So says Symantec, makers of Norton Antivirus: Surprise, Microsoft Listed as Most Secure OS Microsoft is frequently dinged for having insecure products, with security holes and vulnerabilities. But Symantec, no friend of Microsoft, said in its latest research report that when it comes to widely-used operating systems, Microsoft is doing better overall than its leading [...]
Valuable tips from OnTrack, one of the leaders in Data Recovery. Physical Damage: Physical damage to hard drives can manifest itself in many forms including clicking, grinding, spinning or other strange noises. If you suspect physical damage has occurred these tips can help reduce further damage: Be aware of strange noises or grinding Do not [...]
Download your updates now! Mozilla Releases Firefox Fix Mozilla has released Firefox 2.0.0.3 and 1.5.0.11 to close a security hole attackers could exploit to access sensitive information on a victim’s machine, as well as several glitches that were accidentally introduced during the last browser upgrade. Mozilla noted in an advisory that the file transfer protocol [...]
From DarkReading.com: Seven Steps to Safer Wifi We’ve all done it: You need quick access to email, so you jump on that free WiFi connection at the local coffee shop, the airport, or a conference hotel. What are the chances you’ll get hacked, anyway? Think again. If you use unsecured WiFi in the [...]
Watch out … the lowly copier is striking back! From the Washington Times: Digital copiers subject to ID theft Consumers are bombarded with warnings about identity theft. Threats range from mailbox thieves and lost laptops to e-mail scams and corporate data invasions. Now, experts are warning that photocopiers could be trouble as well. [...]
Are there any particular topics you would like to see addressed in this space? Do you have any general questions on computers, the Internet, or networks and network security? Drop me a line at dkane@kanecomputers.com and let me know and I will try to address them in our blog.
From SearchSecurity.com: DST switchover causing some problems Nobody reported a collapse of their network because of the earlier-than-usual start to daylight-saving time (DST) Sunday, but several IT administrators acknowledged they’ve had to troubleshoot some problems. Most of the problems are related to Outlook calendar appointments being off by an hour, though the Bethesda, Md.-based SANS [...]
Written by Neil Rubenking over at PC World: Sunbelt Software’s CounterSpy V2 is good at removing spyware that has sunk its claws into your system, but it’s even better at keeping spyware out of a clean system. It also offers a variety of security extras, mostly for expert users. And it costs less than the [...]
Today’s entry in the silly lawsuits category… From the Register: Man sues MS after FBI uncovers smut surfing habits A US man awaiting trial on firearms offences is suing Microsoft after FBI technicians found self-made sex videos and evidence that he frequented porn sites on his PC. Michael Alan Crooker, currently on remand in a [...]
In case anyone thought the RIAA has stopped its pursuit of illegal music downloaders: RIAA targets Ohio University students The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) hastaken aim at Ohio University, calling out 50 students who it saysparticipated in illegal music sharing. The RIAA went to school officials with a list of university e-mailaddresses it [...]
From the Internet Storm Center: Let’s look ahead at what’s likely to be going to happen if you are in or are dealing with others in an affected area: Machines that got patched, including patches for applications keeping their own independent timezone information will likely work without a hick-up.Home machines missing an update, or not [...]
Online addict dies after “marathon” session An obese 26-year-old man in northeastern China died after a “marathon” online gaming session over the Lunar New Year holiday, state media said on Wednesday. The 150-kg (330-lb) man from Jinzhou, in Liaoning province, collapsed on Saturday, the last day of the holiday, after spending “almost all” of the [...]
Lenovo recalls 100,000 laptop batteries Computer maker Lenovo Inc. on Thursday recalled about 100,000 lithium-ion batteries used in ThinkPad laptops after receiving four reports of the Sanyo-built batteries overheating. In one case, a consumer suffered minor eye irritation, the company said. The Chinese PC maker, which has its world headquarters in Research Triangle Park, said [...]
From LockerGnome’s Tech News Watch: Causes Of Hard Drive Failures Surprising Google uses millions of hard drives and started a study to that sampled one hundred thousand drives for five years to determine what caused their failure. The findings was published in a paper, here are the highlights: SMART (Self Monitoring And Reporting Technology) is [...]
It looks like buyer beware at Best Buy! And everywhere else, of course! From CNetNews.com: Connecticut AG investigating Best Buy sales tactics The attorney general for the state of Connecticut has opened an investigation into sales tactics used by retailing giant Best Buy that allegedly involve bait-and-switch pricing. The Hartford Courant has reported that some [...]
Smartphone and PDA users take note, the DST bug may affect you also! From InformationWeek: Mobile Devices Need Updates, Too The early switchover to daylight-saving time could affect your mobile device, but vendors are coming up with fixes. Business technology managers shouldn’t overlook employees’ mobile devices when planning the early move to daylight-saving time. They’re [...]
The lesson here is be careful who you text to, make sure you’ve got the right number! From the Blog of a Real Life Information Security Investigator who goes by the pseudonym “Chief” or Security Monkey: My friend started receiving text messages and voicemails from a girl that he didn’t know. Apparently she had the [...]
From DarkReading.com: States Brace for DST Computer Bug To ensure that their systems have been updated and patched to deal with the fact that daylight-saving time occurs on March 11 this year — three weeks earlier than usual — state IT leaders have been bombarding subordinates and end-users with memos and bulletins outlining their concerns [...]
While I update the software on our server that runs the blog. We use WordPress and a recent update appears to have been compromised: From WordPress.org Longer explanation: This morning we received a note to our security mailing address about unusual and highly exploitable code in WordPress. The issue was investigated, and it appeared that [...]
