Keith Greenhalf

According to the Microsoft Support Lifecycle, Windows XP Service Pack 1 (SP1) and Service Pack 1a (SP1a) on will reach its end of life on October 10, 2006. This is a significant announcement as this will also end any further security updates for ... anyone using these service packs; subsequently, any computer using SP1 or earlier will be at risk for exploits. (Source: sysadmin.it ) If you are still running SP1 or SP1a, it is recommended that you upgrade to Windows XP Service Pack 2 as soon as possible. How to Determine Which Service Pack is Installed on your System To determine which service pack ... (view more)

Microsoft has changed a major "feature" found in its Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA) software, after receiving an onslaught of complaints from end users. The criticism is in regard to the program's daily check-ins with the company's servers; now, ... the tool will dial home in 14-day intervals instead of after every system boot. (Source: techtree.com ) Microsoft opted to change the frequency of the WGA check-ins after receiving allegations that the behavior of their software reached the level of Spyware status. Lauren Weinstein, cofounder of People for Internet Responsibility, recently ... (view more)

Adobe Systems, Inc. is expected to file an antitrust lawsuit against Microsoft due to a dispute over Microsoft's use of Adobe's PDF (Portable Document Format) software. Microsoft's Office suite currently includes PDF support, but Adobe wants its ... software to be removed and offered for a fee. The widely used PDF software allows users to create electronic documents and books. Microsoft previously included PDF support in test versions of Office 2007, but has opted to remove PDF from the suite entirely. (Source: macworld.com ) Instead, Microsoft is integrating its own PDF/Postscript competitor, ... (view more)

Mozilla recently released a new update of its Firefox Web browser, version 1.5.0.4. The update is to fix 13 security holes. Mozilla stated that at least five of these vulnerabilities could let attackers install software via the web without the ... knowledge from the user. Other security fixes included: privilege escalation, file stealing, buffer overflow, and potential memory corruption. (Source: WashingtonPost.com ) For those not familiar with the Mozilla name or the Firefox line of web browsers: Firefox is a free, standards-based Web browser with support for multiple platforms, including ... (view more)

Recent Studies have shown that the sponsored links of major search engines are more likely to have harmful downloads. For example: web sites that "pay to have their links pop up on search engine result pages are nearly three times more likely to ... harbor Spyware or adware, or hassle users with spam than URLs generated by the engine's algorithms", research claims. It is estimated that the search industry made $1.1 billion from risky sponsored links last year. (Source: CRN.com ) The study evaluated major search engines using 1,300 different keyword searches. It found that about 5 percent of links ... (view more)

Microsoft's Office and Word contain a critical security hole that has already been exploited by hackers. According to Panda Software Labs, 1Table.A arrives as seemingly harmless Word document, but unlocks a backdoor Trojan that allows a hacker to ... run code on a victim's computer. Microsoft has released little to no information about the vulnerability affecting Office 2002/2003/XP and Word 2002/2003, but is already under pressure to fix the hole, as hacker attacks are surfacing via the dropper Trojan 1Table.A. If a user runs 1Table.A, it exploits this security problem to release a backdoor ... (view more)

SpySheriff is a mock antispyware application that uses fake security alerts to dupe users into purchasing the program. SpySheriff is typically installed through a security hole in MS Windows that automatically downloads a Trojan to your PC. The ... Trojan then issues bogus security alerts in the Windows taskbar. When you click on a fake security warning, SpySheriff is downloaded and installed to the system. SpySheriff also locks the Windows desktop to a black background with a warning message stating that "your computer is at risk." How to Remove SpySheriff (Removal Instructions) Below ... (view more)

An External Hard drive can come in handy for backing up files or freeing up some disk space on your PC. The only problem is they can be pretty expensive. An easy alternative is to buy a drive enclosure for about $20 and build your own using an ... internal hard drive. Building your own external hard drive enclosure can be done in as little as 5 to 10 minutes time, and without opening up your PC's case. Not only does assembling your own external hard drive save money, it provides flexibility in choosing the connections, capacity and style that fit your needs. It is also an excellent way to make ... (view more)

Microsoft estimates it lost $14 billion last year to software piracy. The loss may prove to be the most profitable sales never made. Although the world's largest software producer spends millions every year to combat illegal reproduction of its ... products, piracy helps the company to establish itself in emerging markets and fend off threats from free open-source programs. (Source: LAtimes.com ) The sharing of pirated copies establishes Microsoft products as the software standard. As the economy grows, people and companies begin buying legitimate versions, and they usually buy Microsoft because ... (view more)