Articles about Security

This time of the year is a great one to pick up some technology bargains and the Downloadcrew Software Store is no exception. In addition to the regular deals, there are some extra-special Black Friday/Cyber Monday offers that run until the end of November.

We open with some great savings from CyberLink. PowerDirector 11 Ultimate, which bundles PowerDirector 11 with 22 NewBlueFX effects, is yours for only $99.99, a saving of 23 percent from MSRP. Better still, you pick up a free bundle worth $59.90 with every order! PowerDirector 11 Ultra is yours for $79.95, a saving of 20 percent from MSRP, also shipping with the free bundle. Media Suite 10 Ultra, which is CyberLink’s 11-in-1 multimedia suite, is yours for $89,95, or 31 percent off MSRP. PowerDVD 12 Ultra, is yours for $50, or 50-percent off MSRP.

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Bitdefender has announced the availability of Windows 8 Security (priced from $59.95), a new suite which the company has called “the first Windows 8 antivirus”.

And while of course there are plenty of other antivirus tools which run under Windows 8, what Bitdefender are claiming is that this one is specifically designed for the new operating system.

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Symantec today released Norton Mobile Security 3.2, the latest version of the flagship Norton security software for Android and iOS devices.

It's been just about a year since we last looked at Norton Mobile Security, and in that time, a number of new features have been added.

It still contains the remote lock and wipe, call and SMS blocking, SD card scanning, and remote geolocation features it included previously, but now it also includes multi-device (cross platform) support with a single license, contact list backup and restore, a "scream alarm" for finding a lost phone, and web-based management.

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The other day we talked about the plan to release a new Spybot - Search & Destroy app today. Well, version 2.0 is now officially available and packs a host of new features, most of which we already knew about thanks to beta versions and a company announcement.

Before you try to explain that you have Windows Defender, McAfee, Norton or whatever else, let me explain something. No security program is perfect. They all miss the occasional spyware, rootkit, or virus. Having more than one antivirus running on your computer is a very bad idea, but having a second program such as malware catching app is not.

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Third in a series. Each week we are looking at the best apps released for Microsoft's new operating system Windows 8. Today, we introduce new information to the format that informs you about potential compatibility issues with Windows RT. As you may know, apps released in Windows Store are always compatible with Windows 8 and Pro, but not necessarily with Windows RT, the version running on ARM hardware, such as Surface.

Not compatible with Windows RT indicates this if so. We also take a look at application updates and if they introduce exciting new features, include updated apps in the list. This week that's for instance the case with the Google Search app, which not only becomes compatible with ARM systems but also introduces YouTube video playback with an update.

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You may think you don't need additional security on your Windows 8 machine because it comes with Defender built in. Think again, because no single program is capable of finding and blocking every threat out there. One of the best complements to any Windows PC is third-party software that is capable of scanning, blocking and removing troublesome problems like spyware and malware that get into your system.

One of those third-party scanners, Spybot - Search & Destroy from Safer-Networking, is set to release its complete version 2.0 next Monday, The software is currently available in its third release candidate revision, which you can download in FileForum right now if you want to get a quick look at what to expect on Monday.

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Today the team behind the popular custom Android distribution CyanogenMod announced that the domain crisis is now contained, after previously losing control of cyanogenmod.com. But all modding affairs will now continue on the new domain cyanogenmod.org, instead of the previous digital shelter.

Apparently the problem was caused by a former member who owns cyanogenmod.com. The CM team says that he donated the domain in the early days of the project in order to support it, but recently took charge and "violated" their trust. Allegedly the former member set up deals in his personal interest under the name of the project and even impersonated Steve Kondik, the founder of CyanogenMod. The ex-member demanded $10,000 in order to restore control, which he did not receive.

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Users are becoming accustomed to Adobe security flaws these days. After all the company did occupy five of the top-10 spots in the recent Kaspersky report. While the "occasional" Flash bug can be dealt with, having one's user information stolen is a whole different story, but that is exactly what sources are claiming and Adobe is confirming by shutting down the service in question.

"Adobe is currently investigating reports of a compromise of a Connectusers.com forum database. These reports first started circulating late during the day on Tuesday, November 13, 2012. At this point of our investigation, it appears that the Connectusers.com forum site was compromised by an unauthorized third party. It does not appear that any other Adobe services, including the Adobe Connect conferencing service itself, were impacted".

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A password reset vulnerability that was reported by TNW prompted Skype to scramble to protect its users from having their accounts compromised today. The Microsoft-owned communications company issued a zero day fix on Wednesday which protects users with multiple Skype accounts attached to a single email address.

"Early this morning we were notified of user concerns surrounding the security of the password reset feature on our website. This issue affected some users where multiple Skype accounts were registered to the same email address. We suspended the password reset feature temporarily this morning as a precaution and have made updates to the password reset process today so that it is now working properly. We are reaching out to a small number of users who may have been impacted to assist as necessary. Skype is committed to providing a safe and secure communications experience to our users and we apologize for the inconvenience."

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If you’re working on some confidential document and need to leave your PC for a while, then locking the system is one way to maintain your privacy. Hold down the Windows key, press L, and only someone who knows your user account password will be able to restore access to the computer.

When you’re working on a shared computer which that need to regularly use, though, this may not seem like such a good idea. What you really need is a tool like WinLock, which can password-protect and hide any application window, yet leaves the rest of the computer freely available for everybody who needs it.

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Symantec asked hundreds of its experts for their thoughts and opinions on what the biggest security threats will be next year -- assuming we all survive the Mayan apocalypse on December 21, of course -- and boiled down the results into five predictions.

The first threat to make the list is cyber-conflict, which Symantec sees becoming the norm. "Conflicts between nations, organizations, and individuals will play a key role in the cyber world", it says, envisioning a lot of sabre rattling, and countries and hacktivist groups using cyber-tactics to make a point and "send a message".

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Malwarebytes Corporation has made available the first public beta of a new Anti-Rootkit tool, which aims to provide a quick and easy way to detect and remove the stealthy malware from your PC. And as you’d expect from Malwarebytes, the program seems very straightforward and simple to use.

The beta is portable, of course, so there’s no installation required. Unzip the download, run MBAR.EXE and it’s ready to go immediately.

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Some computer games require you to be connected to the Internet at all times to play them. While that sounds reasonable for online multiplayer games such as World of Warcraft or Team Fortress 2, it doesn't make sense for single-player games that you play on your own. Always-On DRM limits access to the purchased game due to that requirement.

Not only is it necessary to have an Internet connection to play the game, which means no playing in situations where you do not or where unreliable, it also means that you rely on the game company server to be online as well.

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From full commercial applications to simple freeware tools, it’s surprising just how many setup programs will now try to install unwanted browser addons on your PC. And too many of these can slow your system down, make it less stable, maybe even compromise your privacy.

The deceptive techniques used by some software means these “extras” can be difficult to avoid, too. But fortunately help is at hand in the shape of the free Toolbar Cleaner, which can assist you in reviewing and taking control of your IE, Firefox and Chrome addons.

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While security company Kaspersky Labs recently gave Microsoft high marks late last week, it seems that it has given a failing grade to Google for version 2.3 of its Android mobile operating system.

Kaspersky's recent numbers show the Gingerbread release, specifically version 2.3.6, is the most highly targeted Android OS for malware developers, and Trojan SMS leads the way. That is followed, a bit distantly, by Java, which has also been a thorn in the side of computer users recently. While this is bad news for Google, it does have a silver lining.

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