Interesting Mozilla project to make the Web even more transparent

Nowadays, sales through the Internet are a common thing for most of the people, this transactions have significantly increased these kind of purchases, bringing as a consequence improvement regarding computer security standards to protect users data they provide in each transaction. Although there have been notable progress and this area, many people still have doubts when purchasing on the net, fearing that their data can be stolen, sold or used for any other purpose.

To vanish these fears, the star designer user interface of Mozilla, Aza Raski (creator of the tabs environment in Firefox browsers) has come up with a set of icons that acts as a privacy code, indicating the user the use that web sites does with their data. This coding is composed by thirteen icons that will indicate in Firefox browser whether the information provided will be used for other purposes, this will be sold or offered to private companies or even delivered to some kind of government with any court order.

The idea of Raskin and its Mozilla Firefox team is that these icons are shown clearly on the sites and, besides, linked with their terms of use. Another goal Firefox people have is to display this visual identification system on the browser automatically so that they can be read by computers. That is to say, that Firefox browsers display these icons through its interface, and always having by default the lowest privacy terms.

Although the project is still in its first stages, Mozilla has not been clear about when it will be launched in Firefox browser. If this project goes further by Mozilla people, will help the web to be clear and simple to users, this is so demand today due to the repercussions of the Wikileaks case.

Prevent passwords ´vulnerability with KeyGen

With the daily use of online services by businesses and regular users, security has become an important issue for everyone. Complex systems are being invented to avoid being infected by viruses as well as protecting the privacy of data sent through the internet.

However, the main security flaw is often found in the users themselves rather than on the systems. This is due to the use of extremely vulnerable passwords. To solve this we can use a program like KeyGen, as we mentioned before. Alternating capital letter and lowercase as well as using special characters we will achieve a strong password that would test even the most experienced hacker.

Another reason why our systems can be vulnerable regarding passwords is by our behavior as users. Our lack of knowledge about the problem often leads us to “share” our passwords with others, using a limited number of them in all services and leave them stored on shared computers.

If we manage to overcome these issues, and use a program like KeyGen to create secure passwords, we will have taken a big step regarding security, privacy and the integrity of our data.

Adobe has finally released the new version of Reader, X or 10, which solves many security problems that had in the past. Besides this and the usual tools of the PDF reader by downloading Adobe Reader X 10.0 you can also check a new panel that allow to share a document in a few steps.

Adobe Reader X is renewed and offers security and new options to share

Safety new options added to Adobe Reader X are given by using sandboxing technology. This type of programming allows the contents of the PDF document to be loaded into a parceled memory space and under control. This way, risks that come from exploits and are around the internet can be minimized.

Besides the “Protected Mode”, Adobe Reader X includes other new features. As we mentioned before, these are related to the possibility of sending a document via e-mail through its own service, as well as the existing publishing service.

To these remarkable changes, we can add its renewed interface, which makes it easier. With regards to usability, it keeps having the traditional tools of highlighting, zooming, and labeling besides others that allow you to review a PDF document as best as possible. Therefore, if you’re interested in the safety of your computer or you often share documents online, you should download Adobe Reader X on your computer as soon as possible.

Keep your folders safe with Folder Security, Folder Lock or Folder Protection

Hardly ever can we be sure that nobody will access the information we save in our folders or change our PC’s settings. Whether it is because we share the PC with others or because of unexpected interferences, our files are not safe. However, we can use programs like Folder Security, Folder Lock or Folder Protection.

These applications will keep our data safe. Folder Security, for instance, will enable us to hide a folder and its subfolders with a few clicks by assigning it a password. If you want to be able to access the folder again, you must use Folder Security. It is very easy-to-use and it completely integrates to Windows context menu.

Folder Lock, on the other hand, doesn’t hide the folders but creates a copy in a private folder. To access it, you must unblock it in Folder Lock. In addition, this application offers encryption methods so as to prevent it from being corrupted. As Folder Security, Folder Lock integrates to Windows context menu.

Finally, Folder Protection differs from the other two in that it leaves the folder in view of everyone but it locks it with a password so that it cannot be accessed. It is not as convenient as the others when you need to lock a folder for the first time, since you must do it manually, but it is very useful for re-locking a file after we edited it.

These are 3 different alternatives. Folder Security and Folder Lock offer the advantage of hiding the protected folders completely and the latter gives extra protection thanks to its encryption tool. On the other hand, Folder Protection locks access to the data. The choice will depend on our needs.

