Experts are saying that it would be a good idea to wait to upgrade to Internet Explorer 8, at least for a month, until performance and security issues are dealt with by Microsoft. Better yet, consider using Firefox instead, which is both faster and more secure than IE.
Steve Gibson also has some reservations about IE8 (look for episode #189 of Security Now!), one of which is its inability to fully block third-party cookies.
Having trouble removing McAfee SiteAdvisor or another McAfee product? Try the company’s Consumer Products Removal Tool—it should remove every last trace of a stubborn program.
The sheer volume of new malware has outstripped the ability of AV vendors to create and distribute their virus-definition updates. No security program made today can prevent all PC infections.
Windows Secrets, February 26
Not a ringing endorsement, even for their top pick this year of Norton Internet Security Suite 2009
The HL-2170W, released recently by Brother (along with the HL-2140), offers some great features:
The street price is $149.99. ($99.99 for the HL-2140, with a $20 rebate at the moment.)
And it also has a Price/Yield Index of 333, compared to the HP LaserJet 4000 at 80 (using a remanufactured cartridge). Once again, remember that there are trade-offs when purchasing inexpensive printers.
Windows XP—still used by many—has long been promiscuous in its relationships. That is, it’s constantly seeking out new wireless partners to talk to. One result of this is that your wireless connection can simply disappear as XP thinks that another connection is more desirable and dumps its current relationship.
Another downside to the promiscuity is apparent when you’ve taken your laptop from its normal surroundings and it begins calling out for all the relationships it’s had in the past. “Linksys, are you there? home123, what about you? Anchor Free? Anyone?” A savvy hacker sitting a few tables away in your local Starbucks can sniff the network and see the plaintive calls of your computer; in a few seconds he can configure his computer to appear to yours as the router it’s searching for and in another fifteen seconds or so he’s passing your traffic to the hotspot that you thought you were using.
As you continue to surf the Internet and check your e-mail, you have no idea that this hacker is seeing everything you do, right down to the contents of your e-mail messages and your e-mail account passwords.
I’ve been warning my customers for some time to disable Wireless Zero Configuration, the Windows service that is the cause of this promiscuity. However, if you don’t want to take this step, Microsoft has released an update that will keep your computer from airing its sordid past. This update is not found in the usual Windows Updates, so you will need to download and apply this update manually.
Now available at OfficeMedic are black and color cartridges for the Color LaserJet 3600 and 3800. Priced approximately 20% lower than the OEM equivalents, the black cartridge (6K page yield) is $109.95 and the color cartridges (cyan, yellow, and magenta; 4K page yield) are $139.95.
As always, these remanufactured cartridges are guaranteed by OfficeMedic to meet or exceed the quality of OEM cartridges.
While most of the articles on OfficeMedic.com dealing with security focus on threats from outside your network, this article points out the danger from within. For example, how do you protect against the unauthorized copying of data on your computers—particularly as a business owner—when the user is allowed to access that data? iPods and flash drives are commonplace; how do you keep your employees or the night-time janitorial staff from plugging one in and downloading your financials or marketing plans?
A recent article on PCMag.com reviews several “endpoint security” products—software that restricts access not just to your USB ports, but also Firewire, serial, and parallel ports; CD, DVD, and Zip drives; WiFi, Bluetooth, and infrared ports; and more. If you’d like to skip the write-up and go directly to the Editor’s Choice, this link will take you to DeviceLock. The software is $35 for a single computer (Windows Vista not available at this time) and a free, thirty-day trial is available.
Sorry for the alphabet soup but what you need to know is if you’re using the older WEP encryption for your wireless network connection, it’s just about as bad as not using encryption at all. As this article explains, a network “protected” by WEP can be cracked in as little as one minute.
OfficeMedic recommends that you immediately switch to WPA encryption which, when used with a sufficiently strong password, is not vulnerable to hackers. You may need a new wireless router or access point to enable WPA; OfficeMedic can recommend an appropriate unit and we provide installation as well.
This cute 3-1/2 year-old boy is my nephew, Timothy. You can’t tell from the picture, but he was born at 25 weeks, weighing just 1 lb. 10 oz. Timothy has been through quite a lot in the last three-and-a-half years, but with the help of some dedicated doctors and nurses —and a lot of help from God!—Timothy has grown into a vibrant, loving little boy who brings joy to his family every moment.
However, every day in the Inland Empire, 3 babies like Timothy are born very preterm, that is, under 32 weeks. Another 18 babies are born under 37 weeks. Prematurity is the leading killer of America’s newborns. Those who survive often have lifelong problems.
The March of Dimes has taken on this devastating problem. The March of Dimes has established two goals for their Prematurity Campaign: first, to raise awareness of the problem and, second, to reduce the rate of premature births in the U.S. from 12.1% in 2002 to 7.6% in 2010.
The Prematurity Campaign has funded research, awarded grants to communities, educated thousands of women, trained health professionals, and helped NICU families—they even paid for the surfactant therapy for Timothy’s lungs.
On Sunday, May 6, I will be participating in WalkAmerica 2007 to raise money for the March of Dimes Prematurity Campaign. Team Timothy will be walking at Loma Linda University—and you can support us by joining us or by sponsoring us.
If the causes of premature birth can be better understood, then new ways to prevent it can be developed. With help from people like you, the March of Dimes can fund more research and help more babies like Timothy.
Today’s mail brought the following notice:
“CompUSA has announced a comprehensive strategy to improve the company’s financial status. The realignment includes a cash infusion, store closures, major expense reductions and a corporate restructuring. The process began last week with the closing of four CompUSA stores and over the next 60-90 days, the company will close a total of 126 stores in the United States to focus on initiatives that enhance its top performing locations and provide knowledgeable service and support to all of our Business accounts.”
A date has not been announced, but San Bernardino’s CompUSA in the Tri City Shopping Center is one of those that will be closed.
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