Microsoft Windows Defender
Microsoft Windows Defender is a security application which provide protection for windows users from spyware and potentially unwanted software. This application reduces effect caused by spyware which can be slow pc performance, pop-up ads and unauthorized access to your private data.
* Reduces effect caused by spyware
* Improves Internet browsing safety
* Protect against potentially unwanted software
* Remove known spyware
Windows Defender’s Technical Info:
Title: Windows Defender 1.1.1593
File name: WindowsDefender.msi
File size: 4.95MB (5,186,048 bytes)
Requirements: Windows XP/2003
License: Freeware
Home page: www.microsoft.com
Ad-Aware SE Personal Edition
With Code Sequence Identification (CSI) technology, Lavasoft provide protection from known and their unknown variants. Lavasoft take a step forward in the fight against Spyware with the release of Ad-Aware SE Personal edition. Ad-Aware provide protection from Spyware such as Trojans, Malware, Scumware, Advertisements, Browser hackers and tracking components.
Ad-Aware SE Personal edition with new scanning engine got the capability to scan and list Alternate Data Streams in NTFS volumes faster and thoroughly than ever before.
Ad-Aware Technical Info
Title: Ad-Aware 2008 7.1.0.8
Filename: aaw2008.exe
File size: 18.27MB (19,153,264 bytes)
Requirements: Windows 2000/XP/2003/Vista
License: Non-Commercial Freeware
Author: Lavasoft
www.lavasoftusa.com
Home Page: http://www.lavasoftusa.com/products/ad-aware_se_personal.php
AVG 8 Anti-Virus Review and Download
A computer guy is always concerned about security. Then it is important to depend on a reliable application which has the ability to protect system and data. It is regarded that free security application are less safe but you might change your opinion after testing AVG anti-virus. This application offers rock-solid protection.
The best thing about this application is that it completely works in background minimized to your system tray. The free edition may not feature wide range of tools or utilities but provide effective protection from potential danger.
AVG features an email scanner, the Resident Shield, which provides real-time protection as files are opened and programs are run, free Virus Database Updates for the lifetime of the product, and AVG Virus Vault for safe handling of infected files.
The free edition may be sufficient for average guy, but those who demand more control may consider AVG Anti-Virus Professional.
Languages:English, German, French, Italian, Portuguese
Recent changes in AVG Anti-Virus System:
* Faster performance
* Revamped interface and design
* New anti-spyware tool
* Real time shield has been improved
About the license:
AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition is only available for single computer use for home and non commercial use. his version offers basic protection, without ttechnical support or server protection.
Apple Updates Security On Leopard, Tiger, And Panther
Apple has released a major security update to current and previous versions of its OS X operating system.Apple on Wednesday released Mac OS X 10.4.11, a 70 Mbyte update for the Tiger version of its operating system that’s available through Apple’s Software Update program or as a standalone installer.
The update brings Apple’s Safari browser to version 3.0, which previously was available to Apple customers who upgraded to Leopard or who sought out and downloaded the software.It also adds RAW image decoding support for several cameras, including the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ50, the Leica V-Lux 1, the Olympus E-400, the Olympus EVOLT E410, the Olympus EVOLT E510, and theCanon EOS 40D.
And the update improves compatibility when using OpenType fonts in QuarkExpress, reliability when using VMware’s Fusion, and synchronization between iPhone andYahoo address books.Apple also released a security update for Safari 3 Beta for Windows XP and Vista on Wednesday. The patch fixes a tabbed browsing flaw that could expose user credentials, several cross-site scripting vulnerabilities, and a buffer overflow bug, among other issues.
Microsoft Out With Two Security Patches
“Patch Tuesday” is almost incoming and as usual brings with it, a number of security fixes.
However, this time around unlik former occasions, there are only 2 security patches. The first security patch is marked critical and will fix a critical vulnerability that allows remote code execution. This fix is intended for the problem caused by Macrovision’s Secdrv driver, which is security software designed to prevention piracy of games.
In its Microsoft Security Advisory (944653), Microsoft proclaims, “We are aware of limited attacks that try to use the reported weakness. Microsoft is actively keeping an eye over this situation to keep customers updated and to provide customer guidance as necessary. Upon completion of this investigation, Microsoft will take the appropriate action to help protect our customers. This will include providing a security update through our monthly release process.”
The second security patch is rated as “important” and it fixes a “spoofing” vulnerability in Windows that Microsoft planned to fix last month but however deferred.
