Archive for May, 2008
Saturday, May 17th, 2008
Google Will Help You Search Safely
When you do a search on Google, you may notice a new, interesting feature. In your search results, if you click on a link known to host or contain spyware or other malware, a warning will pop up. It advises you that it may be dangerous to visit that site, and provides a [...]
No Comments » - Posted in Security by Syd Tash
Thursday, May 15th, 2008
MySpace Wins $230 Million Anti-Spam Award
The popular online social networking site MySpace has won a judgement against two spammers, Sanford Wallace and Walter Rines. The pair created their own MySpace accounts, or stole the passwords to others using phishing scams.
Then they sent out some 730,000 messages to other members, faked to look like they came from friends. The [...]
No Comments » - Posted in News by Syd Tash
Tuesday, May 13th, 2008
Patch Tuesday is Here, Folks!
Yes, it’s that wonderful time of the month when we all hike over to Windows Update, to see if Mother Microsoft has any goodies… er, updates for us. OK, all kidding aside, this is serious stuff. You must update your computer regularly, to stay protected from the constant barrage of viruses, worms, trojans, [...]
1 Comment » - Posted in Updates by Syd Tash
Monday, May 12th, 2008
Is Vista More Secure Than XP, & Patch Tuesday
Security companies and Microsoft are playing the numbers game, arguing whether Windows Vista is more secure than XP or Windows 2000. Win 2000 appeared eight years ago, while XP debuted seven years ago, both when malware was much less common and less dangerous, and when much fewer people used high-speed Internet connections. High-speed [...]
No Comments » - Posted in Security by Syd Tash
Sunday, May 11th, 2008
ID Theft Checklist – Please Print & Keep!
Over the last few years I have written a lot, and you have no doubt read a lot about identity theft, and how to protect your personal data online and on your computer. So here, in one convenient list, are some dos and don’ts you should follow.
1. Before entering sensitive data on a Web [...]
1 Comment » - Posted in Featured by Syd Tash
Friday, May 9th, 2008
Windows XP SP3 is Causing Problems
Early reports from users who install the XP Service Pack 3 indicate it can send some computers into an endless series of reboots, just like the early Vista SP1 did.
The problem seems to occur only on PCs using AMD processors, and especially those sold by Hewlett-Packard. On HP machines, the first reboot after a [...]
1 Comment » - Posted in Updates by Syd Tash
Friday, May 9th, 2008
Is The Storm Worm Dead or Not?
Starting back on April 25, I commented on how Microsoft was claiming it had finally killed off the Storm worm, also called a Trojan by some. The software giant supposedly accomplished this wonderful feat through its Windows Defender tool, aka the Malicious Software Removal Tool. Many were skeptical of Microsoft’s claims, and rightly [...]
No Comments » - Posted in Alerts by Syd Tash
Thursday, May 8th, 2008
Windows XP SP3 is Out (Again)
Microsoft has re-released Windows XP Service Pack 3, after releasing it and then yanking it last week. You can get it by going to the Windows or Microsoft Update site. Really. That compatibility bug in Microsoft’s own Retail Management System (RMS) software has been fixed, but the fix is not being widely [...]
No Comments » - Posted in Updates by Syd Tash
Wednesday, May 7th, 2008
Thunderbird is Fixed, and Those Free Scans
Mozilla has finally patched the Thunderbird email program, fixing five flaws that turned up more than a month ago. The new version 2.0.0.14 repairs vulnerabilities in the way the program renders html. Similar holes were fixed in Firefox some six weeks ago. Thunderbird, a subsidiary of Mozilla, uses the same browser engine [...]
No Comments » - Posted in Updates by Syd Tash
Monday, May 5th, 2008
Lock Your Computer, Watch Your Back and Tax Season
Here is a grab bag of a few things you should be doing, or thinking about, to protect your digital information and identity.
We talk a lot about viruses, spyware and online security. But do not forget the simple, obvious things you can do to protect yourself. For example, do not step away from [...]
