Archive for December, 2007
Monday, December 31st, 2007
Another Online Scam to Watch For
Here is a scam currently making the rounds on the Internet. It involves the Department of Energy (DOE), presumably in the U.S. People are receiving emails from the DOE, saying they are entitled to a refund from the DOE of some $400. The Subject Line may say something like “User Notification”. [...]
No Comments » - Posted in Security by Syd Tash
Saturday, December 29th, 2007
Should You Update Your Drivers?
Good question. We put a lot of emphasis on keeping your software up to date, especially Windows and your security programs. So we just assume that drivers are included in that philosophy. Well, yes and no.
A device driver is a little program that translates output or instructions from an application, say MS [...]
3 Comments » - Posted in Updates by Syd Tash
Friday, December 28th, 2007
A Critical Patch for Adobe Flash Player
Adobe has patched its Flash Player program, fixing nine critical flaws in the media player. These highly critical vulnerabilities could be used to attack your PC. Windows, Mac and Linux computers are all at risk.
According to Adobe, these flaws could lead to arbitrary code execution. This simply means that a [...]
1 Comment » - Posted in Updates by Syd Tash
Thursday, December 27th, 2007
Mac vs Windows: Which is Safer for You?
If you have been around computers and the Internet for any length of time, you probably have accepted the popular notion that Mac machines are inherently safer and more secure than their Windows counterparts. But is it true, or just a myth that everyone believes?
Well, Larry Dignan over on his blog at zdnet thought [...]
2 Comments » - Posted in Featured by Syd Tash
Wednesday, December 26th, 2007
Watch Out for This Dating Scam
A new scam has surfaced on Russian dating sites. Believe it or not, a bot or piece of software imitates a real person on these sites, and establishes relationships with users. They are so good that it is hard to tell you are interacting with a computer and not a warm-blooded person.
The aim [...]
No Comments » - Posted in Alerts by Syd Tash
Tuesday, December 25th, 2007
HP & Compaq Laptops at Risk Again?
A Polish security researcher/hacker claims to have found two flaws in the HP and Compaq update software, which is found on most Hewlett-Packard and Compaq laptops. The bugs are in an ActiveX control. They let an attacker get to and corrupt the Windows kernel, which is essentially the heart of the Windows operating [...]
4 Comments » - Posted in Security by Syd Tash
Friday, December 21st, 2007
Gmail + Internet Explorer = Trouble
A California security company is warning that a flaw in Internet Explorer (IE) could allow a hacker to access your Google Gmail account. A hacker must have direct physical access to the computer. So this is mostly a concern to those who use public computers, or who share their computer with others.
When combined [...]
1 Comment » - Posted in Alerts by Syd Tash
Friday, December 21st, 2007
An Update for That Windows Update
Microsoft has now issued an update for the previous Windows Update that made your browser crash, if you are using Windows XP SP2 with Internet Explorer 6.
Go here to download and install the update. I installed it on my Win XP computer, and it seemed to solve the problem.
If you land on a page [...]
No Comments » - Posted in Updates by Syd Tash
Thursday, December 20th, 2007
Windows Update Causes Problems
After installing last Tuesday’s Windows Update, some Internet Explorer users discovered that their browsers would crash when visiting certain Web sites, including, ironically enough, Hotmail.com A message would be displayed saying “Internet Explorer has encountered a problem and needs to close etc. etc.”.
It appears to affect users of Windows XP Service Pack 2 who [...]
No Comments » - Posted in Updates by Syd Tash
Wednesday, December 19th, 2007
Beware of the Cookie Snatchers
Cookies are small files that many Web sites put on your hard drive when you visit. They identify you on subsequent visits, and can be used to customize the site a bit for you. They are generally harmless, although some see them as an invasion of privacy.
Now two new open-source tools have appeared, [...]