Options to keep our system working to its best

Nowadays there are multiple applications for the PC maintenance. With such high supply, it is difficult to choose one. Here we’ll compare some of the most powerful maintenance suites like Glary Utilities, jv16 PowerTools, WinTools.net Professional and Advanced WindowsCare Personal.

Glary Utilities organizes multiple utilities offered in functional modules. It introduces “Clean Up & Repair”, “Optimize & Improve”, “Privacy & Security”, “Files & Folders” and “System Tools”. Beyond the tools of disk and registry cleaner, uninstaller, defragmenter, memory optimizer and more, it counts with a “Process Administration” that allows us to monitor the processes that are running at the moment on the computer, enabling us to see the properties of each of them. Moreover, Glary Utilities has also a tool that lets us perform a general maintenance with a single click, and even program this task.

Another maintenance suite is jv16 PowerTools. Unlike the previous one, this program presents its tools based on its application area. This way, we can see “Registry Tools”, “File Tools”, “System Tools” and “Privacy Tools”. It also differs as it doesn’t count with a task performer with a single click, and it cannot be programmed either. On jv16 PowerTools each task must be done individually. Nevertheless, its interface is friendlier, and counts with a “viewer” that displays, using graphics, the “health state” of the system and registry.

WinTools.net is other option when we need to select a program to assist us on the maintenance of the system. Sharing most of the utilities with the previous ones, this program, however, doesn’t count with an own defragmenter. Although it does include, unlike the others, a series of tools to optimize the system on a network included in the modules “Net Tweak” and “Tweak UI”.

Last but not least, Advanced WindowsCare Personal is one of the most complete programs to optimize the performance of the computer. It includes, just like the others, tools to delete files, memory and registry cleaner, scandisk search for duplicated files, uninstaller and many more. What’s new about Advanced WindowsCare Personal is the inclusion of utilities to prevent problems, as it counts with an assistant to delete spyware and a utility that analyses the presence of hijacked configurations.

Deciding which one to use is really difficult. All of them offer a basic series of tools that will improve the performance of our computer. We’ll be able to base our decision on their differences. Unless we want to monitor the processes’ performance with Glary Utilities, or improve our network with WinTools.net, or our security measures with Advanced WindowsCare Personal, we’ll be fulfilled with any decision we make.

Maximum protection for your system

It´s of common knowledge that there is nothing worst in a PC to have a virus in your system, but viruses are not the only threat that can affect your computer´s performance. Trojans, Spyware, cookies, unnecessary files and other risky elements, can also jeopardize your entire operative system in the long run, and even delete important files.

If you´re not an expert when it comes to protecting your computer from incoming internet threats such as viruses, Trojans or Spywares or other potential malware, we offer a software pack to ensure maximum real-time system protection covering all possible essential aspects.
Let´s take a look at Comodo Firewall, NOD32, Ad-Aware and CCleaner.

Comodo Firewall – 3.0.23.364

Comodo Firewall is the first line of defence to think about, since it will be responsible for checking and managing all the incoming and outgoing connections between the world of the web and your PC. Think of it as the security guard standing in the doorway to your building.

Comodo Firewall has many advantages: it’s free, works on different versions of Windows, uses up very few system resources, its options are already configured in such a way that you won’t need to change anything and, most importantly of all, it offers effective, solid protection.

If there’s one thing about this program that could be criticised it’s the fact that the interface takes a certain amount of getting used to. It’s so full of features that, at first, it can be a little complicated to use. That said, this isn’t something that detracts from the protection it provides for your PC.

NOD32 3.0.650

NOD32 will be the element keeping a constant watch over the activity on your PC in search of any virus that may try to enter the system, mainly via programs or files downloaded from the Internet, such as those that you receive through MSN Messenger or as email attachments, as well as those that come bundled with a program you downloaded or that get copied to your PC from an infected computer, whether over the network, or on a CD, USB flash drive, or something else.

NOD32 guarantees the detection of 100% of the viruses that could attack your PC, and, despite being one of the fastest programs of its kind, consumes an acceptable level of resources.

In terms of usability, NOD32 has a pretty clean and simple interface that makes it very easy to understand how to use the application. Add to that the fact that the preset configuration ensures the ideal level of protection and the only gripe you may have is that it is only available in English.

Ad-Aware – 2008 Plus 7.1.0.10

Ad-Aware is the third link in the chain and its job will be to detect and protect against any trojans or spyware that try to meddle with the PC.

Possible threats range from simply monitoring everything the user does on their PC to gaining access to their personal information which, in the case of passwords for example, could be extremely harmful.

Ad-Aware offers different protection measures and security elements, carrying out a real-time scan (with Ad-Watch) of everything going on within the system. It can also complete a thorough analysis of the PC (with Ad-Aware) in search of elements that may have slipped past the filters put in place by the other applications mentioned here.

