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Let’s Talk Windows Vista Security

Published 6 June 8 7:37 AM | Essential Computer Security

On June 18th, I will once again be joining Windows guru and Microsoft Technical Fellow Mark Russinovich and others to panel a virtual roundtable discussion. This time, we will be talking about Windows Vista security. During this broadcast, we will cover...

Filed under: microsoft, security, News and Info, Windows-Vista, mark russinovich, Springboard, June 18, roundtable, live, panel

Featured in FUD Watch

Published 31 May 8 10:21 PM | Essential Computer Security

Recently I took issue on my About.com Internet / Network Security site with a ’study’ published by a security software vendor which alleged that Microsoft’s Windows Vista operating system has weaker security than Windows 2000. The study...

Filed under: microsoft, News and Info, About.com, FUD, FUD Watch, Bill Brenner

Marketing with Microsoft adCenter

Published 19 January 8 9:45 PM | Essential Computer Security

If you have visited a web site recently, it is a virtual certainty that you have seen pay-per-click advertising links. Actually, you are here on my site reading this post, and I have pay-per-click advertising links, so it is an absolute certainty. Most...

Filed under: internet, microsoft, web, News and Info, marketing, AdSense, Google, ppc, adCenter, advertising, pay-per-click

Microsoft Unveils New Vulnerability Research Blog

Published 6 January 8 10:29 PM | Essential Computer Security

Microsoft recently created a new blog site designed to provide insight on emerging vulnerabilities. The blog, titled <a href=”http://blogs.technet.com/swi/”>Security Vulnerability Research & Defense</a>, provides detailed...

Filed under: microsoft, security, vulnerability, News and Info, research, defense, blog

AutoComplete May Equal AutoCompromise

Published 18 September 7 10:7 AM | Essential Computer Security

It is very convenient to have your various usernames and passwords stored in your computer system. When you are logging into a web site or application, the information is automatically filled in for you so you don’t have to try to remember what...

Filed under: microsoft, security, internet explorer, ie7, password, identity theft, breach, compromise

Slow Month For Microsoft Security Bulletins

Published 11 September 7 9:45 PM | Essential Computer Security

Rarely (if ever- I’ll have to do some research and find out) does Microsoft have 2 back-to-back months of Security Bulletin floods. This month was no exception. In August, Microsoft released 9 Security Bulletins, 6 of which were deemed Critical...

Filed under: windows vista, windows xp, microsoft, security, security bulletins

Beta Test Windows Live OneCare 2.0

Published 29 August 7 9:1 AM | Essential Computer Security

Are you still running your computer with no antivirus or other malware protection installed? Do you have really old security software installed that has not been updated to protect against current threats? Do you just like to play with new, cutting edge...

Filed under: microsoft, antivirus, beta, windows live onecare, malware

Keep Your Windows XP Running Steady

Published 28 August 7 8:34 AM | Essential Computer Security

Depending on the activities you engage in and the sites you visit, you can get some questionable, or sometimes outright malicious stuff installed on your computer. When you have a PC for your kids, or if you are sharing a PC with your kids, this can be...

Filed under: windows vista, windows xp, microsoft, System Restore, parental controls, Windows Steady State

Guest on IMI TechTalk Radio Show

Published 10 February 7 11:13 PM | tonybradley

Tom D'Auria invited me back to talk more computer security on his IMI TechTalk radio show. I appeared on the show in November of 2006 to promote my book, Essential Computer Security . We did not get to cover all of our questions in the time allotted,...

Filed under: internet, home computer, microsoft, security, backup, restore, internet explorer, ie7, zero-day, essential computer security, imi-techtalk, radio, Tom D'Auria, interview

Windows Integrity Control

Published 5 February 7 9:56 AM | tonybradley

With Vista, Microsoft introduced a new security concept to help protect your computer. Rather than relying on discretionary controls, like NTFS file and folder permissions which users can assign and change, Vista also has new mandatory controls. WIC,...

Filed under: internet, windows vista, microsoft, security, user, internet explorer, ie7, web, protected mode, wic, object, mandatory integrity control, trust, windows integrity control, mic

Security Options for Windows Vista

Published 24 January 7 12:29 PM | tonybradley

With Windows Vista set to be unleashed on the consumer market in about a week, there is going to be a need for security and antivirus products. Although Vista is the most secure version of the Windows operating system yet, that doesn't mean it is impenetrable...

Filed under: windows vista, microsoft, security, firewall, antivirus, virus, f-secure, worm, ca, mcafee, trend micro, beta, windows live onecare

Shaken, Not Stirred

Published 10 January 7 6:12 AM | tonybradley

If you wanted to test the security of your headquarters housed in a volcanic crater on a remote island, who better to check it out than James Bond? Microsoft apparently used similar logic to validate and test the security measures built in to the new...

Filed under: windows vista, microsoft, security, national security agency, nsa

IE6 Vulnerable More Than 3/4 Of 2006

Published 7 January 7 9:38 AM | tonybradley

According to a study compiled by the Washington Post's Brian Krebs , Internet Explorer 6 was vulnerable for 284 out of 365 days in 2006. That amounts to over 77% of the year. What does that mean? It means the for 3/4 of the year there were known vulnerabilities...

Filed under: internet, home computer, windows xp, microsoft, security, vulnerability, patch, internet explorer, ie7, web, worm, hack, firefox, zero-day

Data Backup For Home PC Users

Published 5 January 7 11:4 AM | tonybradley

Companies understand the importance of data. Hardware and software can be replaced, but lost data can't. Those companies that don't truly understand the value of consistently backing up critical data are probably mandated to do so anyway by one of the...

Filed under: home computer, windows vista, windows xp, microsoft, security, user, backup, restore

Vista Flaw Discovered

Published 3 January 7 11:27 AM | tonybradley

Less than a month from its official release to corporate customers, a vulnerability was already discovered that affects Vista. According to Microsoft and others, the vulnerability can only be exploited if an attacker already has access to the system,...

Filed under: internet, windows vista, microsoft, security, flaw, vulnerability, patch, hyponnen, f-secure, worm, hack

Unpatched Flaw In Microsoft Word Being Exploited

Published 6 September 6 6:27 AM | tonybradley

A flaw in the way Microsoft Word 2000 documents are processed could allow an attacker to execute malicious code remotely on vulnerable systems according to a Secunia alert. Exploit code has been identified in the wild and no patch is currently available...

Filed under: internet, windows xp, microsoft, security, flaw, vulnerability, patch, web, word

Microsoft Patches Vista Beta

Published 21 August 6 12:43 PM | tonybradley

Microsoft continues to make security a priority and a primary development focus, but being a priority focus is not a guarantee of perfection. Windows Vista is still in Beta testing, but it was found that two of the patches released with the August Security...

Filed under: windows vista, microsoft, security, flaw, vulnerability, patch