PDF Loading Warner was released as a way to keep jailbreakers secure from the PDF flaw that exists in iOS. While Apple are taking their sweet time to provide users with an update ( probably trying to jailbreak/unlock proof the next update more than focusing on actual user security ), PDF Loading Warner was made available via Cydia to provide an extra layer of security. Everytime you load up a PDF file, PDF Loading Warner asks you for confirmation. Kind of like UAC in Windows.  Read more...

Permalink: PDF Loading Warner updates with fixes for Clock App and iBooks

While browsing the Internet using Internet Explorer 8, sometimes a dialog box appears which states “This webpage contains content that will not be delivered using a secure HTTPS connection, which could compromise the security of the entire webpage”, as shown in the screenshot below. This dialog box may appear when you are opening a web address that begins with https like Hotmail or Amazon or any other secure website. This message shows that you are trying to access a web page that may include images and other elements that are hosted on a non-https location.  Read more...

Permalink: How to remove HTTPS Security Warning in IE 8

Vincenzo Iozzo and Ralf-Philipp Weinmann are the people who breached through an iPhone’s SMS database at 2010 Pwn2Own hacking contest and hacked every inbox and sent message and even deleted messages. Where does the iPhone stand in terms of security after this?  Read more...

Permalink: iPhone’s SMS Database breached at Pwn2Own hacking contest

Microsoft has warned users about the fake antivirus program know as Security Essentials 2010 which is quite similar to Microsoft’s security protection software. The programs contains a trojan Win32/Fakeinit. If the user installs the fake antivirus program, it downloads and installs  a fake scanner component that monitors other processes and attempts to terminate them.  Read more...

Permalink: Microsoft Warns users about Fake Security Essentials 2010

It isn’t daily that you get to hear of security vulnerabilities in Apple’s OS X. Even if security flaws are discovered in OS X, they are rarely exploited for malicious reasons unlike in Windows where viruses are widely available. Recently, a proof of concept code has been made available online that allows a vulnerability to be exploited in OS X 10.5 (Leopard) and 10.6 (Snow Leopard). According to DailyTech, the vulnerability is a “buffer overflow error that arises from the strtod function in the underlying Unix code used for the Mac OS.” This security flaw can allow a remote attacker to take over the system.  Read more...

Permalink: Proof of concept code for security flaw in Leopard and Snow Leopard posted online

I’ve been a very happy user of the limited beta for Microsoft Security Essentials, Microsoft’s free antivirus and anti-malware software. It has been the best antivirus that I have ever used, free or paid. Well, since Microsoft Security Essentials is free, I’m sure it’ll knock out the bloated competition *cough* Norton, Mcafee, Kaspersky *cough*. An email has been sent out to beta participants today with the news of an eminent final version public release in a few weeks.  Read more...

Permalink: Final version of Microsoft Security Essentials releasing soon

Microsoft Security Essentials, codenamed ‘Morro’ is the free antivirus solution by Microsoft expected to  launch with Windows 7. Recently a few screenshots were leaked, and just after that the whole application is available of the Internet to download. Microsoft Security Essentials is available for Windows XP (32 bit only), Vista and 7 (32 and 64 bit).

It is built off the core of Microsoft’s previous subscription only security suite, Windows Live OneCare. Although I have been unable to test if for any virus detection due to my lost virus filled USB drive, the performance is amazing. It almost feels as if you’ve got no antivirus installed. Unlike OneCare, it doesn’t have a Firewall. Windows 7’s built in Firewall already provides good enough protection for both ingoing and outgoing traffic so that shouldn’t be an issue. Although I wonder if the bundling of a Firewall could take Microsoft to the EU court again.

The interface of MSE is very simple and straight forward. Installation requires a genuine validation check, so if you’re pirating, Microsoft thinks you deserve viruses. It also comes with Microsoft antimalware, although in my experience it didn’t turn off the default Windows Defender automatically. Also, one would question why Microsoft would work on another free antimalware solution, rather than improve Windows Defender which comes bundled with Windows. An important missing feature is the capability of being able to monitor other computer’s antivirus software in your home network, through MSE, which was a feature I really liked in OneCare.

So far I’m really impressed with MSE. It’s small ( setup just under 5MB), fast, stays out of your way and doesn’t hog your resources. Only detailed lab tests would show whether MSE will put up a fight with the likes of Norton, McAfee, NOD32, Kaspersky, Avira and so on. If you want to give it a try, head on over to JCXP, where they have the download links for both 32 and 64 bit versions of Microsoft Security Essentials.

Check out the screenshots of MSE below.  Read more...

Permalink: Review of Microsoft Security Essentials, free Antivirus by Microsoft