The thing that makes this program stand out over others with the same function, apart from the strength of the protection it offers, is that its interface is clean and simple, meaning that even a beginner will feel comfortable using it.

CCleaner

The last program of the group is responsible for cleaning the PC of any invalid Windows registry entries and various kinds of temporary files, including those from the Internet such as cookies which, depending on the web sites that you visit, can be extremely dangerous.

CCleaner has a very simple user interface and only requires the user to choose what part of the system to analyse or search through before the program takes care of the clean-up work – it’s as simple as that. Plus, the program has three key advantages: it consumes very few system resources, its licence is free, and it’s available in many different languages.

CCleaner will help you to clean your PC of any threat that has managed to get past all of the other security programs.

Maybe you think that four programs running simultaneously to protect your PC might be too much, but viruses, Trojans and other harmful threats are becoming more and more difficult to remove. For this reason, this security pack is almost essential to surf the internet safely and without any issues.

Each of these programs will watch, control and fix every part of your system, consequently all these programs are necessary to ensure the most complete internet and e-mail protection.

You are aware now that this is the Price you have to pay if you want to surf the internet without having to worry about anything. The most interesting thing about these applications is their real-time protection since all of them work automatically and independently from each other. Install them, follow the wizard to set them up and stop worrying about threats. Get full protection for your system today.

Critical security hole found in Firefox 3.5

Days after the launch of Firefox 3.5, several issues have been found due to security issue. To make things worse, these slipups are turning into common issues among web browsers, and hackers will obviously make the most of it.

The first issue found in Firefox 3.5 was a highly critical Javascript vulnerability, the problem was cause due to the new Javascript rendering engine Tracemonkey, any one who has this enabled would be affected. It is a critical vulnerability that can be used to execute malicious code. The vulnerability can be exploited by an attacker who tricks a victim into viewing a malicious Web page containing the exploit code.

Even though this issue was fixed with Firefox 3.5.1, a vulnerability was found days later. Various analysts and sites have recently confirmed a vulnerability.1 that has had exploit PoC released. When exploited, the vulnerability can lead to system compromise or induce a DOS.

As a workaround, Mozilla advises users to disable the Just-in-time JavaScript compiler. To do so, users must first enter “about:config” into the browsers location bar and then set the “javascript.options.jit.content” setting value to “false”. When making changes to the “about:config” settings, users will first see a warning message stating that “This might void your warranty” and that changes to the advanced settings can be harmful to the stability, security and performance of Firefox.

Mozilla notes that disabling the JIT compiler is only a temporary security measure and that it will result in decreased JavaScript performance. Once the update is released, users should change the value back to “true”. Alternatively, users running Firefox 3.5 on Windows can run Firefox in Safe Mode, which automatically disables JIT.

Mozilla claims that the patch was already in the works when Firefox 3.5 was released which makes users uncomfortable and are starting grow disgrateful towards the Mozilla foundation.

Even though the security patches were released on the double, we hope that Mozilla checks on their products better before releasing them to the public since there are lots of Firefox users around who use the popular app as their default browser, otherwise a lot of Firefox will quickly turn to other browsers without giving it a second thought

The new software security system being developed by Microsoft called Security Essentials -which is now being beta tested- has thrown amazing results, even better than expected. After being tested by AV-Test GmbH – worldwide operating and leading service provider for IT security testing and consultancy services- Microsoft Security Essentials presents as one of the strongest securities suites in the upcoming months.

Microsoft Security Essentials

When saying “even better than expected”, it´s because Microsoft Security Essentials was able to detect and eliminate over 3200 threats, including different types of worms, viruses and Trojans, unlike other commercial software that didn´t performed as good as Security Essentials. It´s also worth mentioning that it didn´t throw any false positive and had and excellent performance with rootkits, which is definitely a feature to take into account when choosing a software to protect your system.

The amazing results Microsoft Security Essentialsobtained can be explained through the use of the technology it uses. The antivirus system resembles the structure and operation of ForeFront, the application developed to protect corporate systems which has rendered useful for most companies.

A limited beta began on June 23, open only to 75,000 US, Israel & Brazil customers, with a Chinese beta opening in mid July. One day later, the limit was reached and the program is no longer available to download. The program is still available from third-party websites. Microsoft will be updating and refreshing the beta code regularly in the coming months by pushing updates over Windows Update and other Web mechanisms.

The beta will remain open until the final version of the Microsoft Security Essentials product is released before the end of calendar 2009. Microsoft officials won’t provide any more specific of a date target than that, but a final release expected no later than September.

