Security

It appears that some of Microsoft's ambitiousness in developing its latest operating system, Windows Vista, is receiving anything but glowing reviews from other segments of the electronics industry. Recently, a few notable vendors are expressing ... anger over Microsoft's internal virus protection within Vista, which they claim has not been developed in coordination with other security companies and is thus, susceptible to hackers. The main problem stems from Microsoft's refusal to allow firms like Authentium, McAfee, and Symantec from full access to the "kernel" technology within the 64-bit ... (view more)

Both McAfee and Symantec have recently countered claims that Microsoft has provided security firms with enough information to get their products working its upcoming operating system, Windows Vista. McAfee's Worldwide Corporate Communications Vice ... President Siobhan MacDermott released a statement explaining that the information is inadequate. MacDermott says that although McAfee has received a document that contained the SDK (Software Development Kit) for Windows Security Centre, requests for both clarifications and meetings have been ignored. "To date, we have not had any cooperation from MS ... (view more)

Just as Microsoft releases one of its most anticipated products of this season (Internet Explorer 7), the Redmond-based company has announced the delay of an important update for the Windows XP operating system -- XP Service Pack 3 (SP3). Even ... though Windows Vista is planned for mass release in November 2006 (business and corporate versions) and January 2007 (home editions), XP Service Pack 3 will not be officially launched until at least 2008. And now that the bomb has been dropped, speculation has begun. When XP SP2 was released in 2004, the last Service Pack essentially acted as a whole ... (view more)

Now that Internet Explorer 7 (IE7) is now officially out, and Microsoft is trying to position it as a viable replacement for Mozilla Firefox -- but there are already some security issues with the new browser. One way Microsoft may be trying to ... "bigfoot" Firefox is by making IE7 an automatic update. Starting in November, computers with Windows XP Service Pack 2, Windows XP Professional x64 Edition, or Windows Server 2003 will automatically receive IE7. (Source: pcmag.com ) From a distance, it appears that Microsoft is essentially forcing its newest browser onto an unsuspecting public. ... (view more)

Congratulations, Microsoft. The Redmond-based company has finally released their much-anticipated new browser, Internet Explorer 7, for Windows XP. And certainly, it's reason for Big M to to be ecstatic -- except for the fact that the new Internet ... software has already failed its first security test. Internet Explorer 7 rolled out Wednesday, October 18. Beta tests of the browser were generally good, with testers and even the competition, Mozilla, admitting that Microsoft had truly developed a wonderful new way to surf the web. The browser improves on some of the qualities that had led to ... (view more)

The wait is over. Internet Explorer 7 (IE7), an enhanced version of the Microsoft's popular browser system, is now available for download on the company's website. Dean Hachamovitch, General Manager of Microsoft's Internet Explorer team, promises a ... new and improved browser. "We listened carefully to our customers, and are delivering a safer browser that makes the tasks they do everyday much easier." Internet Explorer 7 reduces exposure against both phishing and malicious software attacks; Microsoft has fortified the browser and is offering users more complete information and support with ... (view more)

In the tech world, conventional sentiment has always been that Mozilla's Firefox browser is safer and more secure than Microsoft Internet Explorer (IE). Now, antivirus and security company Symantec (Norton) is strongly challenging that notion. A ... recent study by Symantec indicates that 25 confirmed security holes were discovered in Firefox during the first half of 2005 -- "the most of any browser studied," according to the authors of the research. Out of those 25 security defects, 18 were identified as high-risk. Internet Explorer, on the other hand, contained 8 high-level security risks out ... (view more)

Remember McGruff? He's that salty old cartoon dog who vowed to "take a bite out of crime." Now he's chomping away at a different set of criminals: online predators and other cyberspace menaces. Here's a frightening statistic from the McGruff ... Network: 70 percent of children under the age of 14 have been contacted by deviant individuals over the Internet that have only one thing on their mind. (Source: pcmag.com ) ByteCrime.org has been established to "teach millions of consumers how to identify, report, and protect themselves against Cyber Crime" and "combat the growing plague of computer ... (view more)

In recent months, it seems corporate entities have held the upper hand in the great war between big business and underground hackers. The best example of this shift in power has been in the music industry, where conglomerates of major names (i.e. ... Sony) and protectorate groups (International Federation of Phonographic Industries) have been routinely "cleaning up" the once lawless peer-to-peer landscape. However, the hackers have finally struck back, releasing two separate programs to whittle away at the digital rights management (DRM) systems put in place by Microsoft and Apple. Microsoft and ... (view more)

It seems that AOL can't turn around these days without stepping into some sort of controversy. Bad news , more bad news , and customer service tactics reminiscent of the Mafia have plagued the company in recent months. The latest fiasco: The most ... recent version of AOL 9.0 is now being tagged as "badware" (malware) by StopBadware.org. The malware-prevention website is a joint project between Harvard Law School and Oxford University. (Source: betanews.com ) StopBadware.org posted this notice about the latest incarnation of AOL 9.0: "In our preliminary findings, we find that AOL 9.0 (free ... (view more)