Symantec Brings Out Two New Security Tools
Internet security giants Symantec Corporation, announced the launch of their two user-enabled software solutions for the Indian market which enhances data storage capacity and security.
“Our two products – Symantec Endpoint Protection 11.0 and Storage United will specifically help Indian computer users to safeguard and increase storage capacity of their data,” said Enrique Salem, Symantec Group president, worldwide sales and marketing. 
“Symantec Endpoint Protection combines Symantec Anti-virus with advanced threat prevention in a single agent delivering unmatched defence against malware for laptops, desktops and servers.”–Vishal Dhupar(Managing Director)
On enquiry as to how the new product would directly affect the end user, Salem said, “Social Networking sites have become very popular these days. These sites have outsourced their security management to Symantec. Also the number of home users of Norton Antivirus is increasing.”
Symantec Corporation also announced the 2007 Asia South Visionary Award winners at Symantec’s annual user conference, Vision at Mumbai.The winners at the 2007 Asia South Visionary Awards include many big private sectors of indian subcontinent HDFC Bank, Reliance Communications, National Commodity and Derivatives Exchange Ltd. (NCDEX) and Tata Consultancy Services.
“Users are not getting into internet banking and trading. Our award winners HDFC Bank and NCDEX are using Symantec products and this secures the personal information of the end user,” said Salem.The release date of the two new products is still in secret.
Google Determined To Preserve User’s Privacy
Google Inc, the world’s only search machine city,told U.S. Senate lawmakers in the midweek that the company is pursuing new technologies to preserve the privacy of Internet users as it seeks to acquire advertising company DoubleClick Inc. Google’s chief legal officer, David Drummond, testified that the company was looking at the Internet display advertising business with a “fresh eye and evaluating whether changes can be made to innovate on user privacy in this space.”
Critics Exclaim that Google’s $3.1 billion acquisition of DoubleClick, an advertising tools supplier, may give the company too much power over online advertising. Google stores mounds of data on Internet-surfing habits of users and uses the information to make money by selling advertisements.
As a general matter, Drummond also sought to address antitrust concerns about the deal, describing it as pro-competitive.Drummond sought to assure the lawmakers that Google was exploring new privacy protection technologies.He cited as an example a possible new technology that Google called “crumbled cookie” in which information about an Internet user would not be connected to a single piece of identifying code, known as a cookie.
Google was also finding out better ways of providing notice within advertisements to identify who was responsible for them, Drummond said. “We have consulted with numerous privacy, consumer and industry groups in developing these ideas and have endeavored to be responsive to their concerns,” in a written testimony for a Senate Judiciary subcommittee.
AOL’S IM Has Its Security Breached
A security breach in widely used versions of AOL’s instant-messaging program could let a hacker grab control of a victim’s computer, according to a security firm that says AOL’s ways to tackle this breach in security dont’ go fair enough.
Core Security Technologies said it informed AOL LLC, part of Time Warner Inc., about the programming drawback in late August, and AOL states that the problem has been fixed. But Core Security’s chief technology officer, Ivan Arce, said the solution should be considered temporary because of the underlying design of AOL’s market-leading Instant Messenger service, better known as AIM.
The flaw exists in the most recent versions of AIM 6.1, and in 6.2, which is still in beta-test mode. Core Security also found it in the business-focused AIM Pro and in AIM Lite. The problem does not crop up in AIM 5.9, an older edition that many users still have, or in version 6.5, which also is in beta mode. The security breach arose because of the way the vulnerable versions of AIM let instant-messaging chatters augment their conversations with various fonts and pictographic ”emoticons.” The flawed versions of AIM do this by using Microsoft Corp.’s Internet Explorer program to render images.
The problem, Core Security contends, is that AIM was enabling full access to all of Internet Explorer’s functions, including its ability to carry out programming commands and direct a computer to Web sites. So by embedding certain commands in an IM session, an attacker could direct a victim’s computer to do lots of regrettable things, such as visiting a malicious Web site where even more bad code would be installed.
AOL spokeswoman Erin Gifford said her company had solved out the issues Core Security raised. As a result, she said, AIM users should consider themselves ”completely safe.” Gifford would not detail the steps AOL had taken, other than saying that AOL was blocking malicious programming code and other suspicious content from being transmitted in IM traffic.