Microsoft Security Essentials may change the way we protect our systems. If everything goes according to plan, Security Essentials will becomes one of the most powerful tools ever created, that will allow any PC user to stay protected at all times. Now it´s just a matter of waiting and see how the beta evolves. Hopefully we´ll see the final version by the end of September.

Your kids or friends use your computer from time to time and do a total mess? Don´t worry, there is a solution: Deep Freeze. This software “freezes” your hard drive and any change that you make on your system, including deleting files, will have no effect upon restarting. Deep Freeze will keep your computer as good as new at all times.

Deep Freeze

If your computer is kept in an environment where many other people have access to it, you could be looking at one continual headache, especially if some of these users are not particularly computer-savvy. To prevent possible disasters, you could implement Deep Freeze, a tool which “freezes” the operating system, preventing any changes being made to the operating system. Everytime you shutdown your PC, only the files kept on non-freezed drives will be saved.

When Deep Freeze is installed it generates a complete copy of the hard disk you choose, which is then loaded every time the system starts up. The only problem is that any files that you don’t save to a “fixed” partition or a network drive will be lost if the PC is accidentally switched off or restarted.

The installation process consists of choosing the drives we wish to freeze. This is the one and only stage of the installation, therefore it´s recommended that you shut down all applications before proceeding to ensure it installs without issues. You can thaw the drives at any time, so don’t worry if you froze the wrong ones.

The installation has certain requirements that must be strictly adhered to, such as the deactivation of any antivirus application, for example. Once the process has finished, Deep Freeze presents you with a compact, simple interface from which you can control both the freezing of the system and the “Clone” feature, designed to prepare master images for deployment onmultiple machines.

This is extremely handy when cloning several PCs with the same hardware components.

Another interesting feature is setting restriction for specific users so they can´t access certain folders, system tools, configuration panels. By doing so, we can protect our most valuable data from being modified.

According to our tests, the program remains stable whilst the computer is frozen. The only problems may come if the protection is removed after a long period of time and many system files need to be updated.

Deep Freeze is an interesting tool for public-access computers which would otherwise need constant maintenance, taking up valuable time and effort. However, it can be a bit uncomfortable to successfully implement Deep Freezee on home PCs if we are constantly installing new programs or modifying files.

Download Deep Freeze

The constant data flow that takes place between computers and the internet brings a variety of threats we completely ignore, such as viruses, Trojans or other spywares that put our system at risk. Thus, it is essential to have an efficient antivirus such as NOD32 to guarantee real-time protection.

NOD32

The ease with which files are shared and downloaded nowadays, added to the vast number of programs that we can all get our hands on, make having an antivirus application to protect the integrity of our computers practically a must.

That’s why we’re going to be taking a look at NOD32, a popular antivirus program, the developers of which boast that it is between “3 and 34 times faster” than other solutions, which also offers a high level of protection thanks to its exclusive “ThreatSense” technology.

As for what concerns us most, this application is easy to install, which is a big advantage for those beginners among us who aren’t used to tinkering with computers. Once the program is up and running you can clearly see how the majority of potentially harmful elements are stopped. Speaking of which, it’s worth pointing out that, as well as viruses, the application can detect Trojans, rootkits, worms and spyware, too.

On the left-hand side of the NOD32 interface there is a control panel from which all of the available tools can be accessed. One of these tools is the “Computer Scan” feature, which allows you to carry out on-demand scans of all the files on the computer.

As explained previously, what distinguishes this antivirus from the rest is that it incorporates a new technology called ThreatSense. This original feature enables the system to retrieve the infection codes that cannot be found on the antivirus database, and incorporate them so that they can be easily recognized later. This ensures great accuracy and safety when detecting new viruses, and protects our system from any new infection.

The program also features a number of different alerts, which are displayed every time a “malicious” file is detected. These alerts provide information including the location of the infected file, the type of virus, and a comment about what has happened. This procedure turns out to be effective since it will let us know immediately that an infected file has entered our system and will give us its location as well.

Also displayed will be the various alternative actions that NOD32 offers in order to deal with the detected threat. The options range between cleaning the malicious code to deleting the file or putting it in “Quarantine”, thereby isolating it and making it unusable. This last option can be very useful if the solution is included in an update to the database used by the program.

If we’re to go by the popularity that it’s already achieved, and the positive comments that it attracts in various forums all over the web, this is without a doubt one of the best antivirus applications around. So, if you’re looking for an application that keeps your computer safe, NOD32 is a very reliable option.

Download NOD32