Top Click Media Staff Blog » Software

Beta Version of Microsoft Security Essentials out Tomorrow

James Oliver — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 12:55:33 +0000

Tomorrow the world will finally see a beta of Microsoft’s long awaited ‘Security Essentials,’ the programme that, if it works, could make life very hard for traditional anti-virus makers like Norton and Symantec. The programme works just like its competitors, in that it analyses changes to a computer’s file system to track actions like copies, installs, etc. If a known virus is discovered, it alerts the user before it can do any damage.

Microsoft’s reason for doing this? To protect the Windows software from becoming even more overrun with malware than it already is and in the process, try to rebut Mac users’ favourite criticism of PC’s, that they are more susceptible to malicious software than than macs.

There’s also a security concern to contend with. The vast majority of computers in the world use Windows, that includes some very important companies and government bodies, with some very sensitive information. If Microsoft wants to keep those clients, it’s in their interest to do something to halt the spread of infection.

The way to do that is to do something about the vast swathes of unprotected computers out there. When these systems fall prey fall prey to spyware programmers, as they frequently do, they become unwitting tools in the malware process, as malicious programmes use their contacts to cast their worms and trojans even further. If Microsoft can deny the hackers these extra contacts, then they will have gone a long way to halting the growth of the problem.

However, the plan is not without controversy. Whilst Microsoft claim that they are targeting only unprotected computers with their software, it is difficult to see how building a programme that essentially does the same thing as the offerings from McAfee, et al, won’t affect sales of their software.

Whilst I feel bad for the companies who’ve basically had their business model snatched away, it’s hard to argue that this isn’t a necessary step. Scares like the Conficker worm have opened people’s eyes to the fact that Malware is in danger of becoming unmanageable, in fact, in an age when around 90% of all email communication is spam, some would argue that we’re already there.

Hopefully Microsoft’s programme will be effective enough and marketed heavily enough to convince the masses of the need to think about security.

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Legacy Locker: Password Backup with a Twist

Mark Isle — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 11:22:50 +0000

Legacy Locker is the brainchild of a man named Jeremy Toeman, essentially it’s a back-up system for your passwords. Nothing new there I know, a carefully hidden Excel spreadsheet can do the same job, however, Toeman’s creation has one important difference. Legacy Locker also allows you to store names and contact information of designated trusted friends and relatives. In the event of your death, those people will be sent your password information.

I know this is a little bit morbid for a Wednesday morning, but consider this, a loved one dies leaving you to make the arrangements. In between planning a funeral and dealing with your grief do you really want to be sending emails to Yahoo, Facebook and banks asking to be let into accounts?

Legacy locker actually removes much of the infuriating admin that people go through when someone close to them dies, which can only be welcome. What’s more, it’s secure. The programme only releases information once the death has been confirmed and then only once a death certificate has been supplied. It also keeps the information up to date by periodically trying your passwords and notifying you if any are out of date.

All in all, a useful, if a little sombre, tool.

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Adobe Flash on iPhones: not any time soon

Matt Thomas — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 13:17:47 +0000

Adobe Flash is a pretty ubiquitous programme, used to view documents and graphics on macs, PCs, pretty much any system actually. For this reason the almighty hoo-hah made about developing the thing to work on the iPhone has surprised many. The work to get the system up and running for iPhone users has been going on, and on, for some time now and doesn’t seem like reaching a conclusion any time soon, especially after CEO Shantanu Narayen acknowledged the difficulties at the World Economic Forum in Davos.

“It’s a hard technical challenge, and that’s part of the reason Apple and Adobe are collaborating… The ball is in our court. The onus is on us to deliver.”

The delay is a little embarrassing, particularly after a conference in November where Adobe claimed as part of a company presentation to be “Taking the full Flash Player and making that run on the higher end of the mobile market.” – Kevin Lynch, Chief Technology Officer.

It’s worth remembering that the word iPhone was absent totally from that presentation. They did however claim that they would be 1 billion Flash-enabled phones by the close of 2009. Right now it looks as if they’re going to have to do that without the market leader.

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