The security firm also said other programs with built-in access to Internet Explorer could fall prey to the same vulnerability. Core Security says it does not believe that flaw exists in the second- and third-most popular IM programs, from Yahoo Inc. and Microsoft.(Not Tested).
Blue Tooth Devices Not Sure On Safety-Symantec
Security biggun Symantec Corporation has warned users of the feared dangers of using Bluetooth-enabled devices. Users and carriers of these devices are vulnerable to several attacks such as Bluespamming (sending spam to a Bluetooth enabled device, Bluejacking (sending a message from your Bluetooth enabled device PDA to a stranger who also has a Bluetooth enabled device.
It can also be used to flirt with someone or play a practical joke), BlueSnarfing (copy address information like business card data from a person’s Bluetooth phone in the vicinity) and BlueBugging (this vulnerability allows the hacker to initiate phone calls, send and read SMS, read and write phonebook contacts, eavesdrop on phone conversations, and connect to the internet)
Symantec however revealed that Bluespamming does have a low-level security risk. Blusnarfing is also quite dangerous as it could allow attackers to sneak into an unfortunate user’s phone and Browse through the data. Bluebugging, according to Symantec is the biggest threat, where hackers can remotely control a handset while making calls without the prior permission of the handset owner.
Internet Security Report 2007
The latest target of cyber criminals are the trusted sites on which users browse through without any concerns to their computer security.The actual condition is the cyber goons actually exploit the trusted environments,acoording to the latest report by Symantec.The report shows that during the first half of the current year,disrupters increasingly targeted victims by taking advantage vulnerabilities in trusted environments, such as popular financial, social networking, and career recruitment websites. 
Symantec also stated that 61% of all vulnerabilities unveiled were in web applications. Once a trusted website has been granted in, criminals can use it as a base for spreading and passing potentially lethal code to users browsing through the site. At present, the threat environment is more happening than ever.Identity mugging is an increasingly prevalent security issue, particularly for organizations that store and manage information that could facilitate identity theft.
Compromises that result in the loss of personal data could be quite costly, not only to the people whose identity may be at risk and their respective financial institutions, but also to the organization responsible for collecting the data. Data breaches that lead to identity theft could damage an organization’s reputation, and undermine customer and institutional confidence in the organization. Underground economy servers are used by cyber criminals to sell stolen information. This data can include government-issued identification numbers such as social security numbers, credit cards, bank cards, personal identification numbers (PINs), user accounts, and email address lists.
The report says that social networking websites are particularly valuable to attackers since they provide access to a large number of people, many of whom trust the site and its security. These websites can also expose a lot of confidential user information that can then be used in attempts to conduct identity theft, online fraud, or to provide access to other Web sites from which attackers can deploy further attacks.
The threat report also noted that cybercriminals are continuing to become more professional and some are even commercializing their efforts. They’re taking a business approach to the development, distribution, and use of malicious code. The cost to obtain credit card details is $0.50-$5, bank account details are available for $30-$400, e-mail passwords cost $1-$350, while identity thefts cost $10-$150! The most commonly advertised goods for sale on underground economy servers were credit card details, making up 22 per cent of all advertised goods.
The advertised price for bank account credentials varied widely and was dependent on the funds available in the account. Bank accounts that included higher balances were worth considerably more. Furthermore, bank account information that included personal information of the victim was more highly valued.
Email passwords were the third most common item advertised for sale, making up eight percent of all advertised goods. In addition, the value of the account was also based on the username in the email itself; email accounts with usernames that were standard English terms were generally highly priced.
Other findings in the report include:
Stolen credit card numbers were the most commonly advertised commodity on underground economy servers, making up 22% of all advertisements; stolen bank account numbers were a close second with 21%.
Symantec researchers documented 237 vulnerabilities in web browser plugins in the first half of the year. The report noted that it’s a significant increase over the 74 discovered in the second half of 2006, and the 34 in the first half of 2006.
Theft or loss of computer or other data storage equipment made up 46% of all data breaches that could lead to identity theft.
Symantec also reported an increase in multistage attacks, which include an initial attack designed to deploy other attacks. A downloader, for example, is malicious code that infects a computer. It’s designed to pull other code down from the Internet to further infect the machine. Symantec reported that 28 of the top 50 malicious code samples were staged downloaders.
India has been ranked 14th worldwide when it came to hosting fishing websites. Mumbai hosted 30% of the total fishing sites in India, Delhi 29%, and Bangalore and Chennai accounted for 12% each of the total sites.