altogether, it turns out that staying off these networks may not be the safest option, either.

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Tags: facebook, internet, Scams, security

Categories: IT Security Basics, News, Programming

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It seems that the shrug Yahoo gave Microsoft a couple of weeks ago seemed as if it were only yesterday and yet, here they are again. They are again making public a willingness to talk to the internet search company as the big “M” is yet to acquire a business that would rival the amount of ad profits as Google’s. The decision to shrug off the bid by Microsoft irked many of Yahoo’s investors that the search company had to pay attention.
What the hell does Microsoft from Yahoo, something to fight Google’s advertising profits through Adsense and AdWords that is driving them crazy enough to engage in another round of talks (even if it means doing it under the tables). This is one avenue that Microsoft has not ventured into and their seeing the profits Google earns from advertising alone is reason enough. Having Google place ads for companies on your sites gets them premium and cheap ad time and space without the company having to shell out many of their hard-earned cash and in this day of recession, everybody wants the easiest way to earn money.
Icahn who has control of around 5% of Yahoo wishes to kick-out Yang (one of the search company’s founders) and is engaging Microsoft in secret talks this week to get the details right and laid out. Upon hearing the news, the company releases the answer that states:

“If Microsoft and Mr Ballmer really want to purchase Yahoo, we again invite them to make a proposal immediately,” Yahoo said in a statement.(BBC)

Microsoft on the other hand is getting competition from Google who has also expressed interest in getting into bed with Yahoo (which might be the reason why Microsoft’s snortin’ like mad back at the table) but is raising concern with US lawmakers who are monitoring their talks due to a successful partnership that would result in over 80% control of the US’s internet search ad market.

Tags: Google and Yahoo, Internet Search Market, Microsoft, Microsoft Takeover, Yahoo

Categories: General, News, Operating Systems, Real-World Issues

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