We always tell you that your password should be a secure one - something that looks like I8kjH9s&ER1()G. But are you really going to remember that? Most likely not, you will write it down and most likely leave it somewhere unsecure.
A blog post from Avast gives you a nice and easy way to come up with a secure password that you will remember.
See more on this at the Avast Blog here.
Do you trust the messages, links and attachments you receive via email?
Over the past 6 months there have been a large number of hotmail.com/live.com/msn.com, gmail.com/googlemail.com, aol.com and yahoo.com accounts compromised because of weak passwords.
The owners of those compromised accounts are still probably unaware that they were compromised because the hackers did not change any settings or passwords. The hackers are utilizing these accounts to send out massive amounts of spam to the addressbooks of those compromised accounts. This means that there is a higher probability of the spam message being opened, and any links or attachments opened because the sender is trusted by the receiver.
While this problem occurs all the time on infected computers with email programs, this is the first widespread attack to utilize web-based email accounts.
Many of these emails that contain links go to websites that are either advertising some medical drug or a video that asks you to upgrade Flash or other video software on your computer. The attachments are many times PDF files. In all cases the intent is to infect your computer with some type of malware - many times some variation of a scareware antivirus/antimalware program telling you your computer has been infected and requesting payment to clean the
infection.
Adobe has admitted and computer security analysis of the attacks over the past 18 months have shown that over 50% have targeted vulnerabilities in Adobe's Acrobat PDF creation and reader software as well as it's Flash product line.
Adobe has recently patched a number of major security flaws in both products and EVERYONE should update to Acrobat Reader 10.1 (link to adobe download site) and Flash 10.3 (link to Adobe download site).
These new versions fix some critical flaws that can allow malicious attackers install software on your computer without your knowledge as well as potentially take over your computer entirely.
Adobe has included in these updates a much more reliable software updater that will alert you to updates and allow them to be installed fairly quickly after they are released to keep your computer safe.
Please do not ignore these alerts as doing so will at some point cause your computer to become infected. Please note that this alert does not only pertain to Windows users but Mac users as well. While OSX has a built in PDF viewer, some users do still install the Adobe Acrobat Reader product. Flash 10.3 on the otherhand should absolutely be installed on your Mac and security firm INTEGO agrees
The owners of those compromised accounts are still probably unaware that they were compromised because the hackers did not change any settings or passwords. The hackers are utilizing these accounts to send out massive amounts of spam to the addressbooks of those compromised accounts. This means that there is a higher probability of the spam message being opened, and any links or attachments opened because the sender is trusted by the receiver.
While this problem occurs all the time on infected computers with email programs, this is the first widespread attack to utilize web-based email accounts.
Many of these emails that contain links go to websites that are either advertising some medical drug or a video that asks you to upgrade Flash or other video software on your computer. The attachments are many times PDF files. In all cases the intent is to infect your computer with some type of malware - many times some variation of a scareware antivirus/antimalware program telling you your computer has been infected and requesting payment to clean the
infection.Adobe has admitted and computer security analysis of the attacks over the past 18 months have shown that over 50% have targeted vulnerabilities in Adobe's Acrobat PDF creation and reader software as well as it's Flash product line.
Adobe has recently patched a number of major security flaws in both products and EVERYONE should update to Acrobat Reader 10.1 (link to adobe download site) and Flash 10.3 (link to Adobe download site).
These new versions fix some critical flaws that can allow malicious attackers install software on your computer without your knowledge as well as potentially take over your computer entirely.
Adobe has included in these updates a much more reliable software updater that will alert you to updates and allow them to be installed fairly quickly after they are released to keep your computer safe.
Please do not ignore these alerts as doing so will at some point cause your computer to become infected. Please note that this alert does not only pertain to Windows users but Mac users as well. While OSX has a built in PDF viewer, some users do still install the Adobe Acrobat Reader product. Flash 10.3 on the otherhand should absolutely be installed on your Mac and security firm INTEGO agrees
Use your iPhone by talking to it with Dragon Go! from Nuance
Nuance has been increasing it's dominance in voice directed apps on the iOS platform the past few months with the last offering allowing you to use your iPhone/iPod Touch as a microphone for their desktop based Dragon software.
Well today they just moved the bar much higher with their Dragon G0! app (iTunes link) that allows you to use your iPhone much more intuitively by voice.
Navigate Facebook, launch a specific station on Pandora or get driving directions to a new destination - the options are endless.
You can see more details at the Press Release and pick it up for free at iTunes.
Well today they just moved the bar much higher with their Dragon G0! app (iTunes link) that allows you to use your iPhone much more intuitively by voice.
Navigate Facebook, launch a specific station on Pandora or get driving directions to a new destination - the options are endless.
You can see more details at the Press Release and pick it up for free at iTunes.
How to setup Find my iPhone (to find your iPad or iPod touch as well)
CNET's "How To" section has a great article on how to setup this useful service and you can find it here.
You never really know when you might misplace, lose or even have your iOS device stolen. For example - This article goes into detail on how a TSA agent was caught stealing an iPad out of luggage he was scanning. The Find My iPhone service would be a great tool to locate that iPad once you realized it had been stolen.
Just spend some time to set it and forget it (until you really need it)!
You never really know when you might misplace, lose or even have your iOS device stolen. For example - This article goes into detail on how a TSA agent was caught stealing an iPad out of luggage he was scanning. The Find My iPhone service would be a great tool to locate that iPad once you realized it had been stolen.
Just spend some time to set it and forget it (until you really need it)!
Turn off Facebook's Facial Recognition Feature
Facebook last month released a new feature to it's Photo Albums that enabled facial recognition for all users by default. It's again another one of their feature expansions that could become a privacy problem for some users.
F-Secure's Safe & Savvy blog post provides you with the details on how to turn the facial recognition feature off.
F-Secure's Safe & Savvy blog post provides you with the details on how to turn the facial recognition feature off.
Amazon has a Mac Download Store Too
Apple launched their Mac App store with great fanfare, but did you know there are a number of pieces of software that Apple does not make available for purchase? The most obvious omissions are products from Microsoft and Adobe. Well Amazon has come to the rescue.
See more at this link.
See more at this link.
Customize Windows 7 with beautiful themes from Microsoft
Since Windows 7's release, Microsoft has been slowly and steadily adding more and more themes to it's personalization gallery.
These themes range from exotic locations, to space, to abstract art, to nature and movies. And these are EXTREMELY high quality theme packs that provided great backgrounds to show off on your large widescreen flat-panel monitors.
Here are some links to a few of the newest themes:
Galapagos
Abstract Diffusion (a favorite of mine)
Classic Managa (Japanese Comics/Animation)
Space Art by GTGraphics
Browse - Download and Enjoy some new background scenery!
These themes range from exotic locations, to space, to abstract art, to nature and movies. And these are EXTREMELY high quality theme packs that provided great backgrounds to show off on your large widescreen flat-panel monitors.
Here are some links to a few of the newest themes:
Galapagos
Abstract Diffusion (a favorite of mine)
Classic Managa (Japanese Comics/Animation)
Space Art by GTGraphics
Browse - Download and Enjoy some new background scenery!
Expense report software for your mobile phone: ExpenseWatch.com
This company and the app they provide looks very promising. While my Windows Mobile 6.5 phone will not be supported, they already have an app available for Android phones and iPhones and Blackberries will soon be available.
Check it out at their site.
Check it out at their site.
Infographic from McAfee explaining Botnets
Understanding what malware threats are out there is a big step in staying protected from them.
With this in mind McAfee has created a nice infographic that goes a long way into explaining what botnets are.
With this in mind McAfee has created a nice infographic that goes a long way into explaining what botnets are.
Can you sync iTunes with an Android Phone? YES!
I've been asked this exact question quite a few times. Every time I've had to search for the answer and provide it to the friend or acquaintance. But now...How-To-Geek has a great step by step article with pictures on how to do this.
Find out how to sync iTunes with your Android phone here.
Lifehacker also has a great article on how to sync your Android as seamlessly as an iPhone
Find out how to sync iTunes with your Android phone here.
Lifehacker also has a great article on how to sync your Android as seamlessly as an iPhone
Do you really know how to use your iPhone?
While this miracle from Apple that we call an iPhone is, for the most part, easy and intuitive to use, there are times when you just need to look up how to do something or to learn about the features you are not even using. Well here's an app that touts itself as the "Training Manual that should have come with your iPhone".
iCademy at the iTunes App Store.
iCademy at the iTunes App Store.
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