security

International hackers have reportedly been targeting American federal agency computers, stealing as much data as possible, and assuming control of PC files. While this appears to be a very difficult and sophisticated endeavor to accomplish, ... international spies are simply using the same method that domestic hackers implement on a smaller scale: corrupt Microsoft Office files. The actual virus is sent via email attachment and when government officials unwittingly open these Word, Excel or PowerPoint files, they relinquish control of their entire PC. The attacker then uses the PC as a base from ... (view more)

Microsoft Corp. released an emergency security patch to plug a hole recently found in several versions of Windows, including the company's brand-new operating system, Vista. Microsoft is receiving some ridicule from industry analysts, since the ... company has invested months of promotion, claiming that Vista is the most secure operating system ever. Many have said that the hole has the company so worried, that Microsoft put their critical security fix one whole week ahead of their regularly scheduled update. (Source: itpro.co.uk ) The hole allows hackers to break into personal computers and ... (view more)

The recent release of Microsoft Vista and Exchange 2007 has IT managers and system administrators taking a long hard look at upgrading their organization's infrastructures reports. (Source: processor.com ). While there may be some advantages to the ... new products such as enhanced security features, optimized mobility functions and integrated searching, there are just as many if not more challenges, including hardware upgrades and compatibility issues. Keith McCall, founder and CTO of Azaleos, a company that builds appliances with Microsoft software preloaded and preconfigured then provides ... (view more)

Is Vista worth it? With all the hoopla, hype, and criticism floating around the 'net since Vista's release, it's no wonder users are confused as to whether the leap to Microsoft's new operating system is a good investment. In a recent article by ... Laptop Magazine, author Jeffrey Wilson wrote that "it's no secret that Microsoft's new operating system offers plenty of additional functionality over XP and gives users a much better experience overall." It's also no secret that Vista has taken some serious heat in recent weeks for a number of issues, the most frequently reported surrounding ... (view more)

The past few weeks, I started following a news story that raises my ire! No, it isn't about Microsoft and Vista -- it's about a substitute school teacher that has been caught in what is termed a ... well, we'll call it an adult-oriented Pop-up Trap ... (if you know what I mean). To begin with, a 'Pop-up' Trap (or a 'Mouse' Trap) is when an Internet surfer clicks on a web site and is treated to a cascade of pop-ups, usually advertising offensive material geared toward twisted individuals. These ads come in at such a high rate of speed, the user cannot keep up with them. The content is also rather ... (view more)

The past few weeks, I started following a news story that raises my ire! No, it isn't about Microsoft and Vista -- it's about a substitute school teacher that has been caught in what is termed a ... well, we'll call it an adult-oriented Pop-up Trap ... (if you know what I mean). To begin with, a 'Pop-up' Trap (or a 'Mouse' Trap) is when an Internet surfer clicks on a web site and is treated to a cascade of pop-ups, usually advertising offensive material geared toward twisted individuals. These ads come in at such a high rate of speed, the user cannot keep up with them. The content is also rather ... (view more)

The United States Emergency Readiness Team (US-CERT) has issued an advisory regarding remote tech support tools made by SupportSoft. The affected software uses ActiveX controls contain multiple buffer overflow vulnerabilities which could allow a ... remote, unauthenticated attacker to execute arbitrary code on a vulnerable system. The SupportSoft ActiveX controls are essentially small applications that can be run from Microsoft's Internet Explorer. The affected software is often used by Internet service providers, PC makers and other companies to provide support functions such as remote ... (view more)

Technology writer Joe Hutsko did what many devoted Mac fans would deem unthinkable: he switched from Mac to Windows at the launch of Vista, and gave the new operating system a shot at earning his loyalties. (Source: osnews.com ) His final decision? ... Well... you're just going to have to read on. ;-) One thing that Hutsko doesn't hesitate to note is Vista's sleek first impression. The start up screen, desktop, icons, and menus all reflect a new sharpness. Even the new font, Segoe UI, impressed Hutsko. The new Aero features are also a nice surprise to the former Mac user. The Flip 3D feature, ... (view more)

Do you use Norton Security or an "all-in-1" solution to protect your PC? You might not want to after you read this: Infopackets Reader Mike L. writes: " Dear Dennis, My problem is that I'm a relatively naive computer user and have -- for some time ... now -- depended on Norton's 'all in one' security package (firewall / anti-virus / anti-spam) to blanket my PC from Internet nasties. A friend told me that Norton tends to configure a PC to best meet their own specifications, and that this causes periodic corruptions. Can you point me to information about the best way for a less than ... (view more)

Windows Power Shell Windows PowerShell is a new task-based command line shell and intuitive scripting language for system administration that provides comprehensive control and automation for Windows administrators. Windows PowerShell allows ... administrators to be more productive by improving the manageability of the Windows operating system and applications that run on Windows. Free from Microsoft. http://www.microsoft.com Active Security Monitor Active Security Monitor scans your computer and provides you with a consolidated overview of your PC security based on the existence of common ... (